One on One

Sean and Lindsay attended a concert in the town square of Whitefish, Montana. Hundreds of people were there watching them slow dance on a stage in the middle of the street. It was kind of romantic and Sean did a heck of a job planning it by himself. Something like this clearly brings two people closer together.

Lindsay, who we thought was crazy on the first episode for wearing a wedding dress, is now in my Top 4, which means I see her getting a hometown date. (Side note: She was wearing a white jacket and I think white jackets are sexy. So if you think you are having a terrible hair day, just put on a white jacket.)

Group Date

Another date that included a "Winners Stay, Losers Leave" contest. The girls competed in a "Lumberjack" race that consisted of canoeing, stacking hay, chopping wood and milking a goat. At the end, one person had to drink the goat milk. That ended up being Desiree. Des, Sarah, Robyn and Selma got to stay with Sean. The Blue team lost because Daniella clearly didn't have the skills to milk a goat.

Sean and the Red Team headed out for drinks and because he felt bad for sending the Blue Team home, he invited them back. Selma was not happy about that. She even said, "We put everything we had into that race." Oh, come on, Selma. A one-armed girl did it, how hard could it have been?

Tierra later showed up on the date because she wanted to see Sean. Yeah, she’s crazy, but this move was done by ABC. She was never seen by the other girls --- only Sean. If it wasn’t for Tierra, this season would be Tierr-able.

Daniella gets the Group Date rose. She's awful.

Two-on-one Date

This date is always awkward because whoever doesn't get the rose is off the show. Sean spent the day horseback riding with Jackie and Tierra. The date was over before it even started. Tierra was given the rose and Jackie went home.

Bachelor Episode 6

Now the group heads to Banff, Alberta. What a gorgeous place and we are finally seeing these girls wear some bathing suits! Here's how it all went down…

One on One

We finally get to see Catherine and it ended up being in a snowsuit in Jasper National Park. Besides Sean picking her up in a snow bus, this was a very realistic date. Sean and Catherine played in the snow and just had a good time.

At night, they went on a horse and carriage ride and were dropped off at an ice castle where they hung out and made out all night. Catherine told Sean a sad story about when she was 12, she and her friend were on a walk, a tree fell and her friend died. Tough break. This is a prime example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Catherine was given a rose. I predict her getting a hometown date. When she and Sean are together, Sean seems more real. He always is saying how much he wants to cuddle with her. He also laughs with her more than anyone else. We will see much more of her.

Group Date

Sean, Tierra, Lindsay, Sarah, Selma, Lesley, Daniella, and AshLee canoed across Lake Louise. I went there when I was 13 and it is beautiful! On the other side of the lake, they decided to do a Polar Bear Plunge. Yeah, jumping into freezing water must be safe! Smart move, ABC. Selma was the bright one and didn't jump in, but everyone else did.

Tierra didn't want to go, but sacked up anyway and jumped in. Hypothermia got the best of Tierra -- no joke. Everyone thought she was faking it for attention and she probably was. She was carried back to the hotel by ABC’s finest medical interns. Sean told her to stay at the hotel and get better, but we all knew she wasn't going to. She ended up showing up to the nightly cocktail party to see Leslie get the rose.

After the group cocktail party, Sean went to the girls’ hotel and pulled Sarah aside.  He told her it wasn't working out. We all knew she wasn't going to last. She is cute, but lacks confidence and complains too much about having one arm. Sean probably was told by ABC that he had to show up at the hotel to cut someone just to give the show some more spice.

Sean kept asking Sarah on the way out, "Are you OK? You OK? Are you sure you’re OK?" No, Sean, she's not. She has one arm and you just sent her home unexpectedly.

One on One

This is Desiree's second date with Sean and the other girls are jealous. This date was another one of ABC’s "Test Your Fears." Sean and Des propelled down the side of a cliff and had a picnic at the bottom. These two have a good connection and we will see her in a hometown date.

Cocktail Party

This was just another boring/predictable night, so here's what stood out to me:

Selma said she had to "bring out the guns tonight." Apparently when she said that, she meant giving Sean a kiss, I thought she was talking about the amount of cleavage she was showing.

Sean asked Lindsay to tell him a secret and she said, "I sleep naked." That just might have booked her a trip back home for a hometown date.

My Hometown Date Picks

AshLee
Desiree
Lesley
Catherine

Sent Home

Daniella
Selma
Sarah

I had never been anywhere else in the States before, so I was really excited to go on this trip with my best friend. We had a lot to catching up to do having been away from each other for three months. Miami and South Beach was better than I expected. I already had high expectations about Miami, but it was honestly even better than I thought.

