Shot over 15 days, this documentary/short film captures the up and down roller coaster ride the of Ilya Kovalchuk saga with the Los Angeles Kings.

Visit us online at http://kingscast.net and join the discussion!

The 2010 NHL Entry Draft took place at Staples Center and the Los Angeles Kings traded up to grab 6'5" defenseman Derek Forbort. In this show, Keith and Chris talk about the draft experience, upcoming free agency and interviewed a few Michal Jackson fans about hockey. Your thoughts about the draft?

The Stanley Cup is always accompanied by a handler, one of several who rotate, and is supplied by the Hockey Hall of Fame. On the surface, being 'keeper of the Cup' is the greatest job in the world, but underneath that shiny veneer, it truly is one of the great unheralded jobs -- too many nights with no sleep, too many meals eaten on the fly racing through the airport to make a connecting flight, and extended travel that takes the keeper away from family and friends over long periods of time. Yet, there's not a hockey fan we've met yet who wouldn't trade his or her soul for the chance to accompany the greatest trophy in sport — the Stanley Cup.

Mike Bolt spends almost as much time with the Stanley Cup as the NHL's championship team. Crisscrossing the continent, Mike ensures that the rights and privileges that accompany winners of the Stanley Cup are both enjoyed and upheld, doing so in a firm yet most entertaining way. Loved by both players and management, Bolt is a hockey fan first and foremost, but treats his job with the seriousness it demands. Even NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman once took him aside and said, "You've got an awesome job."

Born and raised in Toronto, Mike dreamed of one day hoisting the Stanley Cup just like every other hockey-playing youngster. After all, the Leaside area in which he grew up was rich in hockey heritage -- former Maple Leafs George Armstrong, Carl Brewer, Bob Davidson and Cal Gardner all called the area home. But life took a different turn early on, as Mike's career saw him managing a cowboy boot and western wear store. It wasn't until 1995, when he joined the Hockey Hall of Fame working on special events and as a guest services associate, that the path veered back towards hockey. Mike's first foray with the Stanley Cup was a quick jaunt down the street from the Hockey Hall of Fame to the studios of the CBC, Canada's public broadcaster, in 1997.

The Stanley Cup will be in attendance this evening for Game 6 between the Flyers and Blackhawks at Wachovia Center .  If you were going to place a bet at an online sportsbook, who do you think leaves with the cup?  Will it be the Blackhawks captain, Jonathan Toews or Mike Bolt, the "keeper of the cup"? 

As the custodian who accompanies the Stanley Cup, I would say Mike Bolt has an amazing job watching the players live a childhood dream, raising the Stanley Cup.

The Stanley Cup

It's the most recognized and oldest trophy in all four major sports, but it's not so much the trophy, but what is done with it.

Evolution of the Stanley Cup Slideshow

         

Click here to download:

top-10-stanley-cup-did-you-knows-GfAfrducquhaoglkmHdi.zip (264 KB)

Did you know?

1. There is a tradition that no player will touch the trophy until they have rightfully won it. To do so would be a curse on that player and their team. That extends to the conference trophies, the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and the Prince of Wales Trophy. Very few players will lift those trophies when they are won. That is not the prize that they seek.
2. In 1896, the Winnipeg Victorias began the tradition to drink champagne from the trophy.
3. In 1950, after the Red Wings won the Cup, captain Ted Lindsay was handed the trophy. he lifted it above his head and began skating around the ice with it, beginning a new tradition.
4. Captains now are always handed the trophy first, and since Ted Lindsay, every captain hoists the heavy Stanley Cup above their heads and take a lap around the ice before handing it to another player of the captain's choosing, so that they may do the same.
5. Since 1995 when a team wins the cup, each player from that team is given a day with the Stanley Cup to take it wherever they wish. In 2008 after Detroit won, Dan Cleary became the first player from Newfoundland to win the trophy. He naturally took the Stanley Cup to his remote town of 600 and became a legend in his hometown.
   
