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10 Awesome Apps You Only Need for the Free Trial Period

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There are a lot of apps to choose from when looking to kill some time on your mobile phone, but nothing is quite as annoying as playing a game and then having to find out that you have to pay monthly just to use it. However, a lot of these apps offer up a free trial period that allows you to get the entire scope of the app without paying.

Many of these apps you only need for the free trial and then you can finish using them for good. If you’re looking for a great time waster for the next month, try one of these 10 awesome apps you only need for the free trial period.

Akinator

Akinator is an AI-based guessing game released in 2007, still just as popular as ever in 2022. The AI asks the users questions to determine what person, fictional or real, or animal they’re thinking of. It’s a quick and fun app really only needed for the free trial. 

Smule

Karaoke apps like Smule provide users with karaoke versions of their favorite songs and cool voice functions within the recordings you make. It’s a cool app, but you’ll most likely try out all the features and songs before the free trial ends. 

GameFly

GameFly offers you an entire month for their free trial, giving you plenty of time to rent and beat games you’ve been dying to play or just don’t want to spend the $50+ on for your console, or PC. 

PNP-Portable North Pole 

PNP-Portable North Pole is great for the holidays. What’s even better is you can take advantage of the free trial during that specific time of year. It allows you to receive and gift personalized videos from the jolly Father Christmas himself. Kids will love this little free treat. 

AI Art

AI art apps are all the rage right now. It’s a terrifyingly accurate and impressive method of turning your pictures into interesting works of art without needing to pay for an entire commissioned painting. The free trial is all you’ll need to test out the app and get your awesome AI-generated works of art to show off to all of your friends. 

Monsterfy

Monsterfy is absolutely perfect for the spooky season crowd. Since it’s a seasonal thing, there isn’t really a need to keep the app around longer than the free trial duration. It’s a fun app that kids will love that lets them swap faces with spooky monsters, turning them into ghastly ghouls for the Halloween season. 

100’s of Buttons and Prank Sounds 

If you’re the goofy prankster type, this app and its free trial is perfect for you. It’s full of silly buttons and prank sounds that you, or those around you, will probably tire of after the free trial ends. 

Reverse Movie FX

Reverse Movie FX is a fun little app you can use to play around with all of your recorded videos. It allows users to reverse fragments of their videos where someone is performing a normal action. Though a cool concept, the hype of the reverse feature usually dies off after the free trial. 

MadLipz

MadLipz allows users to take popular short clips and dub over the video, or songs featured in them. It’s a really fun activity that could keep you and others entertained for a good while, but the free trial gives you enough of a taste to see if the app is worth purchasing 

Dragon Ball Super Card Game Tutorial

An app focusing on a tutorial is pretty much perfect for free trials. Learning to play the DBZ card game is an important strategy for anime and card game lovers to learn. The free trial gives you enough time to do so without having to pay for the product. 

10 Best K-Pop Songs of All Time

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K-Pop has taken the world by storm and is now so cemented into pop culture that it has its own genre on the charts on a global scale. Throughout the years, there have been some certified K-Pop classics, but which ones would people consider to be the best of the best? Here are our picks for the 10 best K-Pop songs of all time.

Gangnam Style by Psy

Serving as the South Korean musician’s worldwide breakout hit, “Gangnam Style” took off and became the party tune of the year in 2012. The highly catchy song and fun music video, showcasing Psy’s interesting dance, made the song as memorable as ever even ten years after its release. 

Dynamite by BTS

One of the most popular hits by one of the most popular K-pop sensations to grace the earth is “Dynamite” by BTS. The song, released in 2020, started off extremely strong, making its way straight to #1 on the Billboard Top 100 and becoming an instant hit in America and South Korea as well. 

DDU-DU-DDU-DU by BLACKPINK

“DDU-DU-DDU-DU” by the popular South Korean pop group BLACKPINK was released in 2018 and quickly shot up in the charts, topping the Billboard K-pop Top 100. The video for the song became the most viewed K-pop music video on YouTube at the time, with over 1 billion views. 

Gentleman by Psy 

Another banger from our South Korean wonder Psy, “Gentleman” was the next of his hits to make its way to America in 2013. Up until recently, the music video for the song became the fastest and most viewed, with over 1.4 billion views on YouTube. 

