There's finally a trailer available for the recently released documentary Junior, about the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Although screenings are currently available only in Quebec, with any luck I'll have a copy of the movie shortly and will be able to give it a proper review...
Brodsky: "I can't stand to listen to the games, and I can't stand to watch them" - Prince George Cougars owner says in candid video interview...
Maybe it's just me, but it sounds like Garry Nunn was conned into picking the WHL over Minnesota-Mankato. I put part of this on the bureaucrats in Indianapolis, since contracts signed by minors are not binding in a court of law, but apparently are binding to the NCAA. While Nunn's case involves a Canadian player playing in Canadian leagues, it still remains that NCAA coaches and USA Hockey officials need to get together and work with the NCAA to change the rules on recruiting in hockey to ameliorate the advantages held by the CHL. Otherwise, we can expect to see more comments like these from brainwashed Americans...
Lots going on with the Kingston Frontenacs, or nothing depending on your point of view, as their games for this weekend have been postponed. Two Front players and the trainer were injured when they were struck by a car outside their hotel in Windsor. Adding insult to injury, the three were given tickets for jaywalking...
Cory Emmerton is being shopped around the OHL, with Kitchener and Soo the leading candidates...
Mike McFeely column - F-M Jets deserve a little love. Speaking of Fargo, I've got another pic of their arena construction progress, though from the date of the picture it's a couple weeks old. You can see most of the steel superstructure is in place.
I'm using the holiday to make a few minor changes around here. First off, I've expanded the blog links. There are a lot more junior hockey bloggers out there (especially among members of the WHL media), so they're all linked now. If I missed anyone, please drop me an email.
The second change is the snowflakes. I did this last year for the holidays and folks seemed to like it. We might actually see some real flakes tonight here in Cowtown, so now is a good a time as any to add them. I'll remove them after New Year's.
Final change - I've once again removed the ability to comment to posts. This is not due to any misbehavior, and is only temporary. I'm in the process of adding a forum to supplement the blog. I think a forum will result in improved discourse, for example, by allowing posters to quote previous comments. The link will be in the upper right, under my email link. I'm currently configuring the forum and hope to have it ready in a day or two. When I do I'll make another announcement and turn on the link. For those thinking to themselves "yeesh, not another forum!" the blog forum is not intended to replace the existing ones out there. It's simply replacing the limited comments feature. Like other forums, you'll still need to register, but you'll still be able to retain your anonymity. This is an experiment more than anything. If folks don't use it, I'll go back to the old system.
Fans in Kitchener Memorial Auditorium are dang near turning into frozen meatsicles...
Seven companies interested in Chevy. Mahoning Valley Phantoms owner Bruce Zoldan and Youngstown SteelHounds owner Herb Washington want to join forces and run a hockey team not in the Central Hockey League. No word if the USHL is on their radar (my money is on the IHL)...
Steve Ewen writes a puff-piece on the BCHL for the Vancouver Province...
Steve then rambles on about the Rockets, rage, rankings and Hazel Mae...
Seventeen Dinos receive WHL scholarships. In total, 351 current and graduate players of the Western Hockey League were awarded WHL scholarships, representing a financial contribution of nearly $1 million. Wow, that's a whole $2,850 each. Say what you will about the NCAA's limit of 18 scholarships resulting in some players getting half and quarter schollys, but what's $2,850, half a semester?
You have to love YouTube. With it players can post their highlight videos for prospective teams to view... as is the case with (now former) Fort Vancouver Pioneers goalie Ryan Stanchfield, who along with the rest of the Pioneers roster is now looking for a new home...
MSF officials lay blame for their hurried timetable on having to scramble for new financing this summer.
Furness said the Boston office of investment firm Cohen & Co. reassured the MSF through three parts of a four-step financing process that funding would be in place. But when the subprime mortgage crisis hit the markets, Cohen & Co. didn’t follow through, Furness said.
Construction was started "because we were virtually assured" by Cohen and Co. that financing would be in place, Furness said.
But things really went into hurry-up mode much earlier.
Signing former University of North Dakota hockey coach Dean Blais to coach a United States Hockey League team in the arena moved the timetable up a full year, Hintz said.
Instead of completing a five ice-sheet facility in 2009, getting the $25 million arena ready for the 2008 hockey season became the focus. An additional $12 million four ice-sheet facility is planned for 2009.
"Everybody was reassuring us," Hintz said. "We took some risks."
Financing is being prepped, but it’s not all in place, the MSF officials said. Of $15 million to be supplied by a consortium of local banks, $13 million has been secured, Berning said.
The funding for this project has been by the seat of the pants the whole time, putting it in the same category as such failed projects as Kimball Township (Port Huron), Michigan, Sarasota's Lakewood Arena, Cudahy, WI (I have the mock-up jersey designs for the USHL Cudahy Buckhorns somewhere) and Massillon's failed project (scroll down) for their UHL team formerly known as the Saginaw Gears. You don't start work on the project with partial funding, hoping the rest will come through. I've seen these slow-motion train wrecks before. You either have it, or you don't. You're either ready, or you're not. There is no half-way on this...
Couple of coaching changes already this season... the first comes from the NorPac's Rogue Valley Wranglers. The change didn't help as the Wranglers went to 0-9 last night thanks to a 10-0 thumping by Seattle. The second change is from the MnJHL's Granite City Lumberjacks...
Bozeman's Haynes Pavilion gets facelift for opener...
Young Sioux Falls team will improve with time (includes video)...
I'll mention it again Monday morning when I normally have more readers, but the Helena Bighorns have found themselves short a broadcaster when their previous one moved up last week to the Amarillo Gorillas of the CHL. Anyone interested in calling their games (and maybe doing a little selling) should contact Mike Butters...
Local junior hockey team to debut. Really, you mean the Capital Thunder never existed before this season? Wow, I must have some really vivid premonitions! Yup, more silliness thanks to our friend, Tier 3 Junior A...
Global Spectrum and London to celebrate John Labatt Centre 5th anniversary (includes comments from the mayor, for you DFW folks who know what I'm referring to)...
I'm going to try something new for awhile. I'm going to start including player stories in my links. I haven't usually done this, except for special occasions, but I'll give it a whirl for a bit and if the benefits outweigh the effort I'll continue the practice. Business-related articles will still come first.
Observers may have noticed I have turned off the anonymous posting of comments. If you want to post, you have to register. I am sick and tired of babysitting the crybabies on both sides of the Fort Vancouver issue that continue to hijack every post's comments with their drivel. It's done. It's dead. Move on. There are far more important issues in junior hockey at the moment, and the world doesn't revolve around what happened with the Pioneers last season. If registration doesn't resolve the issue, I'll shut down comments completely.
Kelowna Rockets hire Ryan Huska as head coach (Kootenay and Portland still have openings)....
Yale assistant Kyle Wallack has been named as Jon Cooper's assistant coach for the USA Hockey's Under-17 Select Team that will play in the Under-17 Five Nations Tournament...
OHL teams are making their bids for the 2008 Memorial Cup today. Among the bidders are Saginaw and Kitchener, both of whom's hometown papers offered up articles this morning.
