Hockey Mystery Box: Blackhawks Foundation’s Holiday Giving Initiatives

How does the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation support the local community during the holiday season. What are the different ways fans can contribute to the Blackhawks’ charitable efforts. How can purchasing a mystery gift box benefit Chicago families in need.

Chicago Blackhawks Foundation’s 2020 Holiday Giving Campaign

The Chicago Blackhawks Foundation (CBF) has unveiled its 2020 holiday giving initiatives, aimed at supporting the local Chicago community during the festive season. This year’s campaign features three main components: the annual Toy Drive, a new Express Feedback for Good™ campaign for Giving Tuesday, and mystery gift boxes. These initiatives provide fans with various opportunities to give back and make a positive impact on those in need.

Virtual Toy Drive: Supporting “Operation Cover Chicago”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Blackhawks’ 2020 Toy Drive has shifted to a virtual format. This year’s drive benefits Another Chance’s “Operation Cover Chicago” effort. Fans interested in contributing can participate in the following ways:

• Purchase specific toys from Another Chance’s wish list through the RightGift platform by November 29
• Donate gift cards through the virtual Toy Drive portal until December 18

To access the donation portal, fans can visit Blackhawks.com/ToyDrive. The virtual format ensures that the tradition of giving continues while prioritizing safety during these challenging times.

Why is the Toy Drive important?

The annual Toy Drive plays a crucial role in bringing joy to underprivileged children in Chicago during the holiday season. By providing toys and gift cards, the initiative helps ensure that more families can celebrate and create lasting memories, regardless of their financial circumstances.

Express Feedback for Good™: A Unique Giving Tuesday Initiative

For Giving Tuesday on December 1, the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation has introduced a novel way for fans to contribute without spending money. The Express Feedback for Good™ campaign allows supporters to make an impact by offering their time and opinions on various brands. Here’s how it works:

• Each completed survey generates $2 for the CBF
• Individuals can create up to $150 in value by completing a maximum of 75 opinions
• The platform is open until December 8

Fans can participate by texting “Blackhawks” to 31996 to receive the sign-up link or by visiting Blackhawks.com/ExpressFeedbackForGood.

How does Express Feedback for Good™ benefit the community?

The funds raised through this initiative will help the Foundation invest in Chicago’s youth, support local families in need, and honor the sacrifices of others. This innovative approach allows fans to contribute meaningfully without financial burden, making it accessible to a broader range of supporters.

Cyber Monday Mystery Gift Boxes: A Charitable Shopping Experience

On Cyber Monday (November 30), the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation will launch charity mystery boxes available for purchase at Blackhawks.com. These boxes offer an exciting opportunity for fans to support the foundation while potentially receiving valuable Blackhawks merchandise. Key details of the mystery boxes include:

• Limited quantity of 300 boxes
• Each box costs $50
• Contents include one autographed item and three other Blackhawks items
• Items are selected at random from general retail, exclusive charity merchandise, gate giveaways, and special event items

All proceeds from the mystery box sales will benefit the CBF’s long-term work with local children and families, as well as immediate COVID-19 relief and neighborhood recovery efforts.

Why are mystery gift boxes an effective fundraising tool?

Mystery gift boxes combine the thrill of surprise with the satisfaction of charitable giving. This approach appeals to fans who enjoy collecting team merchandise while also supporting a good cause. The limited quantity creates a sense of urgency, potentially driving more sales and, consequently, more funds for community support.

Impact of the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation’s Holiday Initiatives

The diverse range of giving opportunities provided by the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation demonstrates a comprehensive approach to community support during the holiday season. By offering multiple ways for fans to contribute, the organization maximizes its potential impact on local families and individuals in need.

How do these initiatives address different community needs?

Each component of the holiday giving campaign targets specific areas of community support:

1. The Toy Drive focuses on bringing joy to children during the holidays
2. Express Feedback for Good™ generates funds for youth programs and family support
3. Mystery gift boxes contribute to both long-term community work and immediate COVID-19 relief efforts

This multi-faceted approach ensures that the Foundation can address a wide range of needs within the Chicago community.

Adapting Charitable Efforts in the Face of COVID-19

The Chicago Blackhawks Foundation’s 2020 holiday giving initiatives reflect the organization’s ability to adapt to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. By shifting to virtual and online formats, the Foundation ensures that its charitable efforts can continue safely and effectively.

How has the pandemic influenced charitable giving?

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted charitable organizations and their fundraising efforts. Many traditional in-person events and drives have been cancelled or modified to comply with safety guidelines. This situation has led to increased creativity in fundraising approaches, such as the virtual Toy Drive and the Express Feedback for Good™ campaign implemented by the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation.

Engaging Fans in Community Support

The Chicago Blackhawks Foundation’s holiday giving initiatives offer fans multiple ways to engage with the team’s charitable efforts. This approach not only benefits the community but also strengthens the bond between the team and its supporters.

How do these initiatives foster fan engagement?

The various giving opportunities cater to different preferences and capabilities among fans:

• The Toy Drive allows for direct gift-giving
• Express Feedback for Good™ provides a no-cost option for contribution
• Mystery gift boxes combine charitable giving with the excitement of receiving team merchandise

By offering this range of options, the Foundation encourages broader participation in its charitable efforts, potentially increasing overall impact and fan engagement.

Long-Term Benefits of Holiday Giving Initiatives

While the immediate focus of these initiatives is on holiday season support, the impact of the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation’s efforts extends far beyond the festive period. The funds raised and resources gathered contribute to ongoing programs and support systems within the Chicago community.

How do holiday giving campaigns support year-round community efforts?

Holiday giving campaigns often serve as significant fundraising opportunities for charitable organizations. The increased focus on giving during this time of year can result in substantial resource accumulation, which can then be distributed and utilized throughout the year. For the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, the proceeds from initiatives like the mystery gift boxes contribute to both immediate relief efforts and long-term community work.

This approach ensures that the impact of holiday giving extends well beyond the season, providing sustained support for various community programs and initiatives. It also allows the Foundation to respond flexibly to emerging needs within the community throughout the year.

Leveraging Team Popularity for Community Benefit

The Chicago Blackhawks, as a popular NHL team, have a significant platform to raise awareness and garner support for charitable causes. The Foundation’s holiday giving initiatives effectively leverage this popularity to maximize community impact.

How does team branding contribute to charitable success?

The use of team branding and merchandise in charitable initiatives, such as the mystery gift boxes, creates a strong incentive for fans to participate. This approach taps into fans’ emotional connection to the team, encouraging them to support community causes while also acquiring team-related items.

Moreover, the association with a well-known sports team can lend credibility and visibility to charitable efforts, potentially attracting support from a broader base of donors and volunteers. This synergy between team popularity and charitable work creates a powerful mechanism for community support.

Encouraging Year-Round Charitable Engagement

While holiday giving initiatives provide a significant boost to charitable efforts, maintaining community support throughout the year is crucial for sustained impact. The Chicago Blackhawks Foundation’s holiday campaign can serve as a springboard for year-round engagement.

How can holiday giving initiatives inspire ongoing support?

Holiday giving campaigns can create momentum and awareness that extends beyond the festive season. To capitalize on this, organizations can:

• Provide regular updates on the impact of holiday donations
• Offer ongoing opportunities for fan involvement in charitable work
• Highlight community needs and initiatives throughout the year
• Create recurring giving programs inspired by successful holiday campaigns

By maintaining communication and engagement with supporters year-round, charitable foundations can build on the success of holiday initiatives to create lasting community impact.

The Role of Sports Teams in Community Development

The Chicago Blackhawks Foundation’s holiday giving initiatives exemplify the significant role that sports teams can play in community development and support. Beyond providing entertainment, these organizations have the potential to be powerful catalysts for positive change in their local areas.

How do sports teams contribute to community well-being?

Sports teams can impact their communities in various ways:

1. Financial Support: Through initiatives like the ones described, teams can raise substantial funds for community programs and initiatives.
2. Awareness Raising: Teams can leverage their public platform to highlight important community issues and needs.
3. Volunteer Mobilization: Fan bases can be encouraged to participate in volunteer efforts, amplifying the team’s community impact.
4. Youth Development: Many team-led initiatives focus on supporting and inspiring young people in the community.
5. Economic Impact: Team-related events and initiatives can stimulate local economies.

By actively engaging in community support, sports teams like the Chicago Blackhawks demonstrate their commitment to being responsible corporate citizens and valuable community partners.

Measuring the Success of Holiday Giving Initiatives

To ensure the effectiveness of holiday giving campaigns, it’s crucial for organizations like the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation to measure and evaluate the success of their initiatives. This assessment can inform future efforts and demonstrate the impact to supporters and stakeholders.

What metrics can be used to evaluate charitable campaigns?

Several key metrics can help gauge the success of holiday giving initiatives:

• Total funds raised
• Number of individual donors or participants
• Quantity of goods collected (e.g., toys for the Toy Drive)
• Social media engagement and reach
• Volunteer hours contributed
• Number of beneficiaries served
• Long-term impact on community programs

By tracking these metrics, organizations can assess the effectiveness of their campaigns, identify areas for improvement, and demonstrate the tangible impact of supporters’ contributions.

