Get ready for a HIGH ENERGY interview with Jonny Greco, the newly hired SVP, Live Entertainment and Game Presentation for the Seattle Kraken. Jonny famously led the in-game productions for the Vegas Golden Knights in their magical inaugural season and beyond, and he also previously worked for the WWE, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, and many others. So, he has stories to share. You’ll also get a look at how his wheels are starting to turn as he imagines how things will look when the Kraken take the ice in 2021.
You DON’T want to miss this interview with Jonny Greco.
Also in this episode, John, Andy, and Darren have a genuine conversation about what happened last week in the world of sports, and what it meant for the NHL to take a step back to focus on social issues facing our society. Plus, plenty of playoff talk, goalie talk, and playoff goalie talk.
Segments this week include Goalie Gear Corner, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
It’s a meaty episode this week, with lots of laughs and some sports business knowledge to be had.
On this episode, John and Darren have a discussion with the founder of Sports Geek, Sean Callanan, who becomes the first Australian to appear on Sound of Hockey. The discussion is an enlightening one, which gives you a better understanding of the landscape in an increasingly digital sports world. They also discuss how changes from COVID times will impact the sports world long-term, and much of the conversation is geared toward the Seattle Kraken.
Also in this episode, plenty of discussion from John, Andy, and Darren on the Mike Milbury fiasco from last week, plus some chatter about the Washington Capitals moving on from coach Todd Reirden.
Segments this week include Goalie Gear Corner, Bad Boys, Let’s Get Quizzical, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week. Wow, that’s a lot of segments.
Every postseason, there ends up being a cycle of about eight commercials in total that eventually make you want to rip your television off the wall and throw it out the window. By the time Lord Stanley’s Cup is finally lifted, you’re actually less likely to buy a product from whichever company has appeared most frequently during your months-long hockey binge. At that point, even the mere sight of a brand’s logo can trigger dark and painful memories of commercial breaks past.
If I hear the Five-Dollar Footlong song one more time, I’m never eating another- OH, THERE IT IS! It’s on my TV again. Ok, never eating at Subway.
**Editor’s note: Just kidding. I swore off Subway long ago.
Without further ado, here is the official countdown of the most annoying commercials being played during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
6. Paul Miss-the-Net? – New Amsterdam Vodka
The jury is very much out on whether or not this one is actually annoying. It was mentioned on this week’s Sound of Hockey as an irksome commercial candidate by one of my co-hosts, which is why it landed on this list. Frankly, though, I think it’s pretty funny. It gets bonus points for the fact that it actually features former NHLers doing NHL-looking things, while engaging in NHL-sounding on-ice banter.
The only thing that the Spittin’ Chiclets hosts have working against them here is that their ad is getting played way too frequently. If you see a commercial once, you see it a thousand times, but in this case, we’ve actually seen the commercial a thousand times.
5.Some Sort of NHL/NHL Network/NHL.tv Commercial Featuring a Bunch of Players Getting Asked Really Bizarre Interview Questions
I can’t find a link to this one, but it’s the one where Max Domi, with slicked back hair and a poorly lit background, chuckles and says, “I was pretty spoiled. I had an Audi A5 as my first car. Hahaha!” Then Andrei Vasilevskiy surmises that if he could have any first name, he would choose Sylvester. Hey, give the guy some credit. Nickname? Big Cat? Sylvester the Cat? Get it?
This one may fly under the radar for a lot of readers because not everyone has NHL.tv, and from what I can gather, thisonly aired there (and maybe on NHL Network?). For those of us that were watching the Qualifying Round on the app, though, we saw this commercial enough times in a week to last us a lifetime.
NHL.tv seems to only have a cycle of about two or three house-made commercials that they play on repeat at every break. And every year, those two or three commercials will drive you absolutely bonkers by your third time viewing them.
To be honest, I’m glad I can’t watch games on the app beyond the Qualifying Round, because if I could, I know my TV would eventually be smashed to bits. This one would land much higher on the list, if we weren’t already rescued from it via everything now being blacked out on the app.
