Ovechkin's unmentionables, mentioned

At long last- the recap! (Miss Chatter has a recap as well.) Hockey in Heels seemed to be a success- they had 250 attendees, and the event sold out within 11 days. Who wouldn't relish the opportunity to see this? Why, it's Ovechkin's underwear bag!

In the corner of the dressing room, these two bottles (with player signatures all over them) were sitting on a table. I can only assume they're from team dinners.

I liked this sign hanging in the workshop. "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice." It seemed a little out of place, but hey- to each his own.

Of course Dan Steinberg was there, covering all the action.

Jill Sorensen, demonstrating what a cross check is. It seemed to be Craig Laughlin's least favorite part of the discussion for some reason. (It's not like she was smacking him hard or anything.)
I took this one for Gustafsson- in the hallway outside the locker room. Sadly, I somehow missed seeing Mrs. Gustafsson and guest. I was looking for them all night, but it was a mob scene.

Now, I'd love to know who Ace is- this nameplate was in the training room.

After the discussion last week about the drawings on Ovechkin's sticks, I just had to take a picture of them. The last #8 stick on the right was the only one that appeared to have any sort of drawing; I was so disappointed not to see Man Who Have Legs.

I enjoyed the evening. While it was marketed for women who don't know much about hockey, the majority of ladies there were hardcore fans. The crowd was a good mix of young and old, Caps fans and novices, professional puck bunnies and pregnant women. It was a fascinating cross-section of society.

The sessions themselves were good, with the standout being the on-ice demonstration. Jamie Heward (*sniff* he will be missed) was very patient with everyone, especially me, who could not get a puck in the damn net. Like Miss Chatter says, he will be a very good coach someday.

One interesting session was the Caps' Wives one. There was only one actual wife- Jamie Heward's- while Brent Johnson's fiancee and Shaone Morrisonn's girlfriend were there as well. The difference between the three situations was noticeable; Jamie Heward's wife (Tisha? Trisha? I wasn't clear) had the most to offer, since she had been with Jamie for 17 years and fully understood what it was like to be with a hockey player. The other two, while well-spoken, had only been with their guys for about a year and a half, and it was obvious. When they introduced themselves, Tisha explained herself in terms of Jamie. The other two, especially Johnson's fiancee Danielle, talked in terms of themselves. Nothing wrong with that- it just clarified things a little for me.

I've never dated a professional athlete, nor care to do so even if I wasn't married, but it must be a difficult transition from having your own life to basing yours entirely on one man's wants and needs. Tisha Heward said as much; they have two children and taking care of them and Jamie is her role. Danielle, the fiancee, had been working, but it sounds like she quit to plan her wedding to Brent. Krystal, Morrisonn's girlfriend, works at XM which must be a cool job. She obviously wasn't looking to give up her job any time soon (she's taking a leave of absence in the summer to spend time with Shaone in Vancouver while they look for a house and get a bulldog), but clearly she would have to if she settled down with him. That must be challenging- to leave a job/career you enjoy to focus entirely on one person. I know a lot of people wouldn't hesitate to do that, but personally, I couldn't do it. That's why it was so interesting to me to hear their POVs, and why I would have liked to hear more from other wives/fiancees/girlfriends who had been with their guys for a long time. I can't help wondering if their perspectives change after years of moves and injuries.

One incident at the end of the evening stood out for me. When Miss Chatter and I were leaving, we shared the elevator with an older woman (probably in her mid-40s). She was positively glowing. I asked if she had a good time, and she enthusiastically said, "I LOVED it. It was great!" I inquired about her level of hockey knowledge, and she said she was a hockey widow whose husband wants her to understand hockey better to attend games with him. I asked if she would go now, and she was very excited about it. So the Caps got at least one new fan out of the evening (and many more, I suspect).

Miscellaneous stuff:

- Apparently the team plane, a chartered 737, is very comfortable (shocker) and no one has to turn their cell phones off.
- Craig Laughlin called the hit on Chris Drury a clean hit. "Was he skating with his head down? Absolutely. Was his helmet not strapped on tight? Absolutely."
- Brent Johnson and Jamie Heward are the most superstitious players on the team, according to the equipment guys.
- The wives/fiancees/girlfriends attend all the home games. (Take a look in section 121 sometime.)
- Morrisonn loves music, and used to DJ at parties when he was in the minor leagues. He owns commercial and residential real estate in Vancouver.

Here's hoping the Caps do another one next season! Rumor has it that the Nationals will be doing one too- while a tour of RFK wouldn't be nearly as interesting, it would still be fun.