Friday News

Short blog this morning... I'll get the rest of my links done tonight or Saturday morning. Billings Bulls go for milestone win tonight... Junior hockey franchise raises guarded excitement in Thunder Bay...

Monday News

Junior A teams aren't compensated by the NHL. This isn't a surprising story, since we already know it to be true on both sides of the border. Still, it's nice to see the issue raised in the media. Too bad the American media isn't doing it. Between draft money and the NTDP cash, there's a lot on the table that could be better spent. Former Mooseheads goalie traded to Junior A Wolverines... Rocket trades captain to Drakkar... Duluth’s Connolly brothers face off in USHL... More trade winds blowing - Blazers deal big, Giants still shopping... St. Mikes Majors have bright future... Gamblers trade for defenseman Kyle Ensign... Happy Downriver players populate the roster of Montana hockey team...

Thursday News

Here's a great article on the impact of fan forums on player psychology. This should be required reading for those Texas Tornado fans who have jumped off their bandwagon this season... (UPDATE: sorry, originally dropped in the wrong link... it's fixed now) Evansville is considering building a new arena and would fit well within the USHL's Eastern Division footprint, but this morning's article doesn't say anything about including icemaking... The effort to bring the BCHL back to Williams Lake is gaining momentum, but I think it will cost more then $300 to buy a team (then again, the Canadian dollar is stronger against the $US these days)... Three AJHLers and a kid from the Tri-City Storm sign with the Nanooks... Huskies deal Bernard to Cataractes in package for all-star defenceman... Southland Conference hires Texas Tornado VP Jenny Orndorff as Associate Commissioner... Rogue Valley Wranglers to hold second food drive tonight... Kuemper gets another shot between WHL pipes... Oshawa's Kewin owns up to 'terrible mistake'... The New York Times writes a nice little piece about the tradition of billeting, and so does a Portland publication... New defenseman gives the Winter Hawks an added dimension with his shooting and passing skills Derek Famulare traded to Foreurs... Theran Yeo key cog in Wheaties' machine...

Monday News

Some will notice I re-arranged the furniture again. Besides moving some elements around and streamlining others, I dropped the newsfeed from OurSportsCentral.com. In recent days the feed had inexplicably stopped working and was impeding the loading of the rest of the website. I'll also take this chance to remind readers that the blog now has a discussion forum instead of a comments section. The link to the forum can also be found near the top of the right margin. Also, if anyone is interested in advertising on the blog, please let me know. Just an observation, but I find it interesting that two of the three players Dane Litke was trying to trade following curfew violations were with Fort Vancouver last season (and the third was in Fort Van two seasons ago), where rules were like Italian speed limits (merely suggestions). As an aside, they were all scratches this weekend... Marchand deal could be delayed due to storm... Richard Martel wins 500th game as head coach... Get out your road maps, trading period starts in QMJHL... Tornado send Zacharias to Fargo... Traded Tip comes of age in Swift Current... Mix-'n'-match hockey works well for Vancouver... Wolves swap defencemen with Guelph... Christmas break comes early in Everett as Hamill suspended... Billings Bulls look to stay hot as 2nd half approaches... Midterms - Pats have been kind of 'mediocre'... Pats make big donation...

Wednesday News

Dane Litke resigns as head coach of the Bismarck Bobcats... Former Wings goalie Stefan takes over as coach of Plymouth Whalers... SJHL heats up at trade deadline... Olympiques may shuffle deck, with Giroux their ace in the hole... Grizzlies' stars to shine at home... Sidekick status no problem for junior sniper MacLean... Rocket keeps focus on hockey... Windsor spits great goal record in danger... Three prospects skating with Prince George Cougars... Windsor Spitfires juggling roster... Layton enjoying hot streak with Foggies... New combo gives Raiders life... Difficult times watching Cyr struggle through final junior season... OMG!!! Rouge Valley has a bona fide winning streak! Burnaby Express star winger Finucci gets NCAA interest... Hosting the Memorial Cup means head coach DeBoer must pull out all the stops to create a champion... Trigger pulled - Marchand a marvelous Mooseheads pickup... And finally... Two weekends ago NHIC did a segment on bloggers in the NHL. Overall it was a pretty good piece. Several familiar names were mentioned and also happened to give their reviews of the segment, including Tom Benjamin and James Mirtle (who wrote a second follow-up last night). For the most part my thoughts of the piece parallel what these two said, especially on accountability to the readers. If I was full of crap, my readership wouldn't keep growing, would it? It seems to me when the MSM screws up, they just circle the wagons. When a blogger screws up, their readership drops and other bloggers get into a feeding frenzy. For me, I'm in a niche and function similar to Kukla's Korner (or Matt Drudge), in that I'm a clearinghouse for articles. I also toss in my opinions on things where I can, and once in awhile get my own scoops. By the way, I'm not losing my touch - I had the news on Dane Litke's resignation probably within an hour of it taking place, but a busy workplace kept me from posting it, so I left it for Lou Babiarz' write up this morning.

