Never Forget...

As I get ready to call it a night, my thoughts like those of so many Americans on this anniversary of 9/11, are with those who were senselessly lost and with their families.

I just watched this incredibly moving documentary, Seven Days in September, from SnagFilms. It reminds me that although we will never be the same, Americans are strong and compassionate people.



One of the most compelling images of the day for me was three children who lost their father in the World Trade Center on this day seven years ago. The message they conveyed at the memorial service at Ground Zero is that what their father would want most of all is for them to live their lives spreading peace and kindness.

So on this anniversary, I pray for all of those who are grieving and that we all live lives of peace and kindness. And most of all, that the unimaginable events and innocent lives lost that day are never forgotten...

A True Hockey Fighter – Help Fight Children’s Cancers

Hockey Mom wants to introduce you all to a real hockey fighter – someone who has battled something so much fiercer than the game played on the ice…

HM is friendly with another hockey family through our many hours spent at the rink. Dad coaches, both sons play and of course Mom drives them back and forth. The youngest son, Andrew, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in December 2004 at the age of 3 1/2. Today, he is almost 7-1/2 years old, recently started second grade and plays hockey at the Mite Level (a heck of a player, I might add!). More importantly, Andrew completed his 3-year chemotherapy treatment this past February. He is in remission and still goes to the doctor monthly to monitor his blood counts...hopefully, those doctor visits become less and less frequent. Andrew is what I call a true warrior and an inspiration to so many people…

As the family hails from Buffalo, Andrew is a Sabres fan and loves Sabres forward Andrew Peters (shown with Andrew in the photo), who calls him occasionally to see how he’s doing. HM of course ribs them a little for being Sabres fans, so Andrew did admit that his other favorite player is the Great 8 – Alex Ovechkin!

All ribbing aside, it is so important that we continue to fight for a cure for kids like Andrew. Although progress is being made, the fight won’t stop until there’s a cure. This disease mainly strikes children but it has impacted adults too, even in the NHL.

As you all know, the Toronto Maple Leaf’s Jason Blake was diagnosed with the disease last year. The NHL has made the fight against cancer one of the league’s largest fundraising initiatives and raises money to fund research efforts and more through Hockey Fights Cancer. Locally, the Washington Capitals make player appearances and raise funds to help sick children at the Children’s National Medical Center and the Children’s Inn at NIH.

If you’d like to help in the efforts for a cure for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, sign up to walk or make a donation to Light the Night.

Light the Night is The Leukemia Society’s annual nationwide evening walk to build awareness of blood cancers, to celebrate and commemorate lives touched by blood cancers and to raise funds for a cure. Funds raised through Light the Night Walk support the work of hundreds of the world’s best and brightest researchers in their search for better therapies and cures for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Each year, teams of friends, families and co-workers gather in cities and towns across America to walk in twilight, holding illuminated candles.

If you’d like to join Team Captain Andrew or make a donation to his Light the Night Team, you can do so here. Thanks to the NHL for continuing the fight against cancer – hockey fans keep on contributing to this vital cause!

Best of luck to Andrew as he leads his team to Light the Night and continues to fight for a cure – we can’t wait to see you battle on the ice this year, Captain!

Interview with Lisa Ovens, Author of Hockey & High Heels - Part Two

As promised, here is Part Two of the interview with the fun and fabulous Lisa Ovens where she shares how she promotes Hockey & Heels and offers some valuable insight into what makes the female hockey fan so unique.

Hockey Mom has noted before that the female demographic seems to be overlooked as a vital part of the NHL fan base, even though lady hockey fans are probably some of the most enthusiastic fans I've ever come across! Once you get a woman hooked on hockey, she'll make friends with the five women sitting next to her in the manicure station and from there the puck love just spreads like mad!

Q. Why the title “Hockey and High Heels”?

Lisa: I’m often in heels, because I’m not that tall, plus the three “H” alliteration thing seemed to work nicely. And women tend to notice shoe related words. I arrived at the title way back in 2002. Maybe I was naïve, but the thought never crossed my mind that people might have issues with the title. I am often labeled a puck bunny, simply because I have the words “high heels” in the title. This makes me laugh because if that were true, then I must be the stupidest puck bunny on the planet! I spent all this time, money and effort writing a book about hockey when all I needed to do was slap on a tube top and stake out the Pan Pacific to meet hockey players. What was I thinking? :o)


Q. How did you go about promoting the book?

Lisa: The Web site went live (not the same version as it is now) about 8 months before the book released and then followed the usual strategies: sent out press kits, review copies, timely ad placements and word of mouth has worked well. I was lucky to get a few media hits including a couple of great reviews from book critics, from columns like yours, Musings of a Hockey Mom, and from many readers who purchased H&HH. The book has been involved in several fundraisers around Vancouver and Vermont of all places. I am grateful for all of this.

