Posted on October 8, 2011 by
Jason Bobbitt Well the 2011 hockey season is here and its time for my predictions. Didn’t do so great last year but ill do much better this year as I read a hockey pool book and everyone knows you can’t go wrong with those.
First of all i want to say Sidney Crosby will be back By end of October. But i am very scared that he will be out again within a month.
Top point getter and Art Ross winner this year will once again be D Sedin. Guys to watch for this year Kopitar, Getzlaf and Mr consistent M Koivu.
Hart trophy most valuable player has to go to Steve Stamkos this guy should hit the 60 goal mark this year.
Vezina Trophy winner is a hard one. Luongo needs to win this to get the fans and players back on his side but i think the 3 top goalies will be Luongo, Fleury, and Miller with Miller being the winner.
Top defencemen my top 3 guys are good friend Shea Weber, Nik Lidstrom and fellow Canuck C. Ehrhoff who i think will have a great year. But Shea is the winner leading his team in scoring with 68 points.
So for top goal scores i would go with Stamkos 61, Ovechkin 50 Iginla 45, Corey Perry 43.
Now best team in the league wow this is hard. Canucks should be on top again this year with great years by Philly, Pittsburgh, Detroit and the two teams to look out for Buffalo and LA.
Players to grab this year in a hockey pool that i think will have crazy exciting years Mike Richards even though is screwed me in a signing he should be a stand out in LA. D Brassard if he can stay healthy this kid rocks. M Koivu he will be feeding Heatley this year and expect great Kings. Also thinking some old guy Jagr and Selanne will both break the 60 point mark again.
Rookie of the year Larson from the New Jersey Devils kid looks great. RNH will be sent back to the WHL this year.
Well that’s my picks. I have not won a pool in a while but i think i know some stuff. Enjoy the season.
~ Jason Bobbitt
.
Posted on April 10, 2011 by
Jason Bobbitt So I turn the news on today to see what is going on in the world, how our troops are doing in the war in Libya , how Japan is doing with the total collapse of parts of their country and the nuclear devastation that could be felt around the world for years to come, but instead the news leads with… “BARRY BONDS, guilty or not guilty of perjury?”. Wow, seriously, so this is the most important story on the news today? For starters, do we even care? The man has already been brought down to the lowest level possible and now his sexual prowess and fatherhood are being examined?
The fact of the matter is, if Barry Bonds did take steroids (believe me I don’t think there is much doubt), it was not even an illegal substance when he played. This may be of interest to some sports people but certainly not worthy of headline news.
It blows me away to see congress wasting money on this -but wait, it’s not over, Roger Clemens is next on the hit list. Roger is on deck awaiting his perjury charges. With all the players that have come out and admitted to use (A-Rod being the most noteworthy), one would think Barry and Roger would just do the same. Heck, Barry, you could still be on the field making 25 million a year.
Ten years from now this will be a Pete Rose story. Does baseball need the government to police the sport? In my opinion, not a chance. I believe the money should be used to keep our troops safe. Unfortunately here are some real numbers on the war in Afghanistan; United States military casualties 1,525, Canada 155. Further to this, 1,487 contractors have died and 348 journalist have lost their lives in Afghanistan. I grew up in a military family therefore I find these numbers very disturbing and I bet 1% of the people reading this are unaware of those numbers however 99% are probably aware of the Barry Bonds perjury case. Come on media let’s do a better job and show the truth and support for our military. God bless you all.
Posted on March 17, 2011 by
Jason Bobbitt Once again the NHL makes the news for the wrong reasons. Heads shots are being looked at both by the NHL and now the police are involved by looking at the recent hit made by Zedno Chara. In my opinion it is impossible to take the head shots out of the game. The player’s equipment is much harder and the players themselves are faster and bigger. It’s going to happen and the players should know that, it’s the job they chose to do.
Now for the police to get involved because it’s a violent job, well, once again the players know it. Are the police going to investigate the deadliest catch as well, one of the most dangerous job in the world? I agree that penalties for blatant hits should be penalized and dealt with harsh but until the players decide to change it, that’s the only way it will get done.
