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If you are an ardent swimmer but don’t want to go to the local swimming pool, you always have the option of getting a personal pool at home. But a swimming pool requires big space, money and maintenance effort. A great and viable alternative to a swimming pool is a swim spa. This innovative product combines the benefits of a swimming pool, Jacuzzi and a hot tub. Swim spas let you workout your entire body and also enjoy soothing water massages that relax both your body and mind.

 

Features and Benefits of a Swim Spa

There are six jets in a normal swim spa, which make sure that there is a continuous flow of water. The internally fitted turbines produce counter currents, an effect that gives you a feel similar to swimming in the ocean. This is like performing water aerobics which is an invigorating form of exercise.

 

The temperature control facility can heat the water to the desired temperature, allowing you to use the swim spa all round the year. The hot water is also therapeutic as the warm water along with the gentle jets of water has a massaging effect on stressed muscles. Hot water therapy is advantageous for the skin as well. It helps open pores on the skin, releasing harmful toxins from the body.

 

This hot water massage also helps in increasing your metabolism rate by improving blood circulation. If you have a swim spa at home then going to a day spa on a regular basis will no longer be necessary. By a one time investment in a swim spa, you can save a lot more by avoiding those regular trips to the spa.

 

Installation and Maintenance

Swim spas are ready made and come in various sizes and shapes. Another benefit is that it can be placed anywhere – at ground level, or fully or partially under ground. It can even be placed indoors or on the roof, based on your preference. The ease of installation also makes it a popular choice among homeowners.

 

The swim spa comes with a shell and liners that can be bolted together. Once the shell is installed, the liner can be fixed. After that, the necessary plumbing can be done and your spa would be ready to use.

 

Advantages of a Swim Spa over a Swimming Pool

 

The swim spa acts as a swimming pool as well as a hot tub. The cost of setting up and maintaining a swim spa is less than installing a proper pool. Most swim spas come with temperature control and you can use the spa through out the year. But in case of swimming pools, heating system has to be externally provided and it is much more costly to operate than the system in a swim spa.

 

The swim spa comes fitted with a more effective filter system that reduces manual effort of constantly maintaining the pH of the water, unlike in case of normal pools. Some models also have an inbuilt ozone generator that produces ozone to purify water.

 

With so many features and advantages to its credit, swim spas are becoming more and more popular. They are the perfect solution for working out and are also effective as a recreational measure.

Baseball gloves were not used in the early days. Catchers used to play using bare hands. But the era of the bare handed players are gone; nowadays, players employ baseball gloves. One of the initial players, to utilize the baseball glove was Doug Alison who played along with the Cincinnati Red Stockings. It was in the 1870′s though Charles Waite is acknowledged pertaining to having worn it first.

Spalding has been one of the suppliers which made and also still offers baseball mitts and various athletic equipment. Around 1920, Bill Doak proposed that the baseball mitt had a webbing positioned in between the thumb and the first finger to be able to make a pocket which will help the catcher or first basemen snatch the baseball much easier. This kind of new design and style eventually took over as the standard for a baseball mitt. Right after, baseball gloves also grew to a size where a baseball is usually grabbed using only one hand rather than using two hands as had been the case previously. At present, the design and the size regarding baseball mitts are ruled by the baseball regulations.

Modern baseball gloves are designed to be a lot more exact and much more effective. Numerous producers are creating different types of baseball gloves in order to accommodate different ballplayer requirements. The very best quality baseball gloves are generally built from heavy leather. There are actually great diversity of gloves. Catcher mitts usually don\’t have individual fingers. Several have got added cushioning and the design resembles a claw which can help the catcher to snatch the baseball at high speeds. Dimensions of the mitts unlike the other gloves are calculated around their circumference and they\’ve about 32 – 34 in . styles to them. Different manufacturers make baseball gloves or mitts, some are Wilson and their famous serial A2000, Nokona and Rawlings gloves. Wilson’s mitt, universally recognized by the initial stock number A2000, was firstconstructed in 1957 as an infielders mitt.