Saturday News

Mea culpa... I dropped the ball on this one. For the last few weeks some people have been pestering me about Wenatchee, asking about the USHL or NAHL going there. I dismissed it out of hand as the city is far and away outside the footprint of either league. Well, this morning I get an article out of Prince George on the idea that Williams Lake might return to the BCHL. That article states that after the franchise was shut out of Wenatchee by USA Hockey, the USHL announced plans to place a team in Wenatchee. Well, the article is wrong, as it's the NAHL that's signed a letter of intent to place a team in the new arena. NAHL... in Wenatchee? Are they going to play out of the Alaska division? Apparently, yes. Will Ice Road Truckers have special episodes for the 2300 mile, 43 hour bus ride from Wenatchee to Fairbanks? How many times will they empty the toilets between Prince George and Whitehorse? Actually, it's only 16 hours to Bismarck, but cripes, Wenatchee in the NAHL is the epitome of "you can't get there from here." The team will most assuredly be flying most everywhere, and visiting teams should get used to the 2.5 hour bus ride from Seattle. Interestingly, the NAHL has not made any reference to Wenatchee. They've got an agreement to try an place a team in Global's new arena, but they've got to find an ownership group first. It looks as if the same folks who had conditionally purchased Williams Lake are going to apply for the NAHL team. More interesting developments out of Youngstown this week, as Herb Washington and Bruce Zoldan have joined forces. Herb wants his Steelhounds out of the CHL, that much is obvious, but the $64 question is what shape will hockey take in the Mahoning Valley next season. The article throws around all sorts of possibilities, including OHL, USHL, and ECHL teams playing in the 5,700 seat Chevrolet Centre. Wait and see... In other news... Better late than never, as the NorPac's Rouge Valley Wranglers finally won a game. The Wranglers record is now 1-25, only four points back of Coeur d'Alene. Daniel Erlich's first OHL goal launches avalanche of 5,884 stuffed animals... Knights absent from trade table, but plenty of time remains... Siciliano, Hastings match sterling coaching marks... Plymouth Whalers trade defenseman Zack Shepley to Brampton... Southorn and Gelinas are both playing key roles in the recent resurgence of the P.E.I. Rocket... Dominic Fontaine, Screaming Eagles part ways... Promotions, pizzazz spike attendance for 5-14-2 Alexandria Blizzard... Jesse Messier makes presence count for St. Mikes... Nasty injury literally all in Repik's head... QMJHL sees slight increase in overall attendance figures... Black Hawks' Brett Olson back on track... Volcanoes on the prairie? Pats GM Brent Parker not the most mild-mannered fellow around... Blades' 16-year-old rookie Curtis Hamilton exudes confidence... WHL scouts cast keen eye on prospects... Spits' Mark Cundari pulls a 180...

Halloween Boos... err, News...

A bit of a postmortem on this Halloween... As you can imagine, the Pioneers have their own version of the story of why they are rotting corpse on the banks of the Columbia, and sure enough their version blames the league. I think the easiest way to determine responsibility is to examine the arrangement that allowed the Pioneers in the league. To accept the Pioneers the WHA were stepping away from their business model. As such everything needed to be outlined, since as a single entity ownership league they were previously likely operating without the usually necessary constitution and bylaws. Still, based on all this he said-she said confusion I'm not sure there was any physical contract (one demerit to the league if such is the case). But at the same time, I have to ask myself why a team not paying an expansion fee or league dues expected the league to provide insurance and transportation (one demerit to the Pioneers). At the end of the day I think it's safe to say Fort Vancouver and the WHA were probably the unholiest union in junior hockey since Brian Gallagher hooked up with Monte Miron. Such is typical when it's a shotgun wedding... Is Tavares too good for another year of junior? His CHL peers weigh in... Peterborough Petes trade Tyler Sheldrake to Sudbury... Raiders sport new lease on life... U. Windsor Lancers, Spitfires join forces as education program opens new doors for players... Eddie Friesen sent home by Silvertips for disciplinary reasons... Nolan Toigo quits Giants... Matt Marquardt suspended one game by QMJHL... Otters reinstate Grzeszczak, Shaw from suspensions... Storm defender unfazed by trades... And finally, Saw IV pulled in about $31.8M on opening weekend, comparable to previous openings for the franchise. The movie was produced by Oren Koules of the Helena Bighorns, with Mike Butters reprising the role he had in the original movie...