The events for women are definitely a great opportunity for me to get the word out about the joys of hockey, and I am so grateful that a few NHL, WHL and ECHL teams have recognized my book as valuable tool to use in their individual marketing promotions. I’m not just promoting myself here; I am also promoting the game. If an H&HH event can steal a few extra headlines for hockey, especially in a city where the hockey team is in the shadow of other pro sports, that’s a good thing.

I launched the book in 2005/06 season while I had a full time career. Now I’d like to make things happen a little faster by putting more time into hockeyandhighheels.com. The audience is growing and I love creating content for visitors to read. There’s “Lisa’s Lounge” where hockey columns are posted by me and Jan Snyder, a wonderful freelance writer originally from Pittsburgh now based in Houston, will be back again for another season with her take on everything hockey. We are lining up some more hockey celebrity interviews for Jan as well as some guest writers. I love taking photographs, so there’s Mesh Gallery for my hockey art photos, and other pics throughout the columns. There will be a page for the 2010 Winter Olympics very soon. I am also talking to advertising sponsors interested in what I am building here.

Q. In your opinion, what makes female hockey fans so different from traditional male fans?

Lisa: Okay Hockey Mom, I tried to keep this answer brief, but it was difficult. I could really expand on this subject because of the amount of research I have done on it. But for now, I’ll focus on one area that is the most obvious difference.

Based on my observations spanning the six years I have been developing the Hockey and High Heels project, the one thing that really stands out to me is most women who love hockey want to share the experience with everybody they know. They have plenty to say about their love for the game and the hockey fan lifestyle. I hear this often. Many of us are natural born promoters, plain and simple. And we are pretty loyal too. I guess that’s why we are often called the “lucrative female market.”

When I think of people who are natural promoters, the traditional male fan doesn’t come to mind. He would rather not invite women into his sports experience, unless of course she’s greased up in a thong wielding a power tool. He likes his hockey in his sanctuary with the guys, where they are free to swear, complain, trash talk, be arm chair GMs, crunch numbers, one up each other, and all that fun stuff. And hey, that’s fine by me. It is not my motivation to mess with someone else’s sanctuary, because I value my own so much.

If there is one thing the traditional male hockey fans have over us natural born hockey promoters is the sports media. Or should I say the traditional male sports media. They pretty much own the mainstream air time, the sports pages in print and online. These guys have the most access to the league, the teams and the games, and are most comfortable with presenting content that appeals to themselves and their disciples: the traditional male sports fans.

Q. How do you think the NHL can better reach out to the female market?

Well, if I were the NHL headquarters and I just read the previous answer about the difference between female fans and traditional male hockey’s fans, I would take a long hard look at my current roster, and take stock of the natural born promoter types on board and how visible they are. The competition is fierce and I can’t afford to not befriend something called the lucrative female market. Then I would email myself and offer me a creative consultant package I couldn’t refuse. Yes!

The events are a great way to serve the female fans, but not every team hosts them, and as far as I know, this isn’t a mandatory promotion. At the league headquarters level, this could be considered a simple and easy step to take to acknowledge their female customers: If the NHL’s promo materials included more shots of women, real women fans watching hockey together and having fun like we actually do, the casual female observers from tweens to seniors will notice and they most likely will think one of two thoughts – “hey, they’re having fun…maybe I might like that too”, or “hey, that looks just like us!” Talk about a win-win situation.

I have another solution to this question in Hockey and High Heels. In fact, I mentioned it three times in three different places. I put it in there to see if anyone picks up on it. We just need the right person to pick up on it. Once that happens, everyone will be pleasantly surprised. I’ve already tried, but it’s a little tricky to navigate. Of course, we could speed up the process, if the NHL wants to help me out.

To put this as nicely, but as firmly as possible...something continues to shackle the NHL headquarters’ creative and marketing departments into either ignoring women, or thinking women are one dimensional. Isn’t it about time they finally get up to speed with their female fans?