These days the numerous A2000 versions include mitts for the Pitcher, Catcher, Infield, Outfield, First Base roles. They actually have got a new A2000 Showcase. Nokona delivers wonderful top quality mitts of their own, they include popular brands & product names such as Bloodline, Buffalo Combo, Kimera, Pro-Line, Black Shadow, American Pro, Elite, Khrome. Rawlings,the most famous glove producer also offers various gloves for various positions; what\’s more they offer the largest line of youth baseball mitts in the marketplace. They are available in an array of different prices, from very cheap to the steeply-priced ones. Rawlings glove series are Primo, Pro Preferred, Heart of the Hide, and Heart of the Hide Dual Core. While these mitts are made by different manufacturers they choose different leathers to make the mitts. The leathers can be kangaroo, buffalo or cowhide. The gloves are normally machine made although customized gloves can also be found. These mitts are made manually and possess a distinct style of their very own and therefore are somewhat more expensive.

The type of infield or outfield glove that you pick out should really rely with a couple of aspects like the age of the ball player as well as the volume of play. The cost is usually a key point when purchasing a baseball or softball mitt. The additional money expended in the baseball glove is worthwhile.

Preface

It was to be a compilation of short stories detailing the lives and tragic deaths of several former NHL hockey players. I was somewhat skeptical about the project at the time, reasoning that a comprehensive range of tragic stories about former pro hockey players had already been compiled in a single book, and that, in any event, such an undertaking would be too extensive and exhaustive for us to realistically complete. My findings from an initial wave of research were that, indeed, several hockey biographies had already been published about players I wished to profile, such as Howie Morenz, Terry Sawchuk, Tim Horton, and John Kordic. There was not, however, a single source which brought together several of these stories. My research also confirmed my initial belief, that the task at hand would be daunting.

The process of establishing the book’s parameters and scope began to emerge once I started my research. It was decided early on that only former NHL players would be profiled, with the exception of early hockey greats such as Hod Stuart, Frank McGee and Hobey Baker, all who played before the league was established. Some hockey legends were thus excluded, including the great Soviet scoring star Valeri Kharlamov, who died in a car crash at a young age.

It was also decided that I would profile only players who died while still playing pro hockey. There were some exceptions to this rule. McGee and Baker left the game to go to war, recently-retired Babe Siebert was poised to coach the Montreal Canadiens, Yanick Dupre was bravely battling leukemia, and Brian Spencer was shot to death, several years after his NHL career ended. These players all passed away relatively young, however, which was consistent with the project’s central premise. Some hockey legends who died tragically were excluded; among others, goalie great George Hainsworth who died at the age of 55 in a car crash.

My original plan was to profile ten hockey players, most notably stars such as Morenz, Sawchuk and Horton. But I began to uncover cases of several former NHLers who died tragically young. The lives of no less than 12 players were eventually detailed in separate chapters. A final chapter was added, in which 16 more were briefly profiled.

My fascination with the often turbulent lives of several of these professional hockey players made it somewhat easier to remain committed to writing the book, as it progressed from one story to the next. I remain thankful that excellent bibliographic sources were available for my comprehensive project: hockey books, historical documents, magazine stories, newspaper articles, internet stories, and first-hand interviews with former players.

I sincerely hope that readers will enjoy reading about hockey’s most tragic deaths, and along the way discover more about the history of professional hockey and the NHL, in terms of how the league developed and the ensuing drama both on and off the ice.  I also expect that readers will appreciate how the lives of these players parallel their own, in the sense that we all experience “triumphs” and “tragedies” in life.  

Introduction

Several former NHLers profiled in this book were established stars with special places in hockey history. No less than six of these stars were among the twelve charter members chosen to the National Hockey League Hall of Fame in 1945: Hobey Baker, Charlie Gardiner, Howie Morenz, Frank McGee, Hod Stuart and Georges Vezina. Hod Stuart was one of the top Canadian amateur players at the turn of the century, but at 28 he died tragically while swimming. One-eyed Frank McGee was the most feared scorer of his day, helping Ottawa successfully defend the Stanley Cup nine times in the early 1900s, but he died in battle during World War One. All-American sports hero Hobey Baker survived the Great War, only to be killed during a routine test flight. Baker, McGee and Stuart were all established hockey stars, of course, before the formation of the NHL in 1917.

