In from LA, out to Denver

Here's a first ... I'm bloggin' from midair.

We're on our way to Loveland, Colorado for the ECHL All-Star Game and Skills Competition, which pits the Colorado Eagles vs. the ECHL All-Stars.

The MeiGray team, including program director Jason Rubin, Rob Grose, Drew Wojciechowski and myself will be authenticating the one set of jerseys worn by the Eagles and the All-Stars in the Skills Competition tomorrow night, and the three sets of jerseys (one for ECHL-MGG Program Auction, one to the PHPA and one to the players) each side will wear in Wednesday's game.

Thanks to Southwest Airlines, because I never did take advantage of WiFi blogging before.

If I could have, I would have Sunday, when I returned back to New Jersey from Los Angeles in order for our team to organize the jerseys the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings wore in their Banner Raising Season Opener on Saturday.

That unique set, with the Banner Patch worn by the Kings for one game, are now up for auction.

MeiGray is proud to say we introduced what we hope has become an NHL tradition a year ago, when the Bruins put a patch on their jerseys replicating the banner raised to celebrate their 2011 Stanley Cup. The NHL permits teams to wear this patch for one game, the Banner Night opener.

Wonder what Flyers owner Ed Snider thinks about this tradition?

Back in the '70s, the Flyers attempted to put a patch depicting their Stanley Cup on their jerseys prior to the season. In fact, the pictures taking for that season's hockey cards showed the team with its patch. But when the league honchos got wind of the idea, they ordered the Flyers to remove them.

I'd like to see the Stanley Cup champion permitted to wear a patch depicting the Cup all season. Why not? Teams already gun for the champs, it's not like seeing the Cup on a team's jersey will make a difference. Bragging rights are earned in this sport, so why not let the winners brag all season?

It's not easy lugging a set of one-game jerseys home from an arena. Although they are authenticated and packed in one huge hockey bag within minutes after the game (yes, I wear surgical gloves), I usually have to drag them to my rental car, drag them back to the hotel, lug them to the airport, and hold my breath to make sure nothing happens between takeoff and landing.

I usually lug a few of the big jerseys (this weekend it was Quick, Doughty, Brown, Richards, Carter, Williams and Kopitar) in my carry-on, shove the bag into the overhead bin, and make sure I do not fall asleep on the plane.

Who can sleep on planes anyway, nowadays? No leg room.