[Ed. Note: Rock the Brock will be a reoccuring post from Brock Kerchner, co-host of the Old Barn Hockey Show on 1460 The Ticket in Harrisburg, PA featuring a weekly chat on all things Hershey Bears.  Also note that we're a little late getting this up for Brock... sorry, Brock.]

2 on the Bus- Friday night the Bears headed to the home of the AHL offices, in Springfield, to play the Falcons. The Falcons are top dogs of the Eastern Conference in the early stages of the season. Springfield took the lead midway through the first but Captain Boyd Kane would find the answer minutes later. Dejavu of the first period as Springfield went ahead in the second period but Matt Pope would tie the game just 2 minutes later with a rebound goal on a wide open net. Both teams would battle with chances at both ends for the rest of regulation and overtime sending the game into the first shootout of the season for Hershey. Both teams struck in the first round of the shootout but then the goalies held the fort until the 7^th round. Stanislav Galiev put a nifty shot on the twine and Braden Holtby stopped former Bears Captain Andrew Joudrey for the win. Holtby was once again magnificent all weekend. Saturday night was in Bridgeport to a full crowd after free tickets were distributed all weekend to the victims of Hurricane Sandy. This is the first game were I saw the Bears take some mindless penalties. The game was called tight and got chippy in the 2^nd frame but Hershey seemed to lose their composure. The Bears gave up four 5 on 3’s and Holtby had to be amazing to keep the score close. The final was 3-2 Bridgeport.  The Bears at 4-4-1-0 travel to Wilkes-Barre Scranton on Friday before facing St. John’s and Portland at home.

NHL Winter Classic Cancellation-It is official. NO NHL WINTER CLASSIC at the Big House. The Original Six matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs has been canceled for 2013. The NHL guarantees it will play the next Winter Classic there (Will that even be in 2014?) This is a huge blow to the PR department of the NHL. The Winter Classic has been a huge avenue by which new fans were finding the NHL. It sure won’t be this year! I thought this announcement might be the final nail in the coffin of the NHL season but judging by talks yesterday and today it might have actually awakened the negotiators to try and compromise in the lockout talks. I will believe it’s over when they drop the puck.

Cabin Fever Cure-Let’s be truthful; By mid-January with no hockey and stuck inside the house with your family, things are going to get ugly. Here in Hershey we will have the cure: The AHL Winter Classic Jan.19-20. Hershey vs our rival Wilkes-Barre Scranton Baby Pens. An alumni game on Saturday that will see plenty of former NHL/AHL names including some who played for the Capitals back in the day. Sunday will be the grand champion of the 75^th Anniversary Season. A game at Hersheypark Stadium in the shadow of the Bear’s first home, the Ice Palace, and Hersheypark Arena. The setting could be no better. Hockey being played outdoors. There is no better atmosphere and I am sure the honor of winning this game will not be taken lightly by either team for pride’s sake. Get your tickets now and ensure the safety of your family by releasing the feelings of no hockey and being cooped up at home for months. The action on the ice will keep you warm in your seat. Tickets are selling at a steady pace. Don’t delay.

Bear Force One-I know, I know. You have Air Force One and Marine One, etc in DC. The Bears typically get the bus treatment but on rare occasion they get to live like the big boys. Typically when the Bears get deep in the Calder Cup Playoffs or are headed to St. John’s Newfoundland (1,500+ miles) Bear Force One gets the call. It isn’t a specific plane that is owned by Hershey but whatever plane Hershey does charter is given the moniker of Bear Force One. There is no doubt that a charter will help you get just a couple more of those crucial hours of sleep then flying commercial during a playoff series. It is a no brainer in the NHL but a rarity in the AHL and another reason why so many want to wear the Chocolate and White sweater.

Red Rockers-This is something I don’t have much experience with. I am really trying to get a grasp on my thoughts on this whole thing. I have seen them from a far at a Caps game. I have seen them up close at a Bears game when they visited. I am just not sure of my thoughts on hockey cheerleaders. I am very curious as to what Caps STHs think. They have the most experience with them. Do they pump up the crowd? Are they in the way to see the game? Are they a distraction? Do they keep the game entertaining? I really have many questions about them. They are very nice to talk to and I am sure are great people. I am certainly not trying to portray anything negative either. I am just like a school kid who isn’t sure about the new kid in class. I am curious on how they fit into the game. I doubt Hershey would ever institute them but I know other AHL buildings have dancers or cheerleaders. Does it work?

