*facebrick*

Before I start, I do NOT want this (or the comments) turning into a name-calling bashfest. You want that, go back to the message board. The local coverage of the team could be better, we all know that.

BUT WHAT THE HELL.

Colton Yellow Horn, one of the most popular and talented players in the last couple years was in town to take in the game last weekend. Had I known he was gonna be there and *not* get interviewed, I totally would have done it, ran him down and asked some questions. And maybe he declined an interview, he was there with family to watch the game. But c'mon. Even without a formal interview, say he was in town, mention where he's been playing and will be playing this season.

Whatever. I'm grouchy.

Good God people

one loss and apparently we need a whole new team, according to some on ye olde message board. I really should stay away from that place for my health. Relax folks. There's still shit to be worked out. There's still too many guys on the roster (more on that in a sec) so some guys are still getting ice time to see where/if they'll fit in. Or to showcase them for a trade. Until roster is trimmed, coach has to play around with lines and combinations. That's going to lead to lack of chemistry, timing issues, etc. You must chill.

Which leads to the info that Bob traded with (big surprise) Lethbridge to acquire ANOTHER defenceman. From the AMS website:

Tri-City Americans Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced today that the team acquired 17-year-old defenseman Cody Castro from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for a 6th round pick in the 2010 Bantam Draft. The move puts Tri-City's roster at 27 (14 forwards, 10 defensemen and 3 goaltenders).

Castro has played in three of Lethbridge's four games this season, going scoreless with a minus-1 rating and two penalty minutes. Last year, he appeared in 49 games during his rookie WHL season with the Hurricanes, notching a goal and two assists with a minus-6 rating and 65 penalty minutes. The 6'3 215 lb native of Peoria, AZ was selected by Lethbridge in the 11th round (229th overall) of the 2007 Bantam Draft.

TEN DEFENSEMEN. WTF.
Personally, I think AMS should keep Toll, Plouffe, Schmidt, Sutherland, Werbowski, Yuen, Humphries. Haven't seen the new kid play, obviously. But he's large--6'3", 215 lbs. Hope he can play with that size and be effective.

AMS vs. Portland, post game

"That was one for the fans," said Americans coach Jim Hiller, whose team is 2-0-0-0. "Not so much for the coaches. Now, a 1-0 game, that's what the coaches like. We made some mistakes (in the third period)."

Hiller felt the key to the victory might have been in the second period, with the game tied at 1-1 and the Americans turned back a Winterhawks' 5-on-3 situation for 36 seconds and then the rest of the power play.

"That was the turning point of the game," said Hiller. "They had some pressure on us, and that got the building alive."

Owsley, who picked up his second win of the season in net, agreed.

"Guys were paying the price right there," Owsley said. "(Jarrett) Toll and Schmidt probably blocked five shots each during that run." (Herald)

Drinnan also adds:

After the game, the Americans assigned F Max Moline to a midget AAA team in Lethbridge and F Zach McPhee to a major midget team in B.C. Moline was a fifth-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft, while McPhee went in the sixth round. . . . Tri-City now is down to 26 players, including 14 forwards and nine defencemen.

It was indeed a good game. Intense. It was also the Lazo-Hughesman-Shinniman show. Awesome. My favorite was the Hugesman to Shinny to Hughesman sickkkk goal. It was a thing of beauty.

Once again, I can see coach is going to have to have the "play 60 minutes" talk over and over till it sticks. Portland's 2nd and 3rd goals were when there were some lapses in AMS intensity. Overall, however, AMS played strong. They knew Portland was going to be a good team. Well, ok, they seemed to sortof forget the first 2 minutes and Winterhawks scored.

I am totally biased but I thought Drew Owsley was outstanding. If chosing stars was up to me, I would have given four last nigth--Lazo, Shinniman, Hughesman, and Owsley.

Sadly, we were so excited about the win that we left our "I BELIEVE IN DREW OWSLEY" sign at our seats. I went back to get it after getting autographed bookmark from Captain Toll and it was gone. I can haz sad. So if someone has my sign, let me know. And please take good care of it till next home game and I'll get it back from ya.

Back to Adam. I have been hard on Hughey in the past, I admittedly have had very high, possibly too high, expectations of him. Last year he was so damn streaky. No goals for a month, then a hat-trick. Anyways, if he keeps up playing his ass off, which has happened for all the games I've seen so far including pre-season, good things will happen. I like him on the same line with Shinny, that seems to be working quite well.

Coach Hiller shortens his bench really short. No shifts (that I recall) for Asuchak or Moser in the 3rd, and actually very few shifts for Macek and Messier in the last period as well. However, scrappy Mason Wilgosh got a ton of ice time. I like. He's playing his ass off. At some point, I have to stop thinking of him as the new/next Drew Hoff and just say he's Mason mother effing Wilgosh! WOOHOOO!! Srsly. And in that tussle at the end (stay classy Portland!) he was standing up for all his teammates, especially Kruise who was getting pummeled and Sergei who was trying to be involved, but not punchy (hahaa!), Mason got in there and showed those Winterhawks that you don't mess with these boys.

Wow, the last half of that paragraph is so terribly written, I don't care.

