chances of playing for Man Utd were very hard While Hernandez has scored freely for Leverkusen

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- While Amrit Gill was growing up in a Vancouver suburb, watching Hockey Night in Canada was a family staple that brought three generations together. Her parents and grandparents were immigrants from India, but ice hockey -- with its similarities to field hockey, one of their native countrys most popular sports -- connected them all, despite the language barrier of the broadcasts.My grandmother did not speak a word of English, Gill said. But she could tell you what a goal was and who was winning or not because the game was just so electric that you do get revved up watching.One day in 2009, the then-teenage Gill heard there was a television broadcast of hockey in the Punjabi language. She didnt quite believe it at first, but it was true. There was a Punjabi ice hockey broadcast -- not English, not French, Punjabi.I turned it on, and for all of us sitting there, it was a moment of shock and almost disbelief because we were watching our favorite sport on TV but hearing it in a language that everybody in the room could understand, Gill said. And my grandmother, who could only understand the word goal in English, could now tell you the difference between a major penalty call and a minor penalty call. So because of Harnarayan Singh and the rest of the broadcasters who were able to explain the intricacies of this beautiful game, I could now have a postgame analysis with my grandmother. And those are some of the best memories for me.Gill now is the social media host for Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi Edition, which is creating and spreading great memories for many more fans with -- and without -- Punjabi backgrounds. They also are helping extend hockey nights beyond Canada.In the last year, the online streaming has really opened it up to global audience as well, Punjabi hockey broadcaster Randip Janda said. Weve got people who are watching in India. Thats great because Canada is associated with hockey, and certain parts of the United States understand and love hockey too. Whereas in India, unless youre in the Himalayan mountains, you dont really [have a place to play ice hockey].There is a rich history of field or grass hockey in India, so thats a link, but there has never been an association between the Punjabi community and [ice] hockey in India. So hopefully this is helping to bridge the gap and show maybe there is a reason to pay attention to the sport.Especially -- as you might have heard during last seasons playoffs -- when Pittsburghs Nick Bonino (Bonino! Bonino! Bonino!) scores a goal.Punjabi, the native language of the Punjab region in northern India and eastern Pakistan, is spoken by nearly half a million residents of Canada, including 20 members of Parliament. Only English and French are spoken by more Canadians, and more than 100,000 are estimated to speak Punjabi in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey.Hockey games in Punjabi began on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) in 2008, along with broadcasts in Mandarin and the Inuit language of Inuktitut. The other language broadcasts did not catch on, but the Punjabi version did.Rogers Communications took over the Punjabi broadcast three years ago and now shows a doubleheader every Saturday on the multicultural Omni Television system, with announcers Singh, Janda, Bhupinder Hundal and Harpreet Pandher providing play-by-play and insightful commentary from a Vancouver studio. All four were born and raised in Canada and learned to speak English and Punjabi fluently. They were passionate hockey fans but never considered that the games would one day be broadcast in Punjabi.As Hundal said of watching a Punjabi broadcast for the first time, Its got Hockey Night branding, and theyre speaking our language: Whats going on here? Oh, my God. Really? That was the first thing. Youre sitting there, Oh, my God. I cant believe this has happened. Now its just a regular thing, but initially it was, I cant believe this. I never thought I would see the day. Who would have thought?It worked. After nearly a decade of broadcasts, the Punjabi show gained enormous attention last year during the Stanley Cup playoffs, thanks to Singhs calls of goals by Bonino. Singh excitedly repeated Bonino! Bonino! Bonino! and then howled Nick Buh-Nee-Noooooooooo!! after key tallies by the Penguins center against the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference finals and the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup finals.It was simply awesome. Singhs calls went viral on social media and drew widespread media attention, including from non-sports outlets such as NPR. #BoninoBoninoBonino became a trending hashtag and a battle cry during the Penguins championship run.It was really revved up, Gill said. It was almost like a connecting point. Yes, it was done in Punjabi, but since the call was so elaborate, everyone just jumped on.The calls received so much attention that Penguins coach Mike Sullivan told Singh the team started playing it to fire up the players, who began shouting the call as well. Bonino even suggested that his family should start using it as their ring tones.It was very special, Singh said. When we actually made the call I dont think myself or anyone on the show realized we were going to get that type of reaction from the fans or from the media. I would say it was very memorable and very special for sure. There is nothing more you can ask for as a broadcaster than to have your work appreciated so much, especially considering how the Pittsburgh Penguins players themselves were using the calls in the dressing room. For me, it really hit home during one of the Stanley Cup finals [when] one of the first questions asked of Sullivan was, What are your thoughts on the Bonino call?How incredible was it? Hockey legend and Penguins co-owner/chairman Mario Lemieux told the announcers they were part of history and the Stanley Cup run.Pandher says that when he was still a kid playing video games with his brother, he would provide vocal commentary, mostly in English but sometimes in Punjabi. The current Punjabi hockey broadcasts he and the others deliver have some English wording as well. Team names are in English, of course, as are traditional hockey terms such as icing, power play, offside, cross-checking, goal, puck and others.There are certain things you cant directly translate into Punjabi, Janda said. Like puck. There is no Punjabi word for puck. Sometimes on the previous shows, Harnarayan would use a food item, a thing made out of potatoes called tikki, that he used as a term because it kind of looks like a hockey puck. But we say puck now.Said Hundal: Well use those terms with a nice, fine balance. Well say the word in English and have a little description that also describes it a bit for people who dont know it.The crew provides commentary while watching the live broadcasts of games on their studio monitors. They strive to be as informative, entertaining and energetic as possible, occasionally using Punjabi