Go Bears.

[Ed. Note: Rock the Brock will be a reoccuring post from Brock Kerchner, co-host of the Old Barn Hockey Show on 1460 The Ticket in Harrisburg, featuring a weekly chat on all things Hershey Bears]

Bears finding their game- The Bears opened up their second 3 in 3 on Friday in Hartford, CT before coming home for 2 games. They showed great energy throughout the game in Friday night, but never really broke through the neutral zone with any sense of organization. The Whale were very aggressive in their neutral zone pressure and seemed to break up every effort the Bears threw at them. Dmitri Orlov scored his first goal of the season late in the game, but the Bears ultimately fell 3-1 at the XL Center. On Saturday night the Albany Devils came to Hershey as a team loaded with talent. That talent didn’t seem to matter, as Braden Holtby stole the show from puck drop. His 35 save shutout he looked like merely a formality. The Bears’ defense (along with Holtby) was firing on all cylinders. Come Sunday, the rival Wilkes Barre-Scranton Penguins came to town for the first of 12 meetings this season. The Pens delivered steady pressure in the first 8 minutes of the game, but things seemed to even out after that. Dany Sabourin stood tall in net all evening. The Bears took a 2-0 lead on a quick goal to start the second period (by Mike Carman) and a shorthanded laser by Zach Hamill later in the period. Ryan Stoa converted a rebound in the third to go up 3-1. The Baby Pens answered on a PP with 5 minuntes to go in the game. Hershey kept the late game chances minimal for the Pens and sealed the deal at 3-2. The Bears at 3-3-1-0 travel to Springfield and Bridgeport this weekend to try and move up the standings in the East Division.

Braden Holtby-I have seen Braden Holtby play a lot games in the past 4 years; most of them in person. Saturday night against the Albany Devils, Braden Holtby showed us something new. With an assailant stacked with 2012 Eastern Conference Champion experience, Holtby showed us he can’t be rated on a 1 to 10 scale. Braden has never played a better game. 35 saves on 35 shots and he was square to the shooter on all accounts. He seemed to make every play look so easy since he was in position at all times. If he needed to move laterally post to post he was composed and cautious in his movement instead of just sliding over as fast as possible trying to get a piece of the shot. He joked occasionally with teammates in between play as well. I can’t get over the Holtby transformation from the last time we saw him in game action at the Giant Center. It has been overwhelming to see his growth and development both on and off the ice.  If this continues throughout the season, Bears Fan will be buying Holtby Bars by the end of the year.

Photo Courtesy of Carl Minieri

AHL Video Replay- 4 games at the Giant Center so far this year and 3 of them have involved goals reviewed by video. This is new to the AHL this year and the bugs are still being worked out. On 10/21, Binghamton was awarded the overtime GWG with 6 seconds left in the game on a review. The initial call was no goal but the replay proved the puck was in the net before the net was dislodged. On 10/27, Hershey was awarded a goal that was shown to have clearly entered the goal and bounce out off the inside crossbar. They had to phone the goal judge to confirm the goal as they had some issue with operating the goal review equipment. Apparently they couldn’t find the footage after the video had been rewound to far. Crisis averted, as the right call was made. On 10/28, the Penguins had a goal disallowed after it was shown that it was kicked in. No ruling was made on the ice prior to the review. It will take a little getting used to the equipment and so forth but in all 3 cases so far at the Giant Center the right call has prevailed. The average time for a decision has been about 4 minutes which I believe to be pretty manageable. Kudos to the AHL for stepping up and making video replay a reality in the AHL this season.

Well Hello, Hamill- Bears fans were beginning to question the addition of Zach Hamill after coming into the weekend with his only credits on the stat sheet at 10 PIMs. That changed in a hurry. Zach posted a goal in each of the games at Giant Center this weekend. On Saturday night, Zach had the GWG with a nice deke and back hand in the first. Sunday, he found the twine with a shorthanded laser with 2 defensemen closing in at the top of the right circle. It was great to see him get on the board, especially in front of the Giant Center crowds.

Tomas Kundratek- Sometimes a new place will spark a new response to the same effort. In late 2011, Kundratek requested a trade out of the Rangers system and was dealt for Francois Bouchard. After arriving in Hershey last year, Tomas posted 23 points in 55 games as a blue liner. His efforts were immediately felt on the ice in his own zone as well. So far in 7 games this year, Kundratek has amassed 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points. He has become a large part of the Bears success, and is third in points on the team as of this week. Meanwhile, Bouchard has been sent to the ECHL in the past 2 weeks.

Rock the Brock logo- I need to give a shout out to my logo designer Carrie Buller. Carrie is a wonderful friend who is waging war with cancer. She is beating it back battle by battle and shall prevail! She also is a gifted designer. With all she has going on her life she still hammered out the awesome design in record time. I love that she incorporated the Barn door to lend ties to the Old Barn Hockey Show that I co-host. The logo also connects with Caps fans as I am talking to you as “all things down on the farm.” Please visit her professional portfolio. She would love to get back into the swing of full time employment or other short term projects.

Time to go play NHL 13 since that will be the only way I will see the NHL play a game this year.

Go Bears.

For a while this summer, there remained a shred of hope that a new NHL labor agreement would be signed and big league hockey would continue on-schedule. Preliminary scheduling of travel plans and booking of hotels was made. And in preparation for the opening of training camps, vast quantities of sticks, skates and other hockey gear was ordered from the many licensed NHL equipment manufacturers. This gear currently sits idle in the equipment storage rooms at teams’ training facilities, quietly hoping beyond hope that this 2012-13 NHL season is salvaged. Because if it isn't, the vast majority of it will never be used.

It seems illogical to order hundreds of $200 sticks, $600 skates and $1200+ goalie pads and not use them. But much of this gear is year-specific. Equipment manufacturers are always making improvements to their gear in hopes of one-upping the competition. While traditional advertising accounts for a certain share of equipment sales, the mere use by an NHLer (especially a popular one) is the best advertising of all. If a player chooses to roll with a previous model of stick or skate, many manufacturers will re-label that gear to LOOK like the current model. Why let an NHL player showcase last year’s outdated technology when newer, better stuff is available?

Hockey gear has one true sales demographic: the amateur player. Whether it’s a youth player playing their way through their adolescence or the beer-league adult, the major hockey equipment manufacturers are trying to win over the commoner by convincing them that advances in equipment technology will translate to improvements in their game. What better way than showing Alex Ovechkin or Steven Stamkos or Jonathan Quick excelling while using your gear?

Sure, NHLers playing overseas will still receive their sponsors’ gear to use in their European leagues. But the vast majority of NHL players will buy their own gear this winter. Their team-provided equipment will acquire dust and be outdated by the time next season arrives. New, state of the art sticks, skates and helmets will be released by Bauer, Warrior, Reebok, CCM and other equipment manufacturers. They can’t afford to let the lack of NHL games affect their bottom lines.

We, the commoner could benefit from this stockpile of stuff, as most of it will show up at a team’s public equipment sale like the one the Capitals hold every summer during Development Camp (there were fist-fulls of Alexander Semin sticks available after the last lockout, as it was ordered assuming he would report to Portland). The recently-expired CBA has a stipulation that the NHLPA receives a percentage of all equipment sold in such a way. In the event of a prolonged lockout, any such sales would likely go into the coffers of the owners.

So I say a donation is in order. Either sell off this season's gear and give the proceeds to local youth hockey or other grassroots hockey organizations or donate the gear its self to those who will use it, like Defending the Blueline or other worthy groups.

Sticks and skates need ice to be of use. Helmets need heads and gloves need hands. Let the tools of the trade do their job, even if their users aren't NHLers.

[Ed. Note: Rock the Brock will be a reoccuring post from Brock Kerchner, co-host of the Old Barn Hockey Show on 1460 The Ticket in Harrisburg, featuring a weekly chat on all things Hershey Bears]

My Repentance- Let it be publicly known that I have black and orange in my blood. Let it be known that I own one red jersey and 14 orange. Let it be known that I have led cheers for the orange and black at the Verizon Center and cheered at the puck hitting the twine of the home goal. It has been instilled in me since childhood. I will continue to cheer first for the orange and black but the team affiliated with my beloved Bears will be my number 2. I apologize. Please forgive me. However, I am passionate to who I support! Case in point: Me, in my autographed red sweater, with former Capitals Head Coach Bruce Boudreau. I am introducing my daughter, Gabby, to her namesake.

