Wednesday was America’s birthday.  Ryan being a member of Team USA and proud American, we’re pretty sure he threw a pretty raging bbq.

Sparklers. Potato Salad.  Inflatable Pool Beer Pong.  The whole nine yards.

Then on the same day, he signed a BIG FAT MONSTER 13 year, $98 million dollar contract with the Minnesota Wild.

AMERICA!  More sparklers.

But today is definitely the best day of Ryan Suter’s week.

It’s Friday and everyone loves Fridays.

But more importantly, Ryan becomes a member of a very elite fraternity of NHL players. We call it Phi Phi Phi.  You might know it as…

Foxy Friday.

However, the reasons above do not solely make one worth of this prestigious honor and induction in to Phi Phi Phi.  Ryan has several other qualities that make him a worthy Foxy Friday honoree.

• Hockey Pedigree.  Ryan is the son of Bob Suter, who was a member of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team that defeated the Russians in Lake Placid.  Everyone know how we feel about all things “Miracle” related. Also his uncle, Gary, is a NHL Hall of Famer and was the first American to win the Calder Trophy.
• Statistics.  The 2011-2012 season was Ryan’s career best.  79 games played, 7 goals, 39 assists, 45 points, and a + 15 rating.

• He’s #1.  Well, #7 actually.  Ryan was drafted seventh overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.  Also in his draft class – Marc-Andre Fleury, Mike Richards, Corey Perry, Jeff Carter, Eric Staal, and his new Wild teammate, Zach Parise

• Epic Bromance Potential.  Speaking of Zach…both signed identical contracts with the Wild on the same day!  Both from the Midwest (Zach is from Minnesota, Ryan from Wisconsin.)  Both played for Team USA.  Both drafted in 2003.  Both are adorable.  Forget Parise Watch.  We’re on Bromance Watch.

• Golden Boy.  Ryan has represented the US in ten international tournaments and has won 3 gold medals.  Unfortunately, he missed out on gold in the 2010 Olympics (one and only time I hated Canada) but we’re pretty sure he’ll get another shot in 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

• Military Might.  Ryan played at the Culver Military Academy where he scored 45 points in 26 games.  That’s an average of 1.7 points per game.  Also, he can iron creases in his pants so sharp, they’ll cut you.  (Full disclosure, it has been Fleet Week here in Boston.  Lots of men in uniform around here. Sensory/ovary overload.)
• Puppies. Cute boys + puppies = WUYS meltdown.

When you take all this into a count, it’s not hard to see why Ryan would get this week’s honor.  With in just a couple of days, he has become part of the THE biggest story in the off-season.

Personally, we’re dying to see what happens in Minnesota this season.

Will the Wild’s gamble pay off?

Will the team make the playoffs?

If they do, how far will they go?

Or will the liquidation of their piggy back be all for naught?

Check back with us in March…

Twitter was at Defcon One all day Tuesday and Wednesday.  That thing is worse than a middle school cafeteria for a gossipy game of telephone – and I enjoyed every second of it.  Camp Parise nearly caused a meltdown when they announced they would have an announcement, took ages to get it together, then said Zach was still thinking about it.

It was exactly like DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince singing about a girl who takes so long to get ready for a date that they miss the whole show.

But good for Zach, taking his time deciding which team to spend the rest of his life with.  Parise and Suter’s former teams (NJ and NASH) were in the running to re-sign, as well as other major contenders like Pittsburgh and Detroit.  Comparable offers were made, but both players chose Minnesota from a wide field.  Suter is from Wisconsin and his wife is from Minnesota.  Parise is a Minneapolis hometown hero – they should have a parade for his arrival.  The Wild have a great fan base, with 98.4% home attendance this year [link], despite missing the playoffs in eight of 11 seasons.  How excited are those fans now?

Suter brings the Wild 46 points, a top-notch blue line anchor and his guitar.  You know this guy is fun on the bus!  He knows all the words to your favorite song.