6. Some winners of the Stanley Cup have baptized their children in it. Clark Gillies allowed his dogs to eat out of it. Ken Daneyko ate cereal out of it, while Darien Hatcher used it as a beer cooler at a party.
7. The Cup has also seen plenty of abuse over the years. In 1905, an Ottawa Senators player tried to drop-kick the trophy across the Rideau Canal. He missed, and the Cup couldn't be retrieved until the next day.
8. In 1924 the Stanley Cup was abandoned on the road by the Montreal Canadiens. It was found in the basement of Lester Patrick who coached the Victoria Cougars. His sons had scratched their names into the trophy with a nail and urinated on it.
9. In 1940, Patrick's sons names were properly engraved as they won the trophy as members of the New York Rangers.
10. In 1961, the Montreal Canadiens were losing the final game of a playoff series to the Chicago Blackhawks when a crazed Montreal fan broke into the case holding the trophy and tried to run out of the building with it before he was arrested.  He told the judge that he was only taking the Cup back to Montreal where it rightfully belonged. Chicago has not won the cup since that year.  Will the curse be broken?

The stories and lore surrounding the Stanley Cup are endless.  Do you have any Stanley Cup stories to share?  If so please share in the comments.

Also, in case you missed it, Adrian and I are talking Happy Lappy, Hossa and the Trophy Jinx on THZTV.

Posted by @cnadeau

In the final installment of the Los Angeles Kings Post-Season roundtable, the group discusses the needs of the Kings next season, the Free Agents available and the future of Brayden Schenn. What do you think the Kings need to make that next step?

The Los Angeles Kings Post-Season Roundtable discussion continues with Part 3. In this installment, the group breaks down the pros and cons of acquiring the Russian star forward Ilya Kovalchuk with some interesting arguments from both sides. Should the Kings go after Kovalchuk?

The word "fan" may be synonymous with the word "fanatic", and trust me there are often times when hockey fans may seem fanatical (see photo gallery below).  Fans have the ability to take the excitement that comes from a game that is being played, to the next level. There is a certain level of excitement that is increased, perhaps even a certain high that comes with being a hockey fan - even for non-fans who are around the fans at a game.

There are many, many ways that fans show their support for the team that is playing. Some fans choose to wear a jersey from their team; others choose to paint their face, even their body with the team logo to outwardly demonstrate the support that is being shown to the team that is playing. Other fans demonstrate their support quietly, through cheers with the crowd at the game. Some fans even turn their house into a shrine!

                   

Click here to download:

are-you-fan-atical-about-your-favourite-hockey-team-zuftyhHssuercmtqxlIs.zip (1250 KB)

Hockey fans are an integral part of the game and contribute to the morale of many, many players that are playing in the game. There have been multiple players that have counted the fans as the reason for playing, as well as the incentive to play well, because let's face it, the reaction of the fans can do a lot for ones ego.

Above everything else, hockey fans are driven by devotion to their teams. Hockey gives us an opportunity to talk and socialize with family and friends and strong feelings of nostalgia associated with either the history of the sport or fans having played the sport in the past are key motivating factors. "Love of the game" has also emerged as a key factor, meaning many fans enjoy the competition and excitement associated with the sport regardless of the teams playing or the outcome of the game.

Whether it is football, baseball, soccer,hockey or any other sport, these fanatics enjoy watching games and keeping track of their favorite teams.  Sports fans are usually devoted to their teams, and the loyalty they have to that team is nearly indestructible.

If you are as fanatical as the Habs fan above, please send us your photos and we will share them with the post.  Send all photos to post@thehipcheck.posteorus.com  Lets see who the biggest fan really is!

The Los Angeles Kings Post-Season Roundtable continues with the media that covers the Kings on a regular basis. In this segment we talk about the progress and future of Kings defenseman Jack Johnson as well as Alexander Frolov’s status with the team and contract situation for next year. Should the LA Kings re-sign Frolov?

Now that the LA Kings season has concluded, it was time to sum up the season and talk about the future.  That's why we assembled some of the brightest minds in local media to talk Kings hockey.  In this segment we talk about the coaching, line combinations, staying on message and Drew Doughty.  Stay tuned for much, much more!

All good things must come to an end. The Los Angeles Kings season came to a screeching halt on Sunday night to the 3rd seeded Vancouver Canucks. KingsCast breaks down the pivotal 6th game, says goodbye to Staples and closes out the Kings playoff run.

Visit us online at http://kingscast.net and join the discussion!