Andrew Ference Wins At Life: A Primer (sort of)
So, guys. I have spent a good portion of the last two weeks drowning in my own tears over what an amazing human being Andrew Ference is. His response to the Marathon Bombings confirmed what I already suspected: that he is in fact perfect. IN. EVERY. WAY. And now I have lots and lots and lots (seriously, lots) of evidence to back this up. SCIENTIFIC PROOF OF HIS PERFECTION. And just, lots of fucking feelings about it all. So let me share them with you.
I know, you guys not into hockey are wondering 'who the hell is Andrew Ference and why is he so special?' Well, to answer the first: Ference is d-man and occasional A of the Boston Bruins, greatest hockey team in the world, shutuptheyare. He's also a great player, stupidly gorgeous, a total hipster, hilariously dorky, an amazing dad, social activist, and all around stand-up guy.
Intrigued? GOOD. READ ON.
Ok, first, the basics (from his wikibio):
Full name: Andrew James Stuart Ference
DOB: March 17, 1979
Hometown: Edmonton, AB
Position: Defence
Past Teams: Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames
With the Bruins (#BestTeamInTheWorld) since: 2007
Good? Good. Now lets move on to some visuals.
POINT THE FIRST: Andrew is completely gorgeous and if you take nothing else away from this, just enjoy some eye candy:
He's such a hipster, it delights my heart to no end. Look at those tatoos! And the scruff! And the glasses! And the cardigans. There is actually a whole primer dedicated to his hipsterness, I highly recommend it. UGH SO MUCH PERFECTION.
Also, while we're on this subject, have a video of Andrew talking about his tattoos, (and, like, gushing about his daughters):
Ok, point sufficiently proven? Good, now we can move on, because the superficial isn't nearly the best thing about him.
POINT THE SECOND: he's also pretty fucking awesome at hockey, and that's important.
Here, have some general highlights:
And, more recently, THE BEST SAVE EVER:
This save, which happened in the very emotional 4/17 game against Buffalo, is seriously THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. It puts even Tuukka's saves to shame. It's so graceful and beautiful and utterly perfect. We may have lost that game, but Ference wins everything for that.
But not only is he a good player, he's a good team player, and in Boston, that's the most important thing you can be. He's not just an enforcer, by any means, but if someone messes with his teammates, he's gonna call them on it. You want guys like that at your back.
POINT THE THIRD: he wins at twitter. WINS. If there were awards for twitter, he would get them all.
Sometimes he uses it to chirp teammates (in a loving way):
Or just gush about his love for them unabashedly:
(honestly, you can't not love Bergy, he is the best)
Actually, half of his tweets are teasing Segs like an older brother, and the two of them being total dorks at each other:
#ILOVEHIMTOO
(acknowledging Segs & Marchy's ridiculous bromance lolol)
(yes, the speed dating is a real thing that actually happened, Ference teased him about it so much, it was glorious)
Seriously, I could make an entire post just about Andrew and Seg's tweets to each other, it's ridiculous and amazing. Segs totally wants to be Andrew when he grows up, it's adorable.
Ahem, moving on...
Sometimes he uses twitter to just be ridiculous and dorktastic and adorable:
With his lovely wife, Krista, what a perfect couple I just wanna cry. BUT, ALSO, JUST, LOOK AT THOSE FUCKING THIGHS. LOOK AT THEM. holy mother of god, hockey players.
He also enjoys buying ridiculous cheesy shirts on ebay, which amuses me to no end:
Including the best shirt EVER:
(this is a reference to teammate Adam McQuaid, who has a pretty epic mullet. The fact that this shirt even exists, and that Ference is so gleefully wearing it, is one of the many reasons I love this fucking team and our fans)
(I'm not sure where this one actually originated, but it should always be reposted)
And sometimes he uses twitter to make me sob:
(talking to his daughters about the Marathon bombings)
See? Winning. His twitter is honestly the most amusing thing on the internet, I just want to archive every tweet for posterity and laugh about them for hours.
But apart from his general twitter hilarity, he's also known for responding to fan's tweets very graciously (and to the haters with hilarious aplomb), and also for private messaging fans to thank them for words of support or to say he hopes they enjoyed a Bruins event. SO CLASSY, GUYS.
POINT THE FOURTH: he has the biggest fucking heart.
Seriously, this is a guy who thinks of others before himself, always.
When the Bs won the Cup in 2011, every player got to spend a day with Lord Stanley and do whatever they wanted. Some took it to their hometowns, some took lots of ridiculous pictures with it (I'm looking at you, Tuukka).
