What's with the "giving players hamster names" obsession?

[Alextricity 5]

Maybe "hamster names" doesn't work for you. Fine.. bedroom nicknames? If this forum isn't a good enough example, maybe the comments on this article are (http://www.wingingitinmotown.com/2015/3/3/8139429/nhl-trade-deadline-red-wings-new-lines-and-defense-pairings)

PULK. GLENNY. ZED. ABBY. HELMER. Z. GOOSE. RIGGY. Q. KRONNER. SMITTY.

Even Babcock isn't spared... Babs? What?

I'd like to not get insulted, but I know the insecurity and defensiveness gets the better of a lot of people. Adult responses only please, I'm genuinely curious. Thanks.

[Crashnburnluder 385]

I think it's just a hockey thing, nicknames are always present. In college I don't think there was a guy on the team that was actually called by his real name.

[rick zombo 3,739]

Man, we had a whole thing about this in some random thread a while back.

I'm with the OP on this one.

[kipwinger 8,496]

Depends on what the alternative is. I think I'd much rather hear those names than professional wrestler nicknames or nicknames that make a player sound like an American Gladiator.

Teemu "Lazer" Pulkkinin. No thanks.

Luke "The Glenemy" Glendening. Not a chance.

Brendan "Motor City" Smitty. Yes please.

[Son of a Wing 1,644]

Soooo you don't like posts like this then...lol It still hurts to read...

I hate Franzen anyway, and I especially hate him on the top line. Nyke should be there and that is where I am starting him.

Nyke - Dats - Z

Weiss - Leggy - Alfie

Fish - Tinky - Abby

Franzine - Barbie - Miller

(Andy - Ferraro - Dirty Harry)

Kronner - Big E

Smitty - UFA (Morris)

Diesel - UFA (Mitchell)

Laser

Ugh (Howard)

Vokoun

That's 24 players with Glenny and Jurx stating GR. Trading Kindl (no so) Fire and Almost Almqvist for a couple of picks. If you feel the pinch of a lower cap, then Andy can be packaged as well, or maybe sign bit cheaper D-man instead of one of Mitchell or Morris. Unless you'd want to roll the dice on Marchenko and only sign Morris.

This was a great rant...lol

Not only do I log onto LGW at least once per day and have never heard Callahan referred to as Dirty Harry, but LGW isn't meant to cater exclusively to hardcore forum posters. Nicknames are supposed to make it easier to discuss the team, not to prove how funny and clever you are. Making up nicknames that no one else uses is obnoxious and unnecessary. Watch...

It looks like Yellow Mustard is going to miss some time after catching that elbow last night against the Sabres. Its really bad timing too, because our defense already thin with Big Poppa out with a concussion and Bandit serving his 5 game suspension. I would say this forces us to call up someone from GR, most likely Billy the Kid or The Player Formerly Known As Steve. We might be in trouble on the back end until we get some regulars back, since this leaves the Boogeyman as our #1 defenseman. And you know what that means!!!!

Boogeyman - Hot Topic

Heebie Jeebies - Dances with Wolves

My Little Pony - Agent Orange

~&~ (The Player Formerly Known As Steve)

[rick zombo 3,739]

Boogeyman - Hot Topic

Heebie Jeebies - Dances with Wolves

My Little Pony - Agent Orange

~&~ (The Player Formerly Known As Steve)

Still top 5 best ever

[amato 3,210]

Agreed it's just a hockey thing. Mostly a teammate to teammate kind of thing.. People posting online hear short nicknames in interviews sometimes so they repeat them.

And, like all things on the internet, some people get carried away.

[55fan 5,133]

I find this hilarious since I name my hamsters after Red Wings.

Anyway, as previously stated, the players refer to each other by nicknames and we pick up on it.

Sometimes we make up our own, but usually it falls to whatever we hear them saying in interviews.

In some cases, it is easier and shorter. When a player is new, a difficult name can be tough to spell. Referring to a player as Abby can save time until people learn to spell Abdelkader. People still can't spell Valtteri Filppula, nor can half of them pronounce it. Val, on the other hand, requires no trips to the Wings' website.

Add in that Swedes usually double the S in names ending in "son" whereas other Scandinavians may not, and that some people of Swedish descent have eliminated the double S after living in the US for generations. It's nice to have a nickname so as not to have to go back and check.

If there is more than one player with the same name, it can avoid confusion, although we rarely have the trouble. Just throwing it out there.

Sometimes it's just to make typing easier. We all know to whom we're referring when we say Z, Q, XO, or E.

I think the first response had the correct answer: It's a hockey thing.

