Today is an extra special NHL Happy Hour. Why you ask? Well, most of the time, going to a bar in NYC to try and catch a hockey game means you need to pray that basketball, football, and baseball are not on at the same time. It simply isn’t a guarantee that a bar will be showing the local hockey game on their tele’s – shame, really. But there are a few bars in the city that will always have the Rangers/Devils/Islanders on. One of these bars is called Warren 77.

So what makes Warren 77 special? It is owned by the infamous Sean Avery. That’s right, an ex-NY Ranger owns this hole-in-a-wall bar, only few clicks south of the World Trade Center. The bar is filled with sport and hockey memorabilia. It is a rather dark place with worn-out chairs, painted brick wall, and a dark wood bar. It has arcade game stations as tables and Hulk Hogan and John McEnroe featured on the wall. It also contains one of my favorite pictures of all time. Guess who is dressed up as Batman and Robin – Steve Yzerman and Brendan “I-drop-the-puck” Shanahan.

This is an awesome place to watch the Ranger games, and if you stick around late enough, it has been known for Ranger players to frequent after games. I doubt they will be visiting this place anymore, due to obvious reasons. Never the less, this place is an awesome spot to grab a good home-brewed Warren 77 beer and some of downtown’s best cocktails.

Today’s drink of choice is a Moscow Mule – vodka, fresh ginger bits, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and ginger beer. This is one of the most refreshing drinks you could possibly enjoy, though the half ton of ice may have something to do with this. It is simply delicious. But does it have longevity? Let’s see…

Since Sean Avery owns this bar, and because he stops in once in a while, I got to thinking; what NHL player would be a good drinking buddy? Who would stay till the last call, who you would need to be carried out, and who would be throwing punches at the end of the night? I mean we all know hockey players drink. Alcohol and hockey are like Marilyn Monroe and Presidents (well, just one). It is not spoken about, but we know they consumed each other frequently.

So let’s start with “the crazy” and work our way to “the good”.

Darren McCarty is well known for his trouble with alcohol in his personal life. He is doing much better now, and kudos to him. Beer and whiskey would probably the drinks he would choose. I can see myself taking some Jack shots and chasing them with a crisp, cold Guinness with the former Red Wing tough guy. The bar would probably play heavy metal with a live band and/or be a spot filled with regulars. The night would probably last one drink too long, and quite possibly one fight too many. I can picture few words being exchanged and if his on-the-ice personality has anything to do with it, some people are going home with black eyes and fewer teeth. There ain’t no party like a tough guy party.

The funny thing is that Darren definitely would not be drinking my drink. It is just a little too soft for him I imagine. It is a bit muddy looking due to the ginger beer and the ginger bits. It is a refined drink for people who enjoy a rather enhanced experience and have a deep taste pallet. It is sort of posh, but being in Sean Avery’s bar I thought go big or go home.

You know who I can imagine being a sloppy “college frat boy drunk” while out on the town? Sidney Crosby. He is widely regarded as the best player in hockey – please spare me arguments otherwise. There is this other side to him that everyone outside of Pittsburgh notices. He can be a little bitchy at times. His beard is just awful and he looks like he would be two sheets to the wind after a couple beers. You know what I mean? He just has this vibe that just makes you want to smack him, right? The last thing I want is to have to have his back…he must walk around with a bulls-eye on his back.

This Moscow Mule was mostly refreshing and delicious, but as I reach the bottom of the glass its flaws start to show. Just like a frozen pond during an extra warm winter day, once the ice starts to melt and the ginger settles on the bottom, you see the ugly side of the muddy water. The ginger bits are getting stuck in the straw and it is becoming harder to drink. An extra vodka shot was needed to speed up the process of feeling well and seeing purple. I suppose that in itself isn’t a bad thing. Ahh, those Russians.

You know who would be awesome to take some vodka shots with? Malkin and Ovechkin. I know these two party in Moscow, and party hard. They are both are a bit older and both seem to be in rather serious relationships. On the other hand, knowing Russians like I do, drinking vodka is always a go.

As far as the North American stars that would do some vodka shots I think teammates Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews would not shy away from joining in the fun. Kane has developed a reputation over the past two years as the drunken kid in Chicago, but to me it is just media blowing things out of the proportion. We all have been in our early 20’s (except those of you who are still teens) whether we remember them or not. If you read this Patrick, I would love to hang with you and knock down some brewskies. Just look for the Russian guy in NYC – that should narrow it down to just a few hundred thousand.

Patrick Kane sounds like an awesome time, but from the pictures I’ve seen (no, I am not a stalker) he seems to be selling himself short with the ladies. He needs some lessons from two NHL players that I would absolutely love to go out and party with – Jeff Carter and Mike Richards.

Their partying seem to be going on during the regular season, which caused both to be shipped out of Philly after signing monster-length deals. It seems that they were partying hard. Want proof? Check out these photos of Mike Richards treating his former teammates in Philly to a visit from a porn star. The best part is that now these two are in LA. Now, I am just assuming, but there might be a bit more partying in LA than Philly. Am I wrong, Flyers fans? No one really knows who Mike Richards and Jeff Carter are in LA and they are probably better able to keep indiscretions on the down-low. To me that is a plus for these two. Throw in a little bit of Mr.Doughty and we have a night to remember. I can picture the “Hangover Three” happening while out with these lads. Go LA, Go!

So my drink is empty and I am kind of hesitant to order another one. The ginger spice has taken over my taste buds and nothing will taste how it should any more. It is a specialty drink after all, and I just don’t know if I have another one in me. Maybe I am not as fancy as I thought I was?

The best part about drinking though is having fun. Having fun with good friends and enjoying your time out. Gleeing out and not paying attention to what others think.

Who does this best? Simple. Paul Bissonnette. There is no better player to follow on twitter than this man. The best part is the pictures of him out and about. Vegas, LA, Vancouver, and Montreal. He goes everywhere, and everywhere he goes good times follow. I have never been more jealous of hockey players then after I started following this man on twitter (again, NOT a stalker). You should too. Hockey players are usually known to be reserved individuals. They will provide the most boring and predictable interviews. The players aforementioned have their private life in private, even if the few fascinating pictures leak out here and there. Paul chooses not to take privacy so seriously. He shows his life and speaks his mind. It is all very interesting and sort of admirable while being absolutely entertaining. He lives his life and is not shy or embarrassed by it. He also knows how to have an awesome time.

He also has good friends:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXPXkMNVFpQ&w=560&h=315]

Which NHL players would you love to go out for a drink with?

…and that is the Last Word.

Follow me on Twitter, @Maximus91, and check out the other instalments of “NHL Happy Hour“.

NFL Fans, check out “A Pint of NFL” for comparisons between beer and football players.