End of Part Two...

Another Hockey Mom fist bump to Lisa O. for her great take on female fandom. And to the Cap's Viktor Kozlov for the NHL.com shout out on his scoring prowess in shootout situations!

Stay tuned for Part Three of Lisa's interview...

Fight Club with Capital's Donald Brashear

Check out today's post on D.C. Sports Blog! Apparently, the Capital's enforcer, Donald Brashear (yes, he's the large fella in the photo next to Hockey Mom) gave the members of the media some tips on hockey fighting. Since Hockey Mom wasn't part of the action, I hope NBC's Lindsay Czarniak represented the ladies well! You go girl!

Interview with Lisa Ovens, Author of Hockey & High Heels

Today Hockey Mom wants to introduce you to one of the greatest female ambassadors of the amazing game of hockey, Lisa Ovens, author of Hockey & High Heels.

Hockey & High Heels was one of my very first reads as a new female hockey fan and it is laugh out loud fabulous! I highly recommend this book to any female hockey fan, whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned “veteran.”

Lisa is a gal’s gal who covers a season following her beloved Vancouver Canucks accompanied by her best friend and hockey sidekick, Stacey. The book covers everything from the history of the Stanley Cup, the definition of a Gordie Howe Hat trick, how to identify a Playoff Only fan (also known as “POOFs") and more from a unique female perspective.

In addition to the book, Lisa travels around North America participating in various NHL Hockey & High Heels events especially for women. In 2007, she was a special guest at the HH&H events held by the Eastern Conference Champion Pittsburgh Penguins and the Los Angeles Kings. Lisa’s Web site, hockeyandhighheels.com attracts hockey fans from around the globe.


Q.What do you find to be the greatest misconception about female hockey fans?

Lisa: That we have x-ray vision eyes so when we are at the games we spend all of our time looking at the players bodies under their equipment, not giving a darn that the ref made a bad call, putting our best PK guy in the box, and we’re down by a goal in the dying minutes of the third period.

I am sorry to burst everyone’s bubbles, but we can’t see through hockey gear, and most of us do give a darn about the drama that unfolds on the ice before us.


Q.How and why did you decide to write a book especially for the female fan?

Lisa: I was working through a rough time in my life and one evening I turned on a Canucks game, and I thought “ah yes…hockey.” What a beautiful distraction, and one that’s always been there. But this time I was looking at it from a completely different place.

My good friend Stacey was also there for me, and we just started having so much fun with hockey that the idea of a book came up. At the time I felt concern for the state of the game: this was pre-lockout and it seemed every other news story or commentary in the media revolved around dwindling fan bases, limited marketing and exposure, etc. It was all doom and gloom. I decided if they were going to focus on the ones not watching hockey, I would focus on the ones who did.

I figured it wouldn’t hurt if I presented a book that was entertaining and positive, one that highlighted the fan’s experience and the fan’s commitment to the game. And then I thought: what if I made it a fun, light and easy read so a new or casual fan would come away with some hockey information, without being overwhelmed, yet sophisticated enough to keep longtime fans engaged and laughing their butts off.

There was so little on the book shelves from the female (non-player) perspective even though there have been several generations and millions of women in love with the game. I really felt that not only did this book need to be written; it should also be promoted as something special that recognized and celebrated female hockey fans. Yet, I also hoped the guys would enjoy the book, too. It was a tall order, considering the variety of fans I intended to reach: new fans, seasoned fans, American fans, Canadian fans, female fans, male fans.

Based on the many emails I have received, I think it must be working, because I have received them from every kind of fan you can imagine. She says and breathes a sigh of relief...


Q.You have some quirky superstitions just like real NHL players, including having the same gal style your hair the same way for home games. What happens if your stylist is off that day?

Lisa: That would never happen, Hockey Mom. This is a finely tuned ritual. Just as the NHL has special scheduling software, so does my stylist, Brandie.

Q.How did you come up with some of the hilarious terminology featured in H&HH? My favorites are "POOF" and the seeding of Stanley Cup playoff teams ranked according to the siblings in the Brady Bunch!

Lisa: Yes, somewhere, in an oak paneled room, Ken Dryden is saying “Dang, I wish I came up with that Brady Bunch and the seeding of playoff teams analogy – it’s gold.”

Often people overlook the tag line on the book cover:Hockey and High Heels: A Different Kind of Hockey Book. I did some things in there that hadn’t really been done before as far as hockey books go.