4. Marc-Andre Fleury and Mark Stone Getting Silly with an iPhone – Apple
This one falls right in that same vein as the New Amsterdam commercial. If you were to see this one a few times, you’d think, Oh, that’s a fun commercial. Look at these fun-loving hockey players, just acting like fun little kids on the ice. I should go get the new iPhone. That would be fun.
And then you see it for the fifth time. And then you see it for the tenth time. And then you start to really notice that person whistling in the song. And then you can’t unhear that whistle. And then it’s the only thing you notice the second this commercial comes on. And then you’ve decided that you’ll never buy another iPhone as long as you live.
3. Martin Brodeur Lost His Cup – Enterprise
First off, why does Martin Brodeur seem to rent cars so frequently? He’s arguably the most successful goalie of all time. Doesn’t he have cars of his own? Second, why is the Stanley Cup his first guess at which cup he’s missing? The Stanley Cup is CLEARLY SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM WHILE HE’S ON THE PHONE WITH THE ENTERPRISE REP! Third, why do they have to make Martin seem so conceited? Who just drives around with that many trophies in a rental car? I think less of him as a human being every time I see this ad.
The thing that’s most bothersome about this commercial, though, is that sometimes a joke can work, even when you know the punchline. But in this case, we know the punchline, and it isn’t a funny punchline.
Yeah, we know it’s his f***ing coffee cup that’s missing! Just say that from the beginning when he picks up the phone, and then we don’t have to play this stupid f***ing charade during every commercial break!
2. Following Her Dreams Into Taxidermy – Geico
Woof. This one could easily have taken the pole position, but was saved by the fact that if you could watch it only once, you might think that it’s a decent and perhaps even chuckle-inducing spot.
But you haven’t watched this commercial only one time, have you? I don’t even need to include the video for you to know which one I’m talking about (though I’m still including it), do I?
Poor Idina. Poor, poor, stinking rich and pretty famous Idina.
She couldn’t have known how many times they were going to play this ad when she signed on to do this. If she had, she would have realized that she was potentially losing thousands of fans by participating, and no popular recording artist/Broadway star/Frozen voice actress in their right mind would take that risk. Alas, it has happened, and now I’m done with Idina, just like I’m never buying any kind of insurance from Geico, even if switching actually saves me 20%.
As an aside, remember when John Travolta introduced her at the Academy Awards as “the Wickedly talented Adele Dazeem?” That was the Idina (or Adele) that I once knew and loved. Bring back Adele Dazeem!
HE READ THAT WRONG, OH YEEEEEAAAAAAAAH!
1. Five… Five Dollar… Five Dollar Footlooong! – Subway
I. Cannot. Believe. Subway. Is. Still. Using. This. Campaign.
Where Idina Menzel saved herself by at least signing on to do a spot that’s semi-tolerable in small doses, Charlie Puth made a deal with the devil by signing on with Subway. He knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he agreed to sit down in front of a Casio keyboard and sing the worst jingle of a generation.
Remember this Subway “commercial” from Happy Gilmore? Well, never have I wanted to tee up a Cold Cut Combo like Happy and launch it into somebody’s sandwich hole more than I do when Charlie appears on my screen.
They should just use that Happy Gilmore commercial as their actual commercial in perpetuity.
Anyway, congratulations, Charlie. Most hockey fans seemed to have no idea who you were before, but now that they do know who you are, they will hate you forever.
A milestone episode for the guys calls for a very special guest!
This week, Sound of Hockey welcomes Lance Lopes, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the Seattle Kraken. Lance was technically the very first employee hired by the Oak View Group in Seattle to make Climate Pledge Arena a reality, and as such was one of the most influential people in bringing the 32nd NHL franchise to life. Lance shares some fantastic behind-the-scenes stories about the arena processes and the triumphant 2018 season ticket drive. This is a very interesting interview.
Also in this episode, you will hear some solid NHL Bubble chatter from John, Andy, and Darren, and some good ribbing of Mike Milbury for an atrocious tweet.
