Japanese Hockey photos

[dr4b]

Seibu Prince Rabbits vs. Nippon Paper Cranes, final game, March 23 2009

I really don't know much about hockey photos, and this was my first attempt at them, and I was doing this all with my slow-ass 70-300 lens at ISO 800 in an indoor hockey rink. But yeah, if you're curious what Japanese hockey looks like... these are from the last Seibu Prince Rabbits game ever played. They got beaten by the Kushiro Nippon Paper Cranes, in Game 7 of the Asia League finals. Next year their team won't exist because Seibu is folding them as part of the Tsutumi-exorcism. I have no clue what'll happen to the players. I'm unlikely to go to another hockey game in Japan unless it's in Hokkaido. Craziness.

This is the guy I decided was my favorite player on the Rabbits, the captain, Takahito Suzuki, who was basically fighting for his team to go out in a blaze of glory. He was awesome and I saw him score like 4 goals over two days. Or something like that.



They still lost 3-2 in the final game, to a standing room only crowd that packed the Higashi-Fushimi rink. I had a really good time. Simon wrote more about it.

Comments

[rjmccall.livejournal.com]

Your pictures look awesome.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

I love their sweaters! It's a shame the team is going away. :(

[radioclash22.livejournal.com]

Those are very, very nice pictures. With almost 90 shots on goal, that must have been an action-packed game.

[ohhim.livejournal.com]

Nothing screams rough, hard, and aggressive hockey action like a smiling pink & grey bunny rabbit on your chest.

[dr4b]

Hisashi Ishikawa, the Cranes' goalie, was a well-deserved MVP. That guy is a WALL. I have no clue what it says about relative defenses and offenses that the action was often on the Cranes' goal side of things and yet the Rabbits couldn't score...

[guitarcries.livejournal.com]

Ooh, he's cute!

[dr4b]

oh, there were much cuter players!
And would you believe most of the hockey guys are from Hokkaido? seriously, I don't think Hakodate has a team, but...

[guitarcries.livejournal.com]

I don't even know if Hakodate would have enough young men to even make a team. Hah! It doesn't surprise me too much since it seems like more of a winter sport.