Back in Chicago, it was time to start preparing for our biggest charity event of the year, the Wolves Wives puck fundraiser! This week, all the wives and girlfriends will meet at the Chicago Wolves office to wrap pucks that we are going to sell throughout the month of February. These pucks are autographed by Wolves players and wrapped with candy. Many pucks are signed in gold and fans who are lucky enough to select one of those pucks are able to meet that player after the game. Last year we raised our goal because of the fans and this year we really hope we can do even better! Hope I'll see you all at the game on Saturday!

Having been around hockey for so long, I’m used to the smell and many times unaware of its effects on others.  I have actually had a conversation with my wife and many of the other players’ wives over the years discussing how bad the smell is and what can be done to put an end to “Hockey Hands.”

REMEDIES:

Unfortunately ladies, there is nothing that can be done to stop the smell, but there are a few helpful remedies out there that can help mask the smell postgame.  

First, and probably the most effective, is generously lathering the hands with shaving cream while in the shower.  The thickness of the cream, combined with its pleasant aroma, seems to tackle the unwelcoming stench.  

Sometimes if I’m in a rush, and forget to use the shaving cream, I turn to my wife’s fruity hand lotion!! Yes, I’m not afraid to admit that I prefer the flowery or fruity smell of women’s hand lotion rather than the unpleasant order of my hockey gloves.  Plus, with my hands smelling better after games, I don’t have to hear about it from the wife and that fits right into the married guys handbook rule number one: Happy Wife equals Happy Life!!!

THE ICE CREAM CRITIC IS BACK!!!

Back by popular demand, I will again be rating our pre-game ice cream meals at the various hotels on the road.  For those you who don’t know, I have a bit of a sweet tooth and thoroughly enjoy devouring ice cream and other sweets.  I take my ice cream very seriously and in order to earn top scores, hotels need to bring their best.  

The ice cream gets rated on the following criteria:

• The overall presentation of the ice cream.  Are the bowls appropriate size? Is it pre-scooped? If I have to scoop myself, is there a proper scooper? Etc.
• The ice cream itself, texture, frost-bitten, flavor, etc.
• The variety of toppings. Many guys have different likes when it comes to toppings.  Is there enough variety to satisfy the whole team?
• The timing of the dessert.  A common mistake is bringing out the ice cream to early and it starts to melt or the opposite side bringing it out to late and messing with players’ schedules.

So, as you can see, ice cream is very important to a lot of players on the road.  Many feel that a little scoop helps them digest their big meal, while others find that it helps relax them before pre-game nap!!!  Anyways, the moral of the story is never take life to seriously, unless you’re dealing with dessert!!!

Maddog…OUT!

So to make the trip go by faster we all got together Saturday at Dorah's, (Kevin Connauton's other half!). Dorah is an amazing cook! She made us this yummy vegetable filled pasta dish. We also enjoyed mimosas and appetizers.

We watched the movie Magic Mike and talked about our weeks together. Some girls work, so we always have different stories to share!

When I'm not hanging out with the girls I'm usually at the gym, or writing about fashion in my other blog. Instead of the gym, I went and did yoga with Guillaume Desbien's other half, Ally Desbien. Ally is a yoga instructor, while this was my third time doing yoga in my life! Lets just say I have a lot to learn!

Last weekend I also got the opportunity to look after Darren and Sara Haydar's wonderful dog, Gilly. So on Sunday some of the girls had a long walk in the park together with the dogs.

On Monday, we got together and watched the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. A lot of the girls really enjoy this show, and it is always a major discussion topic for us!

Then on Tuesday I meet Stefan Schneider's other half Kaitlin for shopping at the mall. After almost five hours shopping our legs were tired and Kaitlin had to go home for schoolwork. So I went straight to our other Kaitlin, but this time Brad Hunt's girlfriend. She made us a delicious chicken dish that I really liked, and of course it was Brad's favorite dish! We had dinner and watched the guys game on TV before I went back home and slept with a smile on my face, because I knew I didn't have to sleep alone the next night because Anton was coming home!'

We recently had our team Halloween party and there were some pretty good costumes. I tried to get a picture of the best ones, but unfortunately with the bad lighting some of them didn’t turn out great.

First up, Darren Haydar, who dressed up as...Darren Haydar, ha ha! It was a great costume and one of the best details was the suspenders with hot air balloons on them. Classic Old Man!!

