Teal and White Recap and the Game Day for Tonight's PreSeason Game

First, the Teal and White recap:

Despite being a season ticket holder only event, Teal and White has become quite popular. Lines snake around the Tank to get in long before the doors open and nearly everyone goes in with a game plan for autograph lines and ice skating. Standing outside,waiting for the doors to open and the fans to flood in and fill the bottom of the Tank, I find it mind boggling that people still don't think hockey has a home in my state. Thousands stand outside, waiting to get in to see an exhibition game from a team that laid a fat egg in the playoffs. We WANT hockey. Not only that, we wants Sharks hockey. It's been too long.

The fun stuff:

I never sit downstairs during the regular season, so getting to sit in the rich seats if pretty awesome. I like the view from upstairs, but the novelty of seats 13 rows up from the glass hasn't worn off for me yet. Meeting the players is awesome, especially when one of them gives Afro the eye, (she's available, Joslin!), but I really come for the game. It's so much fun to be able to watch the players just have fun out on the ice. Sure, Teal is trying to beat White and vice versa, but it's an exhibition game. Just a scrimmage. The rookies may be trying to impress, but the veterans are out there having a blast.

I chose team Teal this year, mostly because it had Ryane Clowe. Afro took team White, and Mina was assigned Teal, though none of us really cared. We cheered for all the goals, no matter who scored them.

Sexsmith was a beast and kept Teal down to 1 goal, giving White the win. Then the shootout came. I don't know what happened, but the Sexywall feel and Teal blew White out of the water in the shootout. Fans select the players for the shootout and I think the best moment was when someone selected Brad Staubitz. He looked absolutely shocked & repaid the fan by scoring a goal. Nichol was selected and skated over and bear hugged his fan, who were assuming had been a long time admirer. Jody Shelley surprised us all by scoring a sick shoot out goal. Randy Hahn suggested the coaches take this into consideration.

Randy and Drew, stars in their own right, announced the lineups for each of the teams. They also showed us they were in regular season form by riffing and rambling in the way that only they can.

Ok, enough rambling there. Tonight's HOCKEY! (You'll have to wait for the regular season for game day art.)

Sharks took last night's game against LA, (in Ontario "what's that smell?" California. No seriously. Drive down 10 or 60 and tell me it doesn't smell weird sometimes. The Santa Ana winds do this area no favors. I'm going to get letters, aren't I?), in the shoot out. Tonight, they're back up the the Bay Area to face the Canucks. If past pre season games are any indicator, this game will be chippy at best and nose breaking at worst. I don't know what it is, but the Canucks and Sharks don't get along well in the pre season. Now that there are more than a few former Sharks on the team, I suspect things will be just a little bit awkward once the puck drops.

7:30 PM. The Teal Mile comes back to life tonight.

Should be awesome. Go Sharks!

Work in Progress, Perhaps Eternally

I'm not really pleased with how this is coming along but I have spent way too much time noodling his face and I can't seem to get it right. I promised to post it though, so, here is my rather poor attempt at drawing Ryane Clowe.




He looks kinda like what he'd look like if he was somehow half Clowe, half illegitimate love child of Boyle. No, I don't know how that's possible either, but, there it is.

*reference image links posted soonish. I need to find one again. D'oh!

WTC Update Regarding Clowe and Misc.

A few hours old, I know, but here it is. Two updates for today, so I'm just linking to the blog proper.
Working the Corners update

ESPN Says Clowe Is A Done Deal And Back In Teal

North of 3.5 mil for Cloweverfield.

The Sharks are apparently still waiting on that fax from NHL HQ before making a formal announcement. Someone want to check those wires? That is a slow fax machine, right there. Mmmm hmm.

Free Agency, day 1 part 2

The Merc, care of Pollak, is saying Clowe is back, jack. Waiting on the league to make it official before any announcements come out from the Sharks themselves.

Same reason the deal with Huskins has been formally announced yet, either. (that and the conflicting reports about how much the deal is for. 1.7 total, 1.7 per year, etc. Maybe that's just amongst us fans though.)

NEWS!

Our favorite beat guy, David Pollak, has some news about Clowe and Grier, and they possibilities of them staying with the team this coming season. Judging by the tone of the post, Clowe has a better shot then Grier, but who knows what's going to happen after the draft is done. I really like that Grier said he wanted it finish his career here. That really proves how good the Sharks organization is.
I'm also very happy that Clowe wants to resign. Clowe watch will hopefully not be in effect this summer.

I Found Ryane Clowe on My Doorstep

If this were us, we'd have freaked out a bit more. Mina would probably have passed out at their feet.




Of course if this were us, we'd also be independently wealthy and be able to afford crazy things like season tickets.

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In other news, it seems that Mina and I may be in a slight minority when it comes the lucky jersey/sweater theory. This may be because we grew up on a sport that lends itself more readily to wacky superstitions and crazy conspiracy theories.
Never stand up for the last out, folks. It only leads to disappointment.

Better Than A 30 Foot Smurf

We've been very busy watching the Olympics this week but not so busy that we didn't notice that our main man Clowe was honored by his hometown this summer. It may seem a bit cheesy but getting your mug on a huge teal sign that welcomes everyone coming town does say something about how awesome you are. Go Clowe.

At Last

Confirmation.

I like how it has Nabby's picture instead of Clowe's. Nice.

I had been planning this whole bit on what would happen first, the resigning of Clowe or my finishing the next dungeon in Wind Waker. I even had art for it. Since Clowe's been signed, (only for a year *sniffle*), I won't be able to use it. Ah well.

Clowe Watch Continues

original image credit The Hockey News. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Day 28:

Concerns are starting to mount.

No sign of Clowe in weeks.

We have seen a new team enter the building. Three men, claiming to be "assistant coaches" have breeched the walls of the Tank and have not been heard from since. We have heard of other teams impersonating employees to gain enterance, only to disappear and never been heard from again.

The brownies Mr. Plank brought have run out.

The situtation looks grim.

Dark Rumors

Day 18: I found this article in today's paper. Perhaps it's related to mysterious disappearance of the first few expeditions we sent in search of Ryane Clowe.

It's Officially On

original image credit The Hockey News. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Day 17:
Our investigation into Ryane Clowe's whereabouts began on July 1st. We've heard rumors here and there, but nothing can be confirmed.

Parties were dispatched to find the elusive Clowe. They disappeared shortly there after. It is assumed that they became lost in the maze of hallways that fill the area commonly known as "The Tank." All new attempts to breach the walls of 525 W. Santa Clara Street have failed.

All radio communication has been lost.

Concerns are starting to mount.

A search party may be in order.

With Bated Breath

We await news on the fate of Ryane Clowe. When we have it we will report it to you, along with everyone else in the known hockey universe.

No crying in hockey.


All good highlights, but the money shot is 24 seconds in.