Ice-Cold Takes Summer Tournament Round 2: Good hockey dogs vs. dryland training

Ice-Cold takes is a weekly humor column covering what is trending around the NHL. This week includes dogs, kids and fighting. All unrelated, of course.

Last week, golf swung its way into the first spot in the Ice-Cold Takes Summer Tournament by narrowly eliminating Fortnite in a barn burner of a semi-final match-up. This week, another close round of NHL trend battles between two favorites is once again sure to alienate half the fan base.

We have two big-ticket items on the agenda today before we get into the tournament. First, it was Sidney Crosby’s birthday yesterday. If you are in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, today, step outside your house and yell “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SID,” and he’ll probably hear you.

Second, it’s August, and we’re starting to get that NHL hockey itch. While we’re analyzing the 2018-19 season, going over our team’s lines and guessing who will be the breakout stars, Ryan Kessler just wants to fight Ryan Johansen.

That’s right. Ryan Kesler, two months away from puck drop, is already thinking about kicking Ryan Johansen’s ass. As you all know by now, the two don’t like each other. Here’s the tweet sent out by Kesler on Sunday:

It starts out lovely. Kesler seems genuinely interested in how Johansen’s training is going, then follows it by saying he wants to fight him as soon as possible. Johansen’s response was also heartfelt:

Parking is expensive these days! These two best buds play each other on Nov. 8. Be sure to mark that one in the calendar.

Now that we’ve covered everything important in the NHL this week, let’s get down to business.

Dryland training

The party is officially over. No more Stanley Cup stands, Cup caviar or sleeping with the trophy. The king of Russia, Alex Ovechkin, has returned to working out for the 2018-19 NHL season and it looks as though all of the partying hasn’t slowed him down one bit.

Anyone who has ever done a core exercise might be able to tell you how badly that first exercise would hurt. Not me. I skip core day.

Not to be outdone, this small child doesn’t have to worry about championship hangovers (yet) and is an absolute beast in the gym, despite being only about eight years old. The more you watch this clip, the more difficult it seems

While these two are working hard, some prefer to enjoy what’s left of the summer before working toward the next season. Obviously their mind is still on the game though. Call this one mental dryland training.

Good Dogs!

Coming off a dominant Round 1 victory, good hockey dogs look to make it two in a row in their quest for the tournament championship. It’s clear that they came prepared today. Flames centerman Alan Quine’s dog is a better defender than Jake Gardiner.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Blo9rbFn61k/

I began writing this tournament knowing full well that if I included dogs, I’d have a mutiny to deal with if they ever lost a round. Devante Smith-Pelly’s “pup in the Cup” picture solidifies their greatness (let’s not forget who did it first, though).

https://twitter.com/jbillinson/status/1026607098325622784

As long as there is NHL hockey, there will be dogs in hockey jerseys, playing hockey and/or enjoying their time in or around the Stanley Cup. This makes good dogs a powerhouse hockey trend and if you don’t like it, you’re a monster (or a cat).

Winner: Good hockey dogs

The New York Rangers are training our best friends to make a difference. Ranger is training with the Rangers organization and BluePath to become an autism service dog. The dogs are trained to provide safety, comfort and companionship to children suffering from autism. A great initiative for Ranger and the New York Rangers to get involved with.

Hockey dogs take the day and move on to the Ice-Cold Takes Summer Tournament final, where they square-off against golf for hockey summer NHL trend supremacy. It’s a battle for the ages that you won’t want to miss!

Until then, keep your head up!