DNA by BTS

“DNA” was the first major hit BTS graced the US n 2017. The song made it to #67 on the Billboard Top 100 as well as #1 on the Billboard K-pop Top 100. The song put BTS on the map in the United States and started the intense fandom surrounding the group. 

Fire by BTS

Another BTS song to make the list, “Fire” was released as part of the album “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever”. “Fire” was actually about as popular in the United States as it was in Korea despite BTS not yet being a household name. “Fire” reached number seven on the Korean charts while reaching the top spot in US World Digital Song Sales.

Boombayah by BLACKPINK

BLACKPINK made their debut in a big way back in 2016 when they released their first single “Square One”, which was followed up on the same record with “Boombayah”. The song was an instant hit, and in fact became the first K-Pop debut music video to reach over 1 billion views worldwide on YouTube.

As If It’s Your Last by BLACKPINK

While most popular songs are part of a full album, “As If It’s Your Last” was released on its own in 2017 and was written by a trio of artists for Blackpink. The song streamed more than 100 million times in the first year of its release and even won Best Digital Song of the Year at the Golden Disc Awards.

Growl by EXO

Serving as the South Korean-Chinese boy band’s breakout hit, the R&B tune “Growl” by EXO was released in 2013 and became the 5th best-selling K-pop song in the US that year. “Growl” would end up winning the Best Song at the Seoul Music Awards and even the World’s Best Song at the World Music Awards in 2014. 

Peek-a-Boo by Red Velvet

Red Velvet is an all-girl band that formed in 2014 and quickly became one of the most popular groups in Korea thanks to their debut album “The Red” in 2015. Two years later, they released “Perfect Velvet” which contained the massive hit “Peek-a-Boo” that took the world by storm. “Peek-a-Boo” reached number two on both the US World Digital Song charts and the K-Pop Hot 100 in Korea.

5 Special Ingredients to Add To Your Bread Recipe

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By itself, bread is certainly a food that you can enjoy and will fill you up, but it doesn’t have a whole lot of taste. It isn’t until we start mixing in some special ingredients that we really bring out the easy-to-eat texture of bread that we all know and love. If you’re planning on making bread or are already a seasoned veteran when it comes to the kitchen, why not try some new ways to make bread interesting?

Feel free to use any ingredients that you want to make your bread really stand out. For our personal preference, there are five special ingredients that we use, which you can also add to your bread recipes to put a new spin on an old favorite.

Garlic

One special ingredient you can add to most savory bread dough recipes is the basis for most successful dishes, garlic. Some bread dough recipes already include garlic, like some pizza doughs, focaccias, and naan bread. Giving breads a stronger flavor, without being too overpowering.  

Try adding minced raw garlic, fried garlic, roasted garlic, or even whole garlic cloves inside and as a spread, or topping for any savory bread dough recipes you have in mind. Mixing garlic with seasonings, herbs, and delicious fatty butter, or olive oil will enhance the garlic even more. It’ll build more flavor and another dimension to your salty and savory baked treats. 

Honey

Honey is a fantastic addition to bread dough recipes, sweet and savory. Try incorporating sweet, or hot honey into the wet ingredients when making your bread dough. Or come up with a delicious honey-focused topping, or spread for your perfectly baked loaves, or rolls. Honey adds a distinct sweetness with more depth than regular sugar. 

Different types of honey will have different notes of flavor, from fruity to floral. Honey will bring something exciting and comforting to the table in sweet, or savory applications seamlessly. Using it as a simple drizzle is just as delicious too. 

Spices

Spices are the foundation of flavor. There are a crazy amount of spices available from all around the world, coming from all different kinds of cultures. Whether you use your favorite go-to seasoning or mix up your own spice blend to add to the dough, or as a finishing seasoning before, or after baking, it’s all bound to be a tasty addition to any bread dough. 

You can add sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, or any other warm spices to sweeter breads. Add savory spices like dried rosemary, parsley, garlic salt, hot spices, or any exotic savory spices from around the world that pique your fancy. 

