NHL 24/7: Top Highlights of the 2011-12 Edition with Rangers and Flyers

HBO Sports did a great job chronicling the rivalry between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers on their respective roads to the Winter Classic. The four-episode miniseries gave a behind-the-scenes look inside both locker rooms, practice facilities and other candid aspects of the players' lives.

There were many moments and highlights from the 2011-12 edition of 24/7 that fans will never forget. Let's take a look at some of the moments that made us laugh, gasp or had us on the edge of our seats.

Ryan Callahan and His 95-Year-Old Grandmother

This was a very special moment for Ryan Callahan. When the Rangers went on the road to play the Buffalo Sabres, the Callahan family was in attendance, including Callahan's 95-year-old grandmother.

Callahan grew up in Rochester, New York, a town that is only 74 miles away from Buffalo.This moment shows that hockey players are people just like you and me. They have families and tender moments like this are something we can all relate to.

Callahan's granny became a fan favorite overnight after this episode of 24/7 aired.

Ilya Bryzgalov Gives the World Some Legal Advice

Ilya Bryzgalov arguably was the star of 24/7. His uniqueness and quirkiness really showed in the series. This is one of his earliest soundbites where he explains the logo on a bottle of Russian liqueur.

Bryzgalov glanced at the ingredients and then explained how it was against the law to kill one of the pictured tigers in China.

The lesson learned here: If you kill a tiger in China and they find you, "you dead." Thanks, Bryz!

John Tortorella: 'Don't #$% Your Pants on Kessel'

This was one of the first games in the earlier episodes of 24/7. The Rangers squared off against the Toronto Maple Leafs and had a sluggish first period.

Tortorella entered the locker room during the intermission to address the team.

"

With Kessel, if you have a chance, finish him. He is a good player, but don't #$%& your pants on him.

"

Truer words have never been uttered by a Rangers coach about a Toronto star forward. 

Peter Laviolette Gets Angry

In this clip, the referees in Montreal blow a penalty call and it hurts the Philadelphia Flyers. What followed was a very vocal tirade by Peter Laviolette. This would not be the only time Laviolette would voice his displeasure in a certain circumstance during the 24/7 series.

Laviolette would scream at the referees as they went into intermission, and he was more enraged when he saw video footage that reinforced his claim.

John Tortorella: '#$%^#&...#&*$(#)#...'

I can't write most of what Tortorella said above, but you don't need the sound on to see how mad he was. This was a Rangers team that was far superior to an under-performing St. Louis Blues hockey team.

This game was a huge tipping point for the Rangers. They would go on to lose this game, but this loss provided some major motivation in the games that followed.

Bryzgalov Strikes Again!

Ilya Bryzgalov took the world by storm in the first episode of 24/7. However things only got more hilarious as the series went on.

Bryzgalov not only jokes around with star forward Jaromir Jagr, but he leaves a memorable soundbite that has already spawned many Internet memes.

Bryzgalov has very complimenting words about his female Siberian Husky.

He then talks about defensemen and how they are crazier than goalies. I think I am not going to take Bryz's advice on that one.

Steve Ott Chirps with Giroux and Has an Altercation with Peter Laviolette

Claude Giroux and Steve Ott exchanged in some playful banter about faceoff statistics off NHL.com. The two make a wager about the next faceoff and exchange some more cordial words.

Later on, however, Ott takes offense to Laviolette trying to leave the bench before the Dallas Stars entered the locker room. There was some words exchanged and business as usual continued.

After the game, Laviolette was asked about the incident and claimed not to remember while sporting a "cat-who-ate-the-canary" grin.

Sean Avery Being Sean Avery

There really isn't much to be said here. Sean Avery likes fashion and photo shoots. During this clip, he explains how he likes to spend his downtime and the ups and downs of NHL life.

To quote Forrest Gump, "And that's all I have to say about that."

Flyers' Victory Song

After every Flyers victory, the tradition was established to celebrate to "Knock Knock" by Mac Miller. This clip is a nice insight to how teams and players celebrate victories after a hard-fought game.

The New York Rangers, on the other hand, celebrate a bit differently.

The Broadway Hat

The New York Rangers opened up the regular season overseas in Europe. While overseas, Brad Richards bought a fedora and The Broadway Hat was born. The hat is earned by the MVP of each game. Whoever won the hat the game before decides who gets the prize. 

This is a great way to keep things loose in the locker room. So far this season, the hat has been handed out 26 times, and the Rangers hope to hand out the Broadway Hat a lot more often this season.

Brad Richards Owns Tom Sestito

Tom Sestito attempted to get some face time as he chirped from the bench. He could barely get out a coherent and logical piece of trash talk during the exchange. However, veteran Brad Richards owned Sestito with an amazing piece of cold hard reality.

If Ranger fans still were uncertain about the Richards signing, this clip should help win them over. Richards is usually a quiet player who leads by example, but this was a funny moment for fans to see.

Marian Gaborik Buys a Christmas Tree

If you are a superstar millionaire hockey player in New York City, chances are you can send someone out to buy and deliver your Christmas tree for you. Not Marian Gaborik.