My hockey boyfriend this season is Neal Prokop and he had a good game. I think he's going to be one of these not-flashy-but-reliable-and-consistent type guys. I'm ok with that. That is how our Captain plays, so it obviously works. That Justin Feser is the same way too.

I'm trying to stay positive in this post so I'll just say Riley sucked less than usual. It's the best I can do

The boys are in Spokane tonight for their home opener. Should be intense, it's the damn Chiefs. Normally, there would be a liveblog, but me and the Mafia got plans tonight :) I debated planning something for a Chiefs away game, but went for it. I'm sure at least 3 of us will be checking the score on a consistent basis. I figured it would be an ok game to miss since it's first away game, even though it's against Spokane. Liveblogs will return at the next away game, don't worry.
--------------------------
A baseball note: Roy Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball. Your argument is invalid.

Game Day

It is so hard to function without adequate sleep. I must have slept at some point because I dreamed I was at some function, like a silent auction, dinner or something, and Brett Plouffe and Jarrett Toll were there, looking quite handsome. I was doing like check-in or something and at that point Brett insisted I hang with him for the evening. Weird. He was wearing a baby blue dress shirt with black pants, quite a stunning look. But even weirder, he had on a necklace (are the called necklaces when guys wear them? I need a certain Handsome Man to let me know) that was a peacock, and the peacock tail had the same blue as his shirt, it was all coordinated and shit. Bizarre. But I think that's all the sleep I got.
-----------------
Tonight the boys take on Portland. The Winterhawks are no longer the laughingstock of the league. They got far better, far sooner than expected. In addition, they have amazing goaltending. Which got even more amazing with the return of Kurtis Mucha from Edmonton Oilers camp. Poor hottie Ian Curtis probably thought he'd be the #1. But the Winterhawks (can it be abbreviated Hawks anymore since it's not 2 words?) dropped one of their overagers to make room for the 20-year-old Mucha. I find that to be an interesting move as Curtis is a damn good goalie. So is Mucha, but time to let Curtis take the reigns. Or not, they didn't ask me.
----------------
There seems to be some who feel Bob should make a trade (or many trades). For possibly the first time ever, I am actually quite confident with the team as it is now. Obviously, there still needs to be some cuts, but other than that. I think the defense is strong enough, deep enough to compensate any perceived weakness in goal. On that note, I BELIEVE IN DREW OWSLEY!!1. Until I am proven wrong, and even beyond that point, I will continue to believe in Owsley. I've learned such unwavering optimism and hope from the one and only Eyebleaf and his belief in the Jays and Vernon Wells in particular (hell yes, V-Dub had a 3-run homer last night, it was epic. They still lost.)

When I say the defense is strong enough I am not including Riley McIntosh in the equation. It is my opinion that he should be reassigned. Yuen, Humphries, even Dow are better players. I'm sorry, but it's true.*

As to whether this team is tough enough to handle other teams (and Kyle Beach being back in the division) I think they are. They were tough enough under Don Nachbaur who is known for wanting toughness. Losing Mitch McColm doesn't change that, adding Beach back into the division doesn't change that. As for getting someone who is intimidating, meh. As long as guys stand up for each other and out smart/out play/out hussle the other team, that's intimidation enough.

Kyle Beach, and I hate giving him so much "press", isn't going to be intimidated, no matter what. If a Bruton punch to the face didn't phase him, if multiple suspensions don't phase him, if being released from NHL team camp doesn't phase him, adding some tough guy to our team isn't going to intimidate him.

As to the argument that no one stood up to Letts for running Chet, or that he ran Chet because there was no one to intimidate him into thinking twice about doing it, ppfffttt. He was gonna do it anyways. Mitch McColm was never a true enforcer, he just wasn't big enough.

Finally, I think it far too early into the season (pre-season is shit games, one real game so far where AMS completely dominated) to say there should be changes. Give the boys a chance. We all know Bob knows when and how to make the right moves to improve the team if need be. Remember there's a new coach so things are going to be a bit different than what we're used to anyways.
---------------
Some quotes from the Herald:

"I thought we played really well," Hiller said. "We played how we wanted to play and got contributions from everyone -- all four lines and six defensemen -- that's the strength of our team. It's a 72-game season, and there will be ups and downs."

"I think this will be a real competitive division, more so than in the past," Hiller said. "Portland is greatly improved and Spokane got a first-round NHL player (Kyle Beach) in their lineup, and I expect that will help them. Spokane is a great rivalry. Good players come and go, but the rivalry is still there."

--------------
Dear AMS--Time to wreck shit up. Kthxbai
<3 Schultzy

*I'm not sorry

Baseball post

As you may or may not know, I fell in love with baseball this summer. Like all my previous relationships, it's tumultuous to say the least. Hell, I fell in love with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays. The Jays '09 season has been a complete disaster, Rays have been sucking since July (and then even more so when Pena got injured. Oh Los, I miss you). So, also like my previous relationships, I hang on longer than I should, hoping for things to improve.

