It All Depends on the View

 

There's no bad seat in the Joe. I'm a firm believer of that. Although, the people around sometimes might not be the best... there is always a good view to be seen.

 

 

A few of the views from the season so far:

 

 

 

 

A couple views from seasons past:

 

 

Zestiny

We've got ourselves a Zettercaptain!


SHOCKING!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!

 

It was very apparent that the captain to follow Lidstrom would be Henrik Zetterberg. If anyone was shocked they probably should pay better attention. Mainly because the organization has been grooming him to be a leader for years. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It shows the faith the organization had in Z. This team, this organization, this franchise does not take giving someone the title of "captain" lightly. He's most definitely been worthy of the honor. In an organization as rich with history as the Detroit Red Wings, when they pick someone to follow 'The Perfect Human' and the 'Forever Captain' you know he's gotta have the spark that says he's right for the job.

Z is going to be a great captain, he's been a great leader for years.

Congrats Hank!

Monday is a punch in the face!

Sometimes everyone has a case of the Mondays. For me, I combat this with... FIGHT VIDEOS.   I know that it doesn't work for everyone but it works for me every time. Even now, I just previewed a couple and instantly am in a better mood. Enjoy and Happy Monday!

I owe him a whole lot

 

I don't often talk about my family or my parents but I feel the need to tell everyone a little about my Dad, Leo Holstine on this Father's Day.

My Dad might not have been perfect but I owe him my love of hockey. My Dad had hoped for a son and was expecting to have his only son in 1987 but instead got me. With three girls, my Dad probably thought that his dream of sharing his love of hockey was a long lost dream but he was wrong. My sisters and I learned to love hockey in our own way but I learned to love the game of hockey just like him.

My Dad was born in the Mid-Fifties and would often go to Olympia Stadium with his father and various other family members. Catch him on a day where he wants to tell a story and he will recall one of his favorite memories of Olympia and it really has nothing to do with the players. The story goes that there was a older lady who used to sit in front of my Dad during the game and all she would do is complain about the team and arena. I mean, who really complains about the teams of the 50's? My Dad and his family loved to get bags of unshelled peanuts to crack and eat. Hell, my Dad still does. While other people threw the shells on the ground, my Dad's family would pass the shells down to him and he would fill up the hood of the lady's coat. When the time came to leave, the complainer would go to put her hood on and get a shower of peanut shells. A sort of payback for being a bad fan. Stories like this are often and many when it comes to my Dad. I can say that to this day, he holds the birthday that he spent with Gordie Howe as one of his best.

Many often point out that I dislike the NHL officials more than most. Which is 100% true. Why? Because I got it from my father. Instead of hating the Hawks or the Leafs, we hated the likes of Fraser and LaRue. In Chris Chelios' first game as a Red Wing, my parents were sitting front row. Cheli got into a scuffle with another player and an unhelmeted Kerry Fraser stuck his head between Chelios and the opposing player. My Dad jumped up and could be seen on the television screen screaming for Chelios to hit Fraser because he had an open shot. In later years, my Dad and I would take our complaints about officiating directly to the NHLOA. Some might find this a bit weird but it was a bonding thing that my Dad and I got used to.We have since stopped doing that but we did it for many years.

Until the 2008-2009 season, I had very rarely gone to a single game without my Dad. Every game we had our routine, a routine that I have modified to make my own in the past four years. My Dad and I would go out to eat at a small restaurant in Greektown called The Golden Fleece then take the people mover over to the Joe. I still routinely head to Greektown and take the people mover over before every game. My Dad can't attend the games like he used to due to back problems but I still hold the games I attended with my Dad as some of my favorite. I attended Steve Yzerman's Banner raising with my Dad, Saw championship banner raisings with my Dad, Sat on the glass for the first time on my 20th Birthday with my Dad, and attended my first game ever with my Dad. The picture shown above is one of the last games I attended with my Dad and it is a game that I will never forget.

So Happy Father's Day to all the Dads but most especially to my Dad, Leo Holstine.

Decorating for the Holidays: Red Wings Style

Wife/Husband/Girlfriend/Boyfriend complaining that your plaque of Olympia Stadium isn't festive enough and that your Red Wing memorabilia doesn't have the Christmas touch?



DUMP THEM.



Wait a second... There is an alternate solution.

Just as always, the Red Wings have you covered with holiday gear to show off your team and holiday spirit.


Look! It's hockey playing Santa... and a creepy little Red Wing logo with limbs.... Okay, this one might not have been the holiday design teams' best idea but it's better than pine cones on your table.



Some snow people in a hat. Or is that a bag? Whichever it is, it's probably a good idea for those with children being that it's plush.



Declare your fandom to all that come to knock on your door this holiday season with this door wreath.




Who needs a stocking with some snowflakes and puffy paint when you could have this?



Red velvet hat with a white fur trim. YAWN. This is the Santa hat to rock. In fact, I'm pretty sure Santa rocks this hat.




Mint edible candy canes? PSSSSSSSH. Go with these plastic Red Wing candy cane ornaments. As an added bonus, the children cannot consume these and make your entire house into a sticky mess. Although, I'm pretty sure if children DID try to consume these... they'd end up in the hospital.



You could top your tree with a yellow star to represent the star of Bethleham ORRRRRR you could top your tree with something like this star.




Decorating with hockey equipment brings the locker room onto your Christmas tree



This Santa rocking Wings gear is much less creepy than the first one. Mainly because there is no creepy logo skating beside him. Seriously, what WAS that?



In an effort to make the Canadians feel more welcome in the United States, you could put a Maple Leaf on your tree as I do.



Why do they make Smores into people and dress them up as different characters? I have no clue. Did I buy the hockey player smore? Oh you know it.



Decapitated snowman head on a hockey puck. Does it ever make sense? No. Is it on my tree? Of course it is.



Just in case anyone wants to plan out plays, it's always good to have a rink board on your tree.



GIANT LOGO. That's pretty much reason enough.



It's a head. With a Red Wing hat. And a button that says "#1 Fan". Sure, why not.



Is this a snowman? The marshmellow man? Kyle Wellwood as a Red Wing? No clue but it's got a logo so it made the tree.



No Christmas tree is complete without Al the Octopus going all King Kong on it.