[number9 3,297]

I'm fine with Z, Dats, Abby, Babs etc. cause they're just shortened versions of players names.

It's when I see Godstrom, Diesel, X-cross, etc. that I get super annoyed.

Nicknames, like on an actual hockey team, are a community thing. Like goose is fine, cause it's widely accepted by pretty much all wings fans and everyone knows who ur talking about. It's posters who randomly come up with a name like diesel and then use it nonstop that's super annoying.

[55fan 5,133]

I'm fine with Z, Dats, Abby, Babs etc. cause they're just shortened versions of players names.

It's when I see Godstrom, Diesel, X-cross, etc. that I get super annoyed.

Nicknames, like on an actual hockey team, are a community thing. Like goose is fine, cause it's widely accepted by pretty much all wings fans and everyone knows who ur talking about. It's posters who randomly come up with a name like diesel and then use it nonstop that's super annoying.

Actually, we've had two guys on the Wings who had locker-room nicknames of "Diesel"- Homer and Aaron Downey.

The average fan knows that "Homer" refers to Tomas Holmstrom. That, in a nutshell, is when nicknames work.

Sometimes locker-room names are fine because they are well-known (Mule, Kronner, and the Professor come to mind), but when they're less well-known, they leave people wondering who Diesel and Bear are.

[number9 3,297]

Actually, we've had two guys on the Wings who had locker-room nicknames of "Diesel"- Homer and Aaron Downey.

The average fan knows that "Homer" refers to Tomas Holmstrom. That, in a nutshell, is when nicknames work.

Sometimes locker-room names are fine because they are well-known (Mule, Kronner, and the Professor come to mind), but when they're less well-known, they leave people wondering who Diesel and Bear are.

They were using it to refer to DeKeyser

[55fan 5,133]

They were using it to refer to DeKeyser

Really? I never knew DD was called Diesel.

or

Really? I never knew DeKe was called Diesel.

(Depending on your choice of nickname.)

[TheXym 2,606]

The rant about the player formerly known as Steve was the "JUCK F***ING POTT"!

Some nicknames work, and are a hockey thing. Others, not so much. Diesel for DeKeyser was a no go for me. If Pulkkinen scores, Pulkamania running wild works for me. for Ouellette, X-O Manowar was a thought, but it's too obscure a reference for most, and likely over the top anyway when XO was fine. Dirty Harry was OK with me since the Callahan reference is there, and Mitch can be gritty. As far as American Gladiators, I had to laugh, though it may be more Swedish Gladiators for the Wings. (Could be a photoshop there).

[kipwinger 8,496]

The best post ever belonged to T.Low, who wrote about why being married to his wife was better than being married to Elisha Cuthbert. It is my all time favorite post.

[TheXym 2,606]

The best post ever belonged to T.Low, who wrote about why being married to his wife was better than being married to Elisha Cuthbert. It is my all time favorite post.

That was gold, someone should resurrect it. Too ironic after the tweet on TSN about Lupul that caused a stir (but probably amused Sean Avery).

[kipwinger 8,496]

That was gold, someone should resurrect it. Too ironic after the tweet on TSN about Lupul that caused a stir (but probably amused Sean Avery).

Here you go...

Au contraire , mon ami: I've got Jen Murphy, known across our hockey league as The Jenerator. As a defensive pairing, our goalie once informed us that we'd gone 11 games in a row without getting scored upon. Murph is a Class IV white water kayaker. An excellent mountain biker. Restored her own 63 Volvo. Dabbles in triathlons. Is too smart to ever go out with Avery or Phanuef. And most relevantly, is a huge Red Wing fan.

Cuthbert would be fun for a long weekend, but as far as a lifetime goes, I've got the trump card.

[jimmyemeryhunter 2,747]

That's beautiful.

[derblaueClaus 1,668]

Still top 5 best ever

I disagree, these guys lack truculence without Yellow Mustard.

BTW : +2 for 'Motor City Smitty'.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

I played hockey and we had last names on our jerseys. So what we would do is give each other nicknames so you wouldn't yell your last name on the ice. Other teams would try to yell your last name and get you to pass it to them and cause turnovers.

[TheXym 2,606]

+19 for "Motor City" Smitty.

[matt198913 932]

Played for 15 years, name was usually Mac or Matty

[jimmyemeryhunter 2,747]

I was cap, then after I switched teams I wasn't a captain and everyone called me juicebox.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

I was GT for gametime (practices are overrated).

[jimmyemeryhunter 2,747]

I was GT for gametime (practices are overrated).

Practice, you're talking about practice?

[TheXym 2,606]

I was Zim for fairly obvious reasons.