I made it to a couple of Dust Devils games this summer, plan on hitting a lot more next summer. When not oogling the opposition's catcher (or posting pictures of money in my bra...) I found my Dust Devils boyfriend, Bo Bowman. Yep, Bowman. It's like I'm predictable or something. So imagine my disappointment when I saw this in today's Herald:

A pair of Colorado Rockies minor leaguers, first baseman Brent "Bo" Bowman and outfielder Shane Lowe, have each been suspended for 50 games following positive tests for amphetamines.

The pair spent the season with the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Northwest League and will start the suspensions at the beginning of next season.

Bowman, a 22nd-round pick two years ago out of Louisiana State, led the team in hitting (.328), home runs (seven) and RBIs (46) in 55 games at Tri-City and also went 1-for-21 for Asheville of the South Atlantic League.

Bowman was in his second year with Tri-City and was instrumental in securing the team's second East Division title in the last three seasons. The 6-foot-2 left-hander hit .432 (19-for-44) over the final 12 games of the regular season as the Dust Devils won 13 of their final 16 games heading into the NWL championship series.

The penalties were issued under the minor league drug prevention and treatment program.

There have been 71 suspensions this year under the minor league program and four under the major league plan.

Oh Bo. You've been naughty. You need a spanking.

what the hell?

Chiefs got Kyle Beach. I told myself I'd stop swearing (as much) on here, so all apologies, but I really hate that fucker.

Thankfully, especially with Bob's history of trading with Lethbridge, the AMS did not trade for him.

I wonder how he'll be greeted by the fans, not a lot of love for him there. Or anywhere for that matter.

What a waste of talent. Well, BFF will be happy.

Godzilla retires

“I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to play the game of hockey at the NHL level for many seasons and I am grateful for everything the game has given me,” said Kolzig. “I would like to thank my family, all my teammates and the fans for making my time in the NHL so special.”

read the whole NHLPA press release here.

Ask and ye shall receive

Available in light colors, and you can choose shirt style.
Order yours here. And BELIEVE!!1

goalies goalies goalies

from Drinnan:

The Americans have assigned G Joel Danyluk, 19, to the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. Danyluk is from Yorkton. . . . The move leaves the Americans with the two goaltenders who backed up the departed Chet Pickard for all of last season — Brett Martyniuk and Drew Owsley, both of whom are 18.

It really looks like From Russia With Glove is not coming, big surprise. I hate to say "I told you so" (no I don't). Poster "Ex-Sandcrab" posted this link on the message board, the key phrase:

The 55th and 58th have been used for a couple of NHL drafted players, who aren’t going to report. They are Alexander Pechursky (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Anton Klementyev (New York Islanders).

If the Tri-City Americans won’t count on Alexander Pechursky (Pittsburgh Penguins), the other import they picked has reported. Sergei Drozd from Minsk, Belarus, is an experienced center with international and KHL experience and has already wrote his name in the score sheet in the preseason. Surprisingly not picked in the last two draft, now he has a better chance for the 2010 selections.

This also means that is two Import Drafts in a row that Bob has selected a Russian that has not reported. Not a highlight to put on his resume. I mean, I get it, you select the best player available, period. But if you know they're not going to report/get release from KHL, go for the next best on the list. Whatever.

Drinnan also got a great email, from what appears to be a Tri-City fan (or has at least studied team pictures):

Through the magic of email I often hear from WHL fans who are located around the globe. I have heard more than once or twice from a gentleman, who is an avid WHL fan and whose nine-year-old son is even more of a WHL fan.
The other day, the father wrote to tell me how much the WHL and its players mean to his son . . .
“My son has autism and he’s absolutely fascinated with the WHL.
“Every summer we go to Everett to attend all nine games of the Everett tournament over the three days . . . and he would stay for nine more if he could.
“My son meets some amazing people down there each summer. He has a particular fascination with goaltenders so he knows where they all played, where they were born, their stats . . . I swear he knows what their weight was at birth.
“The players are all very accommodating to him and we’ve yet to encounter any ‘attitudes’ from any of the players that he has met. . . . absolutely first-class individuals ranging from coaches to players and support staff.
“Really all he wants to do is say hi, shake their hand and get a picture with some of his favourites.”
And then Dad added a little story from this year’s tournament . . .
“There must be close to 200 players milling around in the concourse area at varying times over the three days and they all pretty much wear the same suit . . . have the same haircut.
“He was able to pick (Tri-City goaltenders) Brett Martyniuk and Drew Owsley out of the crowd of people in the concourse. I know they’re goalies and I couldn’t pick them out of a crowd, but he sure did.
“And they were accommodating. These are good people.”

Marty and Drew are super sweet. All these guys are, they are always more than willing (or at least pretend to be) to get pictures with fans, especially kids.

As to whether Bob will go out and get another goalie to replace the Russian, I have no idea. Personally, I believe in Drew Owsley. And Brett Martyniuk for that matter. I think Marty's performance in pre-season was a fluke (6 goals on 14 shots? please). He's better than that, we've all seen it. The main concern with these two is consistency. Can they be consistently good when in the #1 spot, playing every night.

Let's face it (and I'm sure I've said this before), we've been spoiled as fans the last couple seasons watching big-time goalies Carey Price and Chet Pickard in net. Not only were they both amazing goalies, but they had a huge net presence, literally. Both were tall, thick goalies. Marty and Drew look so teeny tiny in comparison. Hell, they look tiny in comparison to many of their teammates. What Owsley lacks in size he makes up in coordination and quickness. Kelowna may have had only 20 shots the other night, but he made some exquisite saves. Yes, I'm biased, I adore the kid. But I still think he's got #1 potential.

