Nothing much changing...

The lockout continues...it's not looking promising, but I still have hope for a partial season.

José is still in Florida, practicing periodically with a group of about 10 players (some Panthers and some former Panthers.)

They typically practice on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but José doesn't go each day. The other two goalies that practice are Scott Clemmensen and Tomas Vokoun, and it seems they arrange for there to be no more than 2 goalies, so they can play a mini-game.

They are practicing at a different rink than Saveology, and it's more difficult to get photos. So Angi and Nelly haven't been able to take any for a bit.

And that's all I know. This lockout really stinks.

"Practice" photos from 11/7/12

Angi took a few photos at the November 17th informal practice. She apologized for the quality, because she said it's not the best place to take photos in, but I'm glad to see any photos!! Thanks, Angi!

José on September 30, 2012

On September 30, 2012 José participated in the Conine Poker Classic, a charity event that benefits the Conine Clubhouse at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood, FL.

He played poker, and it looks like he also contributed an autographed stick. I finally found these photos over the weekend.

 

And he's the one wearing glasses at the table.

José and Stephanie in Les Boys III

José and Stephanie made an appearance in the 2001 Quebecois movie, Les Boys III. The Les Boys series of movies told the story of an amateur/garage hockey team calling themselves Les Boys. José actually played himself in this nightclub scene from the 3rd installment.

I'm not great at recording videos from my laptop and editing yet, so it's not the best quality, but it's better than nothing for those of you who haven't seen it.

There are parts mixed in that aren't him, but it was easier for me to leave it all in rather than separating out the other parts.





Then here is his part in the "Making of Les Boys III" extra.




Translation:

First, Paul Houde, who plays Fern the goalie, is asked how José is doing. He says, “He’s learning, it’s exactly like his profession, you learn by playing with veterans.” ;o)

Then José is asked about acting and he says, “It’s my first time but I like it, it’s fun. When you make a mistake you can restart, but in hockey you can’t restart, you’re done.”

Then Paul/Fern talks about his tie: “This is a tie of a goalie with experience on the bottom, and here the white means shutout.”

Val says in French it’s called blanchissage (shutout), which has the root blanche, which means white, so because half his tie is white he makes that joke. 

Then after the clip from the movie, they come back to Paul, and he points out that José isn’t wearing a tie. He says “See, he’s not wearing a tie, the young ones no ties. Jacques Plante always wore a tie, Ken Dryden always wore a tie, but the young ones, this is how they dress.” (and José flourishes his outfit ;o)

Thanks, Val!

Comments from José Today at Practice

The few Panthers that are in Florida are still practicing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. But they aren't at Saveology anymore. They've moved their practices to Glacier Ice and Snow Arena in Pompano Beach, according to Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel and George Richards of the Miami Herald.

José was there today, along with Jovo, Weiss, Weaver, Upshall, and former Panthers Sturm and Devorak.

Harvey talked to José after practice, and here's the article:

In case you're thinking that zombie knocking at your door in Parkland asking for candy on Halloween looked a lot like Panthers out-of-work defenseman Ed Jovanovski, odds are it probably was.

A few doors away, a slightly built gentleman with a French accent, possibly wearing a goalie mask, was actually going as himself and not cinematic psycho killer Freddy Krueger.

(I think he meant Jason Voorhees.)

Veteran goalie Jose Theodore and several Panthers teammates who participated in a self-run practice Wednesday morning at Glacier Ice and Snow Arena are upset at the owners for locking them out during acrimonious negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.

However, they're trying to make the best of an exasperating situation.

"I will go trick-or-treating with my daughter, Romi [6],'' Theodore said, smiling. "I've been through [a lockout] before in 2004, so I know what to expect. I was in the cold weather of Montreal then, and now I'm here and am using it to make up spending time with my daughter, time that I missed over my career.

It could change very quickly. We need more cooperation from the owners. We're willing to talk, but it seems like they don't want to dance right now.''

Theodore was being rushed by Jovanovski, who was in a hurry to get to the golf course, where they've been making up for their missed paychecks by relieving their teammates of some green on the greens.

"We need to find a way to pay the bills,'' Theodore joked.

"They're like human ATM machines,'' Jovanovski cracked of his bogey-prone pals.

With games through November already wiped out and the owners threatening to cancel the popular Jan. 1 Winter Classic outdoor game at Michigan Stadium on Thursday, Jovanovski's expression changed.

"Anytime you have extra time with family is good, but we're creatures of habit and are used to coming to the rink every day,'' said Jovanovski, 36. "To have it taken away from us is very frustrating, but I'm optimistic it will work out.''

Panthers forward Scottie Upshall, who lives in Newport Beach, Calif., isn't interested in any more down time.

"There's no real positives to things you're able to do during this lockout,'' said Upshall, fully recovered from abdomen surgery that reduced his first season with the Panthers to 26 games.

"At the end of the day we're not going to be in the same situation we were the last couple of years, but we've got to find common ground, a line of reality where they can't have us overcompensating that much.''

Upshall, who rejoined his teammates for the first time Wednesday, has no interest in playing overseas like several of his teammates (Tomas Kopecky, Jack Skille, Mike Santorelli and Marcel Goc). Neither do Stephen Weiss nor Tomas Fleischmann, both regulars at the Pompano rink.

The fear of injury is there, particularly since Panthers forward Sean Bergenheim played just two games for his hometown team in Finland before re-aggravating a groin injury.

"I enjoy the family time,'' defenseman Mike Weaver said. "But the NHL needs to realize how much this is hurting the game and the bad taste it's leaving in people's mouths. Out of sight, out of mind.''

The lockout won't stop Weaver from escorting his candy-seeking son, Owen, 4, who will be dressed as a policeman.

Weaver will, no doubt, go as a prisoner of billionaire owners holding the key to his future.

Photos from José's Montreal Days

I want to say thank you to Marielle, fellow José fan from Montreal, for sharing her old photos of him. Many of these she scanned from old magazine and newspaper articles. Enjoy!