The other three charter members made their marks of greatness in the newly formed league. Durable Georges Vezina, nicknamed The Chicoutimi Cucumber, rarely missed a game from 1910 through 1924. Arguably the premier pro goaltender, Vezina led the Montreal Canadiens to two Stanley Cups. After the veteran star’s death from tuberculosis, the NHL announced that The Vezina Memorial Trophy would be awarded annually to the netminder with the lowest goals-against average. “Chuck” Gardiner himself won the award twice during a seven year, all-star career, the last time shortly before fending off a painful tonsil infection as he led the Chicago Black Hawks to the 1934 Cup, the team’s first ever. The infection having spread throughout his body, he suffered a brain hemorrhage and died soon after.

Howie Morenz, also known as The Stratford Streak, was the league’s first true superstar. A speedy, talented centre for the Montreal Canadiens, Howie helped popularize hockey in the United States in the 1920s. After stints in Chicago and New York, the veteran returned to his beloved Canadiens in 1937, only to break his leg during the celebrated comeback and later perish in the hospital, broken-hearted that his stellar career had ended so badly.

Although Maple Leafs defenseman Bill Barilko never made it to the Hall of Fame, he is still remembered for his game-winning 1951 Stanley Cup goal. That tally handed the Leafs its fourth Cup during Barilko’s five years with the club, but the lucky young rearguard’s fortunes drastically changed later that summer, when he disappeared on a plane trip to northern Ontario. Bill’s body was not discovered until 1962, the next year the Leafs won the Cup.

North Stars journeyman forward Bill Masterton never had the opportunity to challenge for the Stanley Cup, but he still fulfilled his lifelong dream of playing in the NHL. The 29-year-old rookie suffered severe head trauma from an on-ice collision early in the 1968-69 season. Tragically, he died in the hospital soon after. The league later created The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded each year to the player best exemplifying perseverance, dedication, and sportsmanship to hockey. Masterton’s death also prompted some NHLers to start wearing protective headgear, but the use of helmets was not made mandatory until several years later.

Arguably the greatest goalie ever, Terry Sawchuk captured four Vezina Trophies and seven Stanley Cups during his glory years in Detroit and, later, Toronto.  A perennial all-star during his remarkable, 21-year NHL career, “Uke” revolutionized goaltending with his trademark crouch style. It was copied by generations of aspiring, young netminders. Sawchuk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1971, a year after his death from stomach-related injuries, at the age of forty. Another veteran who enjoyed a long and storied career, tough and dependable rearguard Tim Horton toiled for 24 years in the NHL, winning four Cups with the Leafs and later anchoring the defense for young teams in Pittsburgh and Buffalo. In early 1974, driving home to Buffalo late at night after a game at Maple Leaf Gardens, Horton died when he his speeding sportscar crashed on the highway.

Pelle Lindbergh, the young Swedish goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers, was another hockey star who died in a horrifying car crash late at night. His bright red Porsche crashed in a New Jersey suburb in November 1985, leaving him in a coma, with severe head injuries. Lindbergh had recently become the first European goaltender to win the Vezina Trophy, so the subsequent death of this pioneer star shocked the hockey world.

Troubled and tormented enforcer John Kordic’s death also shocked many in pro hockey. An adept fighter who terrorized NHL opponents with his fists during the late 1980s, Kordic was popular in Montreal and Toronto, but soon wore out his welcome. After unsuccessful stints with a number of pro teams, the embattled pugilist died in 1992, likely the result of ingesting a lethal mix of alcohol, cocaine and steroids. His well-publicized demise prompted the league to eventually adopt a comprehensive substance abuse policy.

Alcohol also allegedly had a part in the death of veteran rearguard Steve Chiasson, who played for Detroit, Calgary, Hartford and the Carolina Hurricanes. Chiasson attended a team party right after the 1999 playoffs ended, and died later that night, after his pick-up truck crashed on the way home.