Chocolate

Adding chocolate to anything is usually a pretty fantastic idea. Adding chocolate to your bread dough is bound to end up being a success. You can add cocoa powder, chocolate chunks or chips of varying sweetness. You can whip up a delicious chocolate spread to top off your fresh bread with, or maybe add a sweet chocolate spread center to your baked treats.  

Chocolate boosts your mood, has surprising health benefits, and makes everything taste so scrumptious and sweet. Kids will love the playful ingredient as well. It’s a fun addition to any dessert bread. 

Herbs

Just like spice blends, herbs add so much more flavor to your bread dough than your standard and sometimes straight-up bland dough recipe. Try adding an herb butter blend, or dried herbs to pizza dough crust, focaccia, rolls, Italian bread, and whatever else your heart desires. 

Rosemary is a beautifully fragrant herb commonly used in bread recipes. Parsley makes a great addition to herb butter used on naan bread, pizza crusts, breadsticks, and garlic bread. It’s sure to add a mouth watering, fresh, and savory flavor to your favorite breads. 

5 Exotic Breads That Are Easy to Bake At Home

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There are dozens of bread types around the world, but not all of them are easy to bake. Some require a lot of nuances and can be difficult for most people to get just right. Thankfully, there are also many breads that most people can bake them at home rather easily. If you’re trying to mix things up in the kitchen and add some new breads to your overall diet, here are five exotic ones to try that are easy to bake at home.

Portuguese Sweet Bread

Portuguese sweet bread is a downright delicious bread that will add the perfect amount of sweetness to your day.  After activating the yeast, add ingredients like sugar, milk, and butter. 

Then add the dry ingredients, knead, let rise, then either cut it up into smaller rolls, bake it as a round loaf, or braid it to add a little pizzazz to the dessert bread. Just make sure that you’re eating this bread as quickly as you can, though, as it can go incredibly stale in just one day!

Challah

Challah is a prized bread that first originated within the Ashkenazi Jewish community. It’s enjoyed during Passover, Shabbat, and really any occasion worth celebrating. Though, anyone can enjoy this tasty and whimsical-looking bread anytime, anywhere, even in the comfort of their own home. Challah is a bread made with few ingredients but delivers an impressive look and flavor nonetheless. 

To make it, you first activate the yeast in sugar water, add in a good amount of eggs that give the bread its signature texture, add the dry ingredients, knead the dough, and let the dough rise. When risen, divide the dough into six pieces, roll them out into long strands, braid the dough to make that classic challah shape, and brush it with egg before baking. 

Focaccia 

Sometimes thought of as pizza’s boring cousin, focaccia is actually delicious and stands out on its own. Not to mention there’s so many ways you can decorate your focaccia with vibrant, colorful, and fragrant vegetables, seasonings, and herbs, before baking. The high gluten content gives the bread the best airy and chewy texture, paired with a golden brown and crunchy bottom and a beautifully seasoned top. 

It’s great to eat on its own, dipped in sauce, or oil, or loaded with toppings. It’s easy to make at home too. Like most bread, you activate the yeast, add the dry ingredients, let the dough rise, and bake off when risen properly. Some recipes require kneading, some don’t. It’s simple and so worth trying.  

Naan

Naan is the beloved pairing to many Indian dishes, like curries, masala, butter chicken, and so much more. The toasty, sometimes garlicky, buttery flatbread is often used as a vessel to scoop rice, meat, and veggies and soak up fragrant sauces used in Indian fare. Naan is surprisingly easy to make at home as well. After activating the yeast and mixing in the wet ingredients, you’ll knead the dough on a floured surface, also using this process to incorporate any fresh garlic or herbs desired in the dough. 

After that, you’ll let the dough rest, then divide and roll out smaller pieces of dough that you can cook on a very hot cast iron pan to achieve the proper char naan is known for. Finally, brush with salted butter and add herbs to the fresh naan and enjoy. 

Tortillas 

Tortillas are versatile and incredibly easy to make fresh at home. Flour tortillas are simply made by combining flour, salt, baking powder, water, and oil. It requires very little kneading and resting time after mixing, as well as no need to proof. 

Divide the dough into small pieces, roll it out, or use a special tortilla press to flatten the dough, and cook on a flat stove top pan for a short period of time. 

