I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, skating is awesome! If you know how, go. If you don’t, learn.

In my last blog I talked about some cool hockey-themed gift ideas and activities for Valentine’s Day. Well, for you movie-lovers who would prefer to stay home with your sweetheart rather than deal with the hustle and bustle of going out, here’s a list of some great hockey movies you can cuddle up and enjoy! Miracle - The moving true story about the 1980 U.S.

As you know, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. You’re probably thinking, “Yeah, so what’s that got to do with hockey?” Well, nothing really. Except that you’re likely trying to come up with a good gift idea, right?

Picture this. You’re sitting in the bleachers on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. You’re surrounded by fellow parents who are enjoying the echoes of sticks crackling and skates scraping as you all watch your children having a blast playing a weekend hockey game together.

Youth hockey is wonderful. The fun, exercise, healthy competition, enjoyment of team play and camaraderie...there’s so much for these kids to love! Of course, it can be just as rewarding for the parents as well.

Let’s face it, ice hockey probably isn’t as popular as football, baseball or basketball. If you were to ask the average American what “checking,” “icing,” or a “power play” was, they’d probably look at you like you had three heads. In all my years as a hockey enthusiast, I’ve often asked non-hockey fans why they don’t like the game.

Ice hockey equipment is traditionally well-built, strong and durable. But to keep it that way, you MUST take care of it. Not properly caring for your gear will contribute to its early demise.

Now that your child is all geared up for some hockey, it’s time to put a stick in his hand! Back in the early days, sticks were really nothing more than the piece of wood you whack the puck with. But over the years, the quest to make sticks stronger, lighter and more durable has helped develop the world of hockey into an extremely diverse one.

Now that you know how to find, fit, and sharpen your skates, it’s time to assemble the rest of your equipment. Being new to hockey, you may look at a player and feel somewhat intimidated by what’s exactly going on under the jersey. Not to fear though.

Lookin’ Sharp Okay parents, let’s talk about the inevitable...falling. Falling on the ice is going to happen. A lot.

For the second part of our new “Beginners” series, we’re going to discuss purchasing your child’s first pair of skates. Why? Two reasons.

Well, I hope you’ve missed me as much as I’ve missed you. I’m Hockey Rob and I’m back for another round of hockey blogs. This session we’re bringing you a “Beginners” series which will focus on familiarizing parents and their young players-to-be of the ins, outs, dos, don’ts, rights, wrongs, and more surrounding the wonderful world of youth hockey.

Howdy folks! It’s nice to be back. My next blog session actually won’t begin for a few more weeks yet.

While you wouldn’t know it by the record high temperatures sweeping the nation, summer is actually on its way out. The days are getting shorter, August is nearly here, and my current hockey season is coming to a close. With three months of hockey blogs in the books, I thought this might be a good time for a quick recap of what we’ve covered this season.

In the 2004 Disney film, “Miracle”, Herb Brooks tells the USA hockey team, “the legs feed the wolf,” when explaining the importance of being properly trained and conditioned. Stick handling, puck handling, strategy - all of these are important aspects of successful hockey play. But without skating, none of them matter.

Ice skating is awesome. Whether you’re a newbie or an old pro, it’s a great way to spend your spare time, get some exercise, and have fun. A few weeks ago, I blogged about attending public skating sessions as a way to work on your skating skills between games.

It's no secret devout ice hockey players swear ice is best, and hardcore roller hockey players say the same about their surface of choice. But which is actually better? Well, to know that you have to dig below the surface (pun intended).

In the winter, it’s pretty easy to find ice. Here in Maryland, shallow ponds for skating and stick work are easy to find. But what about in the summer time?

Buying new skates is great, isn’t it? Brand new, shiny, pristine blades with no dings, dents, or scuffs...awesome. Of course, all that new-ness comes with one drawback - stiffness.

Seventeen-year-old hockey players all over the country are psyched about turning 18 this summer. Why? Well, I can promise you it’s not because they want to vote.

In case you missed it, something unusual happened in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals last week. Near the end of the 1st period, Alex Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks and Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins locked horns following some aggressive late-period play. Hockey fans and players see this all the time.

Ain’t that the truth? I’m speaking completely literally, of course. Since the 1850s, players, coaches, and hockey moms everywhere have been trying to conquer the over-powering stench which inevitably infects hockey equipment.

Falling on ice is normal. Especially when it’s black ice in the driveway. Of course, I’m not really talking about that kind of ice.

If you haven’t already guessed, we lost our championship game this past week. This is the second season in a row we made it to the finals only to fall short in our quest for supremacy. When you lose, the inevitable question of “Why?” attacks your mind before the final buzzer has even finished reverberating off the walls.

“It gives all of us a chance to be together...good team play is very satisfying” - Charles M. Shulz (creator of “Peanuts”) speaking of his annual Snoopy Senior World Hockey Tournament. Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArXQnfGBG_E Hockey is the greatest sport ever.

As children, every day was gameday. Remember? We'd play with footballs, baseballs, basketballs, any ball we could get our hands on.

We at Rink Management Services Corporation want to extend a warm welcome to our new blogger Hockey Rob! Rob (as the general public calls him) hails from Baltimore, MD and plays ice hockey at the Reisterstown Sportsplex. When he's not on the ice, he makes his living as a multimedia specialist, producing, shooting and editing everything from sporting events to feature films.