I like my home openers with Shinnimin and sugar

Wow, what a game, eh?

Here's the key:

"You want to be humble, but we played a good game," Hiller said. "(Balanced scoring) is going to be the strength of our team -- we are deep up front and on the back end."

I'm going to leave the "That's what she said" alone on that one, and just appreciate the truth of Coach's statement. Depth has been a strength of this organization for the last couple seasons, being able to roll four good lines, and this year, it seems those 4 lines are even stronger than ever.

I was so excited to be watching hockey I didn't pay as much attention to line combinations as I should have*. I do know that at one point, it was Shinnimin-Macek-Prokop on at the same time, my ovaries were doing a dance.

Speaking of Shinnimin, holy awesomeness Batman. Two goals and a helper, totally earned himself 1st star honors. Not that the cutie knew what to do when he came out for his award--"sign the stick? I have to give it to someone? I have to pick someone to give it to? I HAVE TO PICK?!?" He was clearly freaking out** so I pointed to a young girl and said "there, give it to that little girl in the pink".

While we're talking "hockey players that are gorgeous and amazing for $400 Alex", how about that Brooks Macek. I have mentioned I believe scoring will be by committee this season, but Macek and Shinny are going to be leading that committee. Outstanding games for both of them. Johnny Lazo too.

Adam Hughesman, played his ass off, as did Prokop. Hell, they all did. I thought the defense looked great, I just can't get enough of Zach Yuen. Tyler Schmidt got 3rd star which I personally thought Drew Owsley should have got. Drew was outstanding. I BELIEVE IN DREW OWSLEY!!1 I'm sure he hates the sign, but I don't care. And not that Tyler didn't deserve a star, if there were 4 given out, he shoulda got that one, but oh well.

Drew's getting the waffles, but he has to share with Shinny.

Here's the rest of the Herald article.

*I didn't pay attention at all.
**not really, just being adorable

AMS Season Preview

I wrote this preview a couple days ago for my friend Su Ring who runs the hockey blog at King 5 Sports out of Seattle. She covers the WHL and asked me to write a preview of the AMS for the season. You can find the hockey blog here.

Here's the preview:

Who's out? - Losing super sniper Mitch Fadden and all his goals hurts. Taylor Procyshen and Jason Reese put up some points in the 08-09 season as well, those guys will be tough to replace. The biggest loss for the AMS, however, is in net with the departure of Chet Pickard.

The 20-year-olds - The AMS currently have their allotted 3 20-year-olds in Johnny Lazo, Brett Plouffe, and Jarrett Toll. All 5'10" of Lazo is quick enough to outskate the competition. He can score goals and provides veteran leadership. Having the steady and reliable Toll on the blueline is reassuring. You always know what you're going to get from Toll, which is dedication and skill, never taking a shift off. Brett Plouffe has a punishing slapshot that will either take your goalie's head off, or go in the net. And he's never taken any heads off. If for some reason Bob Tory needs to make a trade before the OA deadline, I used to think Lazo was the most expendable, but with the crop of young defensive talent on the AMS roster, anyone is fair game.

Who's in? - AMS have a lot of power up front returning from last season's US Division winning team. The veteran Lazo (20), Kruise Reddick (19), and Adam Hughesman (18) will need to step up their game and their consistency as they are expected to put up the numbers. The 08-09 rookie crop of Brendan Shinniman (18), Jordan Messier (17), Brooks Macek (17) and Justin Feser (17) are going to be super sophomores and if their rookie seasons and pre-season games are any indication, they're going to be amazing. Shinniman and Macek have ridiculous skill and skating. Messier too. Feser can score and can lay some big checks. Belorussian import Sergei Drozd (19) has looked impressive in pre-season with smooth skating and puck play. Incoming rookies Patrick Holland looks promising as well. To provide size and scoring, AMS have Neal Prokop (19) who can skate and lay some big checks with his big frame. Same with Spencer Asuchack (18). Pencil Mason Wilgosh (18) in as a checker as well, though he's not as tall as Prokop. Wilgs can score some timely goals as well.

On defense, there's the vets Toll (20) and Plouffe (20). Toss in Tyler Schmidt and his punishing style and you've got yourself a D corps with mad skills. Schmidt (19) is fresh back from his 2nd year at Minnesota Wild camp and coming off his best season ever in an AMS sweater. For the first time in a long time the AMS have a lot of depth on the back end with Lane Werbowski (18) and Brock Sutherland (18). Both are steady, not flashy, but reliable. Sutherland was a rookie in the league last season so has a little catching up to do, development-wise, but he'll get there. Riley McIntosh (19) is inconsistent, but showed good stuff in the 08-09 playoffs. AMS rookie defensemen play like seasoned veterans a lot of the time. Youngsters Zach Yuen (16), Drydn Dow (16), and Spencer Humphries (17) have shown a ton of promise. Personally, I'm very excited about the defense this season.