Collaborative Efforts in Community Support

The success of initiatives like those undertaken by the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation often relies on collaboration with other organizations and businesses. These partnerships can amplify the impact of charitable efforts and create a more comprehensive support network for the community.

How do partnerships enhance charitable initiatives?

Collaborative efforts in community support can yield several benefits:

1. Expanded Reach: Partnerships can help initiatives reach a broader audience and attract more supporters.
2. Resource Sharing: Collaborating organizations can pool resources, expertise, and manpower to increase overall impact.
3. Diverse Perspectives: Different partners bring unique insights and approaches, leading to more innovative and effective solutions.
4. Increased Credibility: Partnerships with respected organizations can enhance the credibility and visibility of charitable initiatives.
5. Sustainable Impact: Collaborative efforts often result in more sustainable, long-term community support structures.

By fostering partnerships and collaborative relationships, charitable organizations can create a more robust and effective network of community support.

The Future of Sports-Related Charitable Initiatives

As the landscape of philanthropy evolves, sports-related charitable initiatives like those of the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation will likely continue to adapt and innovate. The future of these efforts may be shaped by emerging technologies, changing social dynamics, and evolving community needs.

What trends might influence future sports-related charitable efforts?

Several factors could shape the future of sports-related charitable initiatives:

• Increased use of digital platforms for engagement and fundraising
• Greater emphasis on measurable, long-term impact
• Focus on addressing systemic issues in addition to immediate needs
• Integration of environmental sustainability into charitable efforts
• Enhanced use of data analytics to target and optimize initiatives
• Expansion of global outreach through digital connectivity

By staying attuned to these trends and continually innovating, sports teams and their charitable foundations can maintain and enhance their role as vital contributors to community well-being.

The Chicago Blackhawks Foundation’s 2020 holiday giving initiatives demonstrate the potential for sports organizations to make a significant positive impact in their communities. Through a combination of traditional giving opportunities, innovative fundraising approaches, and strategic partnerships, these initiatives create a comprehensive support system for local families and individuals in need. As the Foundation continues to adapt and evolve its charitable efforts, it sets an example for other sports organizations and reinforces the important role that teams can play in fostering community development and well-being.

RELEASE: Give Back with the Blackhawks This Holiday Season

The Chicago Blackhawks Foundation (CBF) today announced the organization’s 2020 holiday giving initiatives including its annual Toy Drive, a new Express Feedback for Good™ campaign for Giving Tuesday, and mystery gift boxes to raise funds for the local Chicago community in need. 

TOY DRIVE

Benefitting Another Chance’s “Operation Cover Chicago” effort, the Blackhawks 2020 Toy Drive, generously supported by Vienna Beef, will be held in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans wishing to donate specific toys from Another Chance’s wish list are encouraged to make their purchases through the RightGift platform by Sunday, Nov. 29 to ensure items arrive in time for distribution. The virtual Toy Drive will remain open for gift card contributions through the distribution date on Friday, Dec. 18.

Please visit Blackhawks.com/ToyDrive to be directed to the donation portal.

GIVING TUESDAY: EXPRESS FEEDBACK FOR GOOD

This Giving Tuesday (Dec. 1), Blackhawks fans can give back to our local community without spending money. This unique opportunity allows fans a way to make an impact by giving their time and offering opinions on brands through Express Feedback for Good™. With each survey generating $2 for CBF, individuals can personally create up to $150 in value (75 opinions maximum) that will help the Foundation invest in Chicago’s youth, support local families in need and honor the sacrifices of others.

The platform is now open for those who would like to begin their surveys sooner and will close on Tuesday, Dec. 8. Interested fans should text “Blackhawks” to 31996 to receive the sign-up link or visit Blackhawks.com/ExpressFeedbackForGood.

CYBER MONDAY: MYSTERY GIFT BOXES

Shoppers looking for that special gift for the Blackhawks fan in their life can purchase one of CBF’s charity mystery boxes launching on Cyber Monday (Nov. 30) at Blackhawks.com. Limited to just 300 in quantity, each box will cost $50 and include one autographed item and three other Blackhawks items selected at random from both general retail and exclusive charity merchandise, gate giveaways, special event items and more.

All mystery box proceeds will benefit CBF’s long-term work with local children and families, as well as immediate COVID-19 relief and neighborhood recovery efforts.

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2018-19 Upper Deck Hockey Mystery Box Break

I’ve got to admit, this Upper Deck 2018-19 Mystery Box was compelling, at $45. A Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin/Evgeni Malkin, Mario Lemieux or Leon Draisaitl signed card? A Wayne Gretzky or Connor McDavid signed jersey? A premium pack? A coin worth $99?

Of course, I landed none of that, but I did get at least one of every “regular” pack shown on the box, namely a pack of the 2015-16 Series 1 set:

A pack of the 2015-16 Series 2 set:

Two packs of 2016-17 Series 1:

One pack of 2016-17 Parkhurst:

One pack of 2016-17 Team Canada Juniors/Women cards:

Two packs of the 2017-18 Series 1 cards:

And my guaranteed “Hobby” pack, from the 2016-17 CHL set:

I had fun opening the packs and landed a few inserts.

There is a Young Guns Canvas card of Nick Cousins:

A Parkhurst silver parallel of Daniel Sedin and two rookies:

Two UD Portraits cards from different sets:

And my CHL pack landed me 12 young players including this Milos Roman rookie card:

But the two best were this 2017-18 Game Jersey card of John Klingberg:

And this gold variant (#25/38) jersey card of Canadian Olympian Halli Krzyzaniak‘s:

The guaranteed “hit” card was this Authentic Fabrics jersey card of former New York Rangers captain Ryan Callahan from the 2013-14 SP Game-Use Edition set:

The only truly disappointing pull was the fact that the guaranteed rookie card is in terrible shape; it’s Auston Matthews‘ Top Rookies card from the 2017-18 MJ Holdings Hockey set but has three banged corners, nearly half the left side of the cardboard lifted off and cutting lines on top and on the right:

Considering it should probably be the box’s most valuable hit, it’s a huge disappointment. I probably would’ve been able to make a Toronto Maple Leafs fan very happy via trade with this one, but I can’t see anyone going out of their way trying to acquire it from me.

I’ll contact Upper Deck and see if they can replace it for me, or perhaps explain that the entire run of MJ Holdings cards are this way. If it stands as is, I’ll have to rate this one a 6.0/10.

Seattle Kraken in the game as EA Sports’ ‘NHL 22’ features new hockey team and new arena

Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, as depicted with a crowd and hockey action in the new “NHL 22” video game from EA Sports. (EA Vancouver Image)

Hockey fans dying for a look inside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, the soon-to-be home of the Seattle Kraken, can turn to a video game announcement today to get their fix.

EA Sports dropped a reveal trailer for “NHL 22,” its premiere hockey video game, and it’s nice to see the Kraken represented among some of the storied franchises in the league.

Climate Pledge Arena — the reimagined venue in Seattle’s Lower Queen Anne neighborhood — shows up for a brief couple seconds at the 1:37 mark of the trailer (below). Fans are going wild in the up-high view inside the packed stadium; center ice bears the team’s giant ‘S’ logo.

EA also shared a video game image of Mark Giordano, a Kraken defenseman who the team picked up from the Calgary Flames in the NHL expansion draft this summer. It’s a great look at how another Seattle sports team and its unique branding will come across in a video game.

The Kraken tweeted that “NHL 22” is “about to get a whole lot better” with the inclusion of the team.

Seattle Kraken player Mark Giordano in “NHL 22.” (EA Vancouver Image)

The Kraken are scheduled to kick off their inaugural season on Oct. 12 in Las Vegas. The team plays four more games on the road before opening at home on Oct. 23 against the Vancouver Canucks for the start of what is hoped to be a new and lasting Pacific Northwest rivalry.

“NHL 22” launches Oct. 15 on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, and is now powered by EA’s Frostbite game engine.

“For the first time ever, experience hockey on one of the industry’s most powerful game engines bringing unrivaled visual detail to every hit, deke, and shot,” the company said.

Watch the reveal trailer for “NHL 22” below.

US beats Switzerland 3-0 to open women’s world hockey | KLRT

Posted: Aug 20, 2021 / 07:54 PM CDT / Updated: Aug 21, 2021 / 12:17 AM CDT

Canada’s Jamie Rattray celebrates her goal against Finland during the second period of an IIHF women’s hockey championships game in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, Aug. 20, 2021. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Brianna Decker and Kendall Coyne Schofield each had a goal and an assist and the nine-time champion United States beat Switzerland 3-0 on Friday night to open the women’s world hockey championship.

The tournament began with the Beijing Olympics less than six months away. The world championship was last played in 2019 in Finland, with the United States winning its fifth straight title. The pandemic twice forced the cancellation of the event in Nova Scotia.

Grace Zumwinkle also scored for the United States and Alex Cavallini made 10 saves. Andrea Braendli stopped 55 shots for Switzerland.

“I thought it was a great game and we’re really excited about the result, but also in how we played as a team” U.S. coach Joel Johnson said. “It just felt really good to get out and play. The Swiss have a great team and played us tough, but it really speaks to how competitive the game has become all over the world.”