One of the worst things that can happen at a Halloween party is showing up with the same costume as someone else. This year was no exception as we had two Waldo’s. The key is to be the first to show up to the party, which was Alex Friesen! Also, you will notice in the background we had some French Fries that showed up, who was accompanied by a Hot Dog, Mustard, Ketchup and you can’t forget the Hot Sauce.

Below is Miller doing his best Monk impression. Who says you can’t buy a costume for under $10.00.

Next, my wife and I decided to go has Hamburglers!! Let me tell you we got some strange looks as we drove through the McDonald’s drive-thru to pick up some last minute costume details.

Lastly, we have Mullen who won best overall costume!! When I first showed up he was nowhere to be found and when I asked people where he was they told me to check the bathroom. I instantly burst out laughing as I turned the corner in the bathroom and saw Mullen dressed up in a tie and vest attending to guests bathroom needs. He truly had thought of everything with his unreal set-up that included an assortment of gum, cologne and scented hand soap. I mean how can you not like a bathroom attendant that brings his own soap? It was great! He even had a place for tips, which I think he ended up getting a couple of singles and 10 quarters from a random guest. The costume was great, but perhaps the most impressive thing was Mullen’s dedication to the part, as he remained in the bathroom for a good two hours serving both the team and the various random people that were at the establishment. I didn’t grab a picture of him in the bathroom, but here he is sporting his black tie, grey vest. Very official!

Well, the last of the trick-or-treaters have strolled through, so I’m closing up shop and going to head to the couch with the left over candy. Unfortunately, the kids scooped up all the candy that I had my eye on. Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween this year!!

Maddog…Out!

As mentioned in my previous blog, we had our first road trip of the year last week.  Overall, it was a good weekend, we obviously didn’t get two wins, but we did end with a split.  

Many of you probably know how the weekend went and were able to watch the game or at least find out the scores, so I’m not going to bother recapping the on-ice details. I want the purpose of my blog to give you, the fans, a glimpse of what happens away from the rink.

For Starters, I’m Canadian. One of the perks of playing a Canadian team is the fact that you have a chance to be back in your home country.  It’s always nice to grab some dinner from a familiar restaurant or visit places that are local to the area.  Anyone from Canada will tell you that Tim Hortons is a landmark establishment across the country. So, you could imagine my excitement when I landed in Vancouver, after a four hour plane ride, and the first restaurant I see is a beautiful Tim Hortons.  Unfortunately, the excitement diminished rather quickly, because the service was not up to par.  I was one of the first to order and I decided to go with a Panini Sandwich and a side donut, obviously.  Sure enough, orders start coming out and I’m a little concerned that the people behind me had gotten their order first, but I had my donut so I wasn’t about to panic yet.  But then the same thing continued to happen as order after order came out and still my sandwich was a no-show!! At this point I was pretty fired up about the situation and couldn’t believe that Timmy’s had let me down.   Finally, after almost 25 minutes of waiting and having to eventually re-order the sandwich, I received my Panini.  By that time, the excitement had worn off and the sandwich seemed average.  Come on, Tim’s…. You Are Better Than This!!!!!  

Fortunately, our team dinner that night at the Cactus Club made me soon forget about the Tim Hortons debacle.  The food, service and of course the company there was excellent.  A chance for the booooyss to relax after a long travel day, share some food, drinks, laughs and enjoy the Canadian scenery.  It gives us players a chance to share funny stories of each other’s past and share our thoughts on various topics like discussing why Apple products are the best with Bill Sweatt. What’s interesting about hockey is that in the hockey world you soon discover that there is about four degrees of separation between you and any other hockey player in the world.  The hockey world truly is a small one!

This is why road trips can be so important in creating a close atmosphere amongst the team.  It begins to feel more like a family and thanks to our great organization, we are provided with various opportunities that give us the chance to hang out amongst our teammates and form the necessary bonds that can last a lifetime.  

On a side note, the return plane ride home was a bit of a grind for me.  I was in the middle of heated game on my Ipad with Yann Sauve, when I got a bit excited and knocked an entire glass of water onto my lap.  Of course I was wearing a grey suit, so the water splotch was very noticeable, which made the location of the spill that much more unfortunate.  Definitely had a flashback of kindergarten class.  Fair to say some of the boys had a good chuckle as I spent the next two hours sitting on a blanket and attempting to dry off using a napkin.  Thankfully it was only water as I wish I could say that this was the first time that this I had spilt my drink on a plane! Helpful Tip: Don’t fall asleep with your drink still on your tray. 

