So every year (or every week sometimes) I inflict television horror upon J. Thank heaven we both enjoy this sport or the hours of Rangers game time would be as tortuous as my many hours of tennis viewing (cue Wimbledon). But keeping up tradition I do find hockey related programming that tests J's patience - such as the NHL awards and NHL draft ceremony. Admittedly the awards are a travesty of TV, mostly because they're produced, filmed and performed by Canadian television which resembles US public access in it's best moments. Versus had the good grace to air the awards ridiculously late so we could fast forward through them the next day for shots of a gloriously (read: too) tan Henrik (see photo). Alas he lost the Vezina to that bitchass Brodeur. Whatever.
Usually we follow up that snoozefest a few days later with the NHL draft, nearly as boring but chock full of barely legal hockey hotties. Our ritual is to pick out the most attractive draftee and root for the Rangers to nab him. It's usually a 3 hour borathon with little to no payoff. Not this year. Per tradition we selected our pick from the crowd. Very easy- it was clearly top European prospect Alexei Cherepanov, cocky, amused and sporting a modern version of Jagr's 1992 'do.
Turns out he's a scoring dynamo projected to be picked at least 5th in the draft. Aw well, maybe there's another one in the crowd. Turns out he's not picked 5th, 6th or 16th. He's picked 17th by the Glen Sather and the New York Rangers!!! There was tension, there was clapping, it was beautiful! The most fun draft we've had so far. Check Cherepanov hanging out with Russian mermaids at Coney Island.
I love this kid! Here's to the 08-09 season!