Decker opened the scoring at 4:29 of the first period, Coyne Schofield connected at 4:08 of the second, and Grace Zumwinkle capped the scoring with 1:36 left in the second. Decker assisted on Coyne Schofield’s goal to tie the American world championship assists record of 38 held by Krissy Wendell and Jennie Potter.

Earlier in the first Group A game, Sarah Fillier broke a tie midway through the third period and Canada rallied to beat Finland 5-3. In the lone Group B game of the day, Alena Mills had three goals and an assist in the Czech Republic’s 6-1 victory over Denmark.

All five teams in Group A and the top three in Group B will advance to the quarterfinals. The United States will face Finland on Sunday night.

Fillier scored 25 seconds after Elisa Holopainen tied it for Finland. Fillier scored on a rebound after Anni Keisala stopped Natalie Spooner’s wraparound attempt.

“I think when you have energy and a no-quit attitude and you add grit, good things are going to happen,” Cabadian forward Brianne Jenner said.

Ten-time champion Canada overcame a two-goal deficit when Jamie Rattray and Marie-Philip Poulin scored in a 20-second span in the second period. Nelli Laitinen and Minnamari Tuominen scored for Finland in a 3:40 span early in the first, with Tuominen connecting with two Canadians in the penalty box.

Erin Ambrose gave Canada a 3-2 lead early in the third, and Jenner had an empty-net goal in the final minute.

Ann-Renee Desbiens made eight saves for Canada. Keisala stopped 39 shots.

Vendula Pribylova, Dominika Laskova and Kristyna Patkova also scored for the Czech Republic, and Klara Peslarova made eight saves.

Josefine Persson scored for Denmark. The Danes are competing in the top division for the first time since 1992.

90,000 “Alaska Mystery” is embodied in Lake Tahoe

When he called the office, Craig was told that Howard Baldwin wanted to talk to him. At the time, Baldwin was a co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins as well as a film producer. Craig immediately called Baldwin in Los Angeles.

“Dan, do you know where Canmore, Alberta is?” Baldwin asked.

Yes.

“Do you know what a shinuk is”?

Yes.

“I shoot movies on the ice of the lake and lose an inch of ice every day.Can you help me with that? ”

Now this is fun to remember, that movie led to the idea of ​​having an open-air match at a stadium, and as a result, the NHL has held 30 such meetings since 2003. And the next step, as close as possible to the “Alaska Mystery”, is this weekend NHL Outdoors matches at Lake Tahoe.

Life will mimic art when the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights play the Bridgestone NHL Outdoors Saturday (Saturday, 11:00 pm Moscow time), and the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers play the Honda NHL Outdoors Sunday (Sunday, 23:00 Moscow time).

You will see snowy peaks. The TV crew will show unique footage. And behind the scenes there will be a freezer and pipes leading to the ice so that nothing interferes with the snow cover.

Craig is currently the NHL VP of Equipment Operations and is on the scene advising NHL Senior Equipment Operations Manager Derek King in charge of the ice rink on the 18th fairway of Edgewood Tahoe Resort Golf Course.

There are many differences between making ice in reality and film, but the fundamentals are the same.

“Freezer, pipes below the surface, it’s just like Alaska Mystery,” Craig said.

* * * * *

Craig grew up in Jasper, Alberta, a three and a half hour northwest of Canmore, and knew all about shinook – a warm, dry wind blowing from the east in late winter in the Rocky Mountains, from working on a school skating rink at age 15 to making ice for the Edmonton Oilers to work in the NHL, where he came in 1997.

His first project was to build an ice rink over the swimming pool at the Yoyogi Arena in Tokyo, where the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Vancouver Canucks played two games in the 1997-98 regular season. A few days before that, he called the then NHL employee Brian Burke.

“Brian, don’t let the guys get on the plane. We can’t do this. We just can’t.”

“Dan, you can do anything.”

Okay.

The quality of the ice didn’t come close to NHL standards, but Craig did it.

When Craig finished talking to Baldwin, he called Ralph Goddard of Commercial Refrigeration, who had traveled with him to Japan and made a freezer unit there.

Craig knew the trailer was in Edmonton for service after the trip. Goddard said the car is already on its way to Los Angeles.

“I need her to go back to Alberta,” Craig said.

“Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously.”

Craig has never been to Canmore himself, but since he worked for the NHL and was asked for help by the co-owner of the NHL team, he was in constant contact with Goddard, who set up the setup, equipment and workforce for the film.

“When Dan called Dad, we got stuck at a conference in Colorado Springs because of a blizzard,” said Brad Goddard, son of Ralph Goddard, who died of cancer last year. “But Dad took the car and came anyway.”

Ron Willetard was then at Commercial Refrigeration and had just returned from Edmonton, where he was building an ice rink in New Hampshire. He got a call from the office.

“Don’t take things apart,” he was told. “You need to go to Canmore. They’re making a movie.”

Cinema?

“Yes, listen, I got myself into this case head over heels,” Villetard said.

He spent about a month in Canmore, taking turns taking 12 hour shifts with a partner and working with the film’s director Jay Roach.

Basically, they laid pipes so that brine could flow through them, which took heat and allowed the freezer to freeze the surface. They even created a zig-zag path from the dressing room to the ice so that Mystery’s team could make a spectacular appearance on the court.

“It was interesting,” Villetard said. “I could walk around the set.Sometimes, when they filmed for an hour and didn’t need me, I would sit in the stands and pretend to be a fan. ”

If you watch the film closely, you can see the freezer trailer disguised as a TV truck. * * * * *

“The Mystery of Alaska” was released on April 1, 1999. After that, the assistant coach of the University of Michigan team David McAuliffe got the idea to play a match with the principal contender at Spartan Stadium.They decided to give it a try and set an outdoor match for October 6, 2001, using the same freezer trailer used in the movie.

Warm weather again caused ice problems. Craig urgently went to East Lansing (Michigan), where he personally helped collect water from the ice and built a kind of dam around the field.

If there had been a failure, perhaps open-air hockey would never have happened. But with Craig’s help and the colder weather on match day, it worked out.The Cold War attracted 75,544 spectators – at the time it was a world ice hockey record.

The Oilers then came up with the idea of ​​an outdoor match that evolved into a Legacy Classics game at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on November 22, 2003. 57,167 freezing and brave fans saw the Oilers 4-3 beat the Montreal Canadiens.

The first match of the Winter Classics took place on January 1, 2008, when Sidney Crosby scored the decisive bullet in the snow and brought the Pittsburgh Penguins a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabers in front of 71,217 spectators at the Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard -Park (New York State).

Since then, street hockey has become one of the main features of the NHL. The league played outdoor games across the continent in a wide variety of environments and stadiums in front of hundreds of thousands of fans. The League has invested in its own infrastructure, including two freezer trucks. And she gained the experience and confidence that she can cope with any difficulties

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the access of fans to the arenas was reduced, so the NHL was forced to make changes in the conduct of the season.Holding an open-air match without fans somewhere far from the world has always been a romantic idea, but it didn’t make economic sense. If ever it makes sense to hold a TV-only event, now.

So what if the NHL has never played a game on a golf course? So what if the league had only two months to plan?

The matches were in Tokyo for a long time, and then nothing of what was happening was no longer a secret.

“If you ask me the question, ‘Can we do this?’, Then whatever it is, I will always answer in the affirmative,” Craig said.- I know that there will be difficulties, but all the same – yes. Can we do this? Yes. Don’t even ask that question. We will do everything. “

90,000 10 films about hockey

In Russia, the average level of Internet use is about 7 hours and 17 minutes every day. According to estimates of online cinemas, in the first half of 2020, the number of users has grown 4.5 times compared to last year. Statistics show that the pandemic has changed the way of life. In a situation when the “second wave” covers, schoolchildren are extended their autumn holidays, and outside the window it gets colder, it remains to rely only on films and the atmosphere of comfort at home.

Due to the current situation, we have compiled a list of films about hockey, ice skating, overcoming difficulties and success.

“Powerful ducklings”

The Mighty Ducks (6+) , 1992 (three parts) is a trilogy about a children’s hockey team, released in the 1990s by Walt Disney Pictures.

The plot revolves around the main character – Gordon Bombay. He is a successful attorney in Minneapolis. In the past, he was a hockey star, but in the decisive match due to a personal tragedy he did not realize the bullet, which disappointed the coach.

In celebration of his 30th won case, he drinks and gets behind the wheel. He is arrested and sentenced to corrective labor as the coach of a children’s team.

So this story begins, in the end Bombay leads the guys to victory. He teaches them the tactics and conduct of the game, reveals the abilities of each hockey player, teaches them how to skate and stand on the ice, and shows his trademark tricks.

We recommend all three parts for family viewing. It will be useful for young hockey players to look at the training from the side.Perhaps some will become even more interested in the game and begin to study harder. The film shows guys who sincerely and with a burning heart get up on skates and take the clubs in their hands.