In goal it's a mess. Returning are Drew Owsley (18) and Brett Martyniuk (18). Both served as backups for Chet Pickard last season and were decent as backups. Neither was really given the chance to prove himself to be able to be a #1 because of the workhorse Pickard in front of them. This summer, Tory picked up Russian goalie Alex Pechurski (19, Pittsburgh Penguins drafted) and penciled him as the #1. But there's no Russian goalie here yet. In fact, he's still listed on the Kontinental Hockey League's active roster. He is not under contract with the Penguins so even though they have mentioned wanting him to play in North America, I personally don't see him leaving the money in the KHL to play junior hockey for an $80 a week stipend.

So that leaves Owsley, Martyniuk, and Joel Danyluk. I haven't seen enough to Danyluk to have an opinion on him either way. Regardless, there's 3 guys who have been backups battling for the #1 spot. Either that, Tory's doing some goalie-shopping.

Who's new? - Most important new face for the AMS is on the bench, leading the troops. Coach Jim Hiller takes over head coaching duties with the departure of Don Nachbaur. He is assisted by Terry Virtue. Both men coached under Nachbaur so it will be interesting to see how many of his tactics they use. Hiller did not have much success as Chilliwack Bruins head coach, but he didn't have much talent to work with. Bob has built quite a skilled team, hopefully there will be good things from the new coach.

As for players, new import Sergei Drozd has speed and skill, hopefully it translates into scoring. Rookies Holland (17) also has size with his speed and skill, looked promising in pre-season. Neal Prokop, while 19, is new to the AMS. He is one big dude who can skate and take faceoffs. Awesome. As of this writing, rookies Nils Moser (16), Max Moline (16), Tanner Olstad (17), and Zach McPhee (16) are listed on the roster (which will need trimming). I predict Moser and possibly Olstad sticking around, maybe Moline. AMS fans got very spoiled with last season's rookie class, these boys actually play like rookies so there will be some learning going on.

What to expect? - Who knows what to expect? In the past there has been true snipers on the roster with Yellow Horn and Fadden. Now it will be offense by committee, which I think will work quite well--if that's how Hiller coaches. For the first time in years there's uncertainty in goal. Gone are the days of Carey Price and Chet Pickard (my, we AMS fans sure have been spoiled). This team has a shot of doing quite well in the division, Chiefs have lost several key pieces, same with Everett. Seattle has Calvin Pickard which will help them. Portland might be the shock, they might be better sooner than anyone thought. Once again the US Division of the WHL looks to be one of the most exciting in the league.

Good thing y'all voted

photo by John Allen

Captain Toll it is. From amshockey.com:

Tri-City Americans' Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced today that 20-year-old defenseman Jarrett Toll will be the team's captain for the upcoming 2009-10 season. The announcement was made during a press conference at Kimo's Sports Café in Richland, the Americans' home away from home. He is the 21st captain in the team's history.

Toll is entering his fifth and final full season with the Americans, coming off a career-high nine goal, 30 point season. In 205 career games for Tri-City, the Maple Ridge, British Columbia-native has registered 15 goals and 59 points. Toll is a career +48 and his 205 games played rank him 22nd on the Americans' all-time lists. A former 5th-round pick by Tri-City in the 2004 Bantam Draft, Toll made his WHL debut with Tri-City on October 8, 2004 vs. the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Today, Tory also announced the team's choice for alternate captains. Wearing the 'A' this season will be 19-year-old forward Kruise Reddick and 19-year-old defenseman Tyler Schmidt. The team will rotate the third 'A' between Johnny Lazo and Brett Plouffe; Plouffe will wear it at home, while Lazo will carry the 'A' on the road until the Christmas Break, when the duo will reverse. Also added to the leadership group is newly acquired 19-year-old forward Neal Prokop. Although he will not wear a letter, he will play a key role as a member of this group.

"The captain is a person who believes in his team and his teammates. He is the one who stands in front, the person who inspires others by his actions," explained Tory. "Jarrett exemplifies all of these qualities and more."

"We are fortune to have a very strong leadership group on this team. Jarrett will be joined, and supported, by these players (Reddick, Schmidt, Lazo, Plouffe and Prokop)."

that's CAPTAIN Uncle Mitch to you!

from the Chilliwack Bruins website:

Chilliwack Bruins Head Coach and General Manager Marc Habscheid today announced that 20 year defenceman Mitch McColm will be the team's Captain for the 2009-10 season. Habscheid made the announcement while co hosting the morning show on 89.5 FM The Hawk. 19 year old foward Shayne Neigum and 19 year old defenceman Brandon Manning will serve as Associate Captains.

McColm, who recently attended the Vancouver Canucks rookie camp was acquired by the Bruins from the Tri City Americans in April. Liisted at six-foot-four and 214 pounds, McColm brings a stay at home defence-first game to the rink. In 139 career games, the Calgary Alberta product has 22 points to go along with 259 minutes in penalties.

Big thanks to reader Zack who let me know! :)

Remember to vote for who you think should be AMS captain this season!!

New poll

New poll: who do you think should be 09-10 AMS captain?

Following up on baseball fight to talk about hockey fights

HUGE apologies to the amazing Gregg Drinnan who wrote all this up, but I'm totally going to copy and paste it here.