Andrew Ference took it his daughter's class, and a street festival in the North End (where Lord Stanley participated in a flash mob). And he also took it to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital to give some sick kids the thrill of their lives. This was his day to revel in his achievement, but he insisted that he'd had his day, when the team won. This day was all for the community. [x]
He's also visited Mass General's children's ward on many occasions for story time with teammates:
He even went to visit a kid in the hospital just because he tweeted him. Not as part of a pr day, just on his own, just to cheer one fan up. Who else would make that effort for one kid? ANDREW FUCKING FERENCE, THAT'S WHO.
And he does nice things for non-hospitalized children too! He hosted a series of street hockey clinics as part of a city initiative to get people using and caring about the upkeep of our city parks. But more importantly, he made a lot of little kids incredibly happy.
And after the shooting in Newtown, CT, Ference, along with some of his teammates, went down there to meet some of the kids, sign some autographs and play a little floor hockey with them.[video won't imbed]
My whole team is perfect, actually.
And of course I have to mention his recent response to the Marathon bombings. It basically cemented my love for him, and made me proud that he represents my city.
He looks so close to tears at the end of that video, and it just broke me, because it's exactly how I feel, and he just gets it. He may not be from here, but he's a part of this city.
Boston loves you back, man.
Lots of the Bruins have foundations and do work in the community, but for Ference it's just such a huge part of who he is, rather than just a responsibility as a public figure. I respect the hell out of him for it.
POINT THE FIFTH: he's a tireless crusader for causes he believes in.
Chief among these is the environment. Being the ridiculous hipster that he is, Ference is all about organics and local agriculture and even does his own composting. (He talks about his compost worms a lot on twitter. A lot.)
Here's a vid where he talks about Canada being a winter wonderland, says 'about' adorably, and offers tips for energy efficiency:
And another where he totally geeks out about recycling and bikesharing:
I feel like Andrew will make this city more green by SHEER FORCE OF WILL. (I imagine him frowning at people in intense disappointment and shaming them into being more responsible)
He even made a pledge to a local sports blog that for every goal Segs scored this season, he would plant 50 trees. (Actually, they pledged to plant 50 for each of his goals, but he modestly claimed he doesn't score much, and, as usual, worked his bff Segs into the equation)
He's also a supporter of You Can Play, an organization which works to combat homophobia in sports. This particularly endears him to my heart, but honestly, I would expect nothing less from him.
Here's a video of him and Patrick Burke from a fundraiser:
And in a NY Times interview Ference spoke quite eloquently on the subject:
“It’s not a big deal if you’re straight or gay or whatever you are, it’s a matter of being a good teammate. We take a lot of pride in viewing the locker room as a family and treating each other like brothers. If one of those brothers feels ostracized for what he is, it’s just wrong.”
(this article just makes me love the NHL, really)
POINT THE SIXTH: he's an amazing dad, I can't even cope with how adorably besotted he is of his daughters.
He likes being silly and making them laugh:
He's teaching them to follow in his hipster footsteps:
lol look at that gangsta pose
He takes them to volunteer and learn to give back:
And he nurtures their individuality:
From a Boston Globe interview (Ference was named one of The 25 Most Stylish Bostonians of 2013, because of course):
You have two young daughters-are they into fashion?
The oldest one is pretty cool, she has a good eye for it. She’s walking into her second-grade classroom with scarves, and bracelets up her arms. And the little one is 3, so as long as she can have 15 layers on and one of them is a big tutu, she’s pretty pumped. We’re all the colors of the rainbow when I’m walking down the street with them.
I just love how fucking proud he is of his daughters because they do their own thing and he fosters that and it's just amazing.
Best dad ever, they are going to grow up to be such adorable little hipsters.
AND LASTLY: just have a video of Andrew being hilarious and making jokes about Big Z, BECAUSE HE'S PERF.
So do you guys see what I'm getting at? He is an all-around amazing human being, who uses his talents and fame to give back and set a good example. Not because he has to, or a PR crew is choreographing it, but because that's just who he is.
His contract expires after this season and people keep saying we need to bring in younger talent, that his stats aren't what they used to be. But if the Bruins don't renew his contract it will be a huge mistake and I will lose a lot of respect for them. Because it's not just about his work on the ice. This is a guy you want on your team, in your locker room, and in your community.
ANYWAY. If any of this has intrigued you, I highly suggest watching Nat Geo's short series on Ference, Beyond the Puck. The eps are only a couple minutes each, and it's full of adorableness.
Ok, I could definitely add more, but I have officially dedicated way too many hours of my life to this. Congratulations, Emily, for probably being the only person who will read all of this <3
I know, you guys not into hockey are wondering 'who the hell is Andrew Ference and why is he so special?' Well, to answer the first: Ference is d-man and occasional A of the Boston Bruins, greatest hockey team in the world, shutuptheyare. He's also a great player, stupidly gorgeous, a total hipster, hilariously dorky, an amazing dad, social activist, and all around stand-up guy.
Intrigued? GOOD. READ ON.
Ok, first, the basics (from his wikibio):
Full name: Andrew James Stuart Ference
DOB: March 17, 1979
Hometown: Edmonton, AB
Position: Defence
Past Teams: Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames
With the Bruins (#BestTeamInTheWorld) since: 2007
Good? Good. Now lets move on to some visuals.
POINT THE FIRST: Andrew is completely gorgeous and if you take nothing else away from this, just enjoy some eye candy:
He's such a hipster, it delights my heart to no end. Look at those tatoos! And the scruff! And the glasses! And the cardigans. There is actually a whole primer dedicated to his hipsterness, I highly recommend it. UGH SO MUCH PERFECTION.
Also, while we're on this subject, have a video of Andrew talking about his tattoos, (and, like, gushing about his daughters):
Click to viewOk, point sufficiently proven? Good, now we can move on, because the superficial isn't nearly the best thing about him.
POINT THE SECOND: he's also pretty fucking awesome at hockey, and that's important.
Here, have some general highlights:
And, more recently, THE BEST SAVE EVER:
This save, which happened in the very emotional 4/17 game against Buffalo, is seriously THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. It puts even Tuukka's saves to shame. It's so graceful and beautiful and utterly perfect. We may have lost that game, but Ference wins everything for that.
But not only is he a good player, he's a good team player, and in Boston, that's the most important thing you can be. He's not just an enforcer, by any means, but if someone messes with his teammates, he's gonna call them on it. You want guys like that at your back.
POINT THE THIRD: he wins at twitter. WINS. If there were awards for twitter, he would get them all.
Sometimes he uses it to chirp teammates (in a loving way):
Or just gush about his love for them unabashedly:
(honestly, you can't not love Bergy, he is the best)
Actually, half of his tweets are teasing Segs like an older brother, and the two of them being total dorks at each other:
#ILOVEHIMTOO
(acknowledging Segs & Marchy's ridiculous bromance lolol)
(yes, the speed dating is a real thing that actually happened, Ference teased him about it so much, it was glorious)
Seriously, I could make an entire post just about Andrew and Seg's tweets to each other, it's ridiculous and amazing. Segs totally wants to be Andrew when he grows up, it's adorable.
Ahem, moving on...
Sometimes he uses twitter to just be ridiculous and dorktastic and adorable:
With his lovely wife, Krista, what a perfect couple I just wanna cry. BUT, ALSO, JUST, LOOK AT THOSE FUCKING THIGHS. LOOK AT THEM. holy mother of god, hockey players.
He also enjoys buying ridiculous cheesy shirts on ebay, which amuses me to no end:
Including the best shirt EVER:
(this is a reference to teammate Adam McQuaid, who has a pretty epic mullet. The fact that this shirt even exists, and that Ference is so gleefully wearing it, is one of the many reasons I love this fucking team and our fans)
(I'm not sure where this one actually originated, but it should always be reposted)
And sometimes he uses twitter to make me sob:
(talking to his daughters about the Marathon bombings)
See? Winning. His twitter is honestly the most amusing thing on the internet, I just want to archive every tweet for posterity and laugh about them for hours.
But apart from his general twitter hilarity, he's also known for responding to fan's tweets very graciously (and to the haters with hilarious aplomb), and also for private messaging fans to thank them for words of support or to say he hopes they enjoyed a Bruins event. SO CLASSY, GUYS.
POINT THE FOURTH: he has the biggest fucking heart.
Seriously, this is a guy who thinks of others before himself, always.
When the Bs won the Cup in 2011, every player got to spend a day with Lord Stanley and do whatever they wanted. Some took it to their hometowns, some took lots of ridiculous pictures with it (I'm looking at you, Tuukka).
Andrew Ference took it his daughter's class, and a street festival in the North End (where Lord Stanley participated in a flash mob). And he also took it to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital to give some sick kids the thrill of their lives. This was his day to revel in his achievement, but he insisted that he'd had his day, when the team won. This day was all for the community. [x]
He's also visited Mass General's children's ward on many occasions for story time with teammates:
He even went to visit a kid in the hospital just because he tweeted him. Not as part of a pr day, just on his own, just to cheer one fan up. Who else would make that effort for one kid? ANDREW FUCKING FERENCE, THAT'S WHO.
And he does nice things for non-hospitalized children too! He hosted a series of street hockey clinics as part of a city initiative to get people using and caring about the upkeep of our city parks. But more importantly, he made a lot of little kids incredibly happy.
And after the shooting in Newtown, CT, Ference, along with some of his teammates, went down there to meet some of the kids, sign some autographs and play a little floor hockey with them.[video won't imbed]
My whole team is perfect, actually.
And of course I have to mention his recent response to the Marathon bombings. It basically cemented my love for him, and made me proud that he represents my city.
He looks so close to tears at the end of that video, and it just broke me, because it's exactly how I feel, and he just gets it. He may not be from here, but he's a part of this city.
Boston loves you back, man.
Lots of the Bruins have foundations and do work in the community, but for Ference it's just such a huge part of who he is, rather than just a responsibility as a public figure. I respect the hell out of him for it.
POINT THE FIFTH: he's a tireless crusader for causes he believes in.
Chief among these is the environment. Being the ridiculous hipster that he is, Ference is all about organics and local agriculture and even does his own composting. (He talks about his compost worms a lot on twitter. A lot.)
Here's a vid where he talks about Canada being a winter wonderland, says 'about' adorably, and offers tips for energy efficiency:
And another where he totally geeks out about recycling and bikesharing:
I feel like Andrew will make this city more green by SHEER FORCE OF WILL. (I imagine him frowning at people in intense disappointment and shaming them into being more responsible)
He even made a pledge to a local sports blog that for every goal Segs scored this season, he would plant 50 trees. (Actually, they pledged to plant 50 for each of his goals, but he modestly claimed he doesn't score much, and, as usual, worked his bff Segs into the equation)
He's also a supporter of You Can Play, an organization which works to combat homophobia in sports. This particularly endears him to my heart, but honestly, I would expect nothing less from him.
Here's a video of him and Patrick Burke from a fundraiser:
And in a NY Times interview Ference spoke quite eloquently on the subject:
“It’s not a big deal if you’re straight or gay or whatever you are, it’s a matter of being a good teammate. We take a lot of pride in viewing the locker room as a family and treating each other like brothers. If one of those brothers feels ostracized for what he is, it’s just wrong.”
(this article just makes me love the NHL, really)
POINT THE SIXTH: he's an amazing dad, I can't even cope with how adorably besotted he is of his daughters.
He likes being silly and making them laugh:
He's teaching them to follow in his hipster footsteps:
lol look at that gangsta pose
He takes them to volunteer and learn to give back:
And he nurtures their individuality:
From a Boston Globe interview (Ference was named one of The 25 Most Stylish Bostonians of 2013, because of course):
You have two young daughters-are they into fashion?
The oldest one is pretty cool, she has a good eye for it. She’s walking into her second-grade classroom with scarves, and bracelets up her arms. And the little one is 3, so as long as she can have 15 layers on and one of them is a big tutu, she’s pretty pumped. We’re all the colors of the rainbow when I’m walking down the street with them.
I just love how fucking proud he is of his daughters because they do their own thing and he fosters that and it's just amazing.
Best dad ever, they are going to grow up to be such adorable little hipsters.
AND LASTLY: just have a video of Andrew being hilarious and making jokes about Big Z, BECAUSE HE'S PERF.
So do you guys see what I'm getting at? He is an all-around amazing human being, who uses his talents and fame to give back and set a good example. Not because he has to, or a PR crew is choreographing it, but because that's just who he is.
His contract expires after this season and people keep saying we need to bring in younger talent, that his stats aren't what they used to be. But if the Bruins don't renew his contract it will be a huge mistake and I will lose a lot of respect for them. Because it's not just about his work on the ice. This is a guy you want on your team, in your locker room, and in your community.
ANYWAY. If any of this has intrigued you, I highly suggest watching Nat Geo's short series on Ference, Beyond the Puck. The eps are only a couple minutes each, and it's full of adorableness.
Ok, I could definitely add more, but I have officially dedicated way too many hours of my life to this. Congratulations, Emily, for probably being the only person who will read all of this <3