“Bouncer”

The Bouncer (Goon, 18+) , 2011 – The film adaptation of Adam Frattasio and Doug Smith’s novel The Bouncer: The True Story of the Incredible Journey to the Minor Hockey Leagues. The main role is played by Sean William Scott from the comedy American Pie.

A story about an ordinary guy named Doug Glatt.He works as a bouncer at a local bar. Once at a match, he gets involved in a fight with a hockey player and breaks through his helmet. Daga notices the coach of a professional minor league team and offers him a tawgai seat. The main task of the hero is to use brute force against opponents and protect the team leader.

Having learned to skate, hold a stick and beat opponents on the ice, Doug becomes a favorite of the public. Of course, there is also an implacable rival in the film, who must be defeated at any cost.

An energetic and emotional story about the love of hockey.It is worth seeing if only for the spectacular fights on the ice and the charismatic Sean William Scott.

“Legend No. 17”

“Legend No. 17” (6+) , 2013 – Russian sports drama telling about the beginning of Valery Kharlamov’s career.

So far, this is the only large-scale project in Russia about hockey. The picture caused a real stir in the sections, the boys dreamed of playing under the number “17” on their backs.

The purpose of the picture was to draw attention to hockey, it is intended for the general public.The creators coped with the task. This film is the first one that comes to mind when it comes to what to watch from Russian sports cinema.

Oleg Menshikov is convincing in the role of the great coach – Anatoly Tarasov. It is he who brings up the “legend” in the main character. Supports him and gives instructions. Through injuries, difficulties and courage, Valery Kharlamov is distinguished by two goals scored in the principal meeting between the national team of the Soviet Union and Canada.

“Tooth Fairy”

Tooth Fairy (12+) , 2009 – fantastic comedy film starring Duane Jones.

If you are looking for a movie for a family evening, then definitely choose this one. Here and fights with knocked out teeth, and ice skating with hammered washers, and magic with a good ending.

Derek Thompson is a hockey celebrity nicknamed “The Tooth Fairy.” Received it for tough play and rough power tricks during the match. In life, the main character does not differ in tact and does not believe in miracles. Then the real tooth fairies decide to teach him a lesson and send him to correctional labor. For two weeks, Derek will have to come to the babies during sleep and take their baby teeth, leaving a dollar in return.

At the end of the film, the hero regains confidence on the ice and regains the trust of his family. A wonderful kind comedy that kids will love.

“Young Blood”

Youngblood (16+) , 1986 – a cult sports drama from the 80s.

A young and ambitious guy, Dean Youngblood, has been dreaming of a hockey career since the age of six. He dreams of breaking free from the family farm and becoming the best in the league. He gets a chance to fulfill his dream.

The film contains all the elements of the melodrama of the 80s: a love line, nostalgia for the old days, a retro uniform of field players and a goalkeeper, unexpected turns in the fate of the protagonist.

Want to see the best shootout in sports movie history? Play Young Blood, and it also stars young Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves.

“The Mystery of Alaska”

Mystery, Alaska, 16+ , 1999 – film starring Russell Crowe.

The picture tells about a small town somewhere in Alaska. The most spectacular and interesting events for local residents are hockey matches on a frozen lake.
The Mystery team has a chance to take on the NHL stars, the New York Rangers.

A good film with elements of comedy and drama, but will easily brighten up an evening in front of the TV.
Get ready for breathtaking views of snow-covered Alaska, spectacular open ice action.

“Kings of Ice”

“Kings of Ice” (Les Pee-Wee 3D: L’hiver qui a changé ma vie, 6+) , 2012 is a Canadian film about a teenager who lost his mother and moved to another city with his father.
He finds himself on someone else’s team without friends and support. Personal tragedy weighs on the psyche. Hormones are seething. It seems that the whole world is against you.
In the new city, the protagonist will not only reveal his talent on the ice, but will also meet friends.

A must-see for parents whose children play hockey or just skate.
After all, without the help of relatives, it is not easy to cope with the psychological pressure of big sport at a young age.

“Lord of the Red Machine”

“Lord of the Red Machine” , 2018 – a documentary from Channel One, filmed for the 100th anniversary of the legendary coach Anatoly Tarasov.

This is a story not only about his brilliant career, but also about what kind of person Tarasov was in ordinary life.

“Viktor Tikhonov. The last of the Atlanteans “

“Viktor Tikhonov. The Last of the Atlanteans “, 2020 is another documentary from Channel One, dedicated to another Soviet coach of the USSR national hockey team, Viktor Tikhonov.

Both coaches went down in history and remained legends of their time. Their fates were full of ups and downs.

Anatoly Tarasov in the prime of life in the 70s was forever excommunicated from big hockey by order of the Soviet leadership. His daughter, Honored Figure Skating Coach Tatiana Tarasova, tells about the coach’s further activities.

His grandson and widow share memories of the difficult character and methods of educating hockey players Viktor Tikhonov in the documentary.

The Incredible Wayne Gretzky

Ultimate Gretzky , 2003 is the biography of the NHL’s highest scoring player ever.

Get ready for a journey through the life of a “great” hockey player. The film will tell about the most striking events and victories of Gretzky: from childhood in Los Angeles to the Stanley Cup and the 2002 Olympic Games as part of the Canadian national team. Interview with former teammates, coach, chronicle from the hockey player’s personal archives.

Films are not compiled in a rating order, this is just a list with recommendations for hockey fans. Sports portals also recommend watching: the biopic “Maurice Richard”, the Soviet movie “Hockey Players” and “Sparrow on Ice”, a film with John Bon Jovi “Puck! Washer! “Choose according to your mood and enjoy an active bright game with the puck on the ice. Happy viewing!

90,000 HOW THE AIR FORCE HOCKEY TEAM DIED. 100 Great Mysteries of the 20th Century

HOW THE AIR FORCE HOCKEY TEAM DIED

Igor Marinov reports:

– When in December 1992 the country celebrated the 70th anniversary of the birth of Vsevolod Bobrov, we, as usual, regretted how untimely this unique athlete had left us. And suddenly I remembered: and after all, his death could have been much earlier, did not have mercy in some mysterious moment the fate of Vsevolod Mikhailovich and did not pull him out of the chain of comrades who, on a frosty morning on January 5, 1950, climbed the Douglas ladder at the Central Airfield Moscow …

These were almost all the hockey players of the Air Force team.And they all died when the Douglas C-47, which landed six times at Koltsovo airport near Sverdlovsk, collapsed on the edge of the airfield in its last attempt to land.

Flight Chief Colonel Vasilenko, reporting on the causes of the disaster, immediately stressed that the idea of ​​insufficient crew qualifications should be dismissed altogether. The commander, Major Zubov, an experienced pilot, led the equally sophisticated and skillful professionals. Its crew was part of Grachev’s division, which served members of the government.Shortly before the tragic events, “Douglas” Zubov returned from Tehran, where he took, it seems, Vyshinsky.

Colonel Vasilenko said that as a result of the investigation, the commission had six versions of the death of the car. Here are two of them that are considered the most likely.

It was dark, drifting snow… The crew was heading for two radio beacons located one after the other. But it turned out that, having hit the first radio beacon, they could not get to the second one. “Come out to the hangars!” – the dispatchers repeated to them from the ground.For the sixth time – again to the hangars. It turned out that the momentum had dropped. The commander turned on the afterburner, the car climbed up, but it was too late – the thrust was not enough: the Douglas lay down on the wing, rolled over and crashed into the ground …

There is another version of what happened. It has already been mentioned that the snow fell on that day. It was white and white all around. When approaching the landing, the crew turned on powerful searchlights to illuminate the landing strip. The suddenly brightly lit, flowing veil of a blizzard could seem like flaring tongues of flame.The guys probably fancied that the plane caught fire, and they rushed to the tail all at once, in a herd. The plane lost control and crashed.

These versions were recorded by me from the words of Nikolai Grigorievich Puchkov, one of the best goalkeepers in the history of Russian hockey, who after the disaster took the place of the main goalkeeper of the Air Force team. Together with another famous hockey player, Viktor Grigorievich Shuvalov, he helped the author tell about the team of ground “pilots” who were overtaken by the death of aeronautics.

Who was on board the Douglas that tragic day? Before remembering everyone by name and in more detail about some of them, let’s go back to the beginning of the 1950s …

Arbat Square, spacious at that time, near which, depending on the season, we drove a ball or puck, not dug by tunnels, opened to our eyes right up to to Vozdvizhenka. From there or closer, from Znamenka, where the Ministry of Defense is, and at the end of the street – the Kremlin, a foreign car – maybe a Packard, or maybe a Horch – burst out at high speed and raced, slantingly cutting off the space of the square.Passers-by were scampering, sentinels stretched out, saluting; a general’s epaulette, a cap with a high crown flashed next to the driver, and rustled after him, foaming with admiring exclamations: “Vasya, Vasily Stalin is scratching! Wow, guys! ” The car dived under the lindens of the boulevard and tore straight to such a sly mansion behind a green fence, which is on the right hand, if you go from the center. Something amused and reminded of himself the unlucky child of the “father of peoples” Vasily Stalin.

