Good evening, hockey hounds and puck bunnies everywhere! Welcome to the Seattle Center, and the infamous Key Arena (which will forever be known as the Coliseum to yours truly...), home to Seattle's Western Hockey League team, the Thunderbirds! Now, I have to admit I've been a T-Birds fan for many a moon - heck, I still wear my old leather Thunderbirds jacket with pride, 10 years later, even though I'm now 1,800 miles away from Home Ice... So when the beans had a chance to stand at center ice and salute this team, I was more than happy to see them go.

The Thunderbirds actually started out years ago as the Seattle Breakers, who before that were known as the Kamloops, B.C. Chiefs. The team changed their name to Thunderbirds prior to the 1985-86 season, when the team was purchased. Pictured here are two of the coolest hockey players around (the beans will always suck up to those who pose with them...). -- On your left, meet left wing Mitch Boulet (#24), and center Danny LaPointe (#12). This is the first year in Seattle for both Mitch and Danny, and the beans wish them all the success and tons of body checks of Winterhawks into the boards! Heh, heh, hockey rocks...

The cool thing about WHL hockey is that (most of) the players are still playing for the love of the game, and not for the love of a potential shoe contract. The player's range from 16-19 years old, with up to 3 "over-agers" (20 year olds - wow, makes you feel old to know that 20 is "over age", huh?) on the roster. Players from the junior leagues are eligible for the annual NHL draft, where some have gone on to become superstars. Other players eventually play for minor league professional or college teams. Pictured with the beans is Brandon Heathrington, the T-Bird's newest goaltender. Now, the beans would like to play hockey, but the thought of standing in front of a little net while 10 guys with sharp blades strapped to their feet come skating towards you at top speed makes them a little nervous, so I guess Brandon won't have to worry about any competition from our 15-ounce canned legumes any time soon...

Some fairly famous NHL names have once been associated with the Thunderbirds, including: Ryan Walter, who played for the Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, and Vancouver Canucks. Tim Hunter, who was a defenseman for the Calgary Flames and Canucks. Petr Nedved, who now plays for the NY Rangers. Jamie Huscroft, a killer tough defenseman for several teams. Chris Osgood, the goaltender who helped the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in 1998. Chris is now with the NY Islanders. Patrick Marleau, now with the San Jose Sharks. Mark Parrish, with the NY Islanders. Barry Melrose, who coached the T-Birds in the 1988-89 season, then went on to coach Wayne Gretzky and the L.A. Kings. Barry now hangs out on ESPN2's "NHL 2 Night". The next T-Bird / NHL superstar is sure to be goaltender Nick Pannoni, who was a 6th round draft choice of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2001 NHL Draft. The beans congratulate Nick, and hope that he remembers who his vegetable friends are when he's carrying the Stanley Cup around one day soon...

Special thanks again to Mitch, Danny, Brandon, and Nick for posing with the beans!!!