HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER!!!

It's game day! AMS take on the Everett "they don't suck like I thought they would" Silvertips.

The big news obviously is the re-acquisition of Eric Mestery.

Rarely do I agree with anyone on the message board (I know, I just couldn't stay away, I fail) but this from Steve is spot on:

He could come in here and play 59 minutes of perfect hockey and be the number 1 star but if he turns the puck over at the 59:30 mark that is all half of the people on here will remember and they will crucify him for it. Every player makes the occasional mistake out there but his will be magnified 10 fold. Lets all give him another chance and not hold him to an unreasonble standard. In other words dont focus only on his mistakes.

Steve

And Eric if you are reading this welcome back but do yourself a favor and stop reading this board.

I, for one, BELIEVE IN ERIC MESTERY. So does Bob Tory apparently. I may have to make a sign.

The Herald has some stuff too:

"We wanted to acquire a top four defenseman," Tory said. "The number of good defensemen available is limited and we didn't want to wait until the trade deadline. We paid a premium, but we feel we are a better team than we were yesterday."

"It's a really good day," said Mestery, despite having to battle snow, rain and wind during the drive between Lethbridge and Spokane. "I know all the guys except for the rookies. I'm going to be really comfortable there. I've had kind of a disappointing start to the season, but hopefully I'll be able to impact our lineup."

"Eric and I are really good friends," Schmidt said. "We grew up playing together. He's really happy to be coming back. It could be the best thing to happen to his career, especially with the coaching style that Jim (Hiller) has. It will be good for his game."

Couple other important items for your Friday:

• Defenseman Zach Yuen has been named to Canada's U-17 Team Pacific roster. The tournament runs December 29 – January 4, 2010. (WHL)
• Saturday you can catch a 2-for-1 hockey deal, your game ticket against Regina will also get you in to see early game of the Tri-City Titans against the Eugene Generals. It's also a fundraiser:

The Tri-City Titans, a Junior A - Tier III hockey team that's a member of the Nor-Pac Hockey League, will also be holding a fundraising table at both games for the Giovanni Madili Medical Fund. Madili, a former Titans player who attended the Americans' training camp in 2007, required emergency brain surgery this summer and the Titans formed the medical fund to help the Madili Family offset some of the costs incurred from the procedure. Fans looking to donate can stop by the Tri-City Titans table on the Toyota Center concourse behind Section C. (amshockey.com)

There will be several local kids playing, a couple who have been to AMS training camps so it's a great way to support local hockey.

On a side note, I missed my own blogiversary. This damn thing is TWO years old now, can you believe it? AND, I'm only 3 posts away from 1000!!!1 unreal. HUGE thanks to all who stop by my little corner of the internet. Words can't express how grateful I am. Without my amazing readers, I wouldn't be here. Ok, I probably would, but it would be much shittier than it already is ;). I also would have never met some of the really awesome people I now know through having this site. For that I am also eternally grateful.