VVS – it was he, Vasily Stalin, who passionately, unrestrainedly and despotically loved sports, to the management of which he transferred many features inherited or learned from his father.Vasily Stalin was obstinate, capricious, fully felt his belonging to an all-powerful father and, probably, in some way felt his chosenness as a call to various activities, opting for sports. He established teams of “pilots” in almost all kinds of sports, using one, but a reliable method of staffing: he promised benefits and gave them, blessing his own hand, the ruler; he was the commander of the air force of the Moscow district, first with the rank of major general, then with the rank of lieutenant general. And the benefits then, after the war, were rare, very rare.Most gave in to exhortations. That is why the Air Force in those days was deciphered as follows: “they took the whole” Spartak “”, “they took all the athletes”, “the band of Vasily Stalin” … All his teams either became champions or firmly settled in the winners – water polo players, basketball players, volleyball players, horsemen and who else is there … The hockey players also looked decent. Only the wayward, as always, football was not given, which was firmly “saddled” then by the teams of two departments unfriendly to Vasily Stalin – CSKA (Ministry of Defense) and Dynamo (Ministry of Internal Affairs-MGB).

… Together with six members of the Douglas crew, 13 members of the Air Force team were killed: goalkeepers Khariy Mellups and Nikolai Isaev, defenders Robert Shulmanis, Boris Bocharnikov (playing coach) and Evgeny Voronin, strikers Ivan Novikov, Zdenek Zikmund, Yuri Tarasov, Yuri , Alexander Moiseev and Vasily Volodin, doctor Mikhail Galperin and massage therapist Alexey Galkin.

The main goalkeeper of the Air Force in the national team was then Khariy Mellups, who had previously played for Dinamo Riga – an extremely colorful figure.Goalkeepers then played some in a cap, some in a hat, and Khariy – in something like a cap with a long visor, like a baseball player. There was an imperceptible scent of something foreign from him. I liked his game with a stick, sharp attacks with it, rapid exits from the gate. In the stands, he was also loved for his calm flamboyance. Despite his youth (he was barely 22 years old), Melloops managed to acquire a vivid sports biography. He was actively involved in boxing, in 1945 in the ring, installed on the stage of the Riga Opera and Ballet Theater, he won the final fight against the pre-war Latvian bantamweight champion Jaak Keistersis.Melloops distinguished himself in football, where he acted as a striker. He played in Riga “Dynamo”, then in the Air Force. He supplemented his mobility and quickness of reaction with patience and equanimity, a strong nervous system – after a missed puck he acted even better than before the failure.

There were former Spartak members on that plane, who joined the Air Force as a whole three – Novikov, Zikmund, Yuri Tarasov. BBC Radio reported in those days: “… the famous Soviet tennis players Novikov and Zikmund were killed.” Ivan Novikov, who was not yet 25 years old, really began his sports career as a tennis player.In 1949, he was considered the fifth racket in the country. In hockey, Novikov was famous for his breadth of maneuver, had a high speed, a strong wrist throw.

Zdenek Zikmund was in his 32nd year. The son of a Russified Czech (in the 1920s, his father was among the leaders of the Moscow Institute of Physical Culture), Zdenek had a solid tennis reputation, he played especially successfully with the multiple champion of the country Nikolai Ozerov: he excelled in doubles together with the future sports commentator from 1944 to 1949 year.

27-year-old Yuri Tarasov fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War until 1944. The younger brother of Anatoly Tarasov, the future famous hockey mentor, he was known as a bold, energetic and fast left wing. Together with Zikmund and Novikov, they made up a well-coordinated troika. Kind, docile, “his boyfriend,” Yuri acted especially successfully and energetically when he had to oppose his older brother …

Nikolai Puchkov: “They sent a car for me, brought me to the Sokol, there was the headquarters of Vasily Stalin.In the room I saw Shuvalov, Chaplinsky, Striganov, Afonkin, and someone else, they gathered everyone who remained in Moscow, even those who had finished or were about to finish playing. We were all ordered to immediately leave for Chelyabinsk.

Calendar games of the championship continued. In Sverdlovsk we went to the hangar where they lay. There were all: parents, wives. There came from Moscow Anatoly Tarasov, Vladimir Nikanorov, Mikhail Orekhov – the TsEsk people. The earth, everything is mixed, the bodies are sifted with metal. A brand new epaulette flashed, major, Boris Bocharnikov, the title was just awarded … “

… Bocharnikov was 31 years old, on this tour it was assumed that he would act as both the captain and the playing coach.Bocharnikov was considered one of the most experienced defenders of our hockey, by that time he had been playing for the Air Force for a year and a half, having replaced his blue and white Dynamo uniform with a yellow-striped team of pilots. He was a dashing hockey player, well knocked down, firmly on his feet. He, perhaps, possessed all the qualities of a class protector.

Viktor Shuvalov: “There were 19 people killed, but the remains were placed in 20 coffins, tightly closed, then they were placed on 10“ Studebakers ”and buried. Now there, near the Koltsovo airfield, is an obelisk.Whenever I had to visit Sverdlovsk, they always brought flowers there. I remember what horror my parents went through. After all, they thought that I crashed together with the team, did not believe the telegrams that they sent from Moscow. Until they saw me on the platform of the railway station in Chelyabinsk, until they felt me ​​with their hands – safe, alive, unharmed! – all did not believe. And no wonder: no official messages followed, the names were not named. I didn’t get on the plane then because Vasily Stalin, our boss and chief, found it inconvenient for me to perform in Chelyabinsk in front of the fans of the local “Dzerzhinets”, from where I joined the Air Force.So I stayed in Moscow. It turns out that he stayed in life ”.

Those times are probably difficult for today’s young man to even imagine. Moscow courtyards were full of rumors: the plane froze over and crashed into the ground … Bobrov was late and survived … sabotage is not excluded! .. And not a sound from the official, military, civil or sports authorities. Not a sound! The veil of secrecy, a state secret, which in those years was diligently put on, not only on catastrophes, on any insignificant trifle in greater vigilance before the intrigues of world imperialism, bordered on idiocy.

About the undeclared death of the Air Force team, people were at a loss in various guesses. And then, when a team in familiar yellow-striped shirts rolled out to Dynamo, and the announcer announced all the familiar names: Bobrov, Vinogradov, Shuvalov, Zhiburtovich, Moiseev … – here many were completely confused. Soon, of course, it turned out that Pavel Zhiburtovich is the brother of the deceased Yuri, Anatoly Moiseev is Alexander’s namesake, and Bobrov … Until now, the old-timers of the stands retell big and small legends about his miraculous salvation.One of the most popular – Vsevolod Bobrov went on a spree with friends in a restaurant.

I will give the floor to his then teammate. Nikolai Puchkov: “Bobrov never led an ascetic lifestyle. But I reject the suggestion that the feast helped him miss his plane and stay alive. Vsevolod, it should be noted, like others, did not like to fly. Whenever possible, I preferred the train. And this time even more so: he had not yet had the transitional documents in the Air Force straightened out in full form. That is why he ended up not on the plane, but on the train. “

That 1950 season, the new “ice pilot squadron”, replacing the sunk into oblivion, finished in 4th place. But then … The transformed, reborn Air Force team, headed by Bobrov, the captain and playing coach, showed sparkling hockey, tactically witty, which had already revealed Bobrov’s coaching talent. She invariably beat all rivals. For three seasons in a row – from 1951 to 1953 – the pilots finished the national championship in first place. The glory of Bobrov, his teams, the three Babich-Shuvalov-Bobrov thundered unusually …

This text is an introductory fragment.

Continuation for liters

Unknown Mishustin: “Lies under the puck without hesitation”

… Alexander Ovechkin in an unusual white sweater drives up to the bench of his team, smiling broadly: “Have you seen?” The most popular Russian hockey player in the world just scored two goals in 10 seconds and is frankly pleased with himself.He could not even resist and drove up to the rivals’ bench to mockingly wave his hand at them.

“Okay, that’s enough! – Vyacheslav Fetisov decisively throws. – I went”. The former captain of the national teams of the USSR and Russia (he and his partners are wearing red sweaters) rolls out onto the ice and shouts to his partners: “Me!” The puck slides towards Fetisov, he pivots and shoots at the goal – the goalkeeper parries, but Fetisov is the first to finish, and he still scores. The satisfied captain goes back to the bench, and the Red team has a new link on the ice.The center-forward wins the throw-in and passes to the right, the right winger accelerates sharply, flies into the zone and throws the puck back to his partner on the left, and he returns it between the defenders to the center-forward in one touch, the throw is a goal.

“Andrey Nikolishin scored the puck with the help of Valery Kamensky and Mikhail Mishustin!” – sounds under the roof of the filled Spartak Palace in Sokolniki.

In 2011, most of the spectators of the “From a Pure Heart” charity match, organized by Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Ovechkin, hardly remembered the name of the player who came out in the same top three with the famous Nikolishin and Kamensky.Although before the start of the match the entertainer tried to joke, introducing him to the public: “Attention! Head of the Federal Tax Service Mikhail Mishustin is on the ice! I advise everyone to behave well – or you will have problems! ” Ten years later, everyone knows the former chief tax officer – already as the chairman of the government.

