Local Dirtbag (russian Edition) Beyond Our Ice S5e6: The Final Push

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Corey Perry blocking Brock Boeser - Vancouver Canucks at. Edmonton Oilers 05/14/24/

it's beautiful. i've looked at this for 5 hours now.

new fevers

connor dewar/brandon duhaime | e, 39k

Once is a fluke, twice is a mistake. Three times is a pattern. Four is damning.

Dudes, just kiss already

well. can I offer you some somnophilia and cockwarming during these trying, one-point times?

Sid felt instinctively that they couldn't lose this game and win the series. Coming back down from three hadn't happened since the Red Wings did it in 1945. But there was no more time to review tape or practice or make new plays.  There was only time for faith. “Geno,” Sid barked, and the room quieted down a little, attention swiveling towards them.

hey remember when the vibes were so off in plymouth that quentin musty called his dad to come pick him up?? idk what could have possibly tipped him off tbh...

was it greg cronin's underage street fighting classes? is it the fact that your parents have to sign over legal guardianship and power of attorney to billet parents? the same billets who receive monthly checks from USA Hockey and therefore have it in their best interest to keep receiving those checks?

was it when they forced 15- and 16-year-olds to dress and undress in the public hallways of the USA Hockey Arena for a month until they "earned" the right to privacy? you know, those hallways that have security cameras up in the corners? but don't worry about that. the NTDP staff has plenty of experience of storing, editing, and streaming hours and hours of footage of their boys!

not that the kids have anyone to complain to, really! after all, after the Jack Hughes class the NTDP switched to 100% online school instead of regular high schools like Plymouth High or Northville High where there are, oh I don't know, mandated reporters who aren't also paid by USA Hockey, or god forbid other kids they might befriend outside of the hockey bubble.

what could possibly go wrong or unreported in a system like that? ha ha! surely not USA Hockey, who hired Brad Aldrich AFTER his sexual abuse scandal with the Blackhawks! surely not NTDP, which emphasizes "breaking down the individuality" for the incoming 15-year-olds!

(not my own words, of course. words from beloved NTDP founding member and pillar Kirk Culik, the man responsible for team and culture building, player mentoring, and off-ice conditioning for 20+ years, whose only qualifications pre-NTDP seem to be boxing coach/thoroughbred horse trainer/corrections officer, and who was later charged of murdering a 16-year-old boy)

again. i don't know what musty was possibly talking about. this is a totally normal place to make teenagers change

i am in absolute shambles.

With everything that's been going on lately, here's a short non-comprehensive accumulation of things that could be called progress regarding relations between men's hockey and being queer:

The 🇦🇺 AIHL's Melbourne Mustangs, advocating for trans rights in sports since 2017, and the same team in 2023, donning pride jerseys designed by former goalie (and twin sister of Ty) Tia Wishart who is part of the LGBTQ community.

Jase Polglase of the AIHL's Central Coast Rhinos who puts pride tape on his stick every single game.

Robert Dowd and Marc-Olivier Vallerand having a dance after a win with the Sheffield Steelers.

Starting off with individual efforts, the 🇬🇧 EIHL has since extended their pride event to the duration of a full weekend following a conjoint initiative by the teams' fanbases in 2019.

Zach Sullivan, one of the few out queer athletes in the sport, felt supported enough by his team to come out as bisexual ahead of the Manchester Storm's pride game in 2020.

Danish goalie Jon Lee-Olsen came out as gay a year prior and was reportedly supported by his teammates.

The 🇸🇪 SHL lead the way, awarding the cause a full week since 2019 with elaborate campaigns and getting refs as well as coaches involved. It's a colorful sight.

While Pride Games are at present not an official part of the schedule, several 🇩🇪 DEL teams are joining in. Augsburg and Köln do their part, Berlin has one of the dedicated queer fanclubs and visibly stands against homophobia since at least 2016.

As of 2022 the entire league, as well as a growing number of clubs in the tiers below, cooperate with Hockey is Diversity e.V.. So does the Para Ice Hockey National Team, including Jörg Wedde, who also keeps pride tape on his equipment.

🇫🇮 Liiga's TPS added these stunning jerseys to the mix.

While all the aforementioned teams already wear the jerseys for at least one full game, IF Kiruna of the Swedish 3rd league stepped it up several notches. In 2014 they've decided to wear rainbow jerseys for a full season in support of the LGBTQ community. Since then they've made the rainbow a permanent fixture in their logo and club identity.

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Plenty of clubs out there hosting events where queer people are given a platform and shown support in a multitude of ways that aren't merely empty words.

And even if it's not part of general discussions within a league, you've got voices who are willing to speak up.