America’s favorite “Idol” — OK, at least one of its two favorites — is moving to Canada.
Carrie Underwood is making the expected move north after marrying her beau Mike Fisher of the Ottawa Senators. According to Us Magazine, Mike and Carrie are building a dream home in Canada and a source tells them it should be done next month.
That’s all fine and good, but the last bit of the report was what struck me. Carrie officially changed her last name to Fisher after the wedding. Now, just stop for a moment and wonder whether you know any famous Carrie Fishers.
Axl Rose was nowhere to be found, and folks in Montreal found a reason to riot anyway.
Reports say 41 people were arrested in the revelry and debauchery that ensued after the Montreal Canadiens knocked off the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals and one step closer to the Stanley Cup.
Based on the video below, though, it looks like most of the Montreal faithful were simply out to celebrate a good time. Well, maybe except for the guy stripping on a street pole, but the cops took care of him.
Check it out and try to tune out the annoying music…
San Jose Shark Dan Boyle took a bite out of his own team’s playoff run on Sunday night when he scored the only goal of their game against the Colorado Avalanche in overtime.
Trouble was, the goal went into his own net.
The 33-year-old defenseman from Ottawa was on the wrong end of a total fluke when he tried to clear the puck behind the net and instead shot it past his own goalie Evgeni Nabokov, giving the Avs a 1-0 win less than a minute into overtime after neither team scored in 60 minutes of regulation.
Here’s the play, followed by Boyle’s own words after the game, in which he called it “pretty much the worst thing that can happen.”
Country star and “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood dropped just a touch of info about her upcoming wedding with Ottawa Senator Mike Fisher, giving a country radio station some scoop on the couple’s non-traditional approach to the wedding cake.
Check out the video below to find out what it’s all about:
A fun piece from the New York Times today looks at the interesting split between right-handed and left-handed shooters in hockey.
Canadians, it seems, tend to shoot left-handed with a split of as much as 70 to 30 percent. About 60 percent of American hockey players shoot right-handed, however, and this all comes despite the fact that there is little difference (outside of the world of hockey) between the percentage of people who are right- and left-handed in the two nations.
In Canada, the hierarchy of music could go something like this:
1. The Canadian National Anthem
2. “The Hockey Theme”
3. Anything by Rush
Two of those became one, in a way, on Thursday night with the debut of Rush drummer Neil Peart’s percussion-heavy version of “The Hockey Theme.” The one-minute tune premiered during the first intermission of Thursday night’s broadcast of the game between the Flyers and the Maple Leafs.
UPDATE: And now you can see it here:
Of course, the move comes with a touch of controversy. “The Hockey Theme” was — and to many Canadians always will be — the “Hockey Night in Canada” theme song on CBC. A couple of years ago, the CBC was unable to negotiate an extension for the rights to use the song and rival CTV snatched it up. “The Hockey Theme” now plays on TSN’s broadcasts of hockey games.
Still, Peart said it was an honor to give his take on a song known throughout the land.
“I gave a little speech in the studio before we started [recording] saying: ‘Every mother, father, grandfather, grandmother, child, moose and beaver will see and hear this,’ the St. Catherines, Ontario, native told Allan Maki of The Globe & Mail. “I’ll be very curious to know how Canadians respond to this.”
He took the job seriously, taking about 60 days to record the minute-long piece of music, and using a 17-piece orchestra behind him. Peart was filmed recording the song, playing on a custom drum kit by DW, that bore the logos of all 30 NHL teams. The drum kit will be displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Check out the video below for a quick take and some words from Peart about what it meant to do this job:
Maurizio Terrigno, the owner of an upscale Calgary restaurant who told a few news outlets that members of the Edmonton Oilers refused to pay their full bill of nearly $18,000 on New Year’s Eve, now says he’s reached an agreement with the team, according to the Edmonton Sun.
“I have come to an agreement with the Edmonton Oilers,” he told the Sun. “I am very ecstatic with the agreement.”
Allan Watt, a spokesman for the team, didn’t confirm or deny any agreement, but clearly wanted to move on from the entire ordeal.
“The Edmonton Oilers has nothing more to say about this issue,” he told the Sun just before the team’s game in San Jose, Calif., against the Sharks. “I have nothing more to say on this issue … we consider the incident done with we have nothing more to add.”
In case you missed it, the Order of Canada honorees were announced this week and Governor General Michaelle Jean included NHL legend Mario Lemieux of Montreal, film director Ivan Reitman of Toronto, and folk rocker Neil Young of Winnipeg among the 57 honorees for the year,
All three men were given the honor of Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honors which recognizes “a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to community and service to the nation.”
We here at Canadian of the Week figure if they’re good enough for the Governor General, they’re good enough for us, and we’re therefore proud to bestow the additional honor of Canadian of the Week on all three of them.
Here are their citations from Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean:
Mario Lemieux For his contributions as one of hockey’s most gifted players, as an inspirational role model and mentor, and for supporting charitable initiatives through the Mario Lemieux Foundation.
Ivan Reitman For his contributions as a director and producer, and for his promotion of the Canadian film and television industries.
Neil Young For his contributions as one of Canada’s greatest musical talents whose unique voice and iconic songs have influenced generations of musicians, and for his support of educational and charitable organizations.
The Flames-Oilers rivalry is reaching a whole new level.
A Calgary restaurant owner is calling unsportsmanlike conduct on some Edmonton Oilers players he says skipped out on part of a huge New Year’s Eve bill, following the team’s 2-1 loss to the hometown Flames.
TSN.ca reports that Osteria De Medici owner Maurizio Terrigno says the players partied in a group that included 45 people, and the drinks were flowing to the tune of $8,200, and the total bill came to nearly $17,000.
The restaurant owner says the players demanded a discount when they got the bill, and eventually left $12,000 before leaving.
He’s decided to donate the the money he did get to an earthquake relief fund for people in L’Aquila, Italy.
Oilers spokesman Allan Watt told TSN.ca the restaurant was recommended by some Calgary friends of the players and they had a prearranged meal and menu.
“They received the bill which they felt was outrageous,” said Watt.
“They inquired about it and they were unhappy about it and were unhappy with some of the charges. The restaurant adjusted it by $7,000.”
Watt said the players paid the adjusted bill and added a $1,900 tip and left the restaurant.
Los Angeles-based Canadian writer Linda Massarella posted a list of the 10 most influential Canadians in the United States in 2009, and Canadian of the Week fully endorses it.
Massarella kept her list to what she called “those who are most boldly Canadian, who exude Canadian-ness in their speech and actions, who when interviewed say, ‘I’m from Canada,’ and give as much time to their homeland as to their adopted town.”
Coming in first was Luc Robitaille, the former left winger-turned team president of the Los Angeles Kings. As an L.A. native now living on the east cosat, and former Kings’ season ticket holder, I love this choice. I just worry that it’s a little too insider-y, but big points for sticking to the national sport and honoring a man who has made hockey successful in L.A. for nearly three decades.
Also making the list were recent Canadian of the Week picks James Cameron and William Shatner.
America’s favorite “Idol” — OK, at least one of its two favorites — is moving to Canada.
In case you missed it, the Order of Canada honorees were announced this week and Governor General Michaelle Jean included NHL legend Mario Lemieux of Montreal, film director Ivan Reitman of Toronto, and folk rocker Neil Young of Winnipeg among the 57 honorees for the year,
The Flames-Oilers rivalry is reaching a whole new level.