Segments this week include Bad Boys, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
SEATTLE — Against an impossibly blue sky, a crane swung a steel beam around before lowering it down to two workers perched up high on the frame of the structure. The workers secured the beam into place as hundreds of their fellow BN Builders crew members on the ground looked on. Once secured, the final beam in the Seattle Kraken’s Northgate practice facility was installed.
Monday’s activities were what are known as a ‘topping off’ ceremony and is a celebration of a major milestone in the construction of the Northgate Ice Centre.
Two workers celebrate the installation of the final beam at the Northgate Ice Centre. (Brian Liesse photo)
The three-sheet practice facility, which will also serve the community by allowing public access to the ice, has taken shape. All three rinks are visible, although made of dirt rather than ice at the moment, and missing boards, benches, and glass.
To reach this point in the project, which broke ground in February, crews had to excavate 25,000 cubic yards of dirt and install just short of 3 million pounds of structural steel.
Installation of the final beam on Monday was the result of 2,700 man hours and the crew celebrated with raucous cheers as the beam was set in place. All of the workers got a chance to sign the beam before it was hoisted in the air, forever cementing their names into the Northgate project.
Inside, in one of the rinks, prior to the beam being secured, BNB workers, along with team staff and visitors, gathered in front of giant flag with the now widely popular Kraken ‘S’ on it.
“We’re really here today to honor you,” Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said to the group. “We believe in unions and we believe in what you’ve done here. I just want to give thanks to each and every person here and I hope you never forget what you’ve done here. In these times, to come to work and put these masks on, to not step away, it’s truly the American spirit.
“We know that under this roof that you’ve built, amazing things are going to happen…you’ve played a really important role. Never, ever forget, and forever take credit…I can’t wait to come back and invite all these men and women back. I’m buying the beer and we’re going to celebrate.”
The Northgate Ice Centre is an 180,000 square foot project, located on the east side of the mall where the Macy’s Department Store had been, and will serve as a practice space for the NHL club as well as house its staff. Along with the three rinks, the facility will feature a restaurant and a Virginia Mason Clinic.
One of the three rinks at the Northgate Ice Centre practice facility. (Brian Liesse photo)
Phase one of the project is targeted to be finished in June of 2021 which includes the team office area and main rink. The remainder of the project is set to be finished in September of 2021.
“This is thrilling,” Kraken executive counsel Lance Lopes said. “It’s been fantastic to see this thing take its final structure. We’ve known how big and impressive it was going to be for some time. But, until you actually see it in place, it really hits you. We’re so excited about what we’re about to bring to Seattle.”
Work on the project was briefly stopped in March as the State limited what construction projects could be worked on during the COVID pandemic.
Eventually given the green light, the work continued with workers following strict social distancing and masking procedures. With the final beam in place, work can now begin on completing the structure, putting in walls, windows, and at some point, next summer, ice.
“We have a lot of work to do still but we’ve been able to continue to stay on pace,” Lopes said. “We’re really happy with the way our construction teams have stepped up and stayed safe. We’ve haven’t had any positive tests out here. The team has really been paying attention and we have a safe site and an on-time site.”
Check out pictures of the structure in a gallery from photographer Brian Liesse:
Every playoff I enjoy digging into the rosters of the playoff teams to see how they compare across relatively basic demographic information such as Nationality & Age. This year I have added ‘acquired type”, thanks to CapFriendly. Quick bit of disclosure, data is grabbed from CapFriendly and NHL.com.
For a player to be counted in these numbers, they must have played a second of ice time of the playoffs. (i.e. Thatcher Demko has been the back up goalie for Vancouver in all their games but has yet to play a second on the ice and will not be counted.)
Age
Nationality
For a comparison, ~48% of the league is Canadian.
Here is a distribution by team
How acquired
This is a fun view on how these teams were built.
As you can see, the Vegas Golden Knights do not have one of their draft picks playing on their team….but their 2nd pick in their history is playing for Montreal.