Parise notched 69 points and a Stanley Cup-final run last season.  We hope he packed a whole closet-full of snuggly sweatshirts.

Minnesota ranked #20 in total salaries last season, with over $8 million in cap space.  Currently they have just over $2 million left for next season.  The off-season frenzy turns now to other top available players like Rick Nash and Bobby Ryan.  A team looking to bump up their foxiness could do worse.

Of course Nash & Ryan are not UFAs.  Teams will have to give up big time assets to get them.  Especially Nash – at mid-season, the asking price was sky high.  Now that Parise is off the market, Nash’s value is looking very strong against the dollar. His contract goes through 2018 at $7.5 million and climbing.  Bobby Ryan is younger, cheaper and shorter-term at $5.5 million through 2015.

Plus, he really loves his cat.

Note to Rick Nash: Come to Pittsburgh! We didn’t get Zach, but you’re not our second choice. Well, maybe Crosby’s.  Either way, he needs a winger like he needs bigger pockets and we’re sick of hearing about it.  You can run people over before they get their hands on the Kid.  Imagine the scenario: Sid + Rick vs. Geno + James for which line can score more goals?!  I flail.  What about the Crosby, Stills & Nash jokes to be ruined by whoever gets that other wing?

Either of these guys to the Pens results in screaming that you’ll hear from your houses or cars.  What about the Caps?  They need to replace Semin!  They have money!  Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself.  One of these guys to the Flyers and Pam & Deb will never let us hear the end of it!  I just can’t help it if I want this on one of my teams:

And although I’m a little disappointed with all the nasty play and dirty hits and the lack of respect that some players *coughraffitorres* have shown for their fellow players, there is something about this time of year that makes my heart just fill up with joy and excitement.

I love that I acutally have the opportunity to watch teams that I otherwise never get to see.  Like the Nashville Predators, for instance.

For years, I’ve been indifferent to them.  I didn’t hate them, nor did I love them.  They were just there.  Existing in a Western Conference world that I just never visited.

I respect Barry Trotz and his loyalty immensely.  I give props to the organization being patient and slowly building an organization and a team that can compete with the big dogs of the NHL.  I makes me happy to see that the fans in Nashville have embraced this team and the sport of hockey.

The Preds have made the playoffs 7 out of their 13 years of exsitance and last year, they even won their 1st ever playoffs series, defeating the Anaheim Ducks in the first round.  Also that season, they had 16 regular season sell-outs and 6 sell-outs during the playoffs.

Well played, Music City.

We love hockey almost as much as we love country music!

Well, last night, I had the chance to watch the Preds take on the Wings in game 3 of their series.  Although the Preds are seeded #4 to the Wings’ #5, you know this is going to be a tough series, but I’m really liking the Preds chances in this one.

Pekka Rinne is a freak of nature a la Zdeno Chara and should not be as atlethic and quick as he is.

He is 6’5″!  He’s a goalie! It boggles the mind.

So very tall.

Martin Erat is playing well.  Paul Gaustad and David Legwand are well over 50% in face-off wins.  Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are doing a great job of shutting down Zetterberg, Datsyuk and all the other offensive talent that the Wings have.  They are arguably one of the best defensive pairings in the NHL.  (Chara & Seidenberg are the best.  Sorry, I’m biased)

They have some great young players, especially Gabriel Bourque, who scored this beaut last night.

KNEE DROP. SNIPE.

It also helps that the Predators have two Boston University Terriers on their roster – Brandon Yip and Foxy Friday honoree, Colin Wilson. As a tried and true Terrier, my blood runs scarlet and white and seeing two very talented former college players from my alma mater get the chance to play in the NHL makes me appreciate this team even more.

So for the remainder of their playoff run, I’ll be rooting for the blue and gold, much to Gator’s dismay.  She’s already mad at me because of the Bruins/Caps series and now this one, too.

What can I say?  I’m digging the Predators.

Perhaps I’ll have to invest in NHL Center Ice next year, after all….

No, no. Thank YOU.