By Dave Cunning

Cunning Comments: Budweiser Commercial, Pancakes with Penner, Hockey Day In Canada World Record & NHL Power Rankings

 

A couple of interesting press releases from the hockey world were sent my way recently. I thought you might like to read them too.

Did you see Budweiser’s Superbowl ad during the big game?

Just a few weeks ago, Budweiser made the dreams of two unsuspecting beer league hockey teams come true by giving them the thrill of playing just like professionals, and turned the childhood dreams of 30 men into full blown reality. 

On December 21st 2011, Les Amigos and The Toronto Generals were ready to play their weekly hockey game when Budweiser transformed a regularly scheduled match into an epic high-energy spectacle complete with screaming fans, play-by-play announcers, and even a Budweiser-branded Zamboni!  

The catch? This epic moment was captured on film and will be featured as Budweiser’s Canadian Super Bowl XLVI commercial .

The extended version commercial: http://bit.ly/AapQZv

The “Making Of” video: http://bit.ly/wWlrOQ

Speaking of the Superbowl, GQ magazine recently voted the Vince Lombardi Trophy as only the fifth best championship hardware. That’s four spots behind their number one pick – The Stanley Cup. 

Lord Stanley’s chalice finished ahead of the PGA’s Green Jacket, the Olympic Gold Medal, FIFA’s World Cup Trophy, MLB’s weird ballpark replica trophy with all the flags in it, and others. I can’t say I disagree with their assessment. 

Check out GQ’s list here: http://tinyurl.com/82l3lba

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LA Kings’ often criticized forward Dustin Penner is doing his best to turn a negative into a positive.

On the heels of his well-publicized “Pancakegate” incident, Los Angeles King Dustin Penner is inviting his fans to join him for an IHOP® pancake breakfast benefitting the Kings Care Foundation -- a non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational and recreational opportunities for youth throughout Greater Los Angeles.  Since its inception in 1996 the Kings Care Foundation has donated more than $5 million in monetary and in-kind support to the local community. 

“Pancakes with Penner” will give 75 lucky fans and a guest the opportunity to join him for a buffet breakfast complete with pancakes, bacon and eggs, and a glass of orange juice or IHOP’s Never Empty Coffee Pot® at the Westchester IHOP, located at 8600 S. Sepulveda Boulevard in Los Angeles, on February 13, 2012 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m.  

Kings’ left wing Penner was hit with back spasms as he sat down to enjoy a pancake breakfast at home in early January.  The incident was widely publicized and as a result, IHOP stepped up and agreed to host “Pancakes with Penner,” benefitting the Kings Care Foundation. 

Fans can purchase different levels of opportunity prize packs with the chance to have “Pancakes with Penner” at lakings.com/pancakes.  A $10 package includes a Dustin Penner signed player card and one chance to win tickets to the pancake breakfast; a $25 package includes a Dustin Penner signed player card, two pairs of LA Kings eye black and three chances to win tickets to the pancake breakfast for $25; and a $50 package includes a Dustin Penner signed player card, two pairs of LA Kings eye black, a Hockey Fights Cancer LA Kings hockey glove key chain and seven chances to win tickets to the pancake breakfast.  All proceeds will benefit the Kings Care Foundation, which provides educational and recreational opportunities to kids throughout the Los Angeles area.

For more information, complete rules and to purchase a chance to have “Pancakes with Penner,” please visit lakings.com/pancakes.  

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There’s going to be an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the Longest Breakaway Goal to be Attempted on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa during this year’s Hockey Day in Canada.

To celebrate Hockey Day in Canada on February 11, 2012, a Guinness World Record Attempt at the Longest Hockey Breakaway will be made on the Rideau Canal, during the Beaver Cup “4 on 4” Pond Hockey Festival at Winterlude in Ottawa.   

The “GOAL” is to have each of the six participating skaters skate in a relay format with a puck and stick 7km from one end of the Rideau Canal to the other as fast as possible to shoot on a “Patiently Waiting” Goalie with the hopes of scoring the Big Goal. No word on what happens if the goalie makes a huge pad-stack save and shuts the door on the attempt. 

The event will also include the Media & Celebrity Hockey Pondarama. This year’s event will include Senator Alumnus, Shaun Van Allen, CTV Ottawa Morning, Kurt Stoodley, Majic 100 and Ottawa Senators Game Announcer, Stuntman Stu, TSN’s Brent Wallace and James Cybulski, SirrusXM’s NHL Home Ice cohost, Mike Ross and many more.

For more info, visit www.beavercuppondhockey.ca

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Ever wonder who the NHL’s most powerful players are? Yeah, me neither. But recently, there was a list made.

Bloomberg/Businessweek released their 2012 Power 100 rankings of the most powerful professional athletes in the U.S. Their Analytics team evaluated more than 3,000 athletes across a variety of sports, with 50 percent of their score being based on "off-field" measurements and 50 percent on "on-field" performance. 3 NHL players made the grade:

 

Rank    Athlete               Sport       Pro Team / Hometown

69        Toews,  Jonathan  Hockey     Chicago Blackhawks

76        Sedin,  Daniel       Hockey     Vancouver Canucks

86        Thomas, Tim        Hockey     Boston Bruins

 

Somehow the quietest and most uninteresting player (Toews), only one of a set of twins who do everything the same (Sedin), and a goalie who snubbed the President of the United States (Thomas)  have been considered powerful for one reason or another.  You can peruse their list here: http://bloom.bg/zxhJ06 

Read Dave’s blog at http://davecunning.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter @davecunning

 

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