5 Most Successful NCAA Hockey Teams

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In professional hockey, it can be hard to put together a dynasty thanks to the salary cap and free agency, but that’s not the case in the college ranks. Typically, teams that are toward the top tend to stay there, while the lower programs are only just a few players away from joining them.

Over the years, a handful of college hockey teams have had the sustained success that puts them above the rest. Between trips to the Frozen Four, national championships, and eventual NHLers that made it into the Hall of Fame, these are the five most successful NCAA hockey programs.

Before we get to the list, here are some of the teams that just missed the cut but have had tremendous program success: Boston University, Wisconsin, Minnesota-Duluth, Michigan State, Wisconsin.

5. Boston College

The Boston College Eagles come to mind for a lot of hockey fans in terms of teams that have had sustained success without piling up too many championships. Outside of their dynasty run from 2001 to 2012, the Eagles have just one NCAA Tournament championship which came in 1949.

The Eagles have still made the NCAA Tournament more often than not, though, so they are always near the top of the title contention scene. There have been a lot of great NHL players to come from Boston College, including Hall of Famers like Brian Leetch and Joe Mullen, as well as star players Johnny Gaudreau, Bill Guerin, and Brian Boyle.

4. Denver

The University of Denver was an absolute dynasty during its early years as they started play in 1949 and were the NCAA champions within a decade. Denver dominated in the 1960s and reached the Frozen Four regularly in the early 1970s. Throughout the rest of the decade and into the early 2000s, though, Denver was a sleeping giant.

Thankfully for the Pioneers, they were able to right the ship and have since become one of the top hockey programs in the NCAA once again. They won the NCAA Tournament twice during the 2000s, then again in 2017 and 2022. Among the notable NHL players to attend Denver are Paul Stastny and Tyler Bozak and Hall of Famers Craig Patrick and Glenn Anderson.

3. North Dakota

While ND might translate to Notre Dame for college football fans, it certainly means North Dakota when it comes to college hockey. The Fighting Hawks have been among the best teams in the NCAA since starting play in the mid-1940s and have reached the Frozen Four more than 20 times.

Along the way, North Dakota has won several championships and routinely makes the NCAA Tournament. The top NHL players who make their way through the North Dakota hockey program include Dave Christian, Jason Blake, and Hockey Hall of Famer Ed Belfour. More recent players include Zach Parise, Jonathan Toews, and T.J. Oshie.

2. Michigan

Known by casual fans perhaps more for its football program, the University of Michigan has also had a rich tradition in hockey. Also, like the football team, Michigan hockey last won a national championship in the late 1990s despite routinely being one of the top teams in the nation.

Overall, Michigan has nine national titles between 1948 and 1998, and more than two dozen trips to the Frozen Four. Some of Michigan’s top players to reach the NHL include Andrew Cogliano, Mike Knuble, and former number-one overall draft pick Jack Johnson. Michigan was also home to the Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin.

1. Minnesota

The Minnesota Golden Gophers began play in 1921 and have been one of the top teams on an almost annual basis ever since. No team has won the Big Ten title more than Minnesota, and they’ve made the NCAA Tournament regularly since the early 1970s. Minnesota has more wins than any other NCAA program, as well.

Interestingly enough, Minnesota only has five national championship wins, but they’ve reached the Frozen Four well over 20 times, including every year between 1986 and 1989. Some of the most successful NHL players to come from Minnesota include Phil Kessel, Neal Broten, and Alex Goligoski.

5 Best NFL Careers by Former Wisconsin Badgers

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The University of Wisconsin has a rich football tradition as one of the oldest teams in the Big Ten, and along the way has produced some terrific NFL talent. A handful of players have gone on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and set records at the top level of football. Let’s take a look at the Badgers that put together the finest NFL careers.

Before we get into the list, let’s take a look at some of the Badgers that just missed the cut as part of our honorable mentions: Troy Vincent, Tim Krumrie, Chris Chambers, Travis Frederick, and Paul Gruber.

5. T.J. Watt

As you can probably guess, there is more than one Watt on the list, and it begins with outside linebacker T.J. Watt. T.J. spent four seasons in Wisconsin, and in his senior season, was named to both the All-Big Ten and All-American teams. Considered by some to be undersized, Watt was selected late in the first round, with the Steelers taking a chance on him at 30th overall in 2017.