StrawBERRYs and CHAMPAGNE- The next course for the Hershey Bears will easily be this dessert. RW Alex Berry in 3 Hershey preseason games put up 2 goals and an assist leading the team. Berry did not play last season at all due to a serious arm injury. It won’t be long before he joins the Chocolate I am sure. His time with the Royals will really be getting him back up to game speed.  C Joel Champagne doesn’t fit the bottle mold standing in at 6’4” and 217. He has the size and can move that size on the ice very well. He is young but some time in Reading will be good for his experience. I expect to see him in Hershey later in the season as injuries start to stack up.

A new Holtby- Rico Suave is in the crease. A different Rico this year so far though. Last year it would have been a cocky Rico. Hershey knows Holtby as an image of former Bears goaltender Ron Hextall. It appears Olaf Kolzig has sculpted Holtby into a mold more true to his image since we last crossed paths. Cool, calm, and collected is what we saw in preseason. Precise and clean work moving the puck as opposed to the more quick and sometimes dangerous maneuvers of old. Holtby is a great goaltender. No doubt about it but you used to be able to get him off his game easily by some bumps or interrupting his rituals. Sunday, I specifically noticed a linesman in the crease in the way of his “Beginning the Period” ritual. He just paused and waited for the linesman to finish checking the net. He then finished the ritual and settled in for the faceoff. The old Holtby would have tried to finish while making it known the linesman was not welcome and then storm around unhappy which could lead to a costly penalty or mistake. Seems like Hotlby is a changed player after reaching the big dance.

The Return of Sjogren- We woke up and there wasn’t even a note on the pillow. He didn’t even say goodbye. Needless to say Mattias Sjogren’s departure last year from the Bears to head back to Sweden was sudden. Bears Fan wasn’t impressed. His best game was the season opener last year in Binghamton. He looked great… finesse, hands, great awareness… but it disappeared quickly and so did he. He popped up back in DC in mid April and practiced with the Capitals until their playoff run was over. Well Sjogren is back. He looked great in preseason. I saw more hustle and a little down in the corners from him that I hadn’t seen before. It looks like he has matured in the past year on and off the ice. I truly feel he got some bad advice from his agent who was having a disagreement with GM GM. Forgive and Forget. Wear the Chocolate proudly Mattias.

DC Hockey Hiatus- This is gonna be brutal. Let’s not shy away from the truth. Let’s get it out in the open. Don’t hold it in, Let it out, Scream, Weep, etc. It could be a while until hockey returns to DC, so let’s talk about a trip to your roots. Make a visit down to the farm. You can easily hit a Reading Royals and Hershey Bears game in a weekend. 3 hours to Reading and less to Hershey. Make it happen. You won’t find more of an NHL atmosphere anywhere else in the world then at Giant Center. Who says time travel is a joke? Come see the future now in Hershey and Reading.

If you want to learn more about me and my story, visit a previous story published here. I dedicate this weekly culmination of thoughts to my grandparents who loved working down on their farms. They taught me to do my best and take pride in everything I do. And a Happy Birthday to my sister who Rocks the Red hair. Go Bears.

In what I hope will become a weekly event, we here at Rock the Red present a new Washington Capitals comic strip, 50 Shades of Red. This isn't going to be a philosophical humor strip like Calvin and Hobbes, or Doonesbury-type political satire, or even Tank McNamara sports humor. We're poking fun at our beloved Caps and all their quirkiness.

Afterall, you just can't take yourself too seriously.

One of the most recurring statements about history is “history repeats itself”. While doing some research for my Ethics class presentation on a labor dispute of my choice (guess which one I picked?) I realized that the statement could be applied to the NHL’s ongoing labor issues. History, indeed, repeats itself, with the same issues being argued over again and again every few years.

Since it was founded in 1917, the NHL has had three work stoppages, since 1992. All of the stoppages are the result of disagreement between the NHL team owners and the NHL Players Association negotiating a Collective Bargaining Agreement. By doing a little research, we can examine the issues that have presented a problem throughout the years and have now caused a fourth labor lockout six years after the last one.

READ MORE

Rock the Red is now selling T-shirts for Sticks for Troops (light color, dark color).  Sticks For Troops provides hockey sticks and gear to American and Allied troops stationed at Kandahar, Afghanistan, to enjoy the coolest games in one of the hottest places on earth.  All proceeds from the sale of these T-shirts goes directly to Sticks for Troops.

As someone whose wife is deployed to Afghanistan now, I can tell you she has seen the troops playing some seriously intense hockey games.  It brings a little taste of home and a big morale boost to be able to play hockey so far from home.  I know they will appreciate your support.

Shirts designed by nazarcruce

Follow Andy Green on Twitter.