We here at HockeyPunx are not the only ones starting to see the link between punk and hockey. Second City Hockey can tell you all about the connection of the two subcultures. Still not convinced? Allow Hoosier Hockey to expand on the idea a bit.

Hoosier Hockey is run by a guy named Peter Evans. Peter is evangelizing the hockey/punk connection, rivaling our work here at HockeyPunx. Through his “Punk Rock and Hockey” feature on the Hoosier Hockey blog, he’s already landed interviews with The Hextalls and with The Briggs (who we spotlighted previously), as well as spotlighted both the Dropkick Murphies (whom you might remember from their set at the Winter Classic) and Propaghandi (who have also spoken with Puck Daddy, as we pointed out in the past, and who Ottawa Senators fanblog Silver Seven snagged an interview with).

He even has a “Punk Rock and Hockey” podcast in the works. If that idea sounds familiar, it’s because HockeyPunx has been kicking the tires of just such a podcast idea since September.

Wait a minute; is this guy out for my job?!? Let’s switch gears before I hype him up too much.

I mentioned Peter’s interview with The Briggs, and it seems like that band is a hot commodity in the Punk Rock/Hockey world : Here is LA Kings fanblog MayorsManor.com‘s interview with The Briggs (and when you’re done reading that, why not check out their thoughts on the band performing at Staples Center during a playoff game). Looks like the Mayor’s interest in punk music goes a little deeper than simple knowledge of The Briggs, as here’s an interview with Greg Hetson of Circle Jerks and Bad Religion fame.

Not convinced that the hockey/punk connection is blowing up? Here’s some more evidence: As pointed out by Peter Evans (that guy again?), Erin Nicks of The Universal Cynic is one of us, and she writes about it often. Here’s some of her work, as pointed out on Hoosier Hockey:

I recently ventured on to her twitter page and came across the factoid that she absolutely loves punk rock. She is a huge Bad Religion fan and even named her blog after a BR song. We’ve briefly discussed the connection between punk and hockey over twitter and email. I decided to share the links she sent me with my readership as I now realize that a lot of you seem to think the same thing.

- After a reference to Pulley in an earlier post, Erin elaborates on the connection between hockey and punk rock.

- An interview with Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge on the use of their song “Bro Hymn” and its frequent usage at NHL games.

- An anecdotal story about a conversation with Bad Religion guitarist, Greg Hetson.

- Another quick tale of talking to Mr. Hetson after a show in Pennsylvania.

- Short post about being back stage at a BR show.

So there you have it. Irrefutable proof of the coming hockey/punk revolution. Or, at the very least, some interesting off-season reading. Have at it, kids. And, as always, the message board is open!

Go check out the schedule, released today. It’s a shitload of games, of course, so you should probably use the built-in options to narrow it down a bit.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/schedulebyseason.htm

 Just makes me impulsively check http://isitoctoberyet.com even more.

2010 NHL Stanley Cup Champions

The Kings have been embracing LA punk band The Briggs this season, and I’m sure the Briggs are having a blast. Especially now with the increased exposure from the Kings finally making it back into the playoffs.

The Briggs at Staples Center

The band got a sweet gig playing the Staples Center during the playoffs, as well as various Kings promotional shows around town.

According to About.com Guide to Punk Music:

the Briggs play a brand of blue-collar street punk that owes as much of its sound to Boston as it does to L.A., and bears influences of bands from both coasts as well. At times they reflect shades of Rancid or the Distillers, and at times there are elements of The Ducky Boys or Street Dogs. But whichever sound they seem to be emulating, they almost always do it in an infectious way.

The Kings have been using the band’s song “This Is LA” for promotional videos and on their broadcasts. Here’s a video…

YouTube - - The Briggs "This is LA"

Definitely check out this band, regardless of their poor choice in hockey teams

YouTube - Pond Scum Episode 2

Her’es Episode 2 of POND SCUM, a video blog I should never have started. If you’re too lazy too watch the video, you can just read my playoff predictions after the jump

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So back in September, one day before the start of the 2009-10 NHL season, I made some bold Stanley Cup Playoff predictions. So bold in fact, that I guaranteed that my predictions were “the pure, unvarnished truth.” So how did I do? Let’s start with the Western Conference (for the record, we’re just looking at the playoff spots in each conference, because no one cares about the failures who didn’t make it):

Perhaps not so good, though I did correctly predict 50% of the teams that would make it in, and I get extra points for getting the top three division champ seeds correct. To be fair, those I got right were pretty safe choices. I should lose points for saying that the Oilers would make it to 8th seed, when in fact they finished last not only in the conference, but in the entire league. But the Kings? The ‘Yotes? How the shit does that happen? There’s no way I could have predicted any deals with the devil, so I get a pass on those.

