We've got some bigtime news at PSAMP. A local favorite, and I mean "local" in the weirdest sense of the word, has returned to bless the Penguins with a few wishes of his own. You know, I was so close to accepting a lost NHL season that the recent end to the lockout and imminent start to Pens season has me so fired up that I felt I needed to do something big.
There was a time when the Penguins weren't getting bounced from the playoffs way early. A time where a team that lost in the SCF came back the next season with a fire in their eyes, and an intense mascot of sorts in Shenzhen, China. The Pens needed something extra to put them over the Eastern Confernece competition, as well as the Red Wings should they (they would) meet again. China Jack's video toasts became the stuff of legend, he greatly influenced the Cup in Pittsburgh's direction to anyone in the know.
So I reached out to my old friend Jack, feeling tired of early playoff exits. This is nothing small. We don't parade Jack around every season, likely tarnishing the power of his message. It has been almost 4 years since Jack last sent a video. The Pens are up against an incredibly wild immediate NHL future, there's only 40-some games to go at the season-opening puck drop, the Pens will need any combination of on-ice skill and Jack's good luck.
It's a pain to make and get videos from China lately, and Jack was incredibly apologetic about that. But there's no need, any of Jack's messages do work.
And so, China Jack's 2013 Penguins Season Wishes:
***
My friends,
Finally, after too long a break, it is finally a Hockey Night in Pittsburgh!!!
Because of technical reasons, I could not watch the games live at times, but as a Penguins fan in China, I have been trying my best to track my favorite team most of the time through the internet or emails from my friends in Pittsburgh.
Like every one of you who loves this team, I feel overjoyed each time when it wins, and swallow the sadness each time when it loses, and not just that, I have been telling the Penguins stories and the legends about Crosby and Malkin to my friends and colleagues here in China all the time.
The Penguins are well rested and healthy now, and we have the best two players in the game, Sid the kid Crosby is Batman and Malkin is Robin, who, I heard, arrived Sunday night from Russia, but started to skate Monday with his teammates regardless of the jet lag. I heard that Bylsma has been busy strategizing for our men. I heard that Kunitz, Letang, Neal and all the other guys are all working hard together.
The Penguins are going to squash everyone and win Lord Stanley!
Let’s go Pens!
Let’s go Pens!
– China Jack from Shenzhen, China 2013-1-16
*UPDATE 10:20 PM EST*
WE HAVE AUDIO! You guys have no idea how tricky it is to get audio and video from China, much love to China Jack for sending along the audio to go with his Pens 2013 wishes! This can only bode well for the Pens this season.
Go Pens!