cultural references. They also are certain to be very fun. For instance, when Tampa Bays Nikita Kucherov scored a goal last year, Singh began singing a popular Punjabi song that rhymed with the players name.He made a reference to The Simpsons in a game, calling San Joses Brent Burns Mr. Burns and using the word excellent, a catchphrase of the animated shows rich tightwad. When a player beats a goalie up high, Singh uses a phrase that translates into English as, He fired it top shelf -- where grandma keeps the treats!We have to be cognizant of the audiences tuning in, Hundal said. There are people who in the past would be like, Ill watch it in Punjabi for a few minutes, but Ill go back to English. Or, [the other guys] are pros, and these guys are just doing it on the side. Thats why we try to focus on being as good and up-to-snuff on the world of hockey as anybody else. Yeah, we might be fun, you might tune in for the novelty -- but youre going to get a good hockey broadcast. And were going to dump information on you. And we know what were talking about.That is important. We want to make sure that we are being the masters of both of those domains. Its important that we have our pulse on what people are feeling and saying.The announcers say the broadcasts are helping grow hockey -- not only in fan interest, but also with Punjabi parents who have their children playing the sport now that they can watch and understand it on TV.The broadcasts are helping connect the Punjabi community with the broader community. When Singh was a growing up in Alberta, his passion for hockey provided an important connection with schoolmates. Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi Edition is helping to create that dynamic on a larger scale.One example was the Bonino phenomenon. Pittsburgh does have not a significant Punjabi community, but the call was so popular that the broadcasters were invited to the Penguins Stanley Cup championship celebration. The four were recognized and cheered by hordes of fans when they took the stage with the Penguins players and did the Bonino! Bonino! Bonino! call.Its just amazing. The whole city knew who we were, Pandher said. Were based in Vancouver and can walk down the street there and nobody knows who we are, but everybody in Pittsburgh knew who we were. We felt like rock stars for the weekend.Thats the amazing thing. In the time that were living, the thought crossed my mind that we might run into this or that. But it just goes to show you there are good people in this world anywhere you go.Hundal says the Pittsburgh celebration showed that he and his partners are playing an important role in breaking down barriers and misperceptions.As they say, If you assume, you make an ass of you and me, he said. We can break a lot of assumptions by doing what were doing. Yes, were broadcasting hockey and were having a lot of fun, but by no means does it stop there.Its not just about us. Its about much more than that. What were doing means so much more to so many more people on a much deeper level. And I think that makes what were doing really special. Its not just another show. I think weve gone into the realm of meaning something important to people. People can appreciate that we enjoy the sport, and they enjoy the sport, and its fantastic. We can all enjoy the sport.No matter your language, no matter your background, sport unites -- even when someone other than Bonino scores the goal. Cheap NFL Jerseys . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping . Just as Montreal was settling into the first full working week of a new year, the Impact announced the appointment of their new head coach. http://www.cheapauthenticnfljerseys.net/ .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena. China NFL Jerseys . Miller reached right to deflect Mikhail Grabovskis attempt with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation, and then made two more saves in the shootout Sunday to give the Sabres a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. NFL Jerseys Cheap . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action.Javier Hernandez believes Louis van Gaal is still capable of turning Manchester Uniteds fortunes around - despite being told he was surplus to requirements by the Dutchman. The Mexican striker has taken the Bundesliga by storm this season since leaving Old Trafford for Bayer Leverkusen in September.Hernandez was named Bundesliga player of the month three consecutive times in November, December and January and has scored 16 goals in 25 league games so far this season. In contrast, United have struggled in front of goal and are currently in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification as they trail both Arsenal and Manchester City by four points with five games to play in the race for the top four. Hernandez has scored 16 league goals for Bayer Leverkusen this season Many would forgive Hernandez for harbouring resentment towards Van Gaal for the manner in which he was forced to leave Old Trafford.But the 27-year-old still respects the beleaguered United manager and says he can guide the club back to the summit of English football if he is given more time.He is a really good manager to be honest, Hernandez said, speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News HQ. He has his own ways like all the managers in the world. Magnificent Seven Games that rescued Louis van Gaal You will not find the new Sir Alex Ferguson in the next 50 or 100 years because he was unique. He was special.Van Gaal can do it but in football, time and results are going to sppeak about if he is the main man or if he is not.ddddddddddddAfter being loaned out to Real Madrid during Van Gaals first season in charge, Hernandez was told by the Dutchman that Wayne Rooney would be his first-choice striker and his chances in the United first team would be severely limited if he stayed. Hernandez says Van Gaal told him that his chances of playing for Man Utd were very hard While Hernandez has scored freely for Leverkusen, United have struggled in front of goal and are on course to shatter their record for lowest goals scored in a Premier League season.The Red Devils have managed just 40 goals from their 33 games so far, while their previous low of 58 goals was set in 2004/05.Anthony Martial is Uniteds top scorer in the league with eight goals while Rooney is second with seven. Their combined total of 15 league goals is one less than Hernandez has managed for Leverkusen.Given how the season has gone for both parties, many United fans have questioned the decision to sell Hernandez but he says it was made clear to him that he was no longer wanted at Old Trafford.He just told me that my chances to play would be very hard, Hernandez said. I appreciate that he was very honest since the beginning.When I left, he told me my chances and my opportunities were going to be less because his main striker was going to be Wayne Rooney.If he wasnt fit for example, I was going to play but when he was ready he would play. Also See: Rashford can make Utd history Race for the top four LVG unhappy despite win Rooneys impressive return ' ' '