Prior to the exhibition season, each of the WHL’s 22 teams received a memo from the league’s Calgary office. A lot of that memo dealt with “staged” fights and the removal of helmets prior to fighting.
Here for your reading enjoyment then is a look at some of the most pertinent parts of that memo:
“During a game, the referee has the discretion to issue a warning to the
coaches of both clubs that ‘any fight will result in a game misconduct to
both players, unless an instigating penalty is being assessed to one player.’ The referee also has the discretion to assess a game misconduct to the head coach(es) should the fights continue. The referee will note on the scoresheet that the rule was implemented and notify the WHL office the reason he felt it was necessary to implement the rule.
“If, after a routine fight, a fight occurs on the next faceoff, the warning shall be issued immediately. Should a coach receive a game misconduct under this rule, he will be fined $500 and may be suspended.”
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“Should a fight occur on the faceoff to start the game or to start the second, third or overtime periods of an exhibition, regular-season or playoff game, the player shall receive an automatic game misconduct in addition to the major penalty. The club shall be fined $250 and the player shall be suspended for one game.
“Should it occur on a second situation, the club shall be fined $500, the player shall be suspended for one game and the head coach shall receive an official warning.
“Should it occur on a third situation, the club shall be fined $750, the player shall be suspended for one game and the head coach shall be suspended for one game.
“The fine and suspension to the coach shall be doubled on each further occasion during the season and playoffs.
”Should the same player be involved on more than one occasion, the
suspension will double each time.
“Should one player clearly initiate or instigate the fight, only that player will receive the game misconduct in addition to a minor penalty for instigating and only that player and his club will be disciplined.
“Should the linesmen intervene and prevent the fight from starting, the players involved will each receive misconducts.”
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(EDITOR’S NOTE: That means players no longer will be allowed to dance and preen prior to a fight. If two players square off and don’t get at it right way, the linesmen will intervene and both players will sit for at least 10 minutes.)
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”The first identifiable player to leave his bench or bench area to join a fight, or for the purpose of starting a fight (even if he is the only player to leave the bench), shall be suspended up to a maximum of 20 games and his club shall be fined a maximum of $5,000 for a first offence. Should a player leave the bench to join or start a fight, the WHL office will review the situation and may also suspend and/or fine the head coach of the club.”
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“If a player(s) removes his helmet prior to a fight, the linesmen shall move in immediately and attempt to separate the players before they engage in the fight. The player(s) who removed his helmet shall receive an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty if the fight is prevented. If the linesmen aren’t able to move in before the players start to fight, the player(s) will receive an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for removing his helmet in addition to the fighting major.”
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“If a player deliberately throws an opponent to the ice, picks him up by the pants or leg and throws him down, slew foots or trips him, or by any other action (other than regular fighting, jostling or wrestling activity) forces him to fall to the ice in a dangerous fashion, he shall receive an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a game misconduct. The WHL office will review the game misconduct for possible further disciplinary action.”
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”Should a player receive three instigator penalties during the course of the regular season, he will be automatically suspended for the next game. This rule will be applied in the same fashion as the current game misconduct-accumulation rule.”

UGH.
I'm not one of those people who go to hockey games to see fights, I go to see the speed and skill of the amazing sport. However, I do believe there is a time and a place for fights in hockey.

I am all for safety of the players, especially since these are young men, but this is excessive. And ridiculous, fight with your helmet on and break your hand? Yeah, good call WHL.

Granted, this all may work in AMS favor as we don't really have a true enforcer.

I'm also kind of a bad feminist, I don't usually get my feathers ruffled at stuff. But to the anonymous commenter (isn't anonymity great?) on Drinnan's blog who says "its turning into a bitch sport, maybe they are heading down the path of making hockey such a wussy sport so we can have women join the same leagues as men!" I know several female hockey players who will beat your ass silly. And I've seen women's hockey, nothing "wussy" about it. Biologically speaking, I am well aware that men are stronger than women (in general) but to call this move by the WHL making hockey "a bitch sport" and implying that the guys playing it are feminized by this move, is just stupid.

Oh I can't wait for the nasty comment directed at this post. Go for it, especially you anonymous commenters. I will probably ignore you.

not hockey, but awesome

I refuse to call it A Rumble in the Bronx like everyone else. It was badass. Jays rule, Posada's a dick. I hate the Yankees.

Back to hockey later today.

The seconds, minutes, hours go to the almighty dollar

Drinnan:

The Regina Pats got their roster down to 26 on Monday by moving four players. . . . Veteran G Linden Rowat, 20, was dropped and the Pats hope to trade him. Rowat was the Pats’ starter in 2007-08 when they won the East Division regular-season title with a 44-22-4-2 record.

If you’re wondering whether the Tri-City Americans might be interested in Rowat, the answer, at least for the next while, is, “No.” . . . They haven’t given up on landing Alexander Pechurski, 19, who was their first pick in the CHL’s 2009 import draft. Even though he is on the early roster of Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Continental Hockey League, the Americans are holding out hope that they will be able to get clearance to have him join them. . . . The Americans also are quite happy with their three 20-year-olds – F Johnny Lazo, D Brett Plouffe and D Jarrett Toll – so might not be in a hurry to tinker with that.