I've been dating #15 Anton Rodin for 2 1/2 years. This is my second year here in Chicago and it's our first time living this far away from where we come from, Sweden.  

So, why am I here writing on your website? Well, I was asked to write a blog towards the end of last season, so I thought, why not? The reason to why I'm going to be blogging here is that I have a blog already and also because I'm the only girl from Europe right now. So, I have a little experience in blogging and you can visit my blog at kristinsundbergs.blogg.se where I post mostly pictures about fashion, and workouts.

For this blog, I'm going to write about all the fundraising that we do during the season, about the differences between Sweden and the States, what the wives do when the guys are on the road, and what me and Anton usually do when he has a day off.

I'm so excited to be blogging here for the Wolves fans and I hope you enjoy it!

This weekend we head north of the border to play two games in Abbotsford, BC against the Heat. Unlike most road trips, we actually get a warm reception in Abbotsford, because we are associated with the Vancouver Canucks, who play about an hour away.

Packing for a road trip is something I haven’t had to do in quite a while.  Over the years, I have picked up some tips to successfully packing for a weekend of hockey.  A suit is essential, as we are required to wear one while traveling, as well as, to and from games.  Shoes and a toothbrush are the other key essentials.  Unfortunately, I know from personal experience that forgetting dress shoes can be a costly mistake, because your only options are to buy a new pair, or pay the fine and have the #thebooys remind you of it for weeks to come.  The option I chose, trying to pass black sneakers for dress shoes, was a poor one as I didn’t even make it down the hotel hallway before I heard laughter and saw some pictures being taken. 

Personally, another key item to pack is an extra dress shirt or two depending on the length of the trip.  Nothing worse than only having the one shirt and you end up spilling something down the front.  For me, it’s usually the chocolate sauce from the pregame ice cream. 

The last key to packing for a road trip is managing to get everything to fit into a carry-on bag.  Here the usual tricks work, travel size toiletries, rolled up tees, etc.  It’s a lot easier for the European players, because their clothes tend to be smaller and a bit tight, not to mention any specific players, but one rhymes with Smeddie Tack!

Maddog….out!

Since I haven't posted in a while, I will recap on the tail end of the camp. We headed into Milwaukee last Saturday and came out with a big victory. The boys were pumped to finish off the exhibition season with a win.

Sunday, we had the day off to relax so I decided to head over to a movie. I went and saw Looper with Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This movie is about time travelling assassins called loopers. What happens is that in the future if the mob wanted to get rid of someone they would send that person back 30 years in the past where the looper would be waiting to finish them. If you decide to go and see this movie make sure you bring your thinking caps. I thought it was okay but there was lots going on and I found it hard to keep track.

Monday, we had a little conditioning test that included some sprints as well as a longer distance test. After all the tests were complete, we headed over to the bowling alley with all the guys and bowled a bit and played pool. It was great to get all the guys together.

The home opener is this Saturday, October 13, against the Rockford Icehogs at 7:00 pm at the Allstate Arena.

I hope that everyone enjoyed my posts over the last week or so, I really enjoyed doing them. Thanks so much for reading them and have a great week leading up to the big game on Saturday.

Take care Wolves fans. Cheer loud and have fun.

Every hockey player goes through a full cycle throughout the year.  In the winter, players are in full swing competing amongst teammates on a regular basis trying to solidify their team’s spot in the top half of the standings.  Then, there is the spring hockey, where the best teams battle it out for the chance to be named that year’s best.  After that comes summer, where players can unwind, rest and free their minds of the intense mental stamina necessary to compete for nine months.

This of course brings us to fall, a very exciting time for players, because the summer training and visiting with friends and family is over and we return to a familiar scene.  It’s a chance to reconnect with former teammates and an opportunity to meet new ones.  Last season is long gone and players look forward to a fresh start and another chance to be named this year’s best!  

Personally, this year has been no different. You can feel the energy in the dressing room as we work through our last week of practice before the 2012-13 season opens on Saturday against the rival Rockford Icehogs.  It has been fun to get back amongst teammates and regain the sense of being part of a team again.  As usual, there are a great group of men on the team and I look forward to battling alongside them throughout the hockey season.

Again, home opener is this Saturday, October 13!  Can’t wait to play in front of thousands of loud Wolves fans! Better see you there.

Maddog…OUT!