Boston Bruins player Tim Thomas got an unwelcome surprise while playing against the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center on Monday night. While he was going about his game and moving his way across the ice, he looked up into the stands and saw fans donning Obama masks, and holding up huge cardboard cut-outs of the President's face. (Scary!)

Fans decided to overload Thomas with visions of Obama as a result of his refusal to go meet the Pres at the White House when he invited the Bruins there for winning the Stanley Cup in January. Of course, Thomas drew tons of criticism for his bold move, even though he's a grown man and a citizen of the United States who has the right to refuse to see the President if he so chooses. But everybody has to like Barack Obama, you know -- because he's so trendy and all. (Exercising freedom of speech was only a valid excuse while Bush was President, I guess.)

Spring may have come way early this year, but hockey season isn't over just yet. And do you know what happens when hockey season blurs into wedding season?? Apparently, lots of hockey fans get engaged ... at hockey games!

During the Washington Capitals v. Montreal Canadiens game his past Saturday, hockey-lovin' lovebirds Matt and Joanne were participating in the "Hat Trick Challenge" trivia game during the second intermission. They won, and then ... while the cameras were still rolling, Matt dropped onto one knee! Ooooh!

Check it out ...

Patrick & Brian BurkeIf you're not a hockey fan, this latest initiative from the National Hockey League might change your mind. Some of the biggest stars in the NHL came together to create a public service announcement to help promote equality, encouraging the acceptance of LGBT athletes in the sport. It's part of the "You Can Play" project, created by Patrick Burke.

Henrik Lundqvist, Rick Nash, and Corey Perry are among the players featured in the video. It ran on NBC during the New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins game and seen by hockey fans around the country.

If you don't know who Patrick Burke is (I don't blame you if you've never heard of him), he's a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers as well as the son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke. And the personal reason Patrick created this series of videos is definitely a story that will tug at your heartstrings.

Patrick & Brian BurkeIf you're not a hockey fan, this latest initiative from the National Hockey League might change your mind. Some of the biggest stars in the NHL came together to create a public service announcement to help promote equality, encouraging the acceptance of LGBT athletes in the sport. It's part of the "You Can Play" project, created by Patrick Burke.

Henrik Lundqvist, Rick Nash, and Corey Perry are among the players featured in the video. It ran on NBC during the New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins game and seen by hockey fans around the country.

If you don't know who Patrick Burke is (I don't blame you if you've never heard of him), he's a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers as well as the son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke. And the personal reason Patrick created this series of videos is definitely a story that will tug at your heartstrings.

Senator John Kerry is so lucky! He broke his nose playing hockey and it came out looking even better than before. The distinguished 68-year-old senator from Massachusetts didn't have a terrible nose before -- slightly Roman, longish, and prominent -- but it worked well on his tall, stately carriage. I guess that hockey stick that he supposedly got in the face hit him in just the right spot, because for some reason, the beakish look is gone, his nose is more defined, and there's a slight upturn now.

See the "before" picture below.

Tim ThomasCould you turn down an invitation to go to the White House to meet President Barack Obama? Goaltender Tim Thomas did when the president invited the Boston Bruins over to honor their 2011 Stanley Cup Championship. What makes it even more sad is that Thomas is one of only two Americans from the 2011 winning team, and he opted not to go.

Most people have seen this in one of two ways: You could see it as 1) a statement on the importance of freedom of speech or 2) as a completely egomaniacal, classless move on Thomas's part. I fall in the latter camp, even though Thomas laid out all of his reasons on his Facebook page last night.

Sheesh! Testosterone overload much? I don't know about you, but I can't think of too many things that would make flipping out on a hockey team mascot named Thunderbug with a big yellow buggy head justifiable. Maybe if there was a really bad dude who recently escaped from prison hiding inside the costume. Or maybe if you were attacked by a swarm of bugs early in life and suffered from some weird, insect-triggered form of PTSD.

But it's definitely, definitely NOT cool to go all crazy town on something called a Thunderbug because he sprayed you with silly string. Silly string?!?!

Except that's exactly what a Boston Bruins fan did when Tampa Bay Lightning mascot Thunderbug surprised him with a faceful of the aforementioned string-in-a-can.

Make no mistake, the Boston fan was MAD. He went after that bug like an exterminator with an axe to grind. Behold the plushie carnage and see what I'm talking about ...

Flyers fans attack Rangers fan Neal AurrichioTalk about ironic. (Not to mention incredibly messed up on about a million levels.) Turns out the N.Y. Rangers fan who was so severely beaten by a group of Philadelphia Flyers 'fans' after Monday night's NHL Winter Classic that he had to be hospitalized wasn't just your average guy wearing a Rangers jersey. 30-year-old Neal Aurrichio, Jr. of New Jersey also happens to be a police officer and decorated veteran of the Iraq War. Who, it should be noted, was awarded the Purple Heart during his service as a Marine. (Two tours.)

Oh wait, it gets better! Aurrichio also has a wife and an infant son at home.

Seriously? If anybody on this planet deserved such a vicious, violent attack, IT WASN'T THAT GUY!