Another defenseman, talented Bryan Fogarty, never became the player many thought he would be. Often compared to Bobby On as a Canadian junior hockey star, Fogarty continuously battled substance abuse problems throughout his troubled and inconsistent pro career, like good friend John Kordic. After short stints with Quebec, Pittsburgh and Montreal, the rearguard played for several European-based clubs before eventually calling it quits in 2000. He died of heart failure less than two years later.

This book’s final chapter briefly considers the lives of 16 other former NHLers who died too young. Hod Stuart is discussed; his death at the start of the century was the first real hockey “tragedy”. Others include Hobie Baker, Scotty Davidson, Frank McGee, Red Garrett and Joe Turner; these players died as soldiers, in either the First or Second World War. Also mentioned is “Bad” Joe Hall, a rugged defenseman who patrolled the blueline for the two Montreal clubs, the Maroons and Canadiens. Hall was the only player to die from influenza during the 1919 Stanley Cup finals between the Habs and the Seattle Metropolitans, which was eventually ended without a winner declared. Like Stuart, former Canadiens great Babe Siebert also met his demise while swimming. Babe was a star defenseman for the Maroons, Rangers and Bruins, later finishing his career in the late 1930s with the Canadiens. He drowned while on vacation soon after.

Some modern NHLers are profiled near the end of the final chapter, including Michel Briere, a talented rookie star player with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team’s best player in the 1969 Stanley Cup playoffs, Briere suffered major head trauma in an off-season car crash. He remained in a coma for almost one year before finally dying. St. Louis defenseman Bob Gassof also was victimized by severe head injuries, his being received in a motorcycle accident. A tough, dependable defenseman for the Blues in the mid-1970s, Gassof was another player who died in an off-season misadventure.

Brian Spencer was a talented hockey player but never reached his true potential, as a journeyman for Toronto, Buffalo, Pittsburgh and the New York Islanders. “Spinner” was just a rookie in 1970, when his father was tragically shot to death by the RCMP. Brian’s career never took off after that, and the troubled former NHLer moved to Florida soon after his retirement; eventually acquitted of first-degree murder in a highly publicized trial, Spencer was mysteriously shot to death shortly afterwards.

Tragedy also revisited the Philadelphia Flyers in the late 1990s. Left winger Yanick Dupre played briefly for the Flyers between 1991 and 1996, but then became ill with leukemia. He died less than a year after his final NHL stint. A promising rookie defenseman from Russia, Dmitri Tertyshny earned a roster spot with Philadelphia during the 1998-99 season, but was killed during a boating accident that very summer.

How NHLers have lived and died often reflects how much these players were products of their times. Vezina, Gardiner, Hall and Morenz all died from disease or illness early in the 20th Century; it is quite possible that their lives would have been saved if they had access to the assistance which modern medicine and science routinely provide patients. Baker, Davidson, McGee, Garrett and Turner all perished fighting in struggles dictated by the politics of their times. I addition to Barilko, these early hockey greats were also victims of the inherent dangers of modern aviation.

Modern NHLers have also met fates which accurately reflect the perils of our times. Briere, Horton, Gassof, Lindbergh, Chiasson, Tertyshny and Snyder all died due to misadventure, in motor vehicle accidents. Most of these mishaps involved the use of alcohol, largely during or after an event involving at least some of the player’s teammates, be it a game, team function or party. Alcohol was also an essential factor in the deaths of Sawchuk, Spencer, Kordic and Fogarty, with dangerous and illegal drugs probably playing significant roles in the latter three cases. The recent suicide of Roman Lyashenko, the only known NHL suicide, is another telltale sign of the relentless pressures facing modern pro hockey players.

A major lesson here is that several pro hockey players have historically fallen victim to the same substance abuse problems, bad decisions, and personal demons. It is not surprising, then, that many NHLers have died as a result of misadventure, often during the off-season. Late spring and summer are months when hockey players are afforded the opportunity to let their guards down and enjoy life more. They are known to have a few beers, play a few rounds of golf, and spend more time with family and friends. Some players take their leisure time to heart, living life in the fast lane, taking part in reckless, even life-endangering activities. That such players might engage in irresponsible behaviour to escape the pressures of being pro athletes does not make their actions acceptable, just more understandable. There is little doubt that modern hockey players regularly face much more stressful situations than players from previous eras, and this seems to be reflected in the recently increasing number of fatalities. Since 1997 seven of the twenty-three players profiled in this book have died – Stephane Morin, Dupre, Fogarty, Chiasson, Tertyshny, Lyashenko, and Snyder. It is interesting to note that the latter three died because of misadventure, during the off-season.