But the famous hockey players, who have known him since they went out on the ice together in Sokolniki, all this time saw not career growth, but sports growth.

“Yes, before, when Mikhail Vladimirovich was just starting to play, I could let him pass me by, but today, when he is in perfect order on the ice, there is no need for this,” says two-time Olympic champion Alexander Kozhevnikov.The famous Pavel Bure, who played 13 seasons in the NHL and won medals at two Olympics from the Russian national team, agrees with this: “Mishustin has been skating for so long that he can already do a lot, and he does a lot. He doesn’t even need any more special lessons or advice from me. ”

For a long time – this is more than 15 years. According to Sergei Fedorov, three-time Stanley Cup winner, all these years Mishustin, despite his busy schedule, goes out on the ice twice a week and spends two hours on the court.

Captain

The future head of government had enough time to hone his hockey skills.Mikhail Vladimirovich began to play at the yard level, and over time, many honored hockey players passed through his brainchild, the Sportima team. Veterans Valery Kamensky, Pavel Bure, Vyacheslav Butsaev, Dmitry Kvartalnov, Alexey Morozov, Igor Larionov, Vyacheslav Fetisov, Oleg Tverdovsky and other real stars of national hockey played for the 40+ category team in the Challenge Cup tournament, founded at the beginning zero.

It was created as a championship of Russia among veterans and amateur hockey players, and Mikhail Mishustin, speaking in tournament matches, quickly became one of the leaders on the ice – and this happened long before he took his current post.Bure has his own explanation for this: “In hockey, you can immediately see when a person thinks, foresees what might happen on the ice. If you can learn to throw and skate at any age, then thinking on the court is either given or not. Mishustin is just like that: smart, thinking. ”

At the same time, the legendary forward is sure that the most technical players do not always become the captains of the teams; this requires slightly different qualities: “What Mikhail Vladimirovich doesn’t care about is his desire to do everything as well as possible and always win,” says Bure.

Photo: RIA Novosti

Center Forward

Mikhail Mishustin did not immediately decide on his role. Strong, powerful, he could be an excellent defender, but good speed and very decent skating determined him to attack. Eyewitnesses claim that in the already mentioned charitable match for the Kovalchuk-team, he played an extreme forward and looked very decent in the same line with two Olympic champions.But during his performances in the Sportima team, Mishustin, having tried his hand at different positions, moved to the center of his echelon, and it turned out that in this place the future prime minister is most comfortable. The legendary striker of the USSR national team Alexander Yakushev considers it natural: “The central striker is the brain of the team,” says the two-time Olympic champion.

Pavel Bure (who has played as an extreme forward all his life) explains: “Everyone should think on the court, not only the central strikers.And the goalkeeper at the gate must think, and the defenders, and the wingers. The main thing is that Mikhail Vladimirovich has found his playing position and looks good on it. ”

It turns out that the hockey player Mishustin is really good. The skating rink, where his team trains, displays many trophies from amateur tournaments. Center forward Mikhail Mishustin also has individual prizes – for example, at the UFG Challenge Cup 2009, Mishustin, who scored two goals in the match for third place, was recognized as the best striker.

Sergey Fedorov even calls Mikhail Mishustin a playing coach: “He himself selected the coaching staff of the Sportima team, personally watched the play of the guys all year, who were then invited to the team for the Challenge Cup. He himself determined and understood how they would interact with each other. ”

Battle for ratings

In computer hockey games, the talent of each player is usually broken down into individual skills and measured on a scale from one to one hundred: “speed – 76”, “throw – 80”, “endurance – 56” and so on.But in such games, the benchmarks are clear – you take, for example, the reference shot of Alexander Ovechkin, assign him a rating of “100” – and you can compare everyone else with him.

It would be unfair to compare amateur hockey players, even those who have been on the ice for a decade and a half, with professionals. Therefore, famous players of the past, who saw the hockey player Mishustin in action or played with him, prefer not to put points, but to assess the overall level of the game.

“He is very strong in attack, and although we are not getting younger and everyone’s speeds are dropping, Mikhail Vladimirovich has a huge advantage – it’s in his head.He perfectly sees the site, understands the game, and personally I have always been very comfortable with him to play in the same team, ”notes Sergei Fedorov.

“A thinking player who knows how to give a goal pass, and he has a decent shot. His shots at the goal are quite strong and, which is no less important, accurate, ”says Alexander Kozhevnikov.

“Mishustin has a good shot, but first of all he would highlight his ability to play in a team, – says two-time world champion, president of the KHL Alexey Morozov.- He is not an individualist on the ice, he constantly supports his partners. Believe me, even in professional clubs, sometimes there are not enough players who can unite a team. Mikhail Vladimirovich is a real captain, but at the same time an excellent strategist. It happens that he invites us to play some interesting combination in the attack, tells us what each player on the court must do for this ”.

The famous former goalkeeper of the national team, Olympic champion Vladimir Myshkin also notes Mishustin’s excellent shot and adds how the forward is seen from the goal: “He is very persistent on the spot, always aimed at the goal, charged for the goal”.

Alexander Yakushev considers Mishustin’s greatest strength to be his character: “Complete dedication is always a good sporting anger. Yes, he is not a professional player, and not everything works out on the ice, but this is more than compensated for by his mood and energy. If necessary, he will close the gates with himself easily, and without even thinking about the possible consequences. For the sake of the team, for the sake of the result, he is ready to substitute himself under the puck. ”

Kozhevnikov agrees with this: “Mishustin does not take care of himself on the court, and such moments in the game immediately become noticeable not only to professionals, but also to any fan.”

Once, as teammates say, during a training session, Mikhail Vladimirovich was hit in the face with a puck. He went to the doctor, stitched up his lip and returned to the site. The rest of the hockey players greeted the future prime minister by banging their clubs on the ice, noting his fighting character. And they knocked out Mishustin’s tooth, and almost broke his leg – hockey is still a tough game. But sincerely beloved by the Prime Minister.

Pavel Bure is sure that a person’s behavior on the ice can tell a lot about him. Hockey player Mikhail Mishustin is rated very highly by a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame: “The player’s human qualities are transferred to the hockey rink.If a person is smart, then on the ice he remains the same versatile, thinking, erudite. A talented person, as they say, is talented in everything. ”

90,000 sports secrets of the family of Vasilisa Stepanova

Andrei Kostygov in an interview with Tverisport.ru said that he helped his daughter to become a participant in the XXXII Summer Olympic Games. At the Tokyo Olympics, the Tver region is represented by four athletes. And the first of them to fight for medals was a girl with a fabulous name.As previously reported, on July 24, Vasilisa Stepanova made her debut on the Olympic rowing channel. Together with Elena Oryabinskaya from Krasnodar Territory

Andrey Kostygov, in an interview with Tverisport.ru, said that he helped his daughter to become a participant in the XXXII Summer Olympic Games.

At the Tokyo Olympics, the Tver region is represented by four athletes. And the first of them to fight for medals was a girl with a fabulous name. As previously reported, on July 24, Vasilisa Stepanova made her debut on the Olympic rowing channel.Together with Elena Oryabinskaya from the Krasnodar Territory, she took part in the qualifying race for women’s doubles without helmsman.

Pre-run results 2

1. Australia – 7.21.75
2. Russia (Vasilisa Stepanova, Elena Oryabinskaya) – 7.23.39
3. UK – 7.23.98
4. China – 7.45.55

The Russian crew finished second, 1.64 seconds behind rivals from Australia, and went directly to the semifinals of the Olympic rowing competition, which will be held this Wednesday, July 28, early in the morning Moscow time.

Vasilisa is the daughter of a native of Tver, the master of sports of international class in rowing, now the head coach of the CSKA team, Andrei Kostygov. In 2014, she married Vasily Stepanov, an academic rower from Rostov-on-Don, and changed her last name. To date, her main sporting achievements are gold at the 2014 World Youth Championships and bronze at the 2019 European Rowing Championships, as well as two 2018 and 2019 World Rowing World Championships.Vasilisa’s father and coach are sure that the daughter’s main victories are yet to come. Perhaps in the very near future.

“Give Vasilisa to me, in a year she will become the champion of Russia!”

– As a child, Vasilisa went in for swimming and rowing in kayaks and canoes. Moreover, both there and there she showed good results, – said Andrey Kostygov . – When we lived in Zelenograd, she won competitions in 500 and 100 meters butterfly and freestyle. In the summer, on vacation, I came to Tver and got into a kayak.Her mentor here was the honored coach of the Soviet Union, Alexander Alekseevich Sergeev, whose grandson at these Games in Tokyo will perform in a four-row kayak. He told me too: “Give Vasilisa to me, in a year she will become my champion of Russia!” And all this time I continued to practice rowing for myself, even bought myself a boat for training. And when Vasilisa was 15 years old, we went out with her on the water, she was in a kayak, I was in an academic solitary confinement. Passed nose to nose for a while, and she says: “Dad, I want to try in your boat!”.She sat down and went. Two or three weeks later, in this single, she already won the Moscow rowing championship at her age. A year later, she joined the youth team of Russia, which at that time was led by our coach from Tver, Alexander Brendakov. During this time, she went through all the national teams and won a large collection of awards of the national international standard.

