Maria's NHL Teams

This idea blossomed thanks to how much I hate the Nashville Predator's name. Why the predators? What does that even mean? So I suggested they should be called the Nashville Guitars. Now, obviously, it's an awful idea,  so I tried to come up with more! Then I thought, hey I'm horrible at drawing, I should draw their logos too! So here it is, my masterpiece of new NHL logos and names! 

Anaheim Disney

Nice and simple design. Hockey stick hidden in there, you can't even tell it's there!

Arizona Cactus

 It sort of looks like a dong.

Colorado Weed Leaves

I had to call them weed leaves because weeds sounds like the stuff in

 your lawn and that's not what I want. Especially proud of the drawing on this one. 

Carolina BBQs

I was doing alphabetical order but now I'm lazy and it doesn't matter what order they're in! I love BBQs! Yum! Know what's not yum? Natural disasters that kill people.

Minnesota Pine Trees

 I originally wanted to call them the "Minnesota best connection airports". I dont know what they have in Minnesota but since they were the wild I'm gonna assume they have pine trees. 

Chicago Winds

Clever use of the hocky mullet. Great logo, IMO. 

Columbus Sads

 I've been to Ohio.

Nashville Guitars

 This one barely won over the Nashville Cowboy Hats.

St. Louis Meths

 Do people use spoons when doing meth? I hope so! 

L.A. Sombreros

 The design of their helmets should excite everyone.

Dallas Modanos

 He's got X's for eyes, poor Mike. 

San Jose Silicons

Really wish it was silicone valley.

Washington Pentagons

 Remember when you learned the pentagon? Such an advanced shape! 

New York SOLs

 Statue of Liberty!!!!

New York Subways

 Rode one this summer, very useful. 

New Jersey Shores

 Fist pump.

Buffalo Wings

 It's honey garlic, BTW.

Tampa Bay Cruiseships 

 Hoot, hoot. 

Florida Cubans

Los Cubanos de Florida

Pittsburgh Yellow Bridges

 Only thing that Pittsburgh has.

Detroit Cars

 Hard to choose between Detroit cars, Detroit Poors or the Detroit Bankrupts 

Boston Lobsters

 Almost picked the Toucans for Marchand and Lucic.

Philadelphia Bells

 Another hidden hockey stick, you didn't see that coming.

Ottawa Parliaments

 This is one of my favoUrites because it's already WAY better than the Senators logo.

Montreal French

 Had a hard time not picking the Montreal Cheese Curds.

Toronto Traffic

 That pink car is a fancy convertable, don't go to Toronto.

Calgary Mountains

 I also picked Shakira's Whenever Whenever as their goal song.

Edmonton Malls

 Oilers was hard to beat for most obvious name for a place, but that big mall really is something.

Vancouver Rains

Hockey stick hidden in there, bet you can't find it.

Winnipeg Snow

Why does this place exist?

Just a chance

Now, I sit here writing this, not only crying because I am heartbroken, but embarrassed that I didn't quite understand the problem before this. Realistically, I always thought that the whole "women don't get treated the same way" was bull. I mean, obviously I understand that I was wrong but I finally understood why I couldn't see it then. Guys absolutely treated me differently, but while they doubted me, I always got a chance to change their mind and then they proceeded to treat me like I knew what I was talking about. I was convinced that this was always the way it happened for all women, that you always got a chance to prove yourself. 

I've recently gotten the amazing chance to pursue my dreams. I decided to go to Radio school and chase the idea of having a voice in the sports community. Now, I always understood that it was a pretty tall task. It's a hard industry to get into and there ratio of men to women is not even close. However, I always  believed in my skills, in my potential, in my work ethic and I knew that if I went to school I could be successful in the industry. 

During the summer, just before classes started, I got engaged to my fantastic boyfriend and I honestly thought that my life couldn't possibly get any better. I wasn't expecting what was coming for me. When I started school I was in the perfect place in my life and everything changed. First of all, the moment people found out that I was engaged, everyone changed. Guys stopped talking to me as much, they weren't interested in my opinions or anything about me. It was odd, I really have been used to attention always, but hey it is what it is. Then things got worse. I was shut down of different projects because "women can't possibly love and know as much about sports as guys" or "advanced statistics aren't that important, I know hockey." After that conversation, I never got a chance. I never got to be part of the learning opportunity they all get to be a part of. I didn't get a chance to share what I know and love, because I have a vagina. Not just a vagina, but one that they can't have. 

Is it discouraging? Absolutely. Am I going to let it crush my dreams? Absolutely not. There isn't place for guys to be that way anymore. It makes me extremely sad to know that women have to deal with this, that we have to go through this. I am not sitting here and asking you to give me a chance because I am a woman or because you might think I'm hot. I'm sitting here asking you to give me a chance, because I am just like you. Because I can love sports just as much as you, because I can know just as much about sports as you. I just want to have the same opportunities and to be treated fairly and with respect. 

My Own Struggle With Depression

Now, let's get serious: You might be thinking "why is she writing this?" The truth is I am writing this because I feel it's time to let go of the stupid stigma that has prevented me from sharing the different struggles that have held me back in my life. It's really easy to avoid thinking "I am depressed." It's very easy to simply confuse it with a bad slump. You can blame it on your shitty relationship that failed, a bad stretch at work, or maybe if you're like me you can blame it on your favourite team's recent struggles. There's a million excuses. The only reason I felt the need to make those excuses was because I felt like I needed to be ashamed of asking for help. 

A lot of the reasons why I felt shame to ask for help has to do with the way I look. Now it's easy for a lot of people to empathize with women who have struggles with weight or feel uncomfortable with the way they look, but who has empathy for someone who is confident in the way they look? I felt the need to hide my own different insecurities because I felt like people were going to judge me, that my problems simply weren't as important. With time I've learned that it's wrong to think that; my problems have just as much importance as other people's problems and I should also get to share them and not feel shame for it. Perhaps my struggles aren't with my physical appearance and I want to share how I feel and maybe encourage others to also share their struggles and get help.

I have let the expectations of many people dictate my life, mostly my parents, and the thought of disappointing them was something I carried all my life. It kept escalating to the point that I started carrying the weight of their expectations, their marriage, their finances, everything. I was stuck in a 32 year marriage and my own life expectations. These things prevented me from being happy, from forming relationships, from opening up to other people. I lost interest in love, in new experiences, in adventures. I let it drag me down. I let that keep me locked in my house. I let it ruin relationships and hurt other people. 

I've never talked about any of my insecurities and it hurt for a long time. I always felt like I was never going to be good enough for another person, like I had nothing left to give. I felt extremely alone and I always blamed myself. I always thought I simply wasn't good enough. Perhaps the worst part about it was the idea that I had settled for that. It was never about appearance and that's what made it so hard to share. People don't often take so well to women with physical confidence having emotional insecurities, so I hid it and decided it wasn't important. I had become okay with the idea that I was going to be alone, sad and with the feeling that I wasn't good enough. 

I am lucky that I had someone very special come into my life and with their tenderness and patience made me feel comfortable enough to open up and realize that I needed to accept I was suffering a small depression and needed to change things in my life. I feel silly now for not acknowledging that I needed help before and that by doing that I could have been happier and at peace with myself before. I am not done recovering and moving past many of the things that have hurt me, but I am making so many positive steps that have improved my life. It's nothing to be ashamed of, we all go through different things that hold us back from being the best version of ourselves. What I want to accomplish with this is not only letting go of a past that used to hold me back but to hopefully inspire other people to open up, get help, share their problems and move past them. There is no reason to be ashamed, whatever it is that is holding you down, you can get help and you can move past it.