Fuck it, I get C+ for Western Conference Predictions.

How about the Eastern Conference?

My top 6 predictions made it in, not bad. Of course, only one of them seeded as I stated, but you can’t win them all. It was a lot easier to guess the Eastern Conference, because the whole conference sucks and there’s no real competition. Need proof? The 8th-seeded Canadiens made it to the playoffs with a mere 88 points. However in the West, the Avalanche had to rack up 95 points to take the 8th and final spot. Actually, not only would the Canadiens not have made it in out West, but neither would the Flyers, the Bruins, or the Senators.

But I digress.

A- for Eastern Conference Predictions, even without proper seeding.

So how could I guarantee my predictions as the word of the gods in September, yet be pretty far off come April (and still give myself some pretty generous grades)?

I intentionally gave you all the wrong predictions so that you’d rush to Vegas and place your bets, only making the odds that much better for me when I placed my bids the RIGHT way. The real seeding I clearly knew all along, and now I’m filthy rich, shitbags!

Stay tuned for my Stanley Cup first-round predictions, which will be posted soon (before the games start, with plenty of time to get your Vegas bets in).

This article that follows this paragraph was not written by me or anyone involved with HockeyPunx. It was originally written and posted at Wrap Around Curl. It is in regards to the horrible news about Brendan Burke’s, son of Toronto Maple Leafs’ GM Brian Burke, untimely death. Brendan was an openly gay hockey player who courageously  chose to come out after Justin Bourne wrote an article discussing homophobia in hockey, which HockeyPunx discussed earlier. Here is the Wrap Around Curl post in it’s entirety (with apologies to the original author, because we’re doing this without permission – we hope it’s acceptable and that we’re giving you your due credit):

Words fail me right now. It it late and I’m trying to get this all out through the tears.  At hockey tonight I heard the news of the tragic passing of Brendan Burke. Brendan wasn’t just the son of Toronto Maple Leaf general manager. He meant so much more.

Back in November a wonderful article was published about Brendan coming out to his hockey team. And he was loved and accepted. Brendan’s orientation didn’t affect friendships and he was able to be open and himself. At the time I wrote this on Brian’s acceptance of his son;

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from Brian Burke. I think he is an amazing man and it’s wonderful that he is accepting of his son. What a fine display of being not only progressive, but what a father should be: loving and supportive. Some may think that this is a matter that should be private, but I absolutely applaud Brendan’s willingness to be open with his sexual orientation. Especially given the supremely rough and tumble reputation of sports and the response to homosexuals, it is refreshing that there is this story of hope. The slurs and the gender put downs just kill and it’d be nice to move beyond that.”

I think these words still very much ring true. My thoughts are with Brian and his family. It may have been a short while, but Brendan’s story did a lot of good, I think. At the moment, we might not know just the ripples he caused, but eventually ripples do turn into waves. Perhaps Brendan’s story signaled a change in attitudes in athletics. That the time has come to move forward. I have faith that the story of Brendan caused some people to re-examine their words and actions. Little by little, we’re going to fix this all and Brendan was crucial in the process.

“…And really, a person should not have to give up something they love because of others reactions to who they love. We need Brendan’s story in order to learn and move forward. Hopefully there will come a time, soon, when gay athletes are accepted and feel they can be open.”

Pension Plan Puppets did a lot of good donating to Haiti. I think we should do a lot of good in the memory of Brendan. Donate to PFLAG if you can. They are an organization dedicated to helping bridge relations between family and friends when someone comes out of the closet. They work to spread love and tolerance, creating a better and accepting society for us all. We heard Brendan story, but think of all the others. There is something to be learned.

PFLAG-US

PFLAG-CANADA

Thank you.

And thank you, Brendan.

With one day to go before the 2009-10 season kicks off, it’s time for hockey blogs and fans alike to spit out a flurry of predictions in hopes of being vindicated come the hoisting of Lord Stanley’s Mug come June. We here at HockeyPunx want in on the action too.

But I won’t lie to you, reader, what I’m about to drop on you isn’t merely prediction, but instead the pure, unvarnished truth; from God’s lips to my ears (to your eyes). After reading this, if you don’t immediately start placing bets in Vegas and off-shore gambling rings, you’re a god damn fool.

Without further ado, here is how all the teams will be ranking in their respective conference come season end. Fact.

I will not even attempt to justify my rankings, as the stat sheet at the end of the season never tries to justify itself. The stat sheet simply acts as a reflection of the facts, and my “predictions” are exactly that.

Hey, why not make some of your own predictions today? Post them in the comments below or on our forums?