So, I recently had the amazing opportunity to try out for the L.A. Kings EBUG(Emergency Back-Up Goalie).  Due to more new N.H.L. rules this season, every team is required to have an EBUG on hand for all home games.  In the event both goalies go down for a team, the EBUG has to come in and play.  The EBUG is available for both teams.  For every goalie who never did anything, this is the ultimate dream.  I was lucky enough to get the call to tryout and here is how things went.

So, last night I got an email from Luc Robitaille, letting me know that I was invited to attend the tryouts for the L.A. Kings Official Number 1 Emergency Back-Up Goaltender.  I am still kind of in shock, which isn't cool because tryouts are tomorrow.  I have been dreaming of this for over 20 years, never knowing if the Kings would have open tryouts for such an amazing position.  Other organizations have done it but I never held much delusion that they would.  I got into hockey late, so I never really had the chance to dream of playing in the N.H.L.

Now, 29 other goalies of no renown and I will face off for the chance to dream just a little bit more.  This kind of goes to one of the core ideas of Wolf and Crown Hockey Co., that no matter how old you get, or how slow you get, you always want to try and be a better hockey player. 

It's gonna be a blast.  I already got a DM from trav4oilers, who is flying in from Canada to try out.  Who knows who else is going to be there.

Thanks to everyone who has wished me luck so far, I'm gonna need it. 

Alright, it's that time of year again, for the last time.  It's time for Frozen Fury, the Los Angeles Kings annual preseason game/games in Las Vegas, NV.  Until we started winning Cups, it was usually the highlight of every Kings Fan able to attend.  This is going to be the last year for the event and the first year it will be in T-Mobile Arena.  I'm excited to see the new N.H.L. arena, even though the intimacy of the Grand Garden Arena will be missed.  Next year, we will have the (insert stupid adjective here) Knights in Las Vegas, so that will put a nix on the awesome festivities.  
We are leaving tomorrow early, to get in on the party.  I can't wait to see how the Gauntlet manifests itself.  We're only going to the game on Saturday, but we are attempting to crash the pre-party at Tom's Urban on Friday night.  The whole trip, we will be doing some Instagram Stories and posts, so make sure you follow us on Instagram.  We'll probably throw some Facebook feeds in there too.  If you see a Wolf & Crown hat around town, don't be afraid to say hi!

On a side note, we have a little hold up at our printers, so our New Season Release won't be out until a few games into the season.  We hate being late, but it'll be worth the wait to get it right.

Go, Kings go!

When I first started this company, I knew there was going to be a World Cup of Hockey in 2016; and the very first shirt idea I had was a Team U.S.A. shirt.  I didn't know how I was going to get there, but I knew I was going to put out a shirt that celebrated the glory of Team U.S.A.

Team U.S.A. was my first time.  I didn't grow up a hockey fan.  I grew up on Football and Baseball.  I got into hockey in high school thanks to some friends of mine and Team U.S.A.  Most people get into a sport by watching their local pro team but not me.  Although I came to love the Los Angeles Kings soon enough, it was Team U.S.A. that grabbed me.  You might be thinking, well this guy got hooked by the national team in 1980, just like everyone else in America.  But no, I'm not quite that old yet.

  CHope everyone is enjoying the World Cup exhibition games!  There has been a ton of skill put on display, especially TNA(Team North America)!  Love those kids!  And if anyone thinks it's going to be a friendly All-Star Game type tournament, look no further than the first few games between the U.S.A. and Canada and even more so in those Finland/Sweden games.

To celebrate the World Cup, we have our brand new Team U.S.A. shirt!  If you order today(9/12), you'll have it just in time for the start of the tournament on Saturday.  Purchase here!  Check it out below.

Wow, today was wild.  In case you live under a puck, there were two major trades today in the N.H.L.  First, the Oilers gave Taylor Hall to the Devils for Adam Larsson in what many are calling the most lopsided player swap in the history of the league.  Remind me to never deal with Ray Shero, ever, ever, ever.  Excited for the Devils, they're getting one of the best left wingers in the game and their back end is still pretty solid.  Gonna be fun to see Hall reunited with Adam Henrique.