 

Twenty two players-eleven on each side-struggling with one ball to keep it under their control in which game can you discover this situation?

Well, I know 99% answers will be football. Sorry, I meant Hockey. This is also a game that in most part follows the same rules as football, only here the ball is played with the stick and not the feet of the players. The rest is almost same you find 11 players in each team that includes a Goalkeeper, Defenders, Midfielders and Attackers. In hockey, the goalkeeper is the only player on the field who is allowed to use the feet and hands as well as the stick.

Today, hockey is played all over the world. But there are not too many countries in the world where hockey is hugely popular. England is among those few countries where hockey is played with great enthusiasm. This is only natural as the British Empire is the birth place of modern hockey. Though the genesis of hockey may be traced back in a few ancient civilizations of the world, it was not until mid 1800′s that this game was revived and added with modern features in England. At first hockey kicked off as an alternative to football to keep the cricketers busy during the season of winter. Still in England, the hockey season continues from September to May.

Here are some interesting facts about this age old game:

-Just like the cricket, hockey spread like wildfire all through the British Empire and the colonies took up the game with the patronization from their colonial masters. This explains why the countries like India, Pakistan and Australia (one time British colonies) occupy respectable places in the world hockey map.

-Today, field hockey is played all over the world by a number of countries and this makes hockey the second largest team sport in the world, after football.

-The first Men’s international Hockey match was held between England and Ireland on March 1895 at Richmond Hockey Club. England team emerged as the winner making a 5-0 score.

-The first official women’s international hockey match took place in Dublin on 2nd March 1896. This time also there were two traditional contenders England on one side and Ireland on the other. But this time luck was with the opposite side with the Emerald Isle winning the match by 2-0 score.

-Men’s hockey was first introduced in the London Olympics in the year, 1908. But it took seventy two more years to include the women’s hockey in the Olympics; women’s game was introduced to the Olympics as late as in1980.

The Philadelphia Flyers hockey team is one of the most popular hockey teams in the country, with a huge fan base and rock solid support. Philadelphia’s professional ice hockey team is a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). Founded in 1967 as a part of the NHL expansions, the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team has always been one of the best expansion teams throughout and also holds the record for being the first expansion team to win the Stanley cup.

However, the years before the Stanley cup win were not great to begin with. The team was a mediocre medley of physically outmatched players during the initial years, which led to the management hiring large and tough players, who managed to earn the title of the Broad Street Bullies in 1972-73, much before they earned any other significant title. However, all this changed when the team won two consecutive Stanley cups in both 74 and 75. But this was the team’s last Stanley cup win, for while the team has managed to reach the playoffs time and time again, the cup has eluded them since 1975. This does not however mean that the team is past its glory, and is today among the best teams in the NHL, with the second highest winning percentage in the League.

The Philadelphia flyers are always in competition with other Atlantic Division members– the New York Islanders, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils. Their favorite foes however would be the New Jersey Devils, who have been major competition in the Atlantic Division titles, and being the only other team apart from the flyers to take the title since 1995.

While the team has had a history of producing great players, Bobby Clark, three time winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy, has been one of the best players ever to play on the side. Eric Lindros and Dave Schultz “Hammer” also find their names somewhere on the top of the list of the most famous Flyers players.

The Philadelphia Flyers have been playing their home games in Broad Street at the Wachovia Center. You can also catch them in action here during season. Tickets to Flyers games are available as different packages ranging from single and season tickets to package and group tickets.

If you are planning to become a Philadelphia Flyers hockey team fan, then you should become the owner of a Flyers jersey soon. The orange, white and black jersey and its many avatars has become a part of hockey folklore, what with its being one of the most recognized NHL jerseys in the country. You can also easily stock up on a number of other merchandise with the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team logo of a flying puck with four Ps to show your support and allegiance to the team.