Chirps from Center Ice

I figure since I have a blog now, why not have some fun with it?

Hockey players have nicknames. If you were with me back when I live-tweeted the Booster Club Awards Ceremony back in the Spring, you know that the guys on the team have nicknames. For example, Nick Johnson – WBS forward, was given the nickname “lunchie” because he was always out to lunch. Then Pens Defenseman Chris Lee was aptly named “Bruce Lee” after the kung-fu movie star.

A lot of the blog visitors are familiar with Eric Tangradi and know that his nickname as “The Big Dog”. What you may not know, is that the team called him “Super Rook” because he always had his own seat on the bus when they traveled.

I’d like to try to replicate the same thing here on the blog and on the Twitter feed. So I am looking for ideas on nicknames for some of the guys who will be doing time in Wilkes-Barre / Scranton this year.

Here’s is what I have so far, and this is just off the top of my head:

Eric Tangradi: (The) Big Dog
Casey Pierro-Zabotel: CPZ
Keven Veilleux: Beast Mode*
Zach Sill: Kevin Bacon*
Brad Thiessen: Chicken** (People who don’t know how to say the name say “Tyson” like the chicken)
Joe Vitale: Nice Teeth^
Mark Letestu: Frodo / Tubes^
Brett Sterling: The Ticket***
Brian Strait: Steak** (he looks at you like he is a piece of meat)
Tim Wallace: Chuck** (as tough as Chuck Norris)
Simon Despres: The Big Horse – I have never seen Despres in person, but credit Jamie Tozer for tweeting this to me.

This is a very early list, as I’d like to get nicknames up for just about everyone. I do plan on coming back and editing the list. I will even credit you if you came up with it.

Go ahead and leave a comment in the comment section for the rest of the guys you don’t see listed, or if you have a better name for one listed, leave it there as well.

* = credit @EricP55
** = credit Siena Slusser and her friend Tiffany for coming up with this one
*** = This one is all me. Figure Brett is the biggest free agent signing in WBS history, so you’re gonna want a “ticket” to see him right?
^ = credit Nicole Tracey from Pens Universe for this one.