Watt almost instantly became a perennial All-Pro, and even tied the single-season record for most sacks with 22.5. Watt was also named the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and continues to rack up the accolades. By the time his career is over, there’s a chance that Watt could end up having the more impressive resume in the family.

4. Mike Webster

Hailing from Rhinelander, Wisconsin, Mike Webster spent the early 1970s in Madison and played center for the Badgers until 1974. After being named to two All-Big Ten teams, Webster was selected in the fifth round of the 1974 NFL Draft (125th overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Webster spent most of his 17-year career with the Steelers and was named to the All-Pro Team in nine of those seasons. Webster was also a four-time Super Bowl winner and was named to Pittsburgh’s All-Time Team, as well as two different NFL All-Decade Teams.

3. Joe Thomas

Joe Thomas is the highest-rated player on the list that spent their entire college career with the Badgers, and he was named a two-time First-Team All-American. During his senior season, Thomas was also an All-American and was given the Outland Trophy as the best offensive lineman in the nation. At the 2007 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns made Thomas the third overall pick.

Thomas would end up becoming one of the best left tackles in NFL history and certainly the most durable. Thomas set the record for most consecutive snaps played in league history and was a 10-time Pro Bowler, as well as an eight-time All-Pro. Unfortunately for Thomas, the only downside of his career was never reaching the postseason.

2. Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson may have only spent one season with Wisconsin, but it was quite the season as he was named to the first-team All-Big Ten squad and was the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year. Wilson wasn’t expected to do much in the NFL when he entered in 2012, however, as the Seahawks used their third-round pick (75th) overall to have him back up Matt Flynn.

Wilson assumed the starting role right away with the Seahawks and spent 10 seasons with the team. During that time, he compiled an impressive 104-53-1 record, throwing for 37,059 yards, 292 touchdowns, and 87 interceptions. Wilson also added 4,689 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns en route to nine Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl title.

1. J.J. Watt

J.J. Watt had initially gone to Central Michigan University, but the Chippewas wanted the walk-on from Pewaukee to become a tight end. After spending just one year in Mt. Pleasant, Watt made his way to Wisconsin to become a defensive end. As a Badger, Watt became a first-team All-American and won the Lott Trophy, leading him to be selected 11th overall in 2011 by the Houston Texans.

Watt spent 10 seasons with the Texans and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year on three occasions. Watt finished his Texans career with 101 sacks before signing with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, and Watt has also been named an All-Pro six times and was the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year.

5 Biggest Trades in NHL History

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Trades happen in the NHL all the time, especially these days as teams are more inclined to make moves shortly before the trade deadline every season and either play for a Stanley Cup or build for the future. However, a lot of these trades tend to be for role players that are only on the team for the rest of the season.

Then, there are trades where superstars are sent and received, changing the entire landscape of the NHL. Over the years, a handful of trades have really shaken things up and set multiple franchises on a different course of history. Here are the five biggest trades in the history of the NHL.

5. Joe For Jarome

After the Flames moved from Atlanta to Calgary, the team improved almost instantly and were competitors by the second half of the 1980s. They also had a superstar come up through the ranks in the form of Joe Nieuwendyk, who in his first full season with Calgary scored 92 points in 75 games. In his second season, he was equally impressive and helped the Flames win the Stanley Cup in 1989.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars had just selected Jarome Iginla 11th overall in the 1995 NHL Draft and were in win-now mode with a solid roster. The Stars traded Iginla and Corey Millen in exchange for Nieuwendyk in the ultimate win-win trade. Nieuwendyk helped the Stars win the 1999 Stanley Cup while Iginla became the highest-scoring player in Flames history.

4. Senators Unload Karlsson

The Ottawa Senators were oh-so-close to reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017 but lost to the Penguins. The next year, the team struggled and it seemed their window may be closing, so the team offloaded much of their top talent. Mark Stone went to Las Vegas, Matt Duchene went to Columbus, and Erik Karlsson went to San Jose.

