Snow bunnies
Autumn means it's time for leaves to turn color and pucks to drop. For us Los Angeles Kings fans, that means looking forward to a decent start and an inevitable collapse--most likely after the holidays. But this season brings a new GM, coach, and players, and at the moment the L.A. team is tied for first with the heavily favored rivals, the (no longer Mighty but admittedly mighty) Ducks.
One of the more interesting players who's been in camp is Yutaka Fukufuji. Drafted in the eighth round in 2004, the goalie from Japan has been posting strong numbers in the ECHL and AHL. In Japan, he played for the national team as well as the Kokudo Bunnies! That has got to be one of the best sports mascots ever. I would do almost anything for a Bunnies jersey. Unfortunately, the team has merged with Seibu, and has become the Lions. Having Kimba as a mascot ain't bad, either.
It's pretty rare for a sports team to have not one but two cool mascots. I'm not talking about the "realistic" ones like Cardinals, Blackhawks, or Raiders, but cartoony ones. Yes, there are some decent college characters--the Jayhawks and Orangemen come to mind--but you have to admit that most of the pros are pretty lame. The Raptors are childish and the Cleveland Indians are just offensive. What's up with that?
But back to Fukufuji, we probably won't see him in the NHL for a while. The Kings has signed Cloutier from Vancouver, pushing the Japanese goaltender further down the depth chart.
One of the more interesting players who's been in camp is Yutaka Fukufuji. Drafted in the eighth round in 2004, the goalie from Japan has been posting strong numbers in the ECHL and AHL. In Japan, he played for the national team as well as the Kokudo Bunnies! That has got to be one of the best sports mascots ever. I would do almost anything for a Bunnies jersey. Unfortunately, the team has merged with Seibu, and has become the Lions. Having Kimba as a mascot ain't bad, either.
It's pretty rare for a sports team to have not one but two cool mascots. I'm not talking about the "realistic" ones like Cardinals, Blackhawks, or Raiders, but cartoony ones. Yes, there are some decent college characters--the Jayhawks and Orangemen come to mind--but you have to admit that most of the pros are pretty lame. The Raptors are childish and the Cleveland Indians are just offensive. What's up with that?
But back to Fukufuji, we probably won't see him in the NHL for a while. The Kings has signed Cloutier from Vancouver, pushing the Japanese goaltender further down the depth chart.
posted by gr at
11:15 AM
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