Owners, coaches and fans demand physical play and nothing will change that. I would like to see people that are not in the game keep there opinions to themselves and let the player’s owners decide how the game is played. Air Canada threatens to take away their sponsorship of NHL teams. Seriously, you should work on the prices of extra luggage and air fare and take a look at that menu on your flights.
There would be hundreds of companies stepping up to take that sponsorship. In closing this is hockey, a rough and tough sport, the police need to stay out and the players need to step up as they are the only ones that can change it.
Posted on October 6, 2010 by
Jason Bobbitt Well, another hockey season has started and everyone is excited for a new year. I’ll start my year off with some crazy predictions. I’m sure not an expert in scouting and I don’t believe I’ve ever won one a hockey pool so be careful if using my picks! LOL!
Stanley Cup Champions: With today’s NHL, the champs are the toughest in the world to predict. I’m going to go with the Vancouver Canucks vs the New Jersey Devils. Having said that…keep an eye out this year for Tampa Bay Lighting – I think they could be the comeback team of the year.
Scoring Race – I pick a Sedin to win. (Either one of the brothers but seriously, Henrik will pull it out with 107 points.) Ovechkin gets the Rocket Richard trophy with 60 goals followed by Kovalchuk who breaks 50 this year.
Norris Trophy goes to Mike Green who finally gets his dues for what he does. Always a top player and he led the league for defenseman last year in points. Look for a great year from Shea Weber as well.
The Hart Trophy will be awarded to Ovechkin, with Crosby and Henrik Sedin as finalists.
For the Vezina I wonder if it could finally be Roberto Luongo. I think so. The team is built for him and it should be a great season for Roberto. I expect a great year from Kipper as well.
Rookie of the Year… I truly love and think Taylor Hall will be one of the best and greatest players in the NHL in a few years but I think that Magnus Paajarvi will be crowned rookie of the year this year. He has played the last couple of years with men and he will be something to watch.
***
Turning the page – a few weeks ago one of my long-time dreams came true. I got to spend the day with the great number 4, Bobby Orr. We arranged a signing with Mr. Orr in Toronto; I didn’t sleep for days because I was so excited. The morning finally came and we prepared over 300 great items to have signed. As we finished up Mr. Orr presented himself with a big, “Good morning!” with a strong hand shake. I reminded myself in that instant what an honor it really was to be in this room with him. We talked for a few hours while he was signing. I was excited that he was asking ME what color pen to use and where on the item should he sign. I asked him if number 4 was a number he liked growing up and if it meant anything. He simply said that back in those days you were given a number and you took it. You played for the crest on the front not the name and number on back. He joked about how younger players’ autographs today are sloppy as he took pride in making every autograph look amazing! He laughed as I jokingly mentioned that I was going to take my personal jersey he signed to a dance club as it was never leaving my hands. Ahhhh…..Dreams do come true.
Posted on September 9, 2010 by
Jason Bobbitt My Daughter and I were very lucky to be 2 of 6 people allowed behind the scenes to watch the Upper Deck photo shoot in Toronto on September 1st. After a good sleep on Monday evening in Toronto we enjoyed some down time at the Toronto Zoo with Jamie, a good friend and business associate. It was hot as heck with the temperature soaring to 41 with the humidity! Even some of the animals had to go inside to escape the smoldering heat. Seriously? Don’t lions come from Africa? I guess they have become as climatized as I have become in Kelowna! We then visited with Andrew and the gang at AJ’s and took part in a signing with P.K. Subban. What a great guy! I told him I had seen him play in the playoffs in Abbotsford; he laughed and mentioned that he left scared after coach Playfair from Abbotsford went crazy on the bench.
The next morning was the big day. We got to the arena early to get our credentials. We met the other 4 people attending and were escorted upstairs to see a behind-the- scenes making of Upper Deck hockey cards. They showed us the stickers that they have players sign to put on their cards at a later date. They had a large selection of sticks, helmets, jerseys, etc. that the players would proceed to sign by the end of the day totally over 1200 autographs! I got a list of players attending this event that showed not only rookies drafted this year but others as well (much to our surprise and delight)! Jordan Eberle (Canada`s World Junior stud and one of my faves), Kyle Beach (friend and 11th overall pick) and Chet Pickard (one of my daughters favorite players who she met a few times watching him play vs. Kelowna.) were all on hand for us to meet!