The AMS website roster now has a number for From Russia With Glove, but I think it's a smokescreen. Look, I'd love to be proven wrong on this one and the kid shows up and is a great goalie. But c'mon. And here's where the title of this post comes in, he's making money in Russia. He's not under contract with Pittsburgh so they can want him to play in North America all they want, doesn't mean it's going to happen. He's not going to come here without a contract for a piddley $80 a week stipend.

Then again, I'm not sure Rowat is the best option. He may be the best available option, but at what cost. Which 20 do you give up for him?

I know there are plenty who disagree with me about Pechurski coming/not coming. And that's fine. He may indeed show up. But I am not going to be holding my breath. "The Americans are holding out hope..." doesn't give me a lot of confidence.

ok, ok. Let's get real.

That last post was a waste of internet space. But I have nothing to add to it.

What I do have is some thoughts from this weekend.

Likes:

• Brooks Macek. I knew he'd be better, but even I am blown away. So much talent, he's going to fun to watch.
• Brock Sutherland. Another one who has picked up his game. I was impressed overall with his weekend.
• Lane Werbowski. He's going to be another Jarrett Toll-type player. Not flashy, but does his job, and does it well.
• Justin Feser. Using his size well. Very well. Finishing checks, great in the corners. And we all know he can score goals so that is exciting!
• Spencer Asuchak. Skating better, going hard to the net, getting his big frame in there and using it effectively.
• Plouffe and Schmidt. Steady and reliable. Tyler was banging bodies around, making his presence known. Plouffer had a great game against Spokane.
• Brendan Shinniman. OMG, someone can actually win faceoffs! And he's still speedy and intense. A great combination.
• Connor Rankin. Can this kid join the team now pretty please??????
• Drydn Dow. One of my new favorites. He's very skilled. Small, but you wouldn't know it by his play.
• Spencer Humphries and Zach Yuen. The future of the blueline. I like it. A lot.
• Johnny Lazo. Calming veteran presence on the ice. Just needs to score a lot if he's going to be relied on to lead the offense.
• Nils Moser. Keep him Bob. kthxbai. Patrick Holland too.
• Neal Prokop (duh). Skates well, uses his size effectively. And gorgeous.
• Sergei Drozd. Speedy, good vision. I'm impressed with this kid a lot so far. Hope he doesn't turn out to be a pre-season wonder, regular season meh player like Igor Bacek.

Dislikes:

• Riley McIntosh. I'm sorry, I'm sure he's a great kid. But he is not where he should be as a 19-year-old in this league. I hope Bob can trade for him.
• Zach McPhee. He'll be fine once he grows into his lanky frame and gets coordination back after what I'm going assume was a rapid growth spurt. Same with Max Moline. Though Max skates far better. McPhee and Moline both have skill, it's just coordination/skating.
• Lack of chemistry. But I know it will come. I almost hate to put it on the dislike list, but I do dislike chaos and disorganization. Once roster is trimmed, coach can starting building lines.
• Adam Hughesman and Kruise Reddick being too invisible for their age/skill. I've been critical of Adam and will continue to be until I see something more from him. I think he has the talent, it's just getting it to come out! So frustrating! Pokey looks a little lost without Procyshen, he needs to find someone to gel with--quickly.

Speaking of lines, I'm not going to guess combinations, but I'll list who I think should stay, assuming a 25-man roster. I am going to list in line combo format, just for convenience.
Lazo-Reddick-Feser
Macek-Messier-Prokop
Wilgosh-Hughesman-Drozd
Shinniman-Holland-Asuchak
extras: Moser, Moline, Olstad

Schmidt-Plouffe
Toll-Yuen
Sutherland-Werbowski
extras: Dow, Humphries
I would say rotate Yuen and Humphries regularly in the 6th spot, Dow also. Granted, who do you sit then? I love having so much depth at D!!

Goalies:
Owsley, Martyniuk
I wasn't overly impressed with Danyluk. Not that I was impressed with Marty's performance at all, but I know he's better than that. If Danyluk is kept, I hope he's better than he showed. Let's face it, we've been so spoiled with amazing goaltending the last several years with Price and Pickard that everything looks so inferior.

Depending on the From Russia With Glove goalie situation, things may change a little, or a lot (thanks Captain Obvious). I don't know what Bob saw or didn't see, but I expect an interesting week.

AMS vs. Lethbridge, game 3 of tourney

There was a game, it was good, AMS win in overtime. The end.

Just kidding.

They didn't look as disjointed as Friday night, but not as good as last night. In all fairness, Messier, Shinniman, Plouffe, Reddick, Yuen, Owsley, and Macek were scratched.

There was some AMS scoring, then some 'Canes scoring. Then it was tied and went to overtime and AMS won. wooohooooo

oh my God, I don't know. I'm hungover, tired, and I just spent 4 hours sorting and editing photos. I'll come up with something tomorrow.

Now THAT was a game

I don't know if it was because of more vets on the ice (Lazo, Schmidt, NOT McIntosh) or because it was Spokane, but boys came to play last night and kicked ass.

Truth time--it was the "I believe in Drew Owsley" sign and you know it.