Now, about the Brady Bunch: I have this amazing sofa, and part of my craft involves countless hours of lying on it and letting my mind wander. And for some reason, a few of the paths inside my head seem to always wind up at the Brady household. I don’t know if that is a blessing or a curse. The seeding of playoff teams and the Brady Bunch is definitely one of my favorite bits in the book too, because the Brady Kids have nothing to do with hockey. However, once you see them as playoff berths and series, the Brady Kids have everything to do with hockey.

The POOF bit - another H&HH soon-to-be classic. In order to help the NHL attract more fans to the games I created a public service announcement campaign. I decided we needed to work on the people who only watch the playoffs by getting them started earlier in the season. That way the hockey lasts longer for them, and they would be more fulfilled as human beings. The term "POOF" is slowly catching on. Once I hear Bill Clement use “POOF” on national TV, then I will know my work is done.

Next up – Part Two with Lisa Ovens of Hockey & High Heels!

Coming up in Part Two of my interview, I ask Lisa what the biggest difference is between female hockey fans and traditional male hockey fans, how the NHL can better reach the female market, how she promotes the book and she'll reveal the biggest misconception about the book Hockey and High Heels.

And finally in Part Three I ask Lisa about the many fans she’s met around North America, the latest on the sequel, Hockey and High Heels book two, who are her favorite NHL players and who she thinks will win the Stanley Cup in 2009.

Hockey Mom hopes to see Lisa at the Washington Capital’s Hockey & Heels event this season – this event is always a sellout and Lisa would be such a phenomenal addition to an already fabulous event. Stay tuned for Part Two!

Caps Fans Want Ovie Clothes!

So a fellow hockey mom wanted to order an Ovechkin Streetwear shirt for her 17-year old son (who by the way NHL scouts, is a strapping defenseman (6'5 and 225 lbs!). So we find out that Ovechkin Streetwear is only available from certain hockey stores in Canada and it would cost $22 USD to ship a $30 shirt.

Now we hockey moms have no problem spending our hard-earned money on hockey apparel, but I have to draw the line on a t-shirt that ends up costing $50, even if it was created by AO himself! So Ovie, what up? I think the Ovechkin Streetwear line would sell like homemade hockey mom cupcakes at a bake sale if Capitals fans (make that NHL fans in general) could buy the line in U.S. stores. Just a thought - we need to make that happen in time for the Christmas buying season; HM will be first in line!

And speaking of Ovie and the boys, the Caps have released their training camp schedule, meaning that our summer hockey drought will soon be over. Yippeeee! I can't wait to see them hit the ice and am especially excited to see the rookies like d-man Karl Alzner. Even though this time of year is exceptionally crazy for me, it's my favorite time of year with my boys starting their new season and another exciting season (and hopefully, a quest for the Cup) for our beloved Caps!

How About a Hockey Equipment Tax Credit for Single Hockey Moms? (Make that for all sports....)

"Hockey Mom Comes out Fighting" - that was the headline of today's Washington Post. Now before any of you out there jump all over this hockey mom, let me just state once again, that I am not endorsing a particular candidate - merely giving my opinions on this newest nominee, along with how she's brought hockey moms and the great sport of hockey into the limelight. Um, her daughter's baby daddy is a high school hockey player and quite a talented one I hear.

Just kidding, Sarah, about the sports equipment tax credit for single moms or lower income families. Just a hockey mom appealing to another hockey mom! But hey, if we had more affordable sports equipment available to all kids, maybe we could drag them away from the Playstations and cut down on childhood obesity...just a thought.

Hockey Mom thought Governor Palin did a great job considering the firestorm she's been under this past week. She certainly possesses the feisty spirit of a true hockey mom - every hockey mom in North America got a laugh when she said "The difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is lipstick!" She was poised, quick-witted and calm under pressure. Does that mean she can lead the country? Not necessarily. But those are qualities that a real hockey mom must have and they've helped me overcome adversity during some trying times.

Plus, she had to get ready for her speech in the Minnesota Wild locker room at the Xcel Energy Center and being a hockey mom, she probably wasn't bothered in the least by the funky remnant odor of BO lingering in the staging area.

So, Sarah Palin earned some points with me last night. I am still undecided in what is going to be long race - what I'd really like to see is her throw down the gloves with the Cap's Donald Brashear. She'd really earn my vote then, fer sure!