Runyon Canyon Park is a 130-acre park two blocks from Hollywood Boulevard, just west of the 101 Hollywood Freeway extending north to Mulholland Drive.
Since 1983 when it was acquired by the City of Los Angeles with a grant from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, Runyon Canyon has been managed by the City of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation as an 'Urban Wilderness.'
Runyon Canyon attracts Hollywood A-listers, fitness fanatics, and tourists from around the globe. It is a rare example of wild chaparral with its drought-resistant evergreen trees and shrubs.
The enigma that is Runyon Canyon is that it is only a clapper from the point away from the madness, hustle, bustle and concrete jungle of Hollyweird.
Runyon is where A-list stars, pro athletes, rock stars, and reality TV wannabes can be anonymous while they trip up and down the pathways of Runyon and blend right in with the amazing vistas and greenery when they hike the trails of Runyon Canyon.
I experienced Runyon Canyon firsthand when I visited Los Angeles last April. I was blown away at it's sheer beauty and enormity. I grew up with one of The Seven Wonders Of The World, Niagara Falls, in my backyard. Hiking the trails of Runyon reminded me a lot of hiking at Devil's Hole or Letchworth State Park. Who knew the glitz and glamor of Hollywood could be so pristine, green and aesthetically beautiful? You can pose for photos beneath the iconic Hollywood sign and check out the Griffith Observatory that was featured in the movie "La La Land". Downtown Los Angeles is 7 miles away to the south east; Park La Brea and Wilshire Boulevard are 3 miles away; The Baldwin Hills which obscure LAX are 11 miles away. The Pacific Ocean is 12 miles away while Catalina Island can be seen on clear days to the south west. Nearer at hand, Sunset Strip and the Pacific Design Center can all be spotted with Century City behind them, as well as the Hollywood and Highland Mall with the white elephants on the roof, the Capital Records building, and the Chinese Theatre, all on Hollywood Boulevard.
With the NHL converging on Tampa, Florida on Tampa, Florida for the All Star weekend, Evander Kane jetted west to Cali for a few days of R-N-R. Was Kane there on business, too? The pending unrestricted free agent no doubt is thinking about his future. Kane and his agent know that at any given moment, a trade can occur. Kane is ready. The power forward knows his days are numbered in Buffalo. He embraces the idea of moving on. He's not distracted by the thought of being traded. He has said he will deal with it when it eventually happens For now, he works for the Buffalo Sabres. It wouldn't surprise me if Kane packed extra designer suits, shirts, ties and shoes in the event he is dealt away this weekend.
Its now a matter of "when" Kane gets traded not "if" he is going to be dealt away.
The NHL trade deadline is February 26. Today, the Western and Eastern Conference standings smashed together like a crushed beer can. If the Kings want Kane, they better snatch him up quickly before their Pacific rivals the Knights, Sharks, Ducks or Flames do so first.
"I'm not holding my breath, that's for sure," Kane confided in media members in Calgary last Monday. "I'm aware of the situation that our team is in and the position that I'm in with my contract. You know, it's part of the business and it's not something that I worry about or concern myself too much with. I'm just focused on each and every game and with the break, you're able to get that focus a little bit tighter, so it's good."
As many as a dozen teams, including the LA Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, NY Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes among others have been scouting Kane this season.
Kane will be looking for a seven year deal with $7M AAV. Kane will need that kind of scratch to be able to afford a new palacial crib in the Hollywood Hills. At 26 years of age, Kane has already earned $40.8 milllion in salary. The next contract he signs will guaranee him a kings ransom and afford an A-list lifestyle for he and his family.
Kane has earned the right to seek his just desserts and is the exact type of player the Kings are lacking right now. The Kings are ranked 20th overall in even strength goal scoring. They sure could use a big body, laser fast, sickly skilled power forward like Evander Kane.