Monday News

Iggy takes ownership of Blazers... Interesting article on how Missoula came to acquire a junior hockey team. The Maulers drew "2,000" in their opener Friday, but for some reason decided not to post an attendance figure for their game the next night... Petkau saga turning nasty... Lewiston MAINEiacs game postponed a day this weekend due to Rouyn-Noranda's bus breaking down... St. Michael’s Majors and Mississauga Hockey League team up for mentoring program... Defenseman Jeff Regier reassigned by Everett... Chicago Steel and Puck Cancer team up for a good fight... Simms, Doody and Whiffen wearing Weyburn red...

Friday News

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)... Black Hawks still proud to wear pink... Alexandria Blizzard finally open at home tonight... Cody Reichard has been named Fairbanks captain... NTDP tabs new coordinator of media relations... BCHL's move below border not in the cards... O'Brien quickly fits in with Seattle T-birds... Giants-Bruins rivalry just gets deeper... Blades' new recruits make grand entrance... Blades bench boss to get buzzed for breast cancer... Fifth-year Elgin Reid brings scoring touch to Windsor... Pats coach hunting for consistency... Otters get chance to go over .500 for first time since September 2006... Niagara IceDogs goaltender Loverock working like a dog... Barrie Colts add muscle up front... Swift Current Broncos part with Phil Gervais... BCHL boss applauds Powell River Kings...

Tuesday News

Minnesota Ice Hawks forward Chris Thompson is back and looking for national title... Ice Hawks contributed mightily to autism benefit (sure beats getting drunk and ripping mirrors of cars)... Billings Bulls to announce Hall inductees... Kinder, gentler Donnie Hallmark set to play for Sioux City... 1960 Olympic gold medalist Bob Owen remembered fondly in Topeka (includes video)... Musketeers discover help from from Frenchman Stephane Da Costa... Bob Duff blames London's woes on the NHL's salary cap... Hunter has a drive to arm his Knights (why do I now have this picture on my brain?)... A schedule change could help Cougars' attendance... Gatineau win fails to soothe Groulx's temper... Victoria moves forward without sniper... Giants' newest forward motivated to reach his full potential... Whalers get peek at new phenom, Oshawa's Tavares... Melville goalie Kyle Cantlon feels like a million...

Saturday News

The deal in the BCHL to sell and move the dormant Williams Lake franchise to Wenatchee, Washington appears to be dead. While the article says USA Hockey wants more information, during the summer meeting the Junior Council voted to not certify the franchise. The deal to sell the franchise was contingent on a successful relocation. Interestingly enough, this is the first article I've seen that connects the speculating Andy Murray (former Santa Fe/Southern Minnesota/Silver Arm owner) as one of the buyers. With the deal apparently dead, it may be the last time as well... Tri-City Storm ready to become road warriors... Heichman to don the 'C' in Sioux City... Alexandria Blizzard home opener only one week away... Winless Bismarck Bobcats aren't panicking. (This article was yesterday, but the 'Cats finally won last night, against Kenia River, 2-1)... With three days of ice time, Bozeman Icedogs ready for opener... Dubuque T-Birds still consider St. Louis team to beat... Billings Bulls expect improved team from a year... Saskatoon Blades have all angles covered in net... Drumheller Dragons breathing fire early (includes other AJHL news as well)... Giants' Machacek has traits of a good leader... Swift Current Broncos add firepower to calvary (someone needs to tell the headline writer that it's CAV-al-ry, calvary is a depiction of Christ on the cross)... Broncos fans should be thankful... Moose can depend on rookie Travis Randell... Voracek, MacMillan return to give Halifax full lineup for first time this QMJHL season... Pats' Ofukany relieved injury is merely a sprained knee... 67's Matt Lahey can play on one condition... St. Mike.s Majors add some firepower... Apprenticeship officially over for Delmas in Lewiston... W-Hawks need to get more shots on goal... Fond du Lac's Randy Willis signs with SJHL Kindersley Klippers...

