Julianne Hough is Engaged to Hockey Stud Brooks Laich

Photo: Brooks Laich Instagram

Well, we know that Julianne Hough is shining bright like a diamond right now! I mean, HELLOOOO, she just got engaged to a bangin’ pro hockey player!

 Sorry boys, she’s officially off the market for good, and has been taken by one truly swift gentleman.

The little blonde bombshell recently just got engaged to the NHL Washington Capitals hockey player, Brooks Laich! Laich worked with Lorraine Schwartz for months on designing the custom ring that would perfectly suit Hough. Lorraine Schwartz? Custom ring? But WEIGHT, there’s more…..

IT’S OVER 6 CARATS! 

The couple both posted the exciting news on August 18th on Hough’s Instagram with the caption:

• juleshoughWe are overwhelmed with joy and excitement to share with you our recent engagement! #fiancé #love

And then this presh photo a couple days later on her Instagram with the caption:

• juleshoughWhat a week it’s been! I’m just so happy and feeling so loved from all of you, and wanted to give you a quick update on everything. I can’t wait to share our wedding planning adventures with you over the next few months — you guys always give the best advice! Check my post today and stay tuned! juliannehough.com (link in profile)

The two of them have been together since February of 2014 and we couldn’t be more excited for them!

CONGRATS TO THE LUCKY COUPLE and that boss a$$ ring.

Feel free to invite TCD to the wedding, we’d love to cover it… 😉

XOXO,

-Hailey

The Name of the Game is the Hall of Fame- Seven Inducted to NHL HOF

“Standing in the Hall of Fame, and the world’s gonna know your name.”

– “Hall of Fame” by The Script.

Seven new NHL players will be standing in the Hall of Fame, and if you didn’t know their names before, you will now. They will be honored at an enshrinement ceremony on November 9th in Toronto.

The 2015 HOF inductees include:

SERGEI FEDOROV

During the 1900’s – 2000’s, Fedorov was considered to be one of the best hockey players in the world. He spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Red Wings where he was a three-time Stanley Cup Champion. He had small stints with the Ducks, Blue Jackets and Capitals. In 1994, he won the Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP of the season). In 1,248 games he scored 483 goals.

Three must be his lucky number because he is a three-time Olympian as well. Fedorov is considered one of the best playoff performers in history.

Fun fact: He was married to Anna Kournikova for two years.

PHIL HOUSLEY

I don’t think Housley ever wanted to stop playing hockey! Or at least play until he won a Stanley Cup. He has played more NHL games without winning the Cup than any other NHL player in history (23 seasons and 1,495 games). He made one Cup appearance with the Capitals, but the Capitals were swept by the Detroit Red Wings. Bummer.

Housley is the second leading scorer amongst U.S. born players with 1,232 goals. In 2007, he was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres HOF and he is currently an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators. Housley, you may not have won the Cup, but you’re going to the Hall of Fame! 

NICKLAS LIDSTROM

Nicklas Lidstrom aka “Mr. Perfect,” played 20 seasons in the NHL – all for the Detroit Red Wings. He is considered the greatest defenseman of all time. He has some awards to back that statement up.

He has four Stanley Cup wins, seven James Norris Memorial Trophies (awarded to the best defenceman), one Playoff MVP in 2002 and has played in 12 NHL All-Star games.

Basically he’s a boss.

Fun fact: Lidstrom and Fedorov played on the Red Wings together when they won the Stanley Cup in 2002.

CHRIS PRONGER

Well here is an interesting guy.

For starters, Pronger is not officially retired, he is under contract with the Arizona Coyotes. However, he has not played a game since 2011 due to concussions from hits. One hit was so bad he actually suffers from vision impairment. Yeah. He took a hockey stick straight to the eyeballs. YIKES.

Not to forget mentioning, Pronger is also known as one of the most dirty players. He was even suspended eight games for stomping on a players leg. Cough, BAD. Cough, ASS. What?! Hockey IS a contact sport, and isn’t that why we all love it?!

Pronger was awarded the MVP for the 1999-2000 season and has been to the Stanley Cup finals with the Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks and the Philadelphia Flyers. He won the Cup in 2007 with the Ducks. He also is a two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner.

