7. Taylor Kitsch (and the men of Friday Night Lights) 

 

Each of the performers in this show rightly deserves to be included on this list, and I personally believe I could have made half the list just by the show’s credits. Zach Gilford (who portrays Matt Saracen), Gaius Charles (Smash), Jesse Plemons (Landry), and Scott Porter (Jason Street) are all excellent in their roles, and have a ton of promise, but I believe that Taylor Kitsch is most likely to emerge from this excellent show. He brilliantly portrays misunderstood fullback Tim Riggins who must deal with a drinking problem, the paralysis of his best friend, and the absence of his parents, all while leading the team. While each of these guys has fully demonstrated his dramatic ability throughout the course of the show, I believe Kitsch is the one to watch in years to come.

 

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Thanks to Kaizen327 who attended 'Luc Robitaille's Celebrity Shootout'  for charity last week-end, we have five short videos of Taylor from the event to share with you.

 

The gallery has been updated to include a few photos from the event courtesy of Kaizen327 as well! You can view those here.

 

Taylor and David Boreanaz "throw down". (All in good fun!)  

 

 

Taylor during the "Skills" competition.

 

Taylor scoring the winning goal. 

 

Taylor Kitsch, Michael Rosenbaum, Dave Annable and others leaving the ice.

Universal HD mixes sports and romance on Sunday, February 3 from 6:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. (ET) with four episodes of the critically-acclaimed NBC series "Friday Night Lights,".

 

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Thanks to Cherry Scott who attended the 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend yesterday, the gallery has been updated with 23 new photos of Taylor from the event.

 

To view the photos, click here!

First of all, I’m really excited to be here, just to see these guys up close. I mean, you’re watching the best in the world all on the same sheet of ice, and to be out there with them and seeing them do their thing, it’ll be amazing.

I’m personally looking forward to seeing Nick Lidstrom, I’m big fan of his, and of St. Louis – really big fan of him – and of course Vinny and Iginla, big fan of theirs as well. I think the biggest difference up close will be the size and the speed.

When I was younger, I played junior hockey up in Canada in the BCHL – from 16 on up actually – and then I played Canadian University hockey in Lethbridge when that was finished. My whole life, basically, follows the Canadian stereotype: back yard on the pond skating, spending every single moment on the ice.

I was a forward, and skating was a big part of my game. That’s why I’m excited to see St. Louis. And I had decent hands – not spectacular, but I could hold my own – so I’m looking forward especially to watch the Breakaway competition…which I will be a judge for

We did this faux judge thing last night with the high school kids, to rehearse. And I discovered that I’m a pretty tough judge. I’m not going to lie. I figure that if I can do the move, you get a ‘0’. And there isn’t even 0 card. But I’ll make one.

In case any of the guys are reading this blog, I figure that I’ll give them some hints. I can do the lax move, where you twirl it and spin it on net, but then, I can do it standing still and these guys will be skating in full speed, so maybe I’ll have to let that one go.

To get that top score, tou got to bury it first of all. And we’ll be looking for something new, something out of the box. The more you surprise us the better. I’m sure these guys, with the fans here and everyone watching, they’ll have something. These guys are incredible.

One will have to be just a little more incredible than the others if he expects to win.

TK

 

Link  

Taylor was interviewed at the Saturday Morning Skate, part of the 2008 NHL All-Star Weekend, this morning. 

 

They talked about Taylor's own experience with hockey, who his favorite players are, etc.

 

To watch the video, click here and choose  'Saturday Morning Skate'. Taylor's interview is a few minutes in. Enjoy!

While in Atlanta for the NHL All-Star Event this week-end, Taylor did a radio interview with radio station '790 The Zone'.

 

To listen to it, click here!

 

 

 

 

Friday Night Lights:  Humble Pie airs on NBC tonight at 9/8c!

 

That weak move won't cut it with judge Taylor Kitsch, who plays Tim Riggins on the television show Friday Night Lights.

"I will be hard on that because I can do that," says a laughing Kitsch, a former point-per-game Canadian Junior A forward in British Columbia.

Since scores will be determined by creativity as well as the ability to put the puck in the net, Kitsch says he will be looking for "something completely out of the box" from competitors Martin St. Louis, Alex Ovechkin, Paval Datsyuk, Ryan Getzlaf, Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Goborik.

Unlike in normal shootout situations, players can start anywhere and go anywhere in the offensive zone — including behind the net — to launch their trick shots.

"I want them to completely surprise us," Kitsch says. "I want different angles and I want them to pick up the puck like on a lacrosse stick and play with it.."

Kitsch adds, "And calling their shot would be great."

Getzlaf says he doesn't know what to expect because there is no history for this kind of event. He does predict there will be some 360-degree spin moves.

He says if other players haul out their showiest move, he will put his on display, although he is not sure what that is yet. "It is probably something to do with my feet, or going between my legs," Getzlaf says.

Ovechkin expects novel moves "because this is more for fans to see what players can do with the puck."

The timing is better for this kind of competition because of the overtime shootout that has prompted players to work more on their penalty shot-style moves.

"Definitely there are a lot of things you do in practice that you would never do in a game and I'm sure you will see some of them," Getzlaf says.

Besides Taylor, judges will include former NBA dunk champion Dominque Wilkins, plus former NHL players Scott Mellanby and Bill Clement.

When asked who he thought would win, Ovechkin says "probably Datsyuk." The Detroit Red Wings star might be the NHL's flashiest stickhandler.

It was announced today that  not only will Taylor be co-emceeing (with Usher) the 2008 NHL All-Star event and conducting on ice interviews with the all-stars as reported previously, but he will also be one of four celebrities chosen to judge the inaugural 'Breakaway Challenge' taking place at said event this week-end!

 

Three shooters from the Eastern and Western Conference will have two attempts to perform a highlight-reel trick while attempting to score. Shooters can start their routine from anywhere in the offensive zone and have full access to the offensive zone, including behind the net. NHL penalty shot rules do not apply. A panel of celebrity judges will evaluate each attempt and give a score of one to nine points. Scoring is based on creativity, execution and ability to score. An additional point will be awarded for a goal for a maximum total of 10 points per shooter.

 

Celebrity judges are former Thrashers captain and fan favorite Scott Mellanby, former University of Georgia and Atlanta Hawks basketball star Dominique Wilkins, actor Taylor Kitsch and broadcaster Bill Clement. 

 

  

 

 

A Canadian celebrity gossip site, isthishappening.com, made mention of Taylor's participation in the celebrity hockey shoot out for charity this past week-end.

 

The article also includes two new pics!

 

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The event, in partnership with Tom Bernard of Sony Pictures Classics, the National Hockey League, and the Los Angeles Kings will benefit Robitaille’s charity, Echoes of Hope.

 

This year’s participants in the Celebrity Shootout include former NHL favorites and Hollywood’s elite celebrity players. Scheduled to appear are Jason Reitman (Director of Juno), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Radio), Dave Annable (Brothers & Sisters), Scott Wolf (Party of Five), Ryne Sanborn (High School Musical), Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights), Rachel Blanchard (Clueless, Snakes On A Plane), Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville), Jason Thompson (General Hospital) and comedian Tom Arnold, who will serve as game announcer.

 

 

Cuba Gooding Jr., Dawson's Creek alum Joshua Jackson and 'Friday Night Lights' Taylor Kitsch all came out to see the Los Angeles Kings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs (January 10th 2008).