Comments on: Want to Fix the NHL? Start Here.

By: Lyse

Lyse — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:19:10 +0000

I had missed this post.

What about Big Sexy, now that’s an obvious omission.

By: Monday Rat Pack | The Rat Trick | A Florida Panthers Blog

Monday Rat Pack | The Rat Trick | A Florida Panthers Blog — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:31:28 +0000

[...] do we six the NHL? Take a look at Cowhide and Rubber for their [...]

By: Number31

Number31 — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:46:58 +0000

In the old days, nicknames were all the rage. Now they’re just meh. Fans have more fun with them then the players themselves though I know they have their own inside nicknames that they don’t release to the public (and they change depending on current events).

SuperPleky
TurtlePleks (for his turtlenecks!)
and when he wasn’t scoring we just called him ZombiePleks.

Don’t forget the Tits! +1 to the Habs fans who had “Lil’Tits” “Big Tits” Sergei and Andrei jerseys. Sadly we’re left with one tit now…

By: Kyle

Kyle — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:18:30 +0000

@Route19
You’re right; they are not nicknames at all. No matter how we want to define a nickname, the point remains the same: we can’t have these lazy short forms in our faces anymore. It’s too painful.

Back in the day people took the time to come up with something fitting, creative and usually flattering for each other. It added spice and colour to the game. That’s gone now and we need it back.

By: Route19

Route19 — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:08:38 +0000

Need to take a queue from boxing and think of how these names would sound as they are being introduced:

Jason “The Southern Dandy” Spezza

Too often the problem you have identified is because they are not nicknames, but short forms for addressing people less formally. There is a big difference. Dick is not the nickname of a guy name Richard, it’s the short form.

Somewhere a long the lines we got confused and forgot, we didn’t call him “The Rocket” becuase it is easier or quicker than Maurice.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:24:33 +0000

@drewr15 I don't think we'll ever see lines get nicknames like they used to. Players move around way too often for one to actually germinate and becomes a household name. @Joe Boughner I bet you could go through every team and get the same result. It's a shame that hockey has become such a creative wasteland when it comes to nicknames. @Tyler @ NHL Digest I'm not talking about confusing for fans - but boring! Hockey players have long been known as the blandest of pro athletes. Sometimes that's a blessing as bland often means gracious, but more often or not, hockey players are cliché machines of reknown. I agree on Dingman though. In terms of shortening one's name, that's a good one. @Joe Boughner Right on about Bob "Boogeyman" Boughner! I liked the CASH line, but when the chance for free pizza arises, I don't blame people for leaning that way!

By: Joe Boughner

Joe Boughner — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:58:55 +0000

Oh and for the record, Bob “no relation to me” Boughner (former coach of the Windsor Spitfires, now an assistant in Columbus) was Boogeyman long before Boogard claimed the name.

And for drewr15, there was an effort to name the Sens top line when Spezza / Alfie / Heatley were so dominant. My favourite was the CASH line (Captain Alfie, Spezza, Heatley) cause they were money in the bank but most adopted the Pizza Line, a reference to the fact that Pizza Pizza gives fans a free slice when the Sens score 6 goals in a game.

By: Tyler @ NHL Digest

Tyler @ NHL Digest — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:57:42 +0000

Well, when Jordin Tootoo and his brother Terrance were in Brandon (WHL) we always called them ‘Toots’.
I know that playing hockey we always had nicknames for each other and some were just as much to do with things we did off the ice. I don’t mind a good nickname, but I agree it could be confusing for fans.
Former Lightning and Avs “tough guy” Chris Dingman was called “Dinger” – I always thought that was appropriate.

By: Joe Boughner

Joe Boughner — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:55:22 +0000

Sadly, the Sens do no better.

Alfredsson = Alfie (though that’s chanted with such passion here you’d be a fool to try to change it).

Spezza = Spezz

Kovalev = Kovy (count Ottawa with Montreal on that one, was often confused by reports that Kovy was headed to LA/NYI/NJ all summer)

Fisher = Fish

Neil = Neiler

We lost our best nickname when Anton “A-Train” Volchenkov moved on to Jersey, though Pascal “Snoopy” Leclaire shows some creativity.

There’s been an effort to give Jesse Winchester a nice rifle-based nickname and Peter Regin has been called “The Great Dane” (he’s Danish) by a few fans but neither has really caught on yet.

By: drewr15

drewr15 — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:54:40 +0000

I so agree. Everyone just shortens the last name and puts a “y” at the end and that’s a nickname.

And bring back the line nicknames too!