Hockey Night in Houston for the Houston Chronicle

As a freshman in college, I saw a flyer hanging in a hallway of my dorm. It was an informational meeting for American University's Club Hockey Team and I decided to attend. New city, new people, new experiences, right? I met a guy at the meeting from Houston who loved hockey, but that was pretty much the beginning and end of my hockey career. I don't know what I was thinking.

On a trip home sometime in the early to mid-2000s I saw a billboard near the old Compaq Center (now Joel Osteen's church) trying to woo visiting NHL officials to bringing a team here. That also didn't happen. But that doesn't mean the city lacks fans!

I went to The Maple Leaf Pub near downtown Houston for a story the Chronicle was running on hockey in Houston. The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins were going to do battle in game 7 of the conference semis. Their respective fans, present in the bar, were a little more jovial. The intensity of the crowed peaked at the beginning of the game and the very end. I'm not even a hockey fan but I'd head to The Maple Leaf Pub to catch a game or two. Why not? Check out the article HERE.

This dog is named Lil' Willie Stargell

Dreams for Kids - Washington Capitals

I spent last Friday afternoon at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex photographing Dreams for Kids Extreme Recess hockey clinic. Extreme Recess is a program that gives children with physical and developmental challenges the opportunity to participate in sports. This event involved ice, hockey, tons of volunteers and a few Washington Capitals. It was awesome to see the smiling kids enjoying themselves, playing hockey and generally having a good time.

After I put the camera down, I put on some skates because I'm pretty athletic and it can't be that hard, right? Wrong. I only fell once but the moral of the story is you should at least know how to ice skate before trying to play a sport while doing so.

Capitals and Canadiens

Last Friday I shot my first ever ice hockey game, high school, college or pro. I don't know if it was because it was my first time or what, but my final assessment of shooting hockey: fastest and most difficult sport to shoot ever.

I think there are about 5 ice level photo positions where holes are cut in the Plexiglas boards which the photographers shoot through. Being the low man on the totem, I was unable to shoot from ice level positions. I started the game up top in the 200 levels shooting down. The action was easier to follow up there, but the TV guys' heads kept getting in the way. For the last two periods, I sat next to John McDonnell of the Washington Post and shot through the glass. It wasn't ideal, but it worked out pretty well.

I had no idea what made a good picture so this is going to take some more practice to figure out. Shout out to hockey...I respect you, but I will conquer you.

See more photos here