The defenseman was fresh off of a Norris Trophy win and was considered an all-time great at the position. To obtain Karlsson, the Sharks gave away four players and four draft picks, including three first-rounders. It will be many years before a true winner of the trade is fully decided due to the sheer volume of draft picks that have been part of the trade tree since it happened in 2018.

3. Colo-Roy-Do

The Colorado Avalanche had just been established in 1995 after moving from Quebec City, and the team wanted to win a Stanley Cup as quickly as possible. To do so, the team knew that it needed a goalie, and there was no better goalie than Patrick Roy. The timing couldn’t have been any better for Colorado as Montreal had just hired a coach who famously didn’t get along with Roy.

Roy wanted out of Montreal, and he was shipped alongside Mike Keane to the Avalanche in exchange for Andrei Kovalenko, Martin Rucinsky, and Jocelyn Thibault. Roy got the lost laugh on coach Mario Tremblay as he won the Stanley Cup in his first season while Tremblay lasted just two years as a head coach.

2. Lindros Comes to Philly

Needless to say, there’s a real doozy at the top spot for this to not be the biggest trade of all time. This is also another trade that involves Jocelyn Thibault and the Quebec Nordiques. In 1992, Eric Lindros was considered the best draft prospect since Wayne Gretzky and was selected first overall by the Nordiques during the draft. 

Every team wanted him, but not many had the trade capital to get him. The Nordiques did, and gave away Steve Duchesne, Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Kerry Huffman, Mark Ricci, $15 million in cash, and two first-round picks that would become Nolan Baumgartner and Jocelyn Thibault. Multiple Hall of Famers were involved in one trade, which is incredibly rare.

1. The King’s Ransom

Of course, when talking about NHL trades, you have to bring up the one that’s had multiple documentaries made on the subject. After coming up with the Edmonton Oilers when they entered the NHL, Gretzky was sent to the second-largest market in the nation, Los Angeles.

The Kings also got Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorely while giving away Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, a trio of first-round picks, and enough cash to keep the small-market Oilers running. So who won the trade? Many say that it was Mark Messier, who got a chance to become the star in Edmonton.

5 Most Surprising NHL Relocations

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When there’s an expansion franchise in a professional sports league, the people of that city fully embrace the team right away. Look at how Las Vegas and Seattle fans have come to love their new franchises. When teams move, though, there can be an awkward period for the new city as they may feel like they ‘stole’ a team. There have been several instances of that happening in the NHL, and these five moves were the most surprising NHL relocations.

5. Atlanta (Twice)

The city of Atlanta, Georgia has had two attempts at hosting an NHL franchise, and neither time did it end out working for the city. Originally, Atlanta was the home of the Flames, which made sense in terms of team names because if you’ve been to the ATL, you know why they call it Hotlanta, as well. The team would keep the name, but move to the much more frigid Calgary in 1980 after eight seasons of financial troubles.

Just under two decades after the Flames moved, Atlanta got a second chance when the NHL expanded back into the city, and the Atlanta Thrashers were born. The Thrashers lasted just 11 seasons in Atlanta before the team ran into financial peril and, just like the last team, moved to Canada. The Thrashers became the new Winnipeg Jets (more on that later).

4. Quebec to Colorado

One of the best uniforms in sports history belonged to the Quebec Nordiques, who began play in the WHL in 1972. After the league merged with the NHL, the Nordiques came along in the package to expand the NHL’s influence in Canada. The Nordiques were the only pro team in Quebec City throughout their run but were placed up for sale in the mid-1990s.

Nordiques fans could see the writing on the wall when the team was sold, with an investor group from Denver, Colorado making the acquisition. After 16 years in Quebec, the franchise moved to Denver, becoming the Colorado Avalanche. Of course, immediately after moving, the franchise won its first Stanley Cup because life is unfair.

3. Winnipeg to Arizona

When you think of hockey, you think of Canada first and foremost. Before the 1990s, the last thing that you’d probably think of is the desert. That was, of course, before the Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights came along. While the Knights were an expansion team, the Coyotes came about by taking an existing franchise.

The Winnipeg Jets had been part of the WHA-NHL merger and was founded in 1972. The team went through a sale as most franchises do, but the new owners wanted desperately to move to a larger city. With that, the Jets moved way down south, landing in Phoenix and becoming the Coyotes. Thankfully for Winnipeg, the Thrashers would move to their city 15 years later.