“To be the first is much cooler than the winner!”

– Andrey Gennadievich, almost all this time you helped Vasilisa not only as a father, but also as a coach.What tasks did you set for your daughter?

– The most maximum! Always fight for the first place! True, once we even had a little quarrel with her about this. For several years she was a rower in the four oar and eight, which won all national starts with a big advantage. But at my insistence, she moved to the four of the doubles, where the competition was much stronger, therefore, the athletes progressed faster and grew in skill. And now the swing crews without her win the silver of the world championship, then – the bronze.Vasilisa is in tears: “Why did you put me in a steamboat, my former partners are already world medalists, and we are ninth and tenth ?!”. But 2014 came – and Vasilisa, in the Russian crew of the four of the doubles, won the gold of the world championship among youth under 23 in Italy. Then she told me: “Dad, thank you! You were right. To be the first is much cooler than the winner! “.

Alexandra Smirnova, Vasilisa Stepanova, Yulia Volgina and Ekaterina Kurochkina are world champions among youth under 23 years old.

“Genes were not the only thing that played a role here”

– How do you think, how can explain the success of Vasilisa in rowing? Parental genes?

– I think genes weren’t the only thing that played a role here.Vasilisa is a very purposeful and persistent girl. At the same time, she is a real strategist, and she is very good at building her own path in her head through the stages that must be passed in order to achieve the set goal. Moreover, she has clear leadership qualities. In all the teams in which she previously played, she was almost always the captain. Indeed, Vasilisa knows how to unite and rally people around herself. In my opinion, this is also very important. A true leader and captain must not only speak good and correct words, but also be the best in their field.

– For 13 years of her career in rowing, did Vasilisa have moments when she gave up and wanted to end her career?

– I don’t even remember. But the disappointments were accurate. After 2014, when she became the World Youth Champion, for some reason she was not awarded the title of “International Master of Sports of Russia”. Although other girls, who then became prize-winners, received international affairs. I calmed her down as best I could. “The main thing is that you became the world champion! – said his daughter.”And we will definitely fulfill the title in the very near future.” Well, if the mountain doesn’t go to Magomed … We tried our hand at a non-Olympic type of rowing – coastal rowing. And in three years Vasilisa became a two-time world champion. After the 2019 triumph in Hong Kong, Vasilisa was awarded the title of MSMK.

World Coastal Rowing Champions

“With good words, she can move mountains”

– It turns out that she is very worried about her failures and injustice.How is her psychological stability during major competitions?

– Good. As far as I can see, the excitement at the competition does not bother Vasilisa at all. Vice versa. But she is one of those people who cannot be shouted at, who cannot be scolded. But if you cheer her up, say good words, then she can move mountains.

“Often, instead of the strongest, they put” their “rowers in the boat”

– Last year, Vasilisa, as part of the crew of the pair four, failed to win an Olympic license.She earned her ticket to Tokyo at the very last moment – in May of this year at the international regatta in Switzerland, and not in the four, but in the two together with Elena Oryabinskaya. Moreover, this crew was formed just a few months before the licensed start. Admit it, in April 2021 you thought that Vasilisa would perform at the Olympic Games?

– I knew about it back in 2014. As a coach and as a father, he often traveled with Vasilisa to various international competitions, and saw that she had all the makings to get to the Olympics.Unfortunately, our crews are not always formed according to the sporting principle. Often, instead of the strongest, they put “their” rowers in the boat. So we get what we have. I am grateful to the coach of the national team, who in the winter decided to create a crew of a two-man steering wheelless team consisting of Stepanova and Oryabinskaya. The girls, despite the illnesses and injuries suffered, were indeed the strongest. So they got a team that was able to solve the tasks and successfully pass the Olympic selection. And the four did not work out in the end.Vasilisa is the leader. I think she would have worked out as it should anyway.

“The most important thing is to teach a child to believe in himself”

– Share the secret of how to raise a participant in the Olympic Games?

– First of all, you need to temper your character and develop a sense of purpose. But perhaps the most important thing is to teach the child to believe in himself and in what he is doing. And this faith must be unlimited. This is the only way to endure the colossal loads experienced by athletes of the highest skill.If in doubt, the job will not go. If there is at least one person in the team who doubts himself and the overall success even a little, there will be no result. Vasilisa and Lena believed in themselves, and therefore today they are in Olympic Tokyo!

Elena Oryabinskaya and Vasilisa Stepanova

“Everything should work out!”

– If I am not mistaken, Russia has not had Olympic medals in rowing since 2004. What can you expect from our women’s double in Tokyo 2020?

– Forecasting is a thankless task.But I believe there will be a medal. I believe there will be a decent performance. And I think the girls can do it. They have emotions, strength and desire for it. Everything should work out!

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27 July 2021, Tuesday 21:07

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Author:
Andrey Krylov
Correspondent

90,000 Flight to the next world.How the Air Force hockey team died – Rambler / sport

It happened 70 years ago. The disaster happened near Sverdlovsk on a frosty January day on January 7, 1950, when a Li-2 plane crashed to the ground, on board which was an Air Force hockey team – one of the strongest in the Soviet Union. Lieutenant General Vasily Stalin was almost the first to know about the misfortune. Of course, this was reported to another Stalin – the leader of the country. If the leader did not show any special emotions, then his son was horrified.The Air Force team was his favorite toy, the “mechanism” of which he had been assembling for several years. The almighty general recruited the best and most talented players from other clubs in the USSR.

Snowstorm with strong wind

The circumstances of the death of the team have long been known, and therefore I will repeat them only briefly. The Air Force team, which took the second place in the USSR championship, went to the Urals after it smashed the Leningrad Dynamo with a score of 14: 2. No one doubted that the “pilots” would successfully play in Chelyabinsk with the local “Dzerzhinets”

On that fateful day, the weather became capricious – a blizzard with a strong wind swirled.The Chelyabinsk airfield did not accept aircraft due to bad weather, and therefore the crew decided to land at the Koltsovo airfield near Sverdlovsk. Alas, it all ended sadly …

Everyone on board the plane died: the ship’s commander I. Zotov, the second pilot V. Taranenko, the navigator A. Ponomarev, the flight mechanic M. Fomichev, the radio operator M. Demchenko, the mechanic D. Lukyanov and hockey players: goalkeepers Harriy Mellups and Nikolai Isaev, defenders Robert Shulmanis, Boris Bocharnikov (playing coach) and Evgeny Voronin, forwards Ivan Novikov, Zdenek Zikmund, Yuri Tarasov (brother of the famous coach Anatoly Tarasov), Yuri Zhiburtovich and Alexander Moisey doctor Mikhail Alperin and massage therapist Alexey Galkin.

Those who are unfamiliar with the hockey realities of that time may be surprised by the small number of hockey players on board. But then they played not with three or four fives, as now, but with two and practically without substitutions. Soviet hockey was still in its cradle – the 1949-50 championship was only the fifth tournament in “Canadian hockey” – this was the name of the game, which soon became unprecedentedly popular in the country.

“Feints” of journalists

The main thing, and then the mysterious, happened later.At that time – as, however, in the later Soviet era – it was not customary to report disasters and other troubles. Moreover, the mass death of people was associated with aviation, which in the USSR was literally extolled to the skies. Therefore, all the newspapers continued to write about labor and other successes in the country. And, of course, about the genius Stalin, who celebrated his 70th birthday a few days ago (December 21, 1949).

However, it was impossible to conceal the death of such a number of people, especially well-known and respected ones.And the journalists began to “trick” – in the sports reports that followed the death of the hockey players, they began to call the names of the Air Force players who, for various reasons, escaped the ill-fated flight. For example, the press mentioned the hockey player Zhiburtovich, but without specifying his name. In fact, it was the brother of the deceased Yuri – Pavel. Moiseev continued to play, but he was the namesake of the crashed Alexander, invited from another club

Indescribably lucky Alexander Vinogradov, who was disqualified for a fight in the previous game and did not fly to Chelyabinsk.Viktor Shuvalov, who had recently joined the Air Force from the Chelyabinsk “Dzerzhinets”, was not on the plane either. Vasily Stalin, not without reason, considered that the fans of the team, with whom the “pilots” were supposed to play, would subject their fellow countryman to obstruction for “treason.” But he still had to play with his former team. Shuvalov was urgently summoned from Moscow, because the match between the Air Force and Dzerzhinets took place.

It sounds crazy today. In our time, all events would be canceled, they would have declared mourning. And then they just covered up their tracks.Like, everything is in order. However, the atmosphere at that game was depressing. The audience already knew about the tragedy, but did not know the details. That is why they chatted all kinds of things

I don’t know if it’s appropriate to talk about the score of that meeting. From the point of view of the author – quite. The “pilots” won with a score of 6: 3, as if saluting their dead comrades

“Silent” alarm clock

Among those who escaped the fatal flight was the leader of the Air Force attack and Vasily Stalin’s favorite – Vsevolod Bobrov. Why he didn’t take the ill-fated flight is a mystery that will never be revealed.Anything was assumed, including the fact that Vsevolod Mikhailovich – peace be upon him! – on the eve of the team’s departure, he went on a spree, and the next morning he slept just as corny.

