Dressing up for a good cause...

By now you've probably seen the Mike Fisher/Carrie Underwood photos from last night at the Bell Sens Soiree event, held at the Hilton Lac Leamy. Now that they've been photographed together, here's hoping we don't have TMZ camped outside the rink.

Now back to the event. Over the years it's had several themes and guests are encouraged to dress up. This year it was "Carnaval Mystique" and as MC, I was given several different suggestions on what to wear.

My costume (courtesy of Malabar) was the Ringmaster, complete with a whip and top hat. As I walked into the Hilton last night, yours truly is the only one dressed up while everyone else was wearing tuxedos and suits. I suggested during the live auction that if we got 100k for the outfit we could get the coach to wear it behind the bench for tonight's Sens/Devils game. Several players were considering chipping in.

Oh well, there's always next year.

Top photo - Master of ceremonies Stuntman Stu (in red) is joined at the black jack table by Senators forwards Jarkko Ruutu (left) and Chris Kelly, Sens Foundation president Danielle Robinson and Senators goaltender Brian Elliott (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photography/OSHC).

Golfing with the Sens 2009

Sens fans spoiled?

Have Sens fans had it too good?

From coming back into the NHL in 92-93, it only took the club 5 years to make the playoffs and 10 years after that they went to the Stanley Cup finals. Fans are calling for everyone's heads and while Spezza, Heatley and the Captain are having an off year, so is the rest of the club.

There's plenty of other teams who fail to make the playoffs and rebuild. Which leads me to my question, have Sens fans been spoiled? A trip to the finals will do that to a fanbase, and while it's tough to be so close and not win, ask Vancouver Canuck fans what it's been like for them.

They've been in the NHL 39 years and have only been to the finals twice, coming up short both times. Do fans in that city call in to the radio during the lean years and want the coach or star player fired? Sure they do. You think Montreal has been a fun place to play up until last year? I doubt it. A fun past time in Ottawa has been making fun of the Leafs last Cup win in 67, but they still come out night after night.

This is unfamiliar territory for Sens fans right now, watching their team slide into the NHL basement. It's okay to vent and be disappointed but stay with your team. When the Sens do eventually win a Cup, you'll enjoy it more.

Ho Ho Ho, Senators style...

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Stockholm day 1

Having never flown overseas before, jet lag is something I could never relate to and somewhat impossible to explain until you go through it. We left Ottawa at 5pm, arrived in Frankfurt at 6:30am (local time) but my watch says 1:30am Ottawa time. After a 3 hour layover we land in Stockholm. FYI - when they say not to plug a power bar into a multi use common area where other travellers are using their laptops, they mean it. I may have blown a fuse or 2 and scared the pants off some other folks at the airport when my power bar went KA-BLAM.

Tomorrow we start shooting some "off the ice" videos for Sens TV but spent the bulk of today playing tourist. Stockholm is like taking the Glebe, Westboro and Old Montreal and mixing it together. The city is beautiful and can be very expensive. I just ordered a burger and fries and it cost me $36! Okay, so it was a good burger and Sweden is known for their.....burgers? Tomorrow we'll be at the NHL open practise with both the Sens and Pens, then regular season kicks off this weekend from the Globe Arena.

Here are some pix from today:



The only reason why you need a digital camera with over 5 megapixels if you're planning on blowing up something like this and hanging it on the wall.






This is the Globe arena in Stockholm where all the NHL stuff is taking place this weekend. There's a shopping center next door and I walked right in and asked:

"Excuse me, where is the arena?" Apparently Swedes know how to be just as sarcastic as Canadians.

This is the view of center ice...I'll be announcing from the penalty box which is different from Scotiabank Place where I sit in the 400 level.









This was the last thing I expected to see in Stockholm.

By the way, swamp water tastes the same overseas...and if you don't know what that is, ask your kids.