The two things we can count on to bring people together are holidays and sports. Everyone likes a day off from work and when you couple that with a sporting event, you’re staring down at a pair of aces. For some families, watching sports can be a bonding experience while others use it as a diversion or escape from family issues. And, if you don’t have a fam, these sports will keep you company. Tri-State Sports Guys’ Mike D has 5 great marriages of holidays and sports – check ‘em out after the jump.

The NHL season kicked off last night – October 6th – and with it comes the beginning of a new era for the NEW Winnipeg Jets, who relocated from Atlanta where they were the Thrashers. Winnipeg’s one of 5 teams that doesn’t have a mascot (Stars, Oilers, Rangers, Flyers). We understand the appeal of a mascot, you need to something to balance out the titillation from the Ice Girls and it has to be kid-friendly. Got it. But, that doesn’t mean they have to be super lame. Here’s our list of the 8 lamest mascots currently sucking it up in the NHL. Vote for the lamest in our poll after the jump.

Seems like just yesterday the Bruins hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup above their heads as the entire city of Vancouver collectively lost their sh*t and rampaged. Well, the NHL 2011-12 season is upon us as the first puck is scheduled to drop October 6th at 7pm ET. Also scheduled to drop? Your jaw. Why? Ice Girls and their colossal cleavage. With the Atlanta Thrashers now the Winnipeg Jets we wonder if the Ice Girl tradition will continue. We certainly hope so. Check out all the ice-melting hotties in our gallery below then let us know which team’s got the best babes in our poll after the jump.

For years and years, video game developers have been churning out awesome hockey games. EA Sports has been the most consistent, dropping their always incredible NHL series every year, and never seeming to disappoint. Other developers have made successful games, too, but some have tried and failed miserably. Since not everyone is a hockey enthusiast, I have catered this list to include not just the best games, but the best games that appeal to even the average gamer. We’ve also pinpointed the worst games… so developers can learn from their mistakes. Check out our list after the jump.

The Western Conference Finals is history in the making, folks. Neither the San Jose Sharks nor Vancouver Canucks have EVER won the Stanley Cup. While the Canucks have never raised Lord Stanley’s hardware, the city of Vancouver has one Stanley Cup to its credit – the Vancouver Millionaires won it in 1915. While the NEW Ottawa Senators have never won the Stanley Cup, the city celebrated 11 Stanley Cups with the original Ottawa Senators in the 1920s. The Bay Area, on the other hand? Not so much. So, we decided to take a look at other cities that currently have a NHL franchise who’ve never touched the Cup. If you’re a fan of one of these teams, we salute your loyalty. Don’t forget to vote for the city you think will win its first Stanley Cup first at the bottom of the post.

When it comes to the overall design of their jerseys, hockey beats all other major sports leagues: they have the ability to make sweet jerseys featuring cool logos, and mascots on the front instead of the standard and mundane team or city name or just a boring old number. While some of these teams take full advantage of that and have awesome uniforms – such as the Chicago Blackhawks or the Buffalo Sabres – some have made jerseys so unsightly, even a homeless guy would be embarrassed to wear it. So take a look at this list of 5 NHL teams in need of new uniforms after the jump!

The Arena Football League (AFL) was founded in 1987 by a former executive of the United States Football League and the National Football League named Jim Foster. Large debts forced the league to suspend operations indefinitely in 2009. After some retooling, fans everywhere can experience the triumphant return of the league that gave us Kurt Warner tonight on the NFL Network. To honor its comeback, we take a look at other leagues that deserve another crack at entertaining the masses. See our picks after the jump!

There have been reports Mark Wahlberg has stated he wants to turn “The Fighter” into a trilogy. Is this the next Rocky franchise? Most likely not, since this one’s based on actual events, but one wonders if Mickey Ward’s story warrants three feature length films? Prior to The Fighter’s release, his name rang few bells, but judging by its critical and box office success, one has to take a look around at other sports figures to see who’s ripe for the Hollywood treatment. In April 2009, Bleacher Report published their list of athletes who deserve celluloid dedications, now we have our list. See our selections after the jump!

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Through the history of the NHL, there have been many so-called “goons” that specialize in protecting their team’s star players and possibly have little more value than their fighting ability.  That said, some of these players also have a decent overall skill set that is overshadowed by their pugnacity. With that in mind, here is our list of the NHL’s Most Badass Enforcers of All-Time.

The stereotype of the dumb athlete is as cliche today as “blacks love taffy” and “Eskimos own all Locksmith shops” were 20 years ago. And while we don’t know much about taffy (accept that it tastes awesome), we are reminded daily that extraordinary athletic ability is not often accompanied by an extraordinary mind. Yes, there are always exceptions to every rule, but these 12 pro athletes have gone out of their way to keep this stereotype alive. Here are the 12 Dumbest Convicted Pro Athletes.

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The NHL All-Star Game is back after a one year hiatus due to the 2010 Winter Olympics. It’ll take place Sunday, January 30th at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC, home to the Carolina Hurricanes. For the first time, the teams won’t represent conference or nationality, but instead will be drafted by two captains. Pretty cool. If you’re not an avid follower of the sport, you should know there are “cheerleaders” called “Ice Girls” and they’re just as hot as the NFL’s or NBA’s bouncin’ beauties. These chicks wear minimal clothing in cold temperatures, which means pokies aka fripples! These pics might melt your face and turn the game into a roller hockey contest. Mr. Freeze says chill out.

The mask goalies wear in hockey have come a long way. Hard to believe there was a time when they’d raw dog it in the net. Those dudes had serious balls taking rock hard pucks to the dome. While the masks of yesteryear were primitive, they were also pretty scary. Even Jason Voorhees is like, “Take it off, dude. You’re buggin’ me out.” So, with the NHL All-Star Weekend approaching, we decided to take a look at the most kick-ass, bad-ass masks in the sport. Try not to wet yourself. See the pics after the jump!

With video of Bart Scott’s emotional post-game interview spreading across the ‘net like whoa, we thought we’d take a look at some of the best postgame interviews ever uploaded. It’s important to note we didn’t include videos from press conferences. Players and coaches know what they’re stepping into when those happen. These post-game interviews feature players fresh off the court, the rink, or the field, often still in uniform, still out-of-breath, and still in the heat of the moment. That’s when you get the best emotion. We know you CAN’T WAIT! See the videos after the jump!