And this wasn't even the biggest deal of the day.

The Canadians dumped P.K. Subban to the Predators for Shea Weber.  I say 'dumped' because they obviously wanted to get rid of P.K. the person, not the player.  Why else would you trade a league top 3 defenseman for another super star defenseman who is on the bottom half of the top 10 D-men in the league?  The swap is, at it's base, a flip of 2 super star athletes.  I love Weber but Subban is just better overall.  The fans are going to love him in Nashville.  Just another head scratcher.

What else is on the horizon this off season?

Oh yeah, in other news, Stamkos took a smaller deal to stay in Tampa Bay was the least surprising deal of the day.  Because of taxes, he'll probably make the same as if he took a bigger deal somewhere else but you've got to think that part of it really is that Stammer wants to finish business in Tampa and bring those fans a Cup.  Love that guy.

Yesterday, we lost another Legend, Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe.  He lived 88 years and did a lot of damage in that time.  Gordie was a beast of a player.  He could play the game any way you wanted to play it and still beat you.  Everyone else has listed off his amazing stats and achievements but to me that was all made possible by his ability to adapt.  He could do it all:  shoot, pass, defend, hit, fight, and lead.  Howe was ambidextrous, shooting from the left or right side.  Why put a curve on your stick when you can do that?  Goalies and defenders never knew what to think.  The Man played with no cartilage in his knees for 32 years!!!  

He was a warrior and a gentleman.  This Guy knew he was the best player and he still knew humility.  Wayne Gretzky grew up idolizing him and people say that the greatest thing Howe taught Gretzky during their relationship was humility.  Gretz himself, says that Howe is the greatest hockey player of all time.  How can you argue with they guy who most people believe to be the greatest?

Grit, determination and the will to win.  This is what I think of, when I think of Mr. Hockey.  To me, those three things are at the very heart of hockey, so it's not to far fetched to say that Howe is hockey, not just Mr. Hockey, but hockey itself.

Any way you call it, we're gonna miss you Gordie, rest easy.  Thanks for everything!

Sometimes it's hard watching the Finals when you don't have a horse in the race.  I'm not sure who to root for here.  As a Kings fan, I feel obligated to be anti-Guppies but then again, it'd be nice to see Jonesy win a Cup as a starter.  It's hard to cheer on the Penguins, since I'll have to listen to Pierre go on and on about how great Syd the Kid is, which he is, but dang dude, shut up already.

One thing is for sure, it's going to be a fast Final.  Hopefully, it gets physical and nasty, with the just the right amount of talent and animosity.  So, good luck to both teams and their fans!

Leave us a comment as to who you want to win and why.

The term 'living the dream' means a lot of different things in a lot of different circles.  In the hockey world, it means different things at different stages of your career.  When you're young, it means chasing that dream of making the N.H.L.  Oh, that's the ultimate dream; and you live it until you realize it's over.  Once it's over, 'Living the Dream' becomes the simple act of being able to continue playing at the highest level possible, whether that means playing the elite league at the local barn or playing the over 50 league on Wednesday night.  And part of living that dream is making enough money to be able to afford to keep playing.  Yeah, hockey is expensive.  'Living the Dream' continues on for the rest of your life, just being able to play the game you love with your brother's on ice.

'Living the Dream' also encompasses all the things you get to do as a hockey player and a fan.  There are moments throughout your life where you get to experience things that not everyone in your shoes will get to experience.  Sometimes, it might be getting to meet an idol, like Wayne Gretzky or Martin Brodeur.  It could be the time you were in the building when your team won Game 7  to win the Stanley Cup.  It could be that moment you walk into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and become overtaken with nostalgia.  It could be that moment when your best friend, you know the one that dangles you silly, gets drafted to the Show.  A lot of the time, it's getting to play with a former N.H.L. player.  Everyone returns to their old barn.  And most of us welcome them back home with trash talking and face washes.  Unless you don't know the guy; then you sit in silence and think about what this dude meant to you, your life.

For me, that day was today.
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