Hal Stern's thoughts on the economy, software, services, technology, and snowmen. Hal Stern: The Morning Snowman

After snapping my twig in a practice, I decided it was time to upgrade various pieces of hockey equipment. Bought new Mission gloves, in Calgary colors so they match our Flames-based New Jersey Ice Dragons jerseys. Invested in a new blade for the stick, a little less fiberglass and a little more wood. We're supposed to wear black helmets as part of our color-coordinated uniforms, but I have grown too comfortable in my old white bubble. So an hour before game time I was sitting with a roll of black hockey tape, creating the illusion of black plastic. It looks more like a velvet cover for my head, but it works. When you toss in the black shell for the pants (real color = blue), I look like I got dressed at Build-A-Bear Workshop, but significantly less cuddly.

Whether it was the new gloves, new tape, new blade, new white home jerseys, start of a new Hockey North America season, or just good luck, I managed a power-play goal with 38 seconds left in our first game last night. The proper assist went to our defenseman Stu who put a shot on net that I tipped in, but I think it deflected off of the goalie and off of Steve (yes, the Steve who provided the leverage to break my stick in the first place) helmet before I got wood on it. That goal broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Dragons our first win of the new season. It's a far, far cry from having my own namesake bear or doing endorsements for Mission gloves, but it's a start.