Thursday News

The USHL had their Futures draft last night. The results can be found here. In a related story, Fargo's roster for inaugural season taking shape... Chris over at Western College Hockey makes a great point about the expectations of NHL 5th rounder Jamie Benn selecting the WHL over the NCAA in order to fast track to the NHL. Has Jamie looked at the numbers recently? How many other 5th round draft choices have made the NHL out of the WHL, and how many games have they played? How does this compare to NCAA 5th rounders taken in the same time period? WHL 2005-Masi Marjamaki, 1 game 2004-Steve Regier, 10 games 2003-Nigel Dawes, 8 games 2002-Robert McVicar, 1 game 2001-None 2000-Travis Moen, 203 games 1999-Justin Mapletoft, 38 games, Jordan Krestanovich, 22 games NCAA 2005-None 2004-Ben Walter, 10 games 2003-Lee Stempniak, 139 games 2002-John Zeiler, 23 games 2001-Kevin Bieksa, 120 games 2000-Mike Stuart, 3 games, Matt Koalska, 3 games, Greg Zanon, 70 games, J-M Liles, 232 games, Nolan Schaefer, 7 games 1999-Ryan Miller, 129 games, Niko Dimitrakos, 158 games Not much comparison, eh? The NCAA would have been a better choice. Green Bay has some Gamblers players to watch... Gamblers plan to step up attack this season... Local TV station hits the ice to find out what it takes to be a Topeka Roadrunner (includes video)... Serious hockey takes to Missoula’s ice in the form of the Maulers... Réal Paiement set to tie all-time QMJHL record behind bench... American goalie Armour making mark in Manitoba. (second story)... Quebec Remparts fined for Patty's big mouth... Gouchie receives additional game suspension... Early signs indicate good things for the Spirit... Quiet leader Gareau gains respect in Melfort... Silvertips place overager Campos on waivers, who then lands in Chilliwack... New is good for Clippers' Smith... Nipawin Hawks entertain at fish fry... Broncos send Leavold to Rockets... Vancouver Giants give 'C' to Machacek... Prince George Cougars can call themselves winners again... In other news... Just when I thought some progress was being made on the South Jersey Raptors situation, I get the following fan mail: Yo Buddy I dont know who you think you are, but get a life. Guess what? Kids do drink beer. Your kids probly getting hammered right now, and your lucky that wasnt your car! I dont play for the raptors but you need to stop putting this bullshit up on that website and you know what i did play for the team last year and i had the most fun i have ever had in my life. The only thing we ever did on roadtrips was go to clubs and dance, which YES does involve alcohol. One question for you? Were you once a kid or where you born the mature adult that you are today?? I guess writing a big article slandering a team and its players is real mature huh. I just have one thing to say. GROW UP. Please do email back because i want to hear what you have to say and go ahead put this on your little website to. thunderb77@aol.com Allow me to respond directly to him in order of his statements. I dont know who you think you are, but get a life. I have a life, including a family, a career, and a passion for this game. You may not know who I am, but I'll bet your coach does. In a nutshell, I am someone within this game that demands accountability from leagues, teams, coaches, and players... basically, anyone within the game. Maybe you'll understand what that means when you get a little older. Guess what? Kids do drink beer. Your kids probly getting hammered right now, and your lucky that wasnt your car! Why, what happens to the car? Oh yes that's right, it is vandalized. Yes, kids do drink beer. That doesn't make it right. My kids happen to be 8, 6, and 4 years old, so the only hammering that takes place is by my youngest with his Fisher Price Tool Set. I dont play for the raptors but you need to stop putting this bullshit up on that website and you know what i did play for the team last year First you're not, but then say you were a Raptor last season. Nothing I posted was "bullshit," but basic observation of the video which your own teammates decided to make public. I simply shined a little light on them. i had the most fun i have ever had in my life. The only thing we ever did on roadtrips was go to clubs and dance, which YES does involve alcohol. I'm glad you had fun last season, but clubs and dancing do not have to involve alcohol. One question for you? Were you once a kid or where you born the mature adult that you are today?? Was I once a kid? Yes. Did I drink underage? Yes. Did I pay the consequences for that behavior? Yes. Apparently you never have. I guess writing a big article slandering a team and its players is real mature huh. I did not slander (I'll spare you the difference between libel and slander). Everything I observed in my posts was clearly evident in the videos. Two of the three major observations, the alcohol and the vandalism, you acknowledge in your email. If you don't think anything wrong was done in these videos (and apparently you don't), my only conclusion is that Mack Brown will be phoning you shortly and ask if you'd like to play football for the Texas Longhorns. I just have one thing to say. GROW UP. Likewise, young man... before you find yourself behind bars.