In this clip, the star right winger not only buys a tree, he puts in on his shoulder and lugs it home to his house while walking through his Tribecca neighborhood.

This was an interesting moment and it dispels the rumor that all hockey players let the money go to their head. Gaborik by no means is a big guy, so carrying the tree home was a test of strength.

Meet Liam, John Tortorella's Biggest Fan

If you still hate John Tortorella after watching this segment, there is something wrong with you. In this video is Liam, a young boy who was born with cerebral palsy. As Tortorella said, "Liam wasn't given a fair shake from the get go and I am glad to be in his life."

As Tortorella explained, Liam is a special kid who is always curious about what is going on with the team. The two are always texting back and forth and have a great friendship.

Liam is one of the many children that benefits from the Garden of Dreams Foundation. You may question Tortorella's coaching style, but what he does for Liam is just remarkable.

Liam is one of the strongest fans the Rangers have, as he is dealing with something that children his age shouldn't have to experience. 

Peter Laviolette Attempts to Inspire His Team

Peter Laviolette is a very experienced NHL head coach. He is the second-winningest coach among American coaches in NHL history. He has won a Stanley Cup and he knows how to motivate a team.

He tries to instruct the team on some of the issues they have in the current game against the Colorado Avalanche, and it almost worked.

This pep talk would rally his team and they would tie the game. However, they ended up losing in a shootout.

Ugly Sweater Party and Other Holiday Hijinks

This was probably one of the funniest segments from 24/7. Each person dressed for the occasion and boy, were the outfits hideous.

Brad Richards hosted the "ugly sweater party," but as he noted, "It turned into a Halloween costume party."

Brian Boyle as Buddy the Elf was the icing on the cake for this humorous holiday party.

Bryzgalov Gives Fans an Ultimate Catchphrase

I don't want to do Bryzgalov any injustice when it comes to this clip. However, I do agree that "the universe is hue-man-gous beeg."

Credit Card Roulette

The Rangers decided to go out for a nice meal the night before their game against the Sabres. When it is time to pay, the Rangers play credit card roulette in order to see who gets to pay for the meal.

Jeff Woywitka and Henrik Lundqvist were the two men chosen after a process of elimination. How different the two men are. Lundqvist is a superstar goalie who makes millions.

Woywitka, on the other hand, makes a fraction of what Lundqvist does. I wonder what the ride back to the hotel was like for Woywitka when he realized he spent a whole week's paycheck in one night.

Flyers' Holiday Party and Mini Bryzgalov

The Philadelphia Flyers hosted a family Christmas party at their practice facility in New Jersey. In this clip, we are introduced to Mini-Bryz. The youngster is a spitting image of his father and is also a goaltender.

Another thing that is evident from this clip, Max Talbot has some really ugly sweaters in his closet at home. This family party really got to show the personal side of a rugged Flyers team. These moments are what make 24/7 really special.

Landon Girardi

There isn't any videos of him online, but the time that Dan Girardi spent with his son Landon is priceless. In one episode, Landon and his father are playing ball hockey in the house. When Landon shoots a slap shot high and wide, Dan jokes, "You have a slap shot just like daddy."

Landon Girardi is one cute little kid and a lot of people are already joking about how he is going to be a first-round draft pick in the 2028 NHL entry draft. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens.

Inside Look at How the NHL Deals with Concussions

One of the series' minor sub-plots was concussions. Claude Giroux sustained a minor concussion when he collided with teammate Wayne Simmonds. From that moment onward, the series showed how Giroux underwent baseline testing, medical treatment and how he recovered.

The inside look on how players with concussions are treated was very interesting. Concussions are a very big part of the NHL today. Too many players are going down with injuries than ever before. At least 24/7 showed that the concussion protocol is being properly enforced.

Mike Rupp Salutes the Crowd

One goal and one salute was all it took to inspire the Rangers. This one sign of celebration fired the Rangers up. The Rangers went on to score two more goals, and that was all that was needed to beat the Flyers.

The Rangers and Flyers will square off three more times this season, so it will be interesting to see if Jagr responds in some way. When fans think back to the Winter Classic, Mike Rupp will be remembered as the Rangers' unlikely hero.

Briere vs. Lundqvist with the Game on the Line

One of the most controversial calls from the Winter Classic turned into one of the greatest moments in 24/7 history.

With 19.7 seconds left, Danny Briere was selected to take a penalty shot against Henrik Lundqvist. This clip felt like it was right out of Inception based of the different camera angles and music.

In the end, Briere went five-hole and was denied by The King. Had this goal counted, the game and future of 24/7 season two could have been totally re-written.

Narrating and Opening/Closing Package

Liev Schreiber has a legendary voice and made the programming so interesting to listen to. His narration over simple introduction and closing slides such as this are just amazing. HBO really does an amazing job with the overall presentation in their documentaries.

The ending highlights seemed like only a logical way to close out this slideshow. The series and the Winter Classic were very memorable for the fans and all involved. If there was a moment I missed and you have a video link feel, free to post it and I can add it to this slideshow.

Tom Urtz, Jr. is an NHL featured columnist. For NHL news, updates and alerts about players: