LGWers take in Wings' practice in SoCal

[VladyIBELIEVE16 257]

Attention RED WINGS NATION WEST!

Our Detroit Red Wings are practicing TODAY at Toyota Sports Center (formerly El Segundo Health South)

The practice starts at 10am.

The location

555 North Nash Street, El Segundo CA 90245

310-535-4510

IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

Map http://www.arenamaps.com/arenas/2303.htm

SEE YOU THERE!!!!

[TheWestWing 71]

Ratz - didn't make it but just heard from the illustrious one and she had a blast and gots lots of pix so stay tuned......

They're going shooting or paintballing or summin this afternoon - heck they didn't even know what they're doing!

[Gutierrez 7]

Are they practicing Wednesday?

[VladyIBELIEVE16 257]

So wow what a morning! Two hours of watching the Wings practice and chatting with the players father's was AMAZING!

We got loads of signatures and pictures. I'll post a few below. Zee and Sammy weren't there.

So we get there right about 9:55am this morning and go bolting downstairs to the area where the two ice rinks are. I walk right up to the area where the Red Wings are walking from one Dressing Room to the other ice rink. I basically run right up to homer.. Both EastLansingnative and I say "HI Homer!" I happened to be right in front of Homer. He looks at me and smiles and says "HI!" with this really great smile. It was hilarious because I didn't realize they were going to be walking right there and it was like BOOM there's Homer... anyhow.

They all walk over to the other ice rink and we're standing there and we're talking to McLennan's father. Who then introduces us to Nick Lidstrom's father, Andreas Lilja's Father, Franzen's Father and Tomas Holmstrom's father. The picture of EastLansingNative and I are with them from right to left - as they are in the picture. I shook Mr. Lidstrom's hand and told him it was an honor to watch his son play hockey. I shook Lilja's father's hand and said we call him the Pain Train and he laughed. Franzen's dad looks a little like Homer so I thought it might be him but he wasn't, you might see the little resemblence. It was so nice and they were so nice all talking about their sons. Mr. Lidstrom is leaving to go back to Sweden on Friday.

Mr. McLennan told us about the father's dinner last night and how they played a joke on Jiri Hudler about the fact that Datsyuk wasn't going to go to the All Star game and he was going to go instead for him. The big joke was Hudler already has plans to go to Mexico and he was wondering how he could get out of the All Star game by faking an injury. The entire team at dinner congratulated him for the All Star Game and at the very end...he found out it was a joke LOL. And of course, Drapes was behind it!!

They all seemed to be having so much fun!

James Caan the actor was there of course because he and Chelios are very close and he attends every Red Wings Kings game out here in LA.

Here's Pavel Signing some autographs:

Here's ELN and Pavel

Proud Papa's at the bus

Me and our Captain

Boys and their dad's...homer was hungry - one of the chefs there hand delivered him food.

Lilja signing autographs

Maltby and Cleary

Me and Danny

Me and Maltby

Me and Drapes

Babz giving back a pen and signing EastLansingNative's hat

Pavel signing autographs

Draper signing EastLansingNative's hat

Dom signing ELN's hat (also Dom told ELN that he "need a better pen" LOL

Edited January 21, 2008 by VladyIBELIEVE16

[VladyIBELIEVE16 257]

Are they practicing Wednesday?

Their practice is probably held at the Ponda on Wednesday and will be a closed practice as all the Ponda practice's are closed to the public.

[wingslogo19 281]

Vladdy that's amazing, and im so jealous of you .. seem like you had a great time. Thanks for posting this

[EastLansingNative 1]

This was SOOOO much fun!

I have the best girlfriend ever!

[puckloo39 5,686]

This was SOOOO much fun!

I have the best girlfriend ever!

you sure do!!

OMG, how fun and how happy we all are for you guys. I would absolutely love to have such an opportunity. Lucky, lucky, lucky ELN and VIB16!!!!

Mule's daddy is so cute in his shorts and all. Wonder if he knows we call him Mule?

You can sure see what Captain Nick is going to look like in later years. His dad sounds wonderful, BTW, how nice you got to chat with them all.

Great pictures, thank you SO much for sharing, ya'll. Our Wings are THE best!!!

PS: there's Ozzie behind you and Lids, Vladdy. And yes, ELN, get a better pen. Too funny, Mr. Perfectionist Dom.

Edited January 21, 2008 by puckloo39

[alowicious 0]

Awesome ViB16! Those are great! Glad you guys got the opportunity to hang out with the dads and get autographs. Thanks for sharing!

[Booster313 138]

Nice post...thanks so much for sharing! Hockey players as athletes seem the best to me, always willing to spend a little time with the fans!

[VladyIBELIEVE16 257]

They are seriously the most humble of them all.

The guys autographed EVERYTHING (except Dats wouldn't autograph a stick - probably some contract he's got with a company).

I really enjoyed chatting with their dads and they were so proud it was GREAT!

[FUUFNF 1]

nice pics... i take it, no workie today?

[seeinred 1,488]

Damn I am so jealous. I used to go to Health South for drop-in sometimes when I went to USC. This almost makes me wish I hadn't transferred. Great pics though, thanks for sharing!

[VladyIBELIEVE16 257]

nice pics... i take it, no workie today?

I had the day off. It worked out so perfectly!!

[Kira 451]

Color me bright green with envy. Those pics of Pasha are to die for.

I owe you big time for these. They're fantastic!

[FinRedWing 172]

I shook Lilja's father's hand and said we call him the Pain Train and he laughed.

Priceless!

[VladyIBELIEVE16 257]

Color me bright green with envy. Those pics of Pasha are to die for.

I owe you big time for these. They're fantastic!

He looked great out there on the ice!!

I kept waiting for him to ask me if he wanted me to pay him $5 for the picture which he said last time we saw him back in January of 2006!

I'm glad I am able to share them with you guys! Enjoy!!

[CAredwingsfan91 28]

dammit i knew i should have went!!!

[VladyIBELIEVE16 257]

dammit i knew i should have went!!!

It was the best time to get autographs and talk to the players. They didn't seem to be in too much of a hurry out here. Their dads were soaking up the atmosphere etc.

I got my red wings personalized license plate all signed to maximum capacity!

It was cool because they signed both my license plate, ELN's hat or jersey and then did pictures!

It seriously rocked and I can't even tell you how exciting it was. I wish more people had shown up.

[rdwingguy 0]

damn i cant believe i missed this. i live like 40 min away but i will be going to the game

[Yzermania 156]

Alrite, finally back on here. I had a usernam before and couldn't remember it for the life of me...anyhow

Me, my girl, my lil' bro and my mom went down to healthsouth arena(i guess the toyota center nowadays) as well to watch the practice. It was easily the best experience with the wings I've had since I was 10 and got to go into the bar at the L.A. Forum and meet pretty much everyone including Stevy Y, Vladdy, Vernon, Fedorov, Coffey, etc. Anyhow, today was awesome, much more relaxed than it was when they were there last year and a barricade was set up from their exit to their bus so all that was possible was autographs over the railing, today, everything was wide open with the players walking out and talking to everybody and taking pictures, it was great. Anyhow, here are the pictures we got with the players.

Also, between last year's practice and this years practice I attended, I collected a good amount of signatures on my datsyuk jersey including: Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Hasek, Osgood, Draper, Maltby, Babcock, Holmstrom, Kronwall, Lilja, Filppula, Williams and Lang.

Edited January 22, 2008 by Yzermania

[puckloo39 5,686]

Alrite, finally back on here. I had a usernam before and couldn't remember it for the life of me...anyhow

Me, my girl, my lil' bro and my mom went down to healthsouth arena(i guess the toyota center nowadays) as well to watch the practice. It was easily the best experience with the wings I've had since I was 10 and got to go into the bar at the L.A. Forum and meet pretty much everyone including Stevy Y, Vladdy, Vernon, Fedorov, Coffey, etc. Anyhow, today was awesome, much more relaxed than it was when they were there last year and a barricade was set up from their exit to their bus so all that was possible was autographs over the railing, today, everything was wide open with the players walking out and talking to everybody and taking pictures, it was great. Anyhow, here are the pictures we got with the players.

Great pics, thanks so much for sharing. It's a real experience to get to see the guys and talk to them, huh? Glad you had fun today!

[vladdy16 2,154]

Damn, I thought I was jealous when I got your text saying you went and met the guys. The autographs and the photos just pushed me over the edge! Lucky, lucky you. Congrats to you guys! See, representing in enemy territory has it's perks.

[Elshupacabra 0]

Awesome pics guys!

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

And I had to f**king work today and I have to come home to find out this s**t?

/end extreme overreaction

That's all right, I like my job and had a good day today despite it being a holiday for many.

Excellent pics all!