Hockey players can toss pucks in the air with acrobatic precision.  But how many of them are handy with a computer?

Last night I surfed on to the Chicago Backhawks website to the blog of defenseman Todd Simpson.  His blog is full of humorous references about his teammates, jokes about his days in the NHL and what he enjoys the most about his road trips.  It's a quick light read into a life of a struggling team keeping it together with humor.

Simpson's Blog

PJ Stock, former minor league career player, also has a blog of his own and confides hockey rumors.  He blogs about his kids, cartoons such as Dora the Explorer and the new NHL.

Stock's Blog

Surf around and you will be amazed that many hockey player blogs are informative and who knows maybe they'll take over foxsports.com soon enough.

Before the NHL lockout and the new rules came along there was a place called Hockey Falls somewhere between the Dakotas and Canada where guys hung out with Phil Esposito, and Barry Melrose to watch hockey and drink Bud Light beer.  Those were the good ole' days when hockey guys sported ageless mullets and watched games on ESPN.  Doug "Dooger" Armstrong was the Blues Fan who worked at Falls Savings and Loan.  Ray Orr was the guy who would save the precious ice in a jar.  Matt Poleski was the Rangers fan and local pizza delivery man. Shotz was the Sabres fan turned Devils fan and then there was the mom who worked as a secretary and  loved goaltenders.

Whatever happened to Hockey Falls?  It seems that most of these ESPN inspired commercials are now history since the NHL television deal went awry with this network.  OLN, Comcast and Fox Sports don't care much for beer commercials.   Well into midseason, these networks are still learning how to white balance the camera to improve the picture quality and reduce the glare. 

Despite the increased number of hockey fans attending games with the new rules, I still wonder what would happen if the Hockey Falls guys came back.  The NHL would be a happier place.

Maybe Doug Weight would still be in St. Louis and not Carolina.

Last night,  I met a Stanley Cup of Bubble Hockey contender (2003) who personally knows the guys from Hockey Falls.  He told me that after he attended the Stanley Cup championship he hung out with the guys with the mullets.  He had a couple of beers with them, Bud Light, of course.  He even learned how to apply hair product like Barry Melrose.

I was envious.  But as the St. Louis Blues general manager said today of Doug Weight and his trade to Carolina,  "Better days lie ahead...  better hockey days."

Bring on the Hockey Falls.

For the past week, Rangers Jaromir Jagr coughed and wheezed during practice.  He has yet to take any over the counter medicine.  Linemate Marty Straka is waiting for Jaromir to get over his cold.  But Jagr insists that he will not take any medicine.  He doesn't want to test positive for the upcoming Olympic run.  

Two weeks ago, each NHL team had a run down of what substances are illegal.  Under the terms of the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement, players are subject to a minimum of two drug tests a year without warning. A first-time offender would receive a 20-game suspension. A 60-game suspension would be given to a repeat offender and  a permanent ban for a third offence.  The use of drug testing was delayed earlier this season because the NHL and NHLPA wanted each athlete and team medical personnel to be educated about substance abuse.  The Committee agreed on the performance enhancing substance list maintained by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for out-of-competition testing

Head coach Tom Renney opted to quarantine the superstar given the cold severity. 

Perhaps Jagr should have discussed the use of OTC medicine with his physician.  He should have asked him of the new World Antidoping Federation rules which do not mention cold medicine.  He is prohibited from using any anabolic steroid or enhancing hormones.  He cannot use any inhalers such as albuterol or salmeterol, commonly used in asthma.  He cannot use any diuretics sometimes used in treatment of congestive heart failure.  He is also prohibited from using oxygen for enhancement of play.  The Intenational Olympic Committes has made these rules available to athletes. 

Jagr only has a simple cold.  Pseudephedrine also known as Sudafed is not considered a prohibited substance according to the International Olympic Committee. 

If Jagr is unaware of the rules, what can we say of the rest of the athletes in the NHL or those attending the Olympics at Turin.

   The Edge Arena, Illinois

I should have read the sign ahead of me. "Beware of flying pucks!"

Attending hockey practice at The Edge at Bensenville can be a dangerous endeavor. Perhaps I should have packed a hockey helmet and borrowed goalie pads to fend off flying biscuits.

Sometime after the skating drills, a puck flew and tumbled in the air like a scene out of the Matrix.  I couldn't catch it.  I  never played softball and wouldn't know better.  It slammed and thumped loudly against the bleacher. Len Ziehn, staff reporter, from the Chicago Sun Times stood in shock.

Quickly my mind raced. Was anyone out there to kill me? Then again I was in Chicago, the bedlam for Al Capone. Could it be a plot against me? No, I couldn't fathom anyone on the team really wanting to get rid of me. I'm never around Chicago often enough to become a target.

It was now up to me to investigate who threw the flying puck. After practice, I found the forensic evidence lying on the floor. I picked it up with care. It was a wet, half chipped puck with a maple leaf and an inscription: "NHL, Made In Canada." It could have been anyone, but the chip on the puck was the important clue.

I've watched many a murder mystery to know that the evidence led to the type of weapon. I investigated the type of hockey sticks that could cause such a chip.

A blue Bauer stick - This type of stick is used by the Blackhawks power play coach, Butch Cassidy, and is old school in every way. He appeared distracted in the corner when the shooting occurred. Not a suspect since the Sundance Kid was not around.

A white CCM stick- Some veteran defensemen on the team love this stick. It has a graphite laminate and "Dura Core" technology. I would imagine that the "Dura Core" could have caused the inflicted chip without a break on the blade. This could have been the weapon except for the fact that the veteran defensemen were practicing the penalty kill with Denis Savard. Veterans were not suspects.

An acqua RBK stick- This fashionable stick is used by rookie players who want to be on trend like Sidney Crosby. It has a "Super Lite" aerospace grade graphite blade with a high-density foam core which moves at the balance point up the shaft for a supposedly perfectly balance. 

All the clues led to the new addition to the team, Danny Richmond. Richmond, a young defenseman who has roots in the area with Capone shot the puck using his stick of choice. He was recently traded from the Carolina Hurricanes for Anton Babchuck and I have yet to write a story about his hockey prowess.  Such a precision player with a quick shot could only gain my attention by shooting.  Like I said, I was busily talking to the Sun Times reporter when the crime occurred.

So if you travel to the Edge beware of flying pucks and quick shooting players!

Bob Errey, FSN Color Broadcast Analyst

As a girl reporter, I've made a rule to never go into a hockey dressing room.  I believe that I will never get a straight story from a half naked player.  He'll put up a poker face and my quotes will only turnout to be bottled up answers.  As a feature writer, you tend to avoid clich