Man Candy/Man Crush Monday, Christmas Edition
Usually we like to keep things hockey, but as the Holidays near, we’ve been having a little fun with the 12 Days of Avs Christmas. Mondays are traditionally Man Candy/Man Crush Monday, so let’s explore that.
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If you were going to meet one of the Avalanche players under the mistletoe, which would it be? Do you like the strong beefcake type? Are you partial to cuddly teddy bears? Do you dream of a blue-eyed blond, or are you more into bendy bearded sorts?
Conversely, if you were going to toss back a few brews with one of the boys, who’d be your choice? Want to get some fighting tips? Gain some cred in a hockey bar? Just hang with a player who’s got a tough old head– or one who’s renowned for his leadership abilities?
Here are Avalanche players who would be great for mistletoe meetings or a pub crawl.
Fellas, click all the way to the end for your own Christmas present!
Teddy Bear/T-Bones
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Man Candy: Now, Avalanche offensive defenseman, Tyson Barrie, brings this comparison on himself. One of his nicknames is T-Bear, and he was Ted the Teddy Bear for Christmas — or he would have been if he hadn’t been sick.
Personally, I get distracted by Tyson’s skin when he’s giving interviews. I mean, I would kill to know what his skin care regimen is! That said, he’s got the cutest little smile — and the cutest way of laughing off being victimized by the bigger guys in the NHL. You know, 99% of the league.
Man Crush: To be fair, T-Bones has been trying to up his Barrie Smash game. Of course in a recent game he tried to Barrie Smash Matt Duchene. T-Bones, I know it must be exciting to see a forward your size for a change, but you shouldn’t check your own teammate!
Tyson seems like the kind of guy with whom you’d want to go to a biker bar. He’d just laugh his way through any confrontation, making the whole situation seem jolly.
Yogi Supreme/Money Bags
Man Candy: Ryan O’Reilly came into the league looking like a fresh-faced pretty boy. Add a Grizzly Adams beard and a couple hockey scars, and he’s some serious man candy now. That unruly beard and gap-tooth grin just make his blue eyes sparkle.
That said, he’s also knows for being a yogi supremo. He’s been practicing yoga for years, since he was a teenager. So, in addition to being fit, he’s one zen dude.
Man Crush: After the tense summer we had with center Ryan O’Reilly, we need to rib him a little bit, don’t you think? That whole “pay me the most on the team” (or was that Paul Stastny?). Does he play, does he go… Yeah, let’s go with money bags.
Rhino would be the kind of guy to have a beer with because, you know, people call him Rhino. Ok, the announcers get lazy and instead of enunciating “Ryan O’Reilly” they call him Rhino Reilly. Take him to that same biker bar, though, and call him Rhino — you guys would probably fit right in!
Family Man/Tough Guy
Dec 5, 2013; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Colorado Avalanche forward John Mitchell (7) skates against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Man Candy: Now, center John Mitchell is one good-looking man. Square, manly features that are still somehow intelligent. Or maybe it’s the worldliness in those blue eyes. Boy is built, too — I ran into him in the bowels of the Pepsi Center, and he is one stacked hockey player.
Mitchie’s all family man, though. Right on his Twitter he announces himself as “husband, father,” which is clearly something he’s proud of. That’s just makes him all the more attractive — in a “Just admiring you” sort of way.
Man Crush: John Mitchell took a puck to the face that knocked his nose askew, blackened his eyes and created a deep gash in his forehead. There was blood everywhere. Well, this tough guy just went into the locker room to get stitched up — texting the fam that he was ok — before going back out on the ice and scoring a goal against the team that made him look like a Frankenstein reject.
Pretty impressive, hm?
Beef Castle/The Highlander
Oct 14, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Colorado Avalanche left wing Cody McLeod (55) skates on the ice prior to the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Man Candy: Cody McLeod might not be the first guy you think of when it comes to eye candy. True enough, he’s got a fighter’s face — and the lack of teeth to back it up. However, Cody’s one of those personality guys. A real humble, “Aw, shucks” kind of guy who’s just glad his teammates like him.
CodyMack’s not so concerned with getting opponents to like him, of course. In fact, when head coach Patrick Roy sends Cody out, other teams wonder if the gloves are going to drop at some point in the shift. And if they do, Cody’s probably going to win. That’s kind of hot in a Caveman — or beef castle — kind of way.
Man Crush: Cody McLeod fights. Anybody. Sometimes he gets his butt kicked. More often he’s the one doing the butt kicking. He backs down from absolutely nobody. That’s not why he’s called The Highlander — it’s because of his last name (Duncan McLeod of the Clan McLeod), but that’s a pretty good Highlander trait.
Plus, he’s got that leadership. Guys like him because he’s a man’s man, a rough-edged kind of guy who’s probably pretty fun after a few brews. That, or he starts the bar fight. At least you know he can hold his own — and probably some of yours as well.
Swedish Model/The Captain
Go to Tumblr for images of Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
No man candy or man crush list would be complete without Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog.
Man Candy: You don’t have to be attracted to men to know his symmetrical, square-jawed features make him handsome.Landy is renowned as one of the best-looking guys in a league that includes Tyler Seguin and Bobby Ryan. Hells, even amongst his own countrymen, men like Henrik Lundqvist and Erik Karlsson, Landy is well-known for being one of the finest specimens. He makes every female journalist’s top list for sexy NHLers.
In fact, Gabriel Landeskog is so classically good-looking that he got scouted as a model. Right after his rookie year, as he was shopping around for a suit to wear to the NHL Awards (at which he was awarded the Calder Trophy), a designer approached him and asked if he’d like to model the designer’s clothes. Gabe got “discovered” on his way to being honored as a top hockey player!
Man Crush: It’s easy to see why Gabriel Landeskog is the Captain. While most Swedish hockey players are known for their finesse, Gabe has an added toughness to his game. He hits. He blocks shots. He also slashes a lot. (He gets called for slashing all the time anyway.) Plus, he’s just an excellent hockey player with a lot of two-way skill.
Then, there was that Captain Fight…Landeskog took on Winnipeg Jets captain Andrew Ladd in a rousing hockey fight — that Gabe won!
The Ice Girls
Dec 13, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche ice girls clear the ice in the first period against the St. Louis Blues at the Pepsi Center. The Blues defeated the Avalanche 3-2 in a overtime period. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
As promised, guys, here are the Ice Girls. Merry Christmas.
So, Avs Nation, which player would you like to meet under the mistletoe/throw back a brew with?