Hi and welcome to this years what not to buy guide. Last year I focused mainly on eBay (I would show you some stuff but its all on the “old” site, so I don’t have it to hand) And apologies for the long time since my last article, I am a university student aftr all, and sadly I have work to do.
So, on with the article we go.

Ok, your best mate is a hockey fan, or perhaps you’re the parent of an eager hockey enthusiast, and you’ve got absolutely no clue what to buy for Christmas. Well, this guide will suggest some things not to buy, and if you have them, well perhaps you should check to see if you have the receipt and head back to where you got it from, and don’t say we didn’t warn you.

1. Backyard Hockey DS

What is it: The first and (only) NHL game produced for the Nintendo DS.

Why should you not buy it: Its possibly the worst game for the DS. Well that’s unfair, because this is the console with a recipe book that somehow got classed as a game. But it is shockingly bad, with poor graphics, gameplay and worse still, stupid controls – It’s a classic case of a company trying to be smart with controls, and failing miserably.

Our Suck-o-Meter says: Epic Fail

2. Bobble head Sean Avery

What is it: A miniature figurine of the player Sean Avery, complete with a wobbling head

Why should you not buy it: It would most likely start insulting you, failing that, it could start a fight with any other bobble heads that you’ve collected through the past, knocking their blocks off in the process. If you think that’s a little unrealistic, what if the person twanged the head so much from frustration with hi lack luster performance on ice, the head broke off, and got swallowed by a small child? Still a good idea? No. Defiantly not. Case Closed.

Our Suck-o-Meter says: Wang-Tastic

3. Fake Ebay Hockey jersey

What is it: A shoddily sewn together “jersey” made in some guy from Alabama’s garage.

Why should you not buy it: Stop whining about the fact that the real things are so dammed expensive. Unless the person your buying the jersey for has no clue about hockey at all I am sure they will notice the odd colours, the hole forming in the back, from the stitching, the beer stain from the guy who made it in Alabama, and of course the over obvious fact its fake. Oh and if this doesn’t deter you, it could be flammable, or contain toxic materials…

Our Suck-o-Meter says: Like buying a Rick Astley CD

4. D3 Mighty Ducks

What is it: The final installment of sugar coated hockey pain from Disney

Why should you not buy it: Because it singe handedly destroys the meaning of hockey. Its not about having a good time, winning and perseverance. Its about blood, sweat and men with sticks hitting each other. Am I misguided or what?

Our Suck-o-Meter says: Disneyoriffic

5. Romford Raiders Season Ticket

What is it: A ticket that lets you see every Romford Raiders hockey game this season

Why should you not buy it: Because no person deserves to pay a lot of money to watch low quality hockey, especially if its in a rink that’s falling apart, filled with rather unpleasant fans and subjected a shitload advertising.

Our Suck-o-Meter says: Like being forced to watch a televised chess tournament

So there we go. Five presents not to buy a hockey fan. If you buy them anything from this list, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Until next time readers, please do enjoy hockey from a different angle.

Welcome to Hockey in real life - The section dedicated to helping you overcome real life problems and events while making sure you can remain a hockey fan.

The credit crunch.

The credit crunch seems to be the buzz word at the moment, and with the economy collapsing, the thoughts of recession looming many people are cutting back on their spending and for many people this will include things that they love, eg. Watching hockey.

We are here to help, and here’s our advice on how you can save money, yet still watch hockey live in person.

Search long and hard for cheaper tickets.
If you don’t own a season ticket, then you will often find the average ticket can cost from anything such as $20 and up, especially nearer, or on game day, and then worse still, you get royally screwed for booking fees, especially from companies like ticketmaster etc.
However. Websites such as stubhub.com offer tickets for prices as low as $5, and the costs are very low.
Stubhub guarantee all tickets, and lets face it, its better than that shady looking man who hangs around the parking lot in a long trench coat hawking dodgey tickets.

Sundays big game sold out? Don’t worry, you can still see hockey - Just look around for a smaller local team, or even a small college/university team. Heck, you might find that you even prefer going to their games instead, as they often seem more like hockey should be, with increased violence, shaky players and more than often, better seats. The merchandise is usually much cheaper too - Plus… No Gary Bettman!

No matter what you choose to do, be it last minute $9 Boston tickets, or a $1 Sunday League hockey game, or even a $9000 VIP suite, Enjoy the game.

I’m KevKev, for PowerPlayGoal.com