What's in a nickname? A lot of that depends on what your name is. If it's Smith or Smyth it's likely Smitty or Smytty, but for Ryan Smyth it was also Mullet or for Jason Smith it was Gator as in the University of Florida Gators football team. I look back at one-time captain Ethan Moreau who went by Chopper. I never did find out if it was because he used his stick to chop sticks/players or because he was missing his front teeth, also known as his choppers.
Doug Weight was Weighter, Anson Carter, who you can see on both Sportsnet and TNT, was AC. He is a cool guy but I think his first and last initial would be the reason. Whatever the background is on a player's nickname it's always neat to have one or be given one like Dylan Holloway's Hollywood moniker.
Before we give you the back story on Holloway, let me tell you about Hollywood. It's a neighbourhood in Los Angeles that revolves around the entertainment business. It's a haven for tourists with landmarks like the Chinese theatre or the Walk of Fame, and it's home to major motion picture studios like Paramount.
However, it's the sign that is a landmark synonymous with the area. It spells out the word Hollywood in 45-foot tall white uppercase letters and stretches 350 feet long. It was originally created in 1923 as a temporary advertisement for a local real estate development, but due to increasing recognition the sign was left up and in fact replaced in 1978 with a more durable all-steel structure.
As for Hollywood Holloway, he was created in 2001 and born September 23. He stands 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, and after an early-season injury has been durable, playing in 37 of 41 games.
GENE'S BLOG: Hollywood Holloway
With the Oilers playing in Southern California this week, Gene writes about Dylan Holloway's 'Hollywood' nickname and other notable monikers on the team
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