I spent this weekend in Las Vegas at an international (Canadians and Americans) street hockey tournament. There were two divisions: the “open” (read: skilled) and the “rec” (read: me). The open division had somewhere between 15-20 teams from across the U.S. and Canada and was great to watch. The rec division had six excellent teams (also from across the U.S. and Canada) and while they did not have the overall skill level of the open divisions teams, I have to say that the play was surprisingly equal among the teams which lead to some really amazing games.

My team, the SoCal Misfits, got second place, with the final game being 3-2 and decided in a shoot-out, after a full game plus overtime. It was a blast.

Here are a few extra highlights from the trip–at least what I caught while I still had battery power…

Driving

The obligatory Zzyzx sign

The Hotel Room

Ironing boards are for drying your hockey gear on, right?

Tired, tired feet

The only action shot I got…

All of the awards on display

And, lastly, for those of you who felt the need to remind me to not break anything–I did not listen…

We are in the so-called era of the “new NHL.” The new rules are in place to make the game faster, more exciting, and to see more goals scored. And it has worked (whether or not that will get the sport more viewers is another story). But even more interesting is that Brian Burke, Randy Carlyle, and the others decided to play the new rules from another angle. They developed a game that used strong physical and gritty play to shut down a team designed to be exemplary of the new rules–fast, lean, and highly technically skilled.

I do not think that this strategy will always work, but it will be worth watching the two types of play compete for success. The Ducks have obvious echoes of the Devils and I can’t wait to see what others team try this strategy out for success.

GO DUCKS!