Daily cupcakes: last minute gift ideas for locked out hockey fans

Sandie is off today and since I am a) too lazy to dig for hockey links and b) have a sponsored post that's due I decided to take mix things up a bit today. As you know, Christmas is just around the corner and I know there are some folks out there who still need a few last minute gift ideas. And if you're like me, you want nothing more than to make sure some of your hard-earned gift money gets into the pocket of the needy around the holiday season...namely, the poor, destitute NHL owners. With that in mind, here's a few hockey related gift ideas for you Avalanche fans...

This Avalanche Piggy Bank was featured on the Avs' Facebook page a couple of weeks ago. Ignoring the fact that the thing is kind of ugly (is that bird poop on the shoulders?), I personally have to wonder how out of touch with reality you need to be to pimp a piggy bank while your league is currently engaged in another money-grabbing lockout. Only $18 for the irony loving gift giver out there.

A few years ago, my wife happened across a crocheted wine holder that a grandmother had made many years ago. It looked kind of like this, but tackier. It's been passed around among our circle of friends - whenever there's an event at someone's house, someone brings a bottle of wine in that and it's stuck with the host until they get a chance to dump it off on the next unsuspecting family (we did something similar with a bottle of Corona, but that's another show). At any rate, this Nordiques can cooler kind of reminds me of that. I definitely want to pick one up, because nothing is manlier or keeps things cooler than a nice, powder blue sweater. Only $27.99 for 6, so get 5 friends to go in on this with you and plan a PARTY!!!

This hockey putter golf club really needs no introduction and I think we've featured them before on this fine blog. Of course, you need to go with a team that knows about golf, so you can't go wrong with the Oilers. #glasshouse.

Here's one for the ladies on your list - an Avalanche Leather Top Zip Travel Bag (because "purse" was too wordy?). At $374.99, it is an absolute steal! I think the two Coach bags my wife has cost less, but those are clearly nowhere near as fashionable as the unipurse.

Or, for the handyman in your life, an Avalanche measuring tape. For measuring your Johnson, of course.

This one's pretty much just for Mike.

Young fans will love the Avalanche tattoo set. I highly recommend buying 5 or 10 of these packs for your youngster so that he can get a chance to emulate Scott Parker. Followed, of course, by a trip to Parker's barber shop for a shave and a haircut.

In all seriousness, if you're still looking for a hockey gift that doesn't put any money into the hands of the scrooges, I highly recommend picking up Down Goes Brown's best of book. Sean's a funny guy and while I haven't had a chance to pick this up, I love his work and it's definitely on my todo list. (Full disclosure, I borrowed the Forechecker's affiliate link for this one, so if you do buy through the link he gets a little kickback as well).