ANGELA RUGGIERO

Yes, Angela. Yes, a FEMALE.

SHE is the fourth woman to be inducted to the HOF. She was a member of the United States Women’s National Hockey Team, where she won a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. Not to mention, she has three other Olympic medals.

Actually, she is one of five hockey players to compete in four Olympic games. You can also check her out on EA Sports NHL ‘13. You go girl!

BILL HAY

Bill Hay is being inducted in the NHL HOF under Builder.

“The Hall of Fame defines a Builder as an individual who has contributed to the development of the game of hockey, moving the game forward.” 

He played all eight seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. In 1960, he received the “Rookie of the Year” award and in 1961, he came back to Chicago and brought the city a Stanley Cup!

Fun Fact: He will be joining his dad, Charles Hay, in the HOF.

PETER KARMANOS JR.

Karmanos Jr. is the majority owner of the Carolina Hurricanes. He is being inducted in the NHL HOF under the category of Builder also. Karmanos has made an impact on the OHL, the ECHL and the NHL. He established the Compuware Youth Program in the 1970’s and boy did he build from that! From that program there has been 15 national Championships, 34 state Championships, 235 Division I scholarship hockey players and 14 NHL first round draft picks.

What an honor it is to be inducted into such an elite group of athletes and we’re happy to see  female made it into the bunch this year as well! Congratulations to all!

– Paige

Paulina Gretzky Is Still a Dime After Having a Baby

Photo: Paulina Gretzky Instagram

When you’re the daughter of a Hall of Fame hockey player nicknamed “The Great One” what choice do you really have but to have a smoking hot daughter.

As the great Nas once said…

“They say the coolest playas and foulest heartbreakers in the world, God gets us back, he makes us have precious little girls.”

Who can really speculate what Wayne Gretzky did during or after his professional career. But one thing’s for sure, no one can argue the fact that his daughter is a total babe! Even after having a kid!

Here’s another post baby photo for those of you who were not drooling already.

Photo: Paulina Gretzky Instagram

Paulina Gretzky is best known for her “modeling” work on Instagram mostly comprised of half-naked pictures. Check it out:

Instagram: @paulinagretzky

Photo: Sunkissed Traveler Instagram

And if that’s not enough, she has her “Fashion Fitness Travel Trends +More” on this account…

Travel Instagram: @sunkissedtraveler

She is married to golf’s “bad boy” Dustin Johnson and has improved her Instagram game to posting pictures of their first child along with bikini and fashion pics. She has done spreads for Maxim, Golfers Digest and Mikoh swimwear. As one U.S. citizen said on Barstool Sports…

“I would drag my balls through a mile of broken glass just to hear her fart through a walkie-talkie.”

😳

What a lovely image. Thanks for that.

But for real, keep up the good work Gretzky. Guys love you and betches want to be you.

– Morgan

 

 

Why People Who Hate Hockey Are the Same as People Who Hate Country Music

TCD girls killing it at Stagecoach! And yes, we all love hockey too!

So I have this theory.

Cowboy hats & cut off jeans… Because, STAGECOACH.

People who say that they “hate” hockey are the same as people who say that they “hate” country music. Want to know why? It’s as simple as this. Because they’ve never been to a live event.

TCD’s Hailey & Courtney at Stagecoach

Now country concerts are just God’s gift to this green earth.

Every person that has told me they hate country music has changed their mind when I bring them to (HA-LLE-LU-JAH, HA-LLE-LU-JAH) STAGECOACH: where the beer and the whiskey is ever-flowing and the jean cutoffs can’t get much shorter. The atmosphere is insane. Everyone is just happy to be there wearing a good ole’ pair of cowboy boots and a trusty cowboy hat. It really is a man’s paradise.

Stagecoach boys 😉

Oh, and ladies it’s not so bad for us either. Don’t get me started on those country boys.

And then there’s always the music. Such easy listening and could not scream #mericuh louder if it tried. Frankie Ballard’s song gives a pretty good image of it: “Country girls swayin’ to the song that’s plain’.”

TCD’s Hailey, Courtney & Briana at Stagecoach

Country music is about living in the moment and slowing down to enjoy the moments: back roads, cold beer, straight whiskey, mud on the tires, bikini tops and cut offs, the men who fight for our country, lifted trucks. I mean, isn’t that why we love this country?!

