The puck stops here.

I love hockey. No, wait. I *LOVE* hockey. I don't know how or why or when I started to love hockey. I just do. If any of you are in the immediate Chicagoland area, call me and I'll take you to a Hawks game. No, they may not be the best team in the league, but I guarantee you won't have a better time. No, I challenge you to have a better time.

There. I said it.

Hockey players are the hottest athletes in the world. Don't contest me on that. Every other athlete lacks that sheer ruggedness, that I will throw these gloves right off and beat the hell out of you, my slapshot is faster than your car, fuck all, I'm better than you, cockiness that hockey players possess.

Baseball, football, soccer...no one can touch my hockey haired honies.

Let's take a look.

Steve Yzerman



Ahh, the veteran. I would let Stevie Y do dental work on me. Not to mention he is an unfuckingbelievable hockey player. DETROIT whuuut.



Brendan Shanahan


Shanny. My second favorite player in the NHL. He's fucking good. He's Irish. He'll fight you. And then there's this: Participated in public service campaign for abused children and has worked with the Detroit Fire Department to ensure many lower income Detroit homes get proper smoke detectors installed....Brendan purchased many of those smoke detectors himself. I FUCKING LOVE YOU.

Mike Modano



Even when you frosted your tips, I still loved you. Note the devilish grin. YES.





Chris Chelios



Possesses all of that been hit in the face with an elbow, broken-nosed charm that you come to expect. Where have you been though, Cheli?



Teemu Selanne



Yeah, you're hot. Even though you're a Duck. And even though you don't have hockey hair anymore. But you were on the All Star team like 19 years in a row, so I'll give it you.



Martin LaPointe



God I love those French-Canadians. Marty LaPointe is and has been my favorite hockey player since my sister claimed Shanny as hers. Ok, to be fair, not all of the hottest NHL players are from Detroit. Although I'm biased as a lifelong Red Wings fan. I like that he's rough around the edges. He plays for Chicago now. Come on home, daddy!

Ok, I literally have to stop myself because I could list many, many more. I could go all day. Of the like, ten guys I’ve dated in this lifetime, half of them have been hockey players. Its no coincidence. Once hockey season starts, I always find myself wanting a nice, scarred up hockey player to love again.

Only 34 days until pre-season starts. I'm wrestling over ordering the 22-game partial season ticket plan or the 11-game plan. Neither of which I can afford, but I figure that'll work itself out later. Important. Hockey. Now.

Blackhawks games are a mess for me. I’m always the one on TV in my red Shanny jersey spilling beer on the people in front of me and writing obscene things on the glass with my lipgloss.

Which brings me to this moment. A lot of you are new readers or don’t know me that well, but allow me to geek out for a minute. Let’s talk about the day I MET MARTY LAPOINTE.

I nearly peed myself.

I unassumingly walked into the Corner Bakery in Hinsdale for lunch a couple months ago when I spotted this really hot guy from across the restaurant. Hmmm. Why do I feel like I know that guy? Did I give him my number at a bar? He's SO familiar.

Then the realization. Wait for it....wait for iiiiiiit.

I whisper-shouted to the girl I was with, "OH MY GOD THAT'S MARTY LAPOINTE."

She looked at me quizzically, "Who?"

Then we made eye contact. Oh dear god, I've loved this man for over ten years and now he is right in front of me in his camo cargos and rumpled grey NHLPA sweatshirt in all of his goateed hotness.

I was at a crossroads. What do I do? Do I risk missing this moment in time forever because my hands are shaking and all I want to do is pull him into the women's handicapped stall and maul him?

No. I'm going to be cool about this.

This man has no idea I have his photo on my fridge at home. He has no idea I've come to games bearing signs that read, "Marty LaPointe, put it in MY FIVE HOLE." He has no idea how I feel about hockey players in general.

It took all I had not to pull up this photo from my photo site on my Sidekick and prove my love to him. Seriously. I'm that big of a fan. Or that big of a dork. You decide.

So basically I decided that no matter what, he wasn't leaving the restaurant without talking to me. As he was walking toward the door, I sauntered up to him and casually said, "I am a huge fan of yours. All the way back to your Detroit days."

I totally blacked out after that so I have no recollection of what he responded with. All I know is that I touched his arm and he smiled and then I came to, hands shaking at my table.

"What just happened?" I asked my friend. "I cannot believe I just met Marty LaPointe."

*Cut to me frantically texting every hockey fan I knew including my sister, my brother, two of the said ex-boyfriends, a roommate, and finally my boss at my old job.*

Best. Day. Ever.

So from one puckbunnie to the next, I leave you with this:








God I love it when they fight.