And Bobrov himself, in his memoirs, blamed the alarm clock for everything, which did not ring at the right time. The hockey player’s brother, Boris Mikhailovich, also spoke about this and assumed that the clock was stopped by the hand of fate, who “decided” to save the famous striker from death. Nice, but true?

No official investigation of the disaster was carried out.This is generally surprising, all the more so for such a time when in the USSR, everywhere and in everyone, they saw “enemies,“ wreckers ”who concealed an evil and insidious intent. Although there is logic here – a misfortune happened in the department of Vasily Stalin. Who could dare to control the son of the leader? Only a madman. And Joseph Vissarionovich himself, tired and sick, seems to have given up on his wayward and capricious offspring

96-year-old Shuvalov is the only surviving member of that group of “pilots”. In his conversations with journalists, he often recalled the tragedy and more than once refuted the version about Bobrov’s spree and his “silent” alarm clock.Shuvalov said that Bobrov went to the game. But not by plane, but by train: “Sevka had already reached Kuibyshev, when the train announced:” Captain Bobrov, go to the military commandant’s office! ” There he heard about the tragedy. ”

But Shuvalov did not say why Bobrov did not get on that ill-fated plane. He was ordered to be silent even then, and the vigilant old man remembers that order to this day? Or does Viktor Grigorievich just not know why this happened?

A small digression. In our country, there are so many secrets not because all the time mysterious things that defy explanation happen.It’s just that a lot is chained up in the impenetrable armor of secrecy. Information is classified, hiding in safes. Even those that can be put on public display. According to an old, bad habit – just in case, no matter how something happens.

That is why there have been so many gossip and rumors for a long time. And the authorities, hiding the truth, are naively surprised that they are being misled and distorted. In large and small

Nightmare performance

Alas, in this case, too, you have to “feed” on versions. The biggest is that the great and unique Wolf Messing predicted a tragedy.And he reported this to Stalin senior. This episode is reproduced in the television series about the famous telepath and psychic “Wolf Messing: Who Seen Through Time”.

The chief informed his son about the prediction. He allegedly did not believe the all-seeing Messing, but just in case he decided to save Bobrov and ordered him to go by train

In that championship, the Air Force team took only fourth place. However, in the next championship of the Union, the “pilots”, which included promising hockey players from other teams, performed brilliantly, winning gold medals.Then the “pilots” repeated their triumph twice more.

Soon after the death of the leader, envious people and ill-wishers immediately attacked Vasily Stalin. The disgraced general was not only dismissed from all posts, but overnight, in 1953, for no apparent reason, his sports empire, the Air Force, was destroyed. This team played not only in the hockey championship, but also in football, volleyball, basketball. Athletes, swimmers, boxers, gymnasts, horsemen, cyclists performed under the flag of the Air Force.Many of them formed the core of the combined teams of the Soviet Union.

Vasily Stalin created wonderful conditions for the “pilots” for training. Under him, three hangars at the Central Airport in Moscow were rebuilt into an athletics arena, a stable and a motorcycle and bicycle base. Later, a sports complex on Leningradsky Prospekt grew out of them.

Once Stalin said: “The son is not responsible for his father. However, fate refuted these words. Vasily Stalin paid dearly for his father. The last ten years of his life turned into a nightmare performance with small intermissions.He was imprisoned for a long time and died in Kazan, where he was in exile. He was only 40 years old.

Another mystery

The death of Stalin Jr. looked very strange, as evidenced, in particular, by his ex-wife Kapitolina Vasilyeva: “He died on March 19, a few days before his birthday. I was planning to come to Kazan to visit him. Our relationship had ended long ago by that time, and I was going to see him as a brother.

And suddenly a call from Kazan: come to bury Vasily Iosifovich Stalin.They said that the day before he was drinking with guests from Georgia – they drank a barrel of wine and alcoholic intoxication happened. But with her, they do a gastric lavage, and he lay and suffered for 12 hours, like his father did in his time. The ambulance was not called

She asked if there was an autopsy and what did it show? Yes, they say there was. But I decided to check – when no one was around, I went to the coffin. I felt Vasily’s chest, belly. But I did not find a characteristic seam. I decided to unbutton my tunic to finally be convinced of the guess.Unbuttoning … My hands are shaking … I unbuttoned a button, another … There are no signs of an autopsy. And then two mordovorot burst into the room. They pushed me away, began to shout: “What are you doing ?! You have no right! ”

This is another mystery that will never be revealed.

Secrets: How Are Ice Rinks Created?

Ice skating is a popular thing! How was it made all-season? What is artificial ice? And what are the secrets of ordinary ice? It turns out that making a good skating rink is a whole science!

Many have observed this picture: during the breaks of hockey matches or figure skating competitions, unusual cars drive into the arena.Skating sessions on city grounds are also interrupted for the harvesters to leave. These are resurfacers – from the English surface – the surface, they clean and level it. Among themselves, professionals call this procedure “treatment”.

Specialists who monitor the condition of ice rinks are called ice makers. This is not taught anywhere specifically. Pavel Zhukov, the project manager of mobile ice rinks, for example, played hockey as a child, then he trained the team, and each time he checked the quality of the surface himself.So the hockey player turned into an ice brewer.

Grigory Yakovlev, an expert on ice technology at the Moscow Megasport Arena, is one of the most respected ice makers in the world. He developed his own technology for obtaining a surface for high-speed skiing. And he applied it at three of the five Olympic skating rinks in Sochi. The specialist is sure that speed skating records at those games were set, among other things, thanks to the high-quality ice at the arena in Adler.

In general, the first ice-filling harvester appeared in 1949 in the warm state of California.It was invented by the American Frank Zamboni. By that time, he and his brother had opened the largest ice rink in the United States, measuring 30 by 60 meters, which could hold up to 800 people. At first, 4 workers had to level the ice, who for several hours manually sanded it with sandpaper and re-poured it. The machines made it possible to do the same in just 10 minutes! Unsurprisingly, they became popular.

The combine has a blade that can cut up to 8 mm of the top layer of ice. Usually they remove much less – it all depends on the depth of the scratches and chips.Snow chips fall into a tank that can hold up to 1200 kg. The machine dispenses a little hot water onto the cleaned ice surface. It is evenly distributed by a cloth called a “towel”. A high water temperature is needed so that the liquid does not freeze immediately, but penetrates into cracks and depressions, forming a new – even one! – the top layer of ice. When everything is done, the harvester leaves the arena and dumps the snow shavings into a special melting pit.

Pipes with a cooling agent, which comes from refrigeration devices – chillers (from the English chill – to cool), pass under the concrete base.Some models are so powerful that they are able to keep the roller in working order in a heat of +45 degrees! There are several layers of thermal insulation under the pipes so that the cold only goes up.

Interestingly, ice made in this way, due to slow cooling, turns out to be very homogeneous and completely transparent – which, oddly enough, is not very good. So that hockey players can better see the puck and the markings, it is painted white (with the help of additives). And on public skating rinks they do this so that the fallen objects are noticeable and no one gets injured.Sometimes, for the same purpose, they simply paint the base of the ice rink white. And then they slowly pour water, freezing by a millimeter. It takes about a week to achieve a layer of 4 centimeters.

The ice must be different for each sport. For hockey, for example, you need a hard one – the blades of the skates are very sharp and the players are fighting a tough fight. For a short track, another characteristic is important – smoothness. Speed ​​depends on it. Skaters have their own requirements, they need ice of medium hardness due to the many jumps.

International icebreakers have their own secret ingredients to create the perfect glide surface. For example, in Moscow at VDNKh there is the largest skating rink in Europe, its area is 20,000 square meters, and up to 27,000 people come here a day. The huge surface actually consists of 9 parts, which were poured in turn.

The main problem of recent years for open skating rinks in Moscow is too warm weather. And often, in order not to cancel training, athletes use artificial ice.Here, a 10-year-old hockey player Masha from the Moscow Region is practicing shots with a puck on such a surface.

In fact, it is plastic. How is the sliding effect achieved? On normal ice, a thin layer of water forms under the skate blade due to pressure. Here, the manufacturer recommends using an emulsion, and also wearing special skates that look more like rollers.

The advantage is that it is possible to skate on such ice even in summer, and there is no need for huge expenses for the operation of refrigeration units.But the properties of artificial ice are still quite far from natural, and, for example, you cannot practice high-speed skiing on it.

So the profession of icebreaker is not threatened with extinction. A good skating rink has not yet been replaced by any, even the most advanced plastic.

Thanks for help in preparing the plot:

– “Megasport” Sports Palace and personally expert on ice technology Yakovlev Grigory Pavlovich for the opportunity to tell about this unique building

– Ice Service Group of Companies.They are the ones who know everything about the construction and maintenance of ice rinks. The company’s specialists gave us a fascinating excursion into the profession of ice brewer

– The Agilityice Company – the producers of the same synthetic ice that can be installed in absolutely any place and used at any temperature

– “Refrigeration Engineering Center” – authors of engineering systems projects for the largest Russian ice facilities!

– VDNKh Park is the largest outdoor skating rink in Europe.