As for hockey games, yes, some would argue any sport is better to watch in person at the game than in front of your TV, but hockey is a WORLD’s difference in person. For starters, what other sport do the players get to brawl it out while the fans pound on the glass to cheer them on?

 

Hockey fans are the loudest and the rowdiest. No matter how many rows back they are. If you’re lucky and you’re at a real rivalry game, you’ll see the fans really get into it with each other; which is great because you’ll have just about every team fan in that place trying to back each other up.

TCD does hockey. Specifically, Courtney & Carly starting young!

It’s not like a baseball game where you feel the need to only yell and cheer if there is currently a chant going on, or that old guy in the American flag onesie sitting in front of you just started a chant. Everyone is always yelling and practically spilling their beers on each other, and that’s okay because you are all sharing in the beauty of the sport. So feel free to hoot and holler at anytime, because it’s not like the whole row in front of you will turn around and judge you.

Well, unless you yelled “TOEWS SUCKS” and you’re in Chi-Town, than you might have some problems from the 6’5 mountain of a man you just now noticed rocking the Toews jersey in front of you.

Parros being the “hockey player” that he is.

But hey, just because I’m a little blonde girl who may stand a full foot shorter than him doesn’t mean I’m going to stand down! I got a Parros jersey on my back. A true definition of “a hockey player.”

So I’m not going to stand down (even though my mother wishes I would), because where’s the fun in that?!

I’m the true definition of a hockey fan and so is this Toews fan. He would be disappointed if I stood down. We both might as well rip off our jerseys now if we decide to sit down and shut up. Because this is hockey, and if we’re going to rep true hockey players, we better hoot and holler like true hockey fans. And that my friends, is why people love going to live events. The atmosphere. And who makes the atmosphere? The fans.

TCD’s Paige & Courtney at Stagecoach

Events are what you make of them, so do it right. Be the loudest and the rowdiest of the crowd, and even if you’re not, you’re enjoying all the fans who are. Because they make it an event.

Call me crazy, but if you don’t like hockey or country music and you have actually been to an event, (aka you cannot enjoy a beer and some good entertainment) then I think it’s about time you jump ship and head on overseas to communist land, because clearly america just isn’t your cup of tea.

And that’s fine. Because at the end of the day, we TCD girls would rather be someone’s shot of whiskey than a plain, old cup of tea.

 

– Courtney

Because it’s the CUP! Stanley Cup Preview

You know how I know our editor loves me?

She asks me to write the piece for the Stanley Cup preview when my team just got brutally slain in Game 7 by the Blackhawks. But hey, we do it for the love of the game now don’t we…

The Tampa Bay Lightning are coming off a series win over the New York Rangers to clench their spot in the finals. They will face the Chicago Blackhawks in the battle for the Cup.

The trail for both teams to get to the finals has not been easy. In round one, the Lightning took down the Detroit Redwings in seven games, while the Blackhawks eliminated the Nashville Predators in six. In round two, the Lightning sent the Montreal Canadiens packing and the Hawks swept the Minnesota Wild. In round three, the Lightning shut out the Rangers in Game 7 to clench the series, while the Blackhawks came to Anaheim and sent us all home crying (and spewing expletives), while murdering us 5-2. This is the first time since 2000 that both conference finals needed a Game 7.

The goaltending will be the game changer, literally. The Blackhawks have one of the most experienced teams in the NHL and their goaltender Corey Crawford is in control. With a .919 save percentage in the playoffs, his goaltending is definitely better than adequate. He is expected to come out rested and ready after a star performance against the Ducks in Game 7. Ben Bishop, the goaltender for the Lightning is right around Crawford with a .920 save percentage in the playoffs this season. Although his save percentage practically mimics Crawford’s, Bishop has given up at least three goals or more in six playoff games. Scary, right?

The offenses of these two teams are immensely skilled while showing off their fancy footwork. In
other words, these guys are freaky fast on the ice. Captain Steven Stamkos one of the Lightning’s elite, has proven his strength leading the last 20 games with seven goals and 10 assists. Although his stats are impressive, he lacks in experience. This will be his first cup final.