2. Hartford to Carolina

We’ve already mentioned teams that started in the WHA and have amazing logos, and the Hartford Whalers were one of those teams. The franchise known for playing in a shopping mall and having ‘Brass Bonanza’ blare over the speakers after every goal was a favorite of casual fans around the league. However, being in a small market meant that their days were numbered from the start.

The Whalers simply weren’t making enough money in Connecticut and upgrading their arena proved to be difficult. After 18 NHL seasons in Hartford, the Whalers moved down the Atlantic coast to Raleigh, North Carolina where they became the Carolina Hurricanes. Though the transition period was difficult, Carolina has fully embraced the team.

1. Minnesota to Dallas

If you had to come up with a list of the best American states for hockey, a lot of lists would have Minnesota at the very top. The state is synonymous with pond hockey and is essentially an extension of Canada. For more than a quarter-century, Minnesota was the home for the North Stars, but that would change in 1993.

The team flirted with the idea of moving to Anaheim, but Disney bumped ahead of them in line and the Ducks were formed. The backup plan to move to a larger market was to move the Stars to Dallas in one of the most head-scratching moves in terms of fan support.

5 Best Free Agent Signings by the Toronto Maple Leafs

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have had one of the longest and most storied histories throughout all of the NHL franchises. There have been many Hall of Fame players that have been on a Leafs roster, with a big chunk of them acquired either through the NHL Draft or by being brought in via trade. Every now and then, though, there are players that come in via free agency.

Teams try not to let their best players hit free agency, but when it happens, Toronto is one of the premier destinations in the league. While not every free agent signing by the Leafs has been a hit, there have been some home runs. Here are the five best free agent signings in Toronto Maple Leafs history.

5. Alexander Mogilny

Russian native Alexander Mogilny came into the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres and ended up being one of the franchise’s greatest players, including a season in which he scored 76 goals and 127 points. The two-time All-Star then spent time with Vancouver and New Jersey before becoming a free agent in 2001.

Mogilny was 32 years old, but he certainly wasn’t out of his prime just yet. The Maple Leafs signed Mogilny in 2001 for four years and $22 million. Mogilny put up 166 points in 176 games, winning a Lady Byng Trophy in the process. Unfortunately, the Leafs didn’t get that fourth season from the contract due to the NHL lockout.

4. Ed Belfour

Goaltender Ed Belfour spent his 20s playing for the Chicago Blackhawks and was a three-time All-Star before heading to the San Jose Sharks for a handful of games and then the Dallas Stars. Balfour won a Stanley Cup with the Stars, then became a free agent at 37 years old after many thought he was over the hill.

After Curtis Joseph (more on him in a second) left the Maple Leafs, the team plugged the vacancy with Belfour hoping that he still had some good years left. On a two-year contract worth $13.5 million, Belfour didn’t disappoint and even stayed for a third year. Belfour put up a 93-61-15 record with a .912 save percentage, his best with any franchise.

3. Curtis Joseph

Getting back to Curtis Joseph, he had many fine years with the St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers when he became a free agent following the 1997-98 season. The Maple Leafs went all-in on Joseph, signing him to a four-year deal worth $24 million. Joseph played the entirety of his contract, winning a Clancy Trophy, and was top-10 in the Vezina voting each year.

Joseph lived up to his contract, putting up a record of 133-89-27 and a save percentage of over .910. Joseph then left for the Detroit Red Wings and played briefly for Phoenix and Calgary before returning to Toronto in his final season, retiring at 41-years-old in 2009.

2. John Tavares

John Tavares was the first overall pick in 2009 by the New York Islanders and made his professional debut at just 19 years old and played with the team for nine seasons. Tavares scored 621 points in 669 games and became a free agent after the 2017-18 season. Most fans were furious after Tavares left the Islanders, and was quick to choose Toronto as he had been a childhood fan.

Tavares rejected all extension offers by New York and signed a seven-year deal worth $77 million with the Maple Leafs. In the first five seasons of his contract, Tavares continued to be a near-point-per-game scorer and made the Leafs into a contender.

