First Bobby Ryan, then Cam Atkinson, and now Sidney Crosby is down for the cause.
Take your kid to an NHL game, get him or her to request a goal from a favourite player, and you could be on the hook for a puppy.
Such is the power of cute children with signage.
With puppy goals all the rage, for this week’s rankings we dream up a sign suitable to be held up by a young fan for each of the NHL’s 30 teams.
It’s the NHL Power Rankings: Child-Held Sign Ideas Edition. Rated G.
| Rank | Team | Previous | |
| 1 |  |
“The only thing better than a Snow Day is a not-cancelled Caps game!” |
2 |
| 2 |  |
“Daddy says when I grow up, I’ll need to make tough decisions like Stan Bowman” |
1 |
| 3 |  |
“Anze! Dad says once I get off my butt and start raking $10 million a year, I can have all the friggin’ puppies I want” |
3 |
| 4 |  |
“Consider the pleasant weather and tax breaks!” |
4 |
| 5 |  |
“If Jagr scores, Dad will give him the keys so he can work out on the elliptical in our basement that Mom never uses” |
13 |
| 6 |  |
“It’s my birthday! Gimme a piggyback, Zdeno!” |
5 |
| 7 |  |
“I don’t like condiments. Give me plain ol’ Klingbergers!” |
11 |
| 8 |  |
“I lost my innocence when I found out Brent Burns wasn’t Santa Claus” |
8 |
| 9 |  |
“My allowance came up short for Super Bowl tickets” |
10 |
| 10 |  |
“Which one is Jeff Blashill?” |
12 |
| 11 |  |
“It’s my birthday, AV! If you healthy-scratch Dan Boyle, Mom buys me a turtle!” |
7 |
| 12 |  |
“My hip uncle says his view is partially obstructed!” |
6 |
| 13 |  |
“Dad says if Carl Hagelin scores on my b-day, he’ll buy me the Penguins. Not the flightless bird. The entire team.” |
15 |
| 14 |  |
“Hey Hitch! How ’bout you devise a defence system to protect me from Spencer, the schoolyard bully?” |
9 |
| 15 |  |
“Remember when the Jets had no interest in re-signing Lee Stempniak and then he went to Jersey and was second in team scoring and had a better chance of making the playoffs?” |
17 |
| 16 |  |
“Pampers |
19 |
| 17 |  |
“Dad says quit Staal-ing and make a trade already! |
21 |
| 18 |  |
“Mom says not to be afraid. He’s a friendly Gostisbehere” |
18 |
| 19 |  |
“But you said every team gets an all-star” |
14 |
| 20 |  |
“Anyone else think the All-Star Weekend promo song sounds a lot like ‘Are You Ready for Some Football?’ “ |
24 |
| 21 |  |
“Bobby, now Dad says you’d be doing us a solid if you come dogsit when we go to Florida for two weeks in March” |
20 |
| 22 |  |
“Slumping is worse than teething”* (*this one works best for six-month-old fans) |
16 |
| 23 |  |
“Dad says if Chris Higgins scores tonight, it’ll be on a beer-league goalie” |
26 |
| 24 |  |
“Dad says if the Jets re-sign Byfuglien, Ladd can sleep on the top bunk if he needs to” |
22 |
| 25 |  |
“No fair! That dude in the KHL stole your flaming hockey stick idea, Johnny” |
23 |
| 26 |  |
“Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jumped over Max in rookie scoring — sick!” |
25 |
| 27 |  |
“This is the best the Oilers have played in my entire life!” |
29 |
| 28 |  |
“Dad says defensive structure and dressing room culture are more important than wins” |
27 |
| 29 |  |
“Dad says just because we beat Montreal doesn’t mean we’re a good hockey team” |
30 |
| 30 |  |
“Carey Price > Fisher-Price” |
28 |