A serious injury has caused veteran scoring forward Jeff Carter to miss 43 of 49 games for the Kings this season. The Kings are currently ties for 8th place in the wild West and are not guaranteed a playoff berth. The Kings trail the Pacific Division monsters the Vegas Golden Knights by 11 points. The struggle is real for all division opponents of the Golden Knights. The San Jose Sharks (59 points), Calgary Flames (58 points), Kings (57 points) and Anaheim Ducks (57 points) are in the fight for their respective playoff lives. The Kings limped into the NHL All Star Game weekend with a wonky 3-7 record.
Kane won't be a bargain acquisition. The team that trades for him will have to back up the Brinks truck. If the Kings want Kane, they will have to pony up the following premium pieces: 2018 first round draft choice, LW/C Adrian Kempe (14G, 9A- 2014 1st rounder), LD prospect Jacob Moverare (Mississauga Steelheads, Team Sweden WJC 2018 silver medalist.
As we have learned over the years, Kane is a lover of the great outdoors. Kane loves Banff, the Muskokas, and tropical beaches.
Kane grew up on the banks of the Pacific Ocean in the Emerald City of Vancouver. Kane is a lover of the great outdoors.
Kane looks right at home hiking the trails of Runyon Canyon. Living in LA would allow Kane to blow the roof off the joint at the Staples Center at night and then hide in plain sight while hiking Runyon, tricking down Manhattan Beach, and crushing the rock at Bel-Air Country Club during the day.
Kane looks right at home posing with the iconic Hollywood sign.
___________________________________________________________________________
Jack Eichel scored a goal and added two apples Sunday as Team Atlantic downed Team Metropolitan, 7-4, in a semifinal game at the NHL All Star Game.
With a goal and two assists on the day, Eichel is tied Gilbert Perreault and Brian Campbell for the fourth-most career All-Star Game points by aBuffalo Sabre.
Eichel was active and made plays all over the ice in the three on three drag race.
Eichel was partnered with his friend Auston Matthews and Aleksander Barkov.
Eichel stole the show when he dropped a goal signal on NHL referee Wes McCauley who earlier waved off an Erik Karlsson 2 on 1 goal that Eichel assisted on. McCauley ruled the play offside. The Karlsson goal would have given Team Atlantic the 5-4 lead.
Wes McCauley with the dramatic no goal call, Erik Karlsson throws his gloves in disgust pic.twitter.com/yS8YZNigJD
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) January 28, 2018
Me @ photoshop pic.twitter.com/9EDduCfuCB
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) January 28, 2018
Then, Eichel sniped Washington Caps tendy Brayden Hotlby for the game winning goal.
#Jacked #Sabres @nhl 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/LUhNdYwXSo
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) January 28, 2018
Can't get over the form on the goal signals from these guys. #NHLAllStarGame caliber indeed. pic.twitter.com/8FSIOmnzXQ
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) January 28, 2018
🤩🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/FqFC9mAbg1
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 28, 2018
Iconic#NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/c7LyWtCJky
— NHL (@NHL) January 28, 2018
Look at the silky digits on Eichel. Next level stuff.
Some #NHLAllStar passing. pic.twitter.com/06P1s0btBA
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) January 28, 2018
Eichel's good goal signal was an homage to Matthews who had a goal wiped out on a goal review on Monday night. Matthews would later score and give the ref th ebusiness with his own good goal motion.
Team Atlantic rode a Nikita Kucherov hat trick to the finals where they faced Connor McDavid and Team Pacific.
**
Remember when Tampa Lightning sniper Nikita Kucherov schooled Buffalo Sabres goalie Robin Lehner with the most disgusting shootout goal you had ever seen?
Poor #Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner has his bad boy hole victimized by #TB's Nikita Kucherov pic.twitter.com/rJ3FQWOVVi
— Penalty Box POV (@penaltyboxpov) March 5, 2017
That was deliberately disgusting.
Kucherov pulled off the same larcenous goal onSunday.
Look at this!
Team Pacific won the $1 million final prize.