The Hockey Stop

Most hockey fans remember goalie Mike Richter leading the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup in 1994.

It was the Blueshirts' first championship since 1940 and happened in a thrilling Game 7 victory at Madison Square Garden over the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3-2 to send Gotham into a frenzy.

But not many know about the Hall of Fame netminder's off-ice heroics of late. Richter is committed to a much tougher task than stopping pucks -- he is speaking out about fighting climate change and his target is the tar sands of Canada.

The Abingdon, Pa., native and father of three sons recently teamed with the Sierra Club to advocate for a clean energy economy in America and he also wrote an op-ed against a proposed Canada-to-USA dirty oil pipeline that ran in newspapers in the United States and Canada.

In the op-ed he points out the inconvenient truth of the Athabasca Oil Sands and the devastation they cause the environment (including the threat of killing as many as 166 million migratory birds over the next five decades, one of which is seen below):

"The Canadian province of Alberta is home to a form of oil that is considered the dirtiest on earth. It's called the oil sands, and each barrel creates three times the global-warming pollution of conventional oil. That's a staggering amount of carbon," writes Richter.

And in his letter to Sierra Club supporters he says the following:

"I'm calling my senators because I want my three sons to benefit from a lifetime of winter sports, to graduate in a country that continues to be a world leader in industry and innovation, especially when it comes to clean energy, and to protect them from the reliance on foreign oil that threatens our national security."

But is it too late to stop the dirtiest oil on the planet from crossing the border into America? Perhaps. From Wikipedia:

"On August 20, 2009, the U.S. State Department issued a presidential permit for an Alberta Clipper Pipeline that will run from Hardisty, Alberta to Superior, Wisconsin. The pipeline will be capable of carrying up to 450,000 barrels of crude oil a day from the Athabasca Oil Sands to U.S. refineries."

I checked the State Department website and in the press release of the Alberta Clipper Pipeline permit it includes the strikingly contradictory statements that greenhouse gas emissions were taken into account and that the United States is committed to reducing carbon emissions and reducing dependence on oil.

Huh? Then why start pumping the filthiest fossil fuel on the planet into Wisconsin. Doesn't make sense. If this is the idea of addressing climate change than I agree with Richter and suggest scrapping this pipeline. But I'll let Richter speak for himself:

"We can't seriously combat global warming while getting fuel from the world's dirtiest source. If we allow Canada's oil sands project to creep across our border, it will lock our nation into dependence on yet another foreign source of oil, just as our local clean-energy industry is beginning to thrive.

Right now, we are poised to become a leader in the global clean-energy economy. By taking the steps to ensure that we are the leader of the next industrial revolution, we can reignite our economy, bolster national security and improve the health of our people.

One of the most important things we can do to demonstrate that leadership is to say no to Canada's oil sands. For now, the decision rests with the Obama administration. By denying permits for pipelines and refineries in the United States, President Obama can signal to the world that we are serious about fighting climate change and helping American clean-energy technologies thrive.

If he does, we just might be able to save the winter games we love -- and set a new course for the nation we cherish."

Thanks, Mike Richter, for doing what's right and taking a stand on this important issue. While he is busy as a founding partner in the private equity firm Environmental Capital Partners and was considering running for U.S. Congress under Connecticut's 4th congressional district in 2008, my hope is that Richter brings his message to Washington. President Obama and Congress need to hear from a hero like Richter.

1. NO GUNS IN HOCKEY



A hockey player would never store unloaded guns in his locker room and then lay them out Wild West style to intimidate a teammate over a gambling dispute like Washington Wizards player Gilbert Arenas did.

And a hockey player would absolutely under no circumstances dishonor the legacy of a beloved recently deceased owner such as Abe Pollin, who changed the name Bullets to Wizards because of gun violence.

And a hockey player would never bring guns to an arena like the Verizon Center in a city like Washington, D.C. where young black men have tragically been killing other young black men with guns at an alarming rate for way too long.

Sure, NHL players from places like Saskatoon participate in redneck activities like hunting Moose in the offseason, but their rifles are thankfully far from civilization.

2. HOCKEY PLAYERS ARE GREEN



NHL athletes get it when it comes to urgent environmental issues, as these two recent examples demonstrate.

Anaheim Ducks star Scott Niedermayer publicly announced his ownership of a Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle. He will drive this zero emissions vehicle from his home in southern Orange County to the Honda Center. From the Ducks blog on the Orange County Register website:

“It’s something that’s important to me - being responsible as far as how we treat the environment,” Niedermayer said. “It provides everything we need to survive here. We should show a little responsibility and turn back to the planet. I’ve always considered that. I grew up in a beautiful part of the world (Cranbrook, British Columbia) where you’re able to drink from the streams … It’s just a passion, something that I feel is important.”

Former Rangers goaltender Mike Richter and other NHL reps and environmental experts participated in a panel discussion at Fenway Park prior to the Winter Classic game titled "Sustainable Success: A Discussion on Business and the Environment."

The panel was moderated by New York Times columnist David Brooks and the main topic of conversation centered around how professional sports can help be a part of the solution to the climate crisis. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman made perhaps the most obvious but overlooked point:

"We as a League, well, we worry about the ice melting perhaps more than any other sport," said Bettman.

3. THE NHL WOULDN'T NIX 'HAWKS-BEARS PARTNERSHIP



A marketing deal between the Chicago Blackhawks and Bears sounds like a win-win right? Well, not according to the NFL.

The partnership would have included ads featuring players from both teams explaining their respective sports to each other. But those TV commercials will never air because the stooges at the NFL are citing an archaic rule to justify nixing the deal. From the Chicago Tribune:

"The NFL prohibits use of team marks and logos in connection with the promotion of other sports except by a three-quarters vote of the league's 32 clubs, according to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello."

This might be the dumbest rule in all of professional sports.

It would be in the NFL's best interest to allow the Bears to ride the coattails of the hottest team in Chitown, because it certainly isn't the playoff-missing Bears. The most coveted ticket in town right now is a seat at the United Center for a 'Hawks game.

Are you listening NFL?

Chicago's hockey team is better than its football team. Sort of like what is going on in our nation's capital with the Capitals and Redskins.

The NFL should reverse this rule so Patrick Kane can help sell some tickets to Soldier Field.