Next, it was off to ice level; we had complete access to everything, photo shoots on and off ice. We could watch the skits that all players had to go through and trust me they are very funny and you will be able to view on You Tube in the near future. My daughter got to do one with Tyler Seguin. We talked to most players but enjoyed longer times with some like Taylor Hall, Zack Hamill and Tyler Seguin who gave Brianna his stick he used all day (which leaves her mom wondering where amongst all her things in her room will she be putting this new addition to her ever-growing collection!) We then got invited to the Hockey Hall of Fame but this H.O.F. is where the goods that didn’t fit in the down town H.O.F. are kept. I grabbed Pickard and Beach`s Dad and went for the tour. Wow! It was amazing! The goods that are there are crazy – old hockey cards, magazines, 1/1 art pieces, jerseys and much, much more. We then had dinner with a couple players, got some autographs and watched a great exhibition game.
Upper Deck and the NHLPA put on an amazing event, one my daughter and I will never forget. Check out my photo gallery to see other great photos. It was great to interact with the young players and see how they treated Brianna as a 9 year-old. They kept calling her Crosby (as she was wearing his jersey) and asking her for treats and drinks. All were outstanding. Tyler Seguin won me over as he was one of the greatest. Also, Hamill, Pickard, and Hall are all guys we were proud to meet. I will be staying tuned to those we met over the next few years; hopefully, life in the NHL will bring them many great things and they remain as grounded as they all seemed during our visit!
Posted on July 29, 2010 by
Jason Bobbitt I’d love to fill you in on this past week at WCA. Summer can be a bit slower as far as events go with a few golf tournaments and some baseball events but we keep busy with online orders and preparing for the busier season of hockey. 
So I am sitting in my office chair and I have someone tell me that we have a visitor here to sign some jerseys for the Rocket Alumni weekend. I was thrilled to see Minnesota Wild, Chuck Kobasew, dropped in to sign items knowing that there was a possibility that he couldn’t make the event as he was expecting his second child. Truly a great guy – thanks Chuck. A few days later NHL rookie of the year, Tyler Myers, dropped in to sign a few items. He’s still a bit shy but tall as heck! It was great to see him again and catch up. UFC up and comer from Kelowna, Rory MacDonald also recently stopped by for his first-ever signing. It’s been only about a month after his fight in Vancouver but he looked much better. He is getting ready to move to Montreal to train with G.S.P. With his glasses on he looked more like a school teacher and not someone that can tie you up in a knot in 5 seconds! I wouldn’t challenge that theory though!
Thursday was a busy day for WCA. We had an event in Toronto for the Playboy Golf Tournament. While it was HOT in Toronto 
, the rain came down on participants at the Harvest Golf Club for Kelowna Rockets Alumni Golf Tournament. Both events rocked and the weather didn’t appear to affect any spirits! We are still discussing which event was more fun!
I personally attended the Rockets Alumni Tournament…lots of funds were raised for Kelowna General Hospital! After only ten minutes there I bumped into Olympic Gold Medalist, Duncan Keith fresh off his Stanley Cup winning team and Norris Trophy season. Also enjoyed meeting up with Shea Weber again! 
My golf game was entertaining as usual (LOL) but the dinner and live auction proved to be even more so! It was great to see the players give back.
Many players including Weber, Keith, Myers, Gorges, Hannan, Schenn, Comeau and sponsors alike dug into their pockets to help the KGH Foundation. It’s a great breed that come from this Kelowna team – the Hamilton’s have a lot to be proud of as the players are very giving and great with fans alike. Congrats to Bruce Hamilton on being selected to the BC Hockey Hall of Fame as well as Trevor Linden. I would like to thank all the players and athletes that made this week a special one.