Duncan Keith has been a standout for Blackhawks with two goals and 16 assists and he works hand in hand with captain Jonathan Toews who has nine goals and nine assists in the playoffs this season. Are you pucking serious, Toews? You’re a beast.

This series for the cup is stacked with talent, speed and sheer athleticism. Personally, due to experience, I’m putting my money on the Hawks and they’ll take it in six games. I don’t like you Chicago, but I have to respect your dynasty.

Here’s a schedule of the series:

Game 1: Wednesday 6/3 Chicago @ Tampa Bay 8 PM EST

Game 2: Saturday 6/6 Chicago @ Tampa Bay 7:15 PM EST

Game 3: Monday 6/8 Tampa Bay @ Chicago 8 PM EST

Game 4: Wednesday 6/10 Tampa Bay @ Chicago 8 PM EST

Game 5: Saturday 6/13 Chicago @ Tampa Bay 8 PM EST

Game 6: Monday 6/15 Tampa Bay @ Chicago 8 PM EST

Game 7: Wednesday 6/17 Chicago at Tampa Bay 8 PM EST

So fly Hawks fly?! Wait no, I just can’t. Looks like I’ll be drinking a lot of beers if I plan on rooting anybody on here. Cheers!

– Carly 

Best Towns for Sports in the United States

For starters, this is one of those articles that everyone will want to hate on when they realize their city was not included on such a prestigious list. However, if you want to play with the BIG dogs, you better be able to hang with the BIG dogs.

Thus, I give you the best towns for sports in the U.S.:

 

5. New York

Oh Jay Z, how much we love you. The lyrics “in New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothin’ you can’t do, now you’re in New York” perfectly explain what can be done in New York: Everything. If you are a big sports fan, New York is the ultimate place for you to live. They have every type of sports team, and have hosted some pretty big name games (ie Super Bowl XLVIII.) New York is absolutely a city to visit if you are wanting the full experience. Plus, New York has THE Yankees.

 

4. Boston

Boston is home to Fenway Park, which is another historical stadium that needs to be acknowledged (no wonder Elle and Emmett wanted to get married there.) Since the stadium has come under new ownership it is even more beautiful and breathtaking than ever. Boston is fortunate to be home to many sports teams as well, including football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. And I guess it should be acknowledged that since they won the most recent Super Bowl, the Patriots need to be celebrated and recognized for being a fabulous city for sports (even if they came home to minimal support.)

 

3. San Francisco Bay Area

Talk about an abundance of sports teams, the Bay Area has it all. They have anything from collegiate sports to professional, and basketball to baseball to football, and everything in between. Bleacher Report worded it perfectly when they said, “if you can’t find a team or sport to follow in the Bay Area, you’ve got a problem.” The great atmosphere along with the beautiful establishments, make for a great time to be had when attending any event. Plus, out of all these cities, the weather in California is hard to beat. We cannot go without saying that most stadiums are located within walking distance to an abundance of bars. And if that doesn’t make you happy, then I don’t know what will.

 

2. Chicago

Chicago hits almost every base when it comes to sports teams (see what I did there.) They have a basketball team, a football team, a hockey team, a soccer team, and two baseball teams! Of course we can’t go without mentioning Wrigley Field, which is one of the most historic baseball fields in the nation, even though the place probably resembles one of those grimy hole-in-the-wall bars you partied your way through college at. Another notable thing that make Chicago stand out from the crowd is their loyalty when it comes to their fans. According to a study done in 2013, the Bears have some of the most loyal fans in the nation. On another note, who doesn’t love visiting the bean!

 

1. Seattle

Aside from Pete Carrol’s foolish (sorry Pete, I STILL LOVE YOU) call to NOT hand the ball off to Marshawn Lynch during the last play of Super Bowl 49 (TO WIN THE FREAKIN’ GAME – sorry, still bitter,) Seattle obviously is the #1 best sports town in the United States, and not just because I am from there. Seattle has many things to offer the most avid sports fan: the Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Sonics (RIP), and the list goes on. While Seattle teams may not consistently rack up one championship after another, their fan base is as consistent as they come.  And can we talk for one second about how cute Russell Wilson is?!

– Alexa