1. Borje Salming

The late Borje Salming was one of the greatest defensemen in NHL history, and certainly one of the greatest Leafs players. No team drafted Salming while he was with Sweden, and it wasn’t until 1973 that he signed with Toronto after playing professionally in his home country for several years.

The original contract to bring him to Toronto was a bargain, too, with Salming signing for two years and $140,000. Salming played 16 of his 17 NHL seasons with the Maple Leafs, and the Hall of Famer was named to six All-Star Teams, scoring 768 points in 1,099 games. He would finish his career in the 1989-90 season playing as a free agent in Detroit.

5 Best Repackagings of WWE Wrestlers

Posted on by scatty

You could be the greatest wrestler in the world and oozing with charisma, but it won’t mean a thing in the WWE if you don’t have the right gimmick. We’ve seen wrestlers over the years that were loaded with skills and could work a microphone like no other, but were toiling away with a bad gimmick.

Thankfully, some of those legends were able to repackage themselves and became main event-tier wrestlers after the change. Let’s take a look throughout wrestling history and revisit some of the gimmicks that the biggest names in wrestling used to have before being repackaged.

Before we get into the list, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions: Scott Steiner becomes Big Poppa Pump, The Sultan becomes Rikishi, Hulk Hogan becomes Hollywood Hogan, Bradshaw becomes JBL, and Husky Harris becomes Bray Wyatt.

5. Triple H

When he first made it into pro wrestling, Paul Levesque went under the awful punny name of Terra Ryzing. Things didn’t get much better as the played the role of a Connecticut aristocrat during his time in WCW, which was tweaked slightly, and the ‘Greenwich Snob’ went by the very upper-crust name of Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

When teaming up with Shawn Michaels and joining D-Generation X, the name was just shortened to Triple H. Eventually, Triple H completely distanced himself from his old gimmick when announcers referred to him more as “The Game” and “The Cerebral Assasin” and it was a massive improvement.

4. Kane

Glenn Jacobs went through a lot of gimmicks early on in his wrestling career, and that includes playing an insane dentist named Isaac Yankem, DDS. Others included Angus King, the Christmas Creature, Doomsday, and the “Fake” Diesel. He was clearly talented, but none of his gimmicks were sticking. That was, however, until he was repackaged as the Devil’s favorite demon, Kane.

It turns out, fans were more enthralled with a man that was straight from the depths of hell rather than a dentist. Kane became one of the staples of the Attitude Era and was involved in the biggest storylines of the time as he proved to be a great main event heel for the likes of Stone Cold, Mankind, and The Rock.

3. Sting

Sting became one of the biggest stars of the WCW, looking like a character straight out of “American Gladiators” with a name to boot. The surfer gimmick for Sting was definitely a product of its time, and while it got it over with fans, it needed to be tweaked in the late 1990s. Thankfully, the film “The Crow” had become popular at the time, and Sting took on the same look.

Wrestler Scott Hall came up with the idea for Sting to change from the surfer gimmick to the brooding character in black and white face paint. The bold idea paid off big time and he became one of the faces of the WCW during its prime years.

2. The Rock

In terms of wrestlers that have gotten over in the mainstream just as much as they did in the wrestling ring, nobody holds a candle to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. He wasn’t always The Rock, though, as he started out his WWE career as Rocky Maivia and dressed in a way that certainly helped him to stand out, but not to get over.

Dropping the last name and completely overhauling his gimmick, Johnson became simply known as The Rock and joined the Nation of Domination stable. Going on his own as the people’s champ and eventually joining the Corporation stable, Johnson was able to showcase his charisma and was massively over.

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin

It’s hard to picture, especially for young people, a Steve Austin that had long blonde hair. However, that’s exactly how Austin came into pro wrestling as a member of The Dangerous Alliance and The Hollywood Blonds while in WCW. After a brief stint in ECW, Austin headed to the WWE in 1995 as The Ringmaster, but quickly changed gimmicks to Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Austin became a beer-swilling butt-kicking redneck character that appealed to the blue collar crowds. There was no bigger star during the Attitude Era than Stone Cold, and he showed that you can pull off a vest and bald head in the wrestling ring.