Grand River Blues Society relases new album "Got Mojo 2"

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Music -- Artist: Matt Storch and The Usual Suspects. Title: Rock and Roll Dancer

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2012 Most Promising New Media Journalist




Here I am with my award for Most Promising New Media Journalist at the 2012 Conestoga Journalism Gala on Thursday March 22, 2012  in Kitchener, Ontario. (DAVE CHIDLEY)

 

Freelance: The Road to Game 7 - Cambridge Winter Hawks @ Brantford Golden Eagles

Epic Cleaning Time

Epic Cleaning Time

 

The dishes have been wreaking havoc for too long. It is time for one man, armed only with soap and a brush, to do something about it. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)




That man is Jake Simmons. The 22-year-old computer engineering student puts some furious cleaning skills into action in his Kitchener home on Thursday, look at that brush work. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)




Only the soapiest of suds will do for this epic cleaning adventure. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)



Simmons is working that brush like it owes him money. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)




Rinsing is of little concern when you're looking at a job of such epic proportions, but we're getting there ladies and gentlemen. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)



    

The brush has been through some heavy times and thick grime. It's looking like it too could use some epic cleaning. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)



 

Oh snap! Check out that clean counter space! (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)


 

 Mission accomplished. Look at those dishes sparkle. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)


 

Simmons strikes the victory pose, epic cleaning style. Now to put them away, or not. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)



Free Agents defeat Civil Chiefs 8-1

A forward for the Conestoga intramural hockey Free Agents carries the puck across the offensive blue line and looks for an open pass in an 8-1 regular season victory over the Civil Chiefs at Conestoga Doon campus Arena Complex on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)



The Free Agents watch one of their forwards stick handle through the defensive zone in the opening frame of play. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)

  

Brandon Masschelein, defence for the Civil Cheifs, awaits his next shift from the bench. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)




A Civil Chiefs forward enters the offensive zone one-on-two while his team mates complete a line change late in the first period. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)




A linesman monitors the flow of play during the second period of regulation. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)

  

 

An enforcer for the Free Agents throws a high elbow while taking a Civil Chiefs forward hard into the boards, recieving a two minute minor penalty and a game misconduct on the play. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)

The Civil Chiefs score a rebound goal on the ensuing power play to cut the Free Agents lead to 4-1 in the second period. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)

Number 80 for the Civil Chiefs cuts in all alone on a breakaway early in the third period. His attempt was confidently stopped by the Free Agents' net-minder. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)

 



A forward for the Free Agents fires a hard wrist shot past the Civil Chiefs' goaltender to make increase their lead to 6-1 with five minutes to play. The Free Agents would go on to add another two goals. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)





Through beer-tinted goggles

A spinning bottle illustrates the effect of 'beer goggles' during a social gathering at a Kitchener residence on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)





Matt Burtney, Supermodel

Matthew Burtney, 22, eyes his prey from the top of the F Wing stairs at Conestoga College, Doon campus in Kitchener, Ontario on Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)

 "We've got to slow down the game:" Dionne says in wake of concussions
 

NHL hall of famer Marcel Dionne poses for a quick
photo before taking back to the ice in Saturday's
Heart and Stroke Hockey for Heart alumni all-star
game at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
(RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)



Two feet can make a big impact in concussion prevention, according to NHL legend Marcel Dionne.

Dionne, an NHL hall of famer who played 18 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Rangers, said he thinks the game of hockey has become too fast in an interview before Saturday night’s  Heart and Stroke Hockey for Heart alumni all star game at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

“We’ve got to slow down the game, it’s too fast," said Dionne.

The 1980 Art Ross trophy winner said that he believes bringing back the two-line pass rule and adding two feet of extra ice space behind the nets could greatly increase player safety.

"They don’t want to go back on [two-line passes], but they’re probably going to have to.”

Bringing back the two-line pass rule - which was removed from the game under the 2005 collective bargaining agreement - would force players to reduce their speed through the neutral zone, which Dionne said will lead to a decrease in hits resulting in concussions.

“The way it is now usually the forward gets in the corner before the defenceman gets there, and they’re big guys and they plow. They should be slower,” said Dionne. “The ice surface is too small for this type of speed. I played in Europe and I understand what it is, and it makes a big difference to have that extra two feet, believe me. Two feet makes a lot of difference.”


Ice hockey in Europe uses an ice surface that is 10 feet longer and 13 feet wider than the standard NHL rink, which is 200 feet by 85 feet. Dionne’s proposal would give players more room to avoid hard hits into the boards.



Concussions are occurring at an alarmingly high rate this season, as of Dec. 27, 2011 there were 33 NHL players sidelined with head injuries, concussions or concussion-related symptoms.

The most recent concussion related injury occurred on Jan. 23 when Daniel Briere of the Philadelphia Flyers took a hit from New Jersey Devils’ defenceman Anton Volchenkov. (See the hit below).

Dionne said that with the game being as fast as it is, players need to be even more aware of their surroundings in order to prevent injury.

 “I was a heads up guy. I watched Briere get hurt last week, he had his head down. You have to be aware, they don’t teach that. You have to be aware of who is on the ice, and it’s luck too, don’t get me wrong, but you have to be aware of who is out there, if you don’t the risk is high.”




Marcel Dionne talks strategy with a team mate before the puck drops for Saturday's Heart and Stroke Hockey for Heart alumni all-star game at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. (RYAN MCCRACKEN / SOMAD NEWS)



The onus is still on all players to compete within the rules of the game and maintain respect on the ice, two things that the two-time Lady Byng trophy winner said the NHL will need to see more of in order to maximize player safety.

“I played by the rules. What are the rules? If you do something you get penalized for it, but then did I ever elbow someone they way where they extend? I’ve never done that, where does that come from?” Dionne said, referring to incidents such as ex-Calgary Flame Rene Bourque’s elbow on Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals on Jan. 3. Bourque received a five-game suspension for the hit. (See the disciplinary video below).

“When a guy does that, it’s either he’s frustrated or something happened, but that’s where he should be punished for that. The players that see it, their own team mates see it and know it has no reason to be there.”

Tom Brady Throws a Pick

Jake Simmons, 22, reacts to a play during the NFL AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens, in his Kitchener, Ontario home on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. (SOMAD NEWS/Ryan McCracken)