Friday News

WHL commish eyes new rivalries... USHL Futures Draft set for evening of October 3rd... Bismarck Bobcat Kyle Maggard putting the team first... Eugene Generals stepping up a notch... New rules ready for OHL season... Island Park chosen for Portage la Prairie multiplex... Zach Smith named captain of Swift Current... Blades get McCrae back in time for season opener... Blades build toward Cup run... Holzapfel returns to Warriors... Tri City's Mario Lamoureux to skate for Fighting Sioux... Sens return winger to Majors... Mooseheads acquire goaltender Pelletier... Logan Couture returned to 67s... Raiders shore up goaltending with acquisition of Butler... Rangers ready to make their run to the Cup... Reinforcements headed back to Giants from NHL training camps... Raiders choose DePape as captain...

Monday News

Quick reminder that 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... I know it's a week later, but some final thoughts on the games played between the QMJHL and the USHL... A major contention the QMJHL-CHL apologists has been their best players, 19 and 20, were at pro camps when the games took place. Has anyone considered that the USHL's best 19 and 20 year-olds were also not in the games because they have moved on to the NCAA? I'm also not sure that enough credit has been given to Omaha (and to a lesser degree Indiana) for their performance despite busing halfway across North America. Yes, the two teams played a scrimmage in Toronto to shake out their bus legs, but this was also the ONLY preseason game these two teams had seen thus far. Rimouski and Quebec, on the other hand, had each already seen six preseason games with which to prepare. Anyway, my point to all this is that at the end of the day, I think the USHL is a lot closer to the CHL than most folks realize or are willing to admit. Not a lot of other news out there since I cleaned out the inbox last night... Knights lose rookie goalie Michael Zadorin final exhibition Host families make adjustment easy for Topeka Roadrunners hockey players (includes video)...

Tuesday News

Billings Bulls to play two games at Metra... Offseason coaching changes give BCHL a different look... Who goes? Who stays? Hard call for Saskatoon Blades' Molleken... The new guys hit the ice for Granite City Lumberjacks... Profile of Winsdsor Spitfires' free agent James Woodcroft... Big things expected of Sarnia Sting's Steve Stamkos...

Friday News

Helena Bighorns president Mike Butters retains his role as NorPac commish... Some more details on the sale of the NAHL Southern Minnesota Express. New owners B.A.M. Sports is comprised of Clarkston, Michigan radiologist Dr. Christopher Sweel, Fort Meyers, Florida surgeon Dr. Marc Schneider, and Los Angeles real estate developer Gil Peled. Express head coach Pat Cullen will remain with the team.... WSHL's Nevada Stars franchise fails to survive to start of season... Louisville's historic Gardens may flourish again - with hockey potentially on the horizon... QMJHL is stocked with solid draft prospects... Saskatoon Blades prospects movers, shakers... Forward Justin Courtnall returns to Victoria Grizzlies... WHL adopts rule changes for 2007-08... Kamloops Blazers sign seven new players... Portland Winter Hawks sign Salem, Oregon prospect Aaron McGill... Jim Sandlak joins Sarnia Sting coaching staff... John Kisil added as Saginaw Spirit assistant coach... NAHL introduces Top Prospects Tournament to be held in Ann Arbor in February... Owen Sound Attack open camp with abundance of new faces as only 10 players return from last year... St. Mike's Majors hope new home translates into new attitude...

Sunday News

Wow, not only is the NorPac Junior A (once again, nevermind that pesky Tier III thing, right?)... when you watch the above video you'll discover the Missoula Maulers have promoted themselves to semi-pro! Vernon Vipers coach Mark Holick named head coach of the Kootenay Ice... Leigh Mendelson returns to Omaha Lancers as assistant coach... Trail Smoke Eaters hire Jim Ingram as head coach and GM... Owen Sound governor Brian Johnson has been voted to the OHL Executive Committee... The Kamloops Storm are looking for a new coach... Canadian Mounties investigating money missing from Yorkton Terriers... Although it was decided during the USA Hockey summer meetings two months ago, the NAHL announced just this week that the 2008 Robertson Cup Tournament will be hosted by St. Louis... Bob Thoms named business manager of the North Iowa Outlaws... I'll be out of town a couple days, so don't expect any updates until Wednesday.

Wednesday News

Easily the biggest news of the week was Tuesday's announcement that the Tampa Bay Lightning have been sold to a group headed by Doug MacLean, and which also includes Helena Bighorns co-owner Oren Koules. MacLean was President and General Manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 1998 to 2007, and also integral to the formation of the USHL Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets last season. Koules purchased the Bighorns in 2001 along with Mike Butters. All I can really add is a confirmation that this deal came together very quickly. There were some hints at something big coming down the pike, but not for another 2-3 weeks.(ADDITIONAL STORIES: Press Conference Transcript, Tampa Tribune article, St. Pete Times blog; curiously, there was nothing from the Detroit News or Free Press as I compiled this Tuesday evening) In other news... Bryant Perrier named assistant coach of Alberni Valley Bulldogs... QMJHL reaches agreement with their on-ice officials... Sande Hockey and the NOJHL agree on equipment deal through 2009... Prince George Spruce King Ryan Hill charged for crosscheck to face...

Let the misinformation begin

Well, it didn't take long for an article to appear misrepresenting Tier III. This one comes courtesy of the McKinney (TX) Courier-Gazette, and contains the following nugget of stretched truth: After the offer was extended, Barberis immediately jumped at the chance to play for the Junior A (Bozeman) Icedogs. Junior A is the same classification as the Texas Tornadoes (sic) and is the highest level of amateur hockey a player can play in and still retain college eligibility. So Bozeman is once again at the same level as the Tornado, and the Tier II NAHL and Tier I USHL no longer exist. Great, I'm glad we cleared that up. I guess I shouldn't have expected too much, considering the writer couldn't properly name the local junior team - the Tornado play about 15-20 minutes from McKinney. But how many times are we going to see articles where a kid playing in one of the six T3A leagues is placed on the Jr A pedestal with no mention of the Tier III aspect? Now, I'm not bagging on Bozeman here. They aren't quoted in the article and I have no indication to believe they had anything to do with this. In addition, their website says nothing that would misrepresent their status as a Tier III Junior A team. I already mentioned the reporter didn't seem too knowledgeable, and that probably had a lot to do with it. However, out of curiosity I surveyed Tier III websites to see how leagues and teams were representing themselves. In doing so, I found a number of examples of the follow types: 1) Tier III announcement proclaims team/league now Junior A with no reference to T3 in the headline. Many times the body of the announcement mentions T3. 2) Team website banners calling team Junior A, with no T3 mention. 3) Tryout forms calling the team Junior A, with no T3 mention. 4) Team referenced only as Junior A, with no mention of T3 anywhere Am I nitpicking? Perhaps, but I think the teams and leagues have an obligation to be completely honest, and consistent, in their branding to players, parents, fans, and media. About a third of them aren't doing so. If I were NAHL commish Mark Frankenfeld, I'd be calling for legislation regulating how the new level is referenced. Teams/leagues should not be able to call themselves just "Junior A," but instead use the proper "Tier III Junior A" or "Junior A Tier III." Otherwise they've just misrepresented themselves to whoever is reading their material (players, parents, media, etc...). It devalues the NAHL brand, and to a lesser extent the USHL's as well (though they no longer use "Jr A" in their branding, instead focusing on "Tier I"). Make it simple - $500 fine for any team/league materials (website, tryout brochures, etc...) not referring to the full and proper classification, and a $100 fine against the team for any team/league article quoting a team/league official and containing the same reference, in the quote or out of it, makes no matter. If the official is getting quoted, they can make it a point to the reporter to get it right. Give the teams/leagues until the start of the season to get their sites fixed, then start enforcing thereafter. A final note... This isn't about bashing the Tier III concept. With the decision made, that genie is out of the bottle and all we can do now is make the best of the situation, hence my previous comments about performance measures. That said, let's not turn the comments into a generic T3 bashing. Let's just focus on the branding issue at hand, folks.

Wednesday News

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).... Jarome Iginla and fellow alumni Shane Doan, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor want to purchase the Kamloops Blazers... Mark Seidel named commish of the NOJHL... Local group in line to purchase Soo Indians, return in 2008... 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... Plymouth Whalers assistant GM/assistant coach Todd Watson has resigned... Medicine Hat head coach Willie Desjardins denies being offered post with San Antonio Rampage... More Tier III A local announcements, this time in St. Cloud and in Bozeman... If you can't beat them on the ice, beat them... on the greens?