Got Kasparaitis

Here is our unofficial invitation for Hal Sparks, Ashton Kutcher, and Seann William Scott from Dude, Where's my Car to come out to a Pittsburgh Pirates game.

The Pirates started their season with a 10-12 in the month of April. Towards the end of April, the power of Zoltan hit the Pirates. After watching the movie in the locker room, the team started flashing the "Z" sign after extra base hits. Since returning home to start the month of May, the Pirates have gone 37-25, the best record in the National League.

The goal of this blog post is to attempt to get the attention of Hal, Ashton, and Seann to have them come to PNC Park to experience the power of Zoltan.

Articles about the Pirates and Zoltan:
Dude, what's the 'Z'? Pirates explain
The Pirates believe in the power of Zoltan
MLB Standings Before and After Zoltan

When sharing this post, please be sure to tag @aplusk and @HalSparks on Twitter (Ashton and Hal respectively). Let's see if we can get these guys out to PNC Park after the All-Star Break.

Ashton Kutcher's Twitter
Hal Sparks' Twitter

Derrick Pouliot

North American Skater - Portland, WHL

Final Rank:    12    Midterm Rank:    10
Position:    Defenseman    Shoots:    Left
Height:    5' 11"    Weight:    186
Born:    January 16, 1994    Hometown:    Weyburn, SK
Born in:    Estevan, SK, CAN
Drafted:    PIT (1st Round / 8th Overall)

• In 2011-12, Pouliot finished second in scoring among Portland defensemen with 59 points (11-48--59) in 72 games.

• A first overall selection in the 2009 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft, he played his first season in the WHL in 2010-11 leading Portland’s rookie defensemen in scoring with 30 points (5-25--30) in 66 games. Portland finished atop the Western Conference last season for the first time since 2001.

• Pouliot was selected to represent Canada at the 2011 Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial where he collected three points (1-2--3) and Canada captured gold. He also competed for Team West at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge where he had three assists in five games.

• A Weyburn minor hockey product, he was called up by the Moose Jaw Warriors AAA midget team for the 2009-10 season, recording 43 points (14-29--43) in 43 games. Pouliot was also called up for a short stint with the Portland Winterhawks as a 15 year old playing in seven games.

STATISTICS

Olli Maatta

North American Skater - London, OHL

Final Rank:    8    Midterm Rank:    6
Position:    Defenseman    Shoots:    Left
Height:    6' 2"    Weight:    202
Born:    August 22, 1994
Born in:    Jyväskylä, FIN
Drafted:    PIT (1st Round / 22nd Overall)

• Maatta made his Ontario Hockey League debut during the 2011-12 season, leading all rookie defensemen with 32 points (5-27--32) in 58 games.

• He was selected to represent Finland at the 2012 World Junior Championship, but was injured in Finland’s opening game and was unable to participate in the remainder of the tournament. Maatta played in six games at the 2011 World Junior Championship, becoming the first player since 1998 to represent Finland in the tournament at the age of 16.

• He also represented Finland at the 2011 World Under-18 Championship, recording four points (1-3--4) in six games. He was voted one of Finland's top three players at the tournament.

• The Maatta family keeps in close contact despite being separated by the Atlantic Ocean. . Olli Skypes with his family in Finland three times a week, and his mother regularly watches his OHL games via live Internet streams -- “It’s late when she watches, around 2:00 a.m., so she’s tired.”

• Maatta credits former teammates and fellow draft prospects Samu Markkula (No. 61 ranked European skater) and Topi Nattinen (No. 115-ranked European skater) as having a big influence on his career -- “We talked about hockey all the time and had a competition about everything.”

• Maatta started playing hockey in 2000 after he complained to his parents that all of the other kids were allowed to play hockey – “They didn’t have any other choice but to buy hockey equipment.”

STATISTICS

Theodor Blueger

North American Skater - Shattuck-St. Mary's, HIGH-MN

Final Rank:    116    Midterm Rank:    69
Position:    Center    Shoots:    Left
Height:    6' 0"    Weight:    171
Born:    August 15, 1994
Born in:    Riga, LVA
Drafted:    PIT (2nd Round / 52nd Overall)

STATISTICS

Oskar Sundqvist

European Skater - Skelleftea Jr., SWE-JR.

Final Rank:        Midterm Rank:
Position:    Center    Shoots:    Right
Height:    6' 3"    Weight:    172
Born:    March 23, 1994
Born in:    Boden, SWE
Drafted:    PIT (3rd Round / 81st Overall)

STATS

Matt Murray

North American Goalie - Sault Ste. Marie, OHL

Final Rank:    18    Midterm Rank:    2
Position:    Goalie    Catches:    Left
Height:    6' 4"    Weight:    162
Born:    May 25, 1994
Born in:    Thunder Bay, ON, CAN
Drafted:    PIT (3rd Round / 83rd Overall)

STATISTICS

Matia Marcantuoni

North American Skater - Kitchener, OHL

Final Rank:    59    Midterm Rank:    42
Position:    Right Wing/Center    Shoots:    Right
Height:    6' 0"    Weight:    194
Born:    February 22, 1994
Born in:    Woodbridge, ON, CAN
Drafted:    PIT (4th Round / 92nd Overall)

STATISTICS

Sean Maguire

North American Goalie - Powell River, BCHL

Final Rank:    28    Midterm Rank:
Position:    Goalie    Catches:    Left
Height:    6' 1"    Weight:    203
Born:    February 2, 1993
Born in:    Edmonton, AB, CAN
Drafted:    PIT (4th Round / 113th Overall)

STATISTICS

Clark Seymour

North American Skater - Peterborough, OHL

Final Rank:        Midterm Rank:
Position:    Defenseman    Shoots:    Right
Height:    6' 4"    Weight:    205
Born:    May 18, 1993
Born in:    Brockville, ON, CAN
Drafted:    PIT (5th Round / 143rd Overall)

STATISTICS

Anton Zlobin

North American Skater - Shawinigan, QMJHL

Final Rank:    137    Midterm Rank:    128
Position:    Right Wing    Shoots:    Right
Height:    5' 11"    Weight:    195
Born:    February 22, 1993
Born in:    Moscow, RUS
Drafted:    PIT (6th Round / 173rd Overall)

STATISTICS