I'm in a hungover haze, but I do know a couple things:

• I like that Sergei Drozd. Skates well, moves the puck very well. I like.
• Again, Brooks Macek is a stud.
• Didn't see as much of Jordan Messier last night, not sure what was up with that.
• I never ever in a million years thought I would say this, but I'm glad Schmidt is back.
• I hate the Spokane Chiefs and their goalie-running ways.

Look, I remember the days when the AMS were a bunch of mediocre talented guys and a bunch of goons. I detested it. And no I'm not one of those "The AMS are perfect angels all the time" bullshitters. But holy crap Chiefs, lay off our goalies. Where was I? Oh yes, a list.

• Kruise was less invisible last night, that is good.
• OMG Spencer Humphries. om nom nom nom. That is all.
• I thought Nils Moser was decent, skated pretty well, looked lost at times but that's expected.
• Drew Owsley was nails. He may be little, but he's quick! And the D did much better in front of him.
• Our obnoxiously awesome group was discussing the likelihood of Alex Pechurski showing up, and we're in agreement that it's not looking good. He is not on Penguins training camp roster which opens today.
  
• Portland is going to be better than anyone thought, sooner than anyone thought.

That's all I can think of now, must get ready for final game of pre-season today when AMS take on Lethbridge.

Game 1, AMS vs. Portland

Dear Brett Martyniuk--
I know you didn't really mean to let in 6 goals on 14 shots. I know your defense in front of you could have been better. I know you're too gorgeous to play that badly. It's ok kitten, thankfully it's only pre-season. That being said, get your shit together. Kthxbai.
--Shultzie

I'm actually not freaking out at all, it is only pre-season. AMS always look terrible in pre-season but then come out of the regular season gate going gangbusters. Doesn't mean I don't want to see a win though. Especially against Portland. Yes, they're going to be a better team this season, especially with that delicious hunk of man mean Ian Curtis in net, but still.

Riley McIntosh, please get off the ice. For good. Ok, that's harsh, he was decent in playoffs last season, but looked absolutely terrible tonight. All the defense did. It should be noted that Brock Sutherland did pretty darn good. It's obvious he's improved this summer. He also seems to have taken on more of a leadership role. That could be because of young guys like Yuen and Dow on the ice, but I like it. I like it a lot. Yuen was ok, I've seen him play better. Dow is impressive. And I'm not just talking about his delish face or those Butterfield-like eyebrows. He's a little guy, but moves well and will be quite the defenseman I think.

Who was invisible that shouldn't have been? Kruise Reddick. Adam Hughesman. I didn't even notice Adam was playing in the game until the 2nd period. Srsly. Zach McPhee--tall, but very uncoordinated, I don't see him sticking around (or getting a lot of playing time) but again, this is based on one game.

Sister and I were discussing on the way home who we would give our 3 stars to, here's mine:
3. backup goalie Joel Danyluk
2. Brendan Shinniman
1. Brooks Macek

Mace is a stud. Your argument is invalid.

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I've already selected a hockey boyfriend for this season. Oh yes, Neal Prokop. He didn't suck, but wasn't amazing. But holy UNF. He gets waffles.

guess what??

HOCKEY STARTS TONIGHT!!!

if blogger had a larger font I'd use it to show my excitement. Even on no sleep (gonna need a nap and Starbucks to get to 7 pm).

also, I don't spend much time posting songs/videos here, but every once in a while, I just gotta. And this one kicks ass. Just like hockey.

It's almost game time!!

ok, it's still a day away (to see the AMS) but I'm still excited. Looks like Coach is trying to get things in order before regular season starts September 19th. That's the thing with pre-season, it's a time to not only look at the talent and trim the roster, but also to work on timing and chemistry and so on.

The Herald has a few bits today of note:

Hiller and associate coach Terry Virtue also have had the luxury of working with a smaller group after general manager Bob Tory reassigned players the last few days. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Americans had three goalies, nine defensemen and 17 forwards left in camp.

"I think we are moving forward," Hiller said. "We've made some cuts and the competition is ratcheted up a bit. I look forward to this weekend."

Forward Sergei Drozd, from Minsk, Belarus, joined the team over the weekend and has participated in practice the last two days. Russian goalie Alex Pechurski, who just finished playing in the Four Nations tournament, will join the team shortly.

Also of note that doesn't apply to me, but holy WTF, what a mess. So much for seats at center ice.

Fans who normally sit in sections A, B and Z will have to find other accomodations this weekend as the Toyota Center crew has pulled out the aging orange seats to install new ones that have padding and cup holders. Seats were going in Wednesday, but will not be installed for the tournament. With six Broadway shows on the docket, the seats are part of a Toyota Center upgrade. Only the three sections will get new seats.

You know what would be a great story for the Herald to run? Apparently the boys have got themselves a little baseball team (or teams?) for fun. But nothing with these guys is just for fun, they are so competitive. THAT'S the kind of story that should be in the Herald. Or on the American's "blog" over there. Jussayin.

HUGE THANKS to Spokant who discovered the Herald doesn't need to cover the boys' baseball endeavors, they're doing it themselves. Check it out here, funniest stuff I've read. Ever.

New Jerseys

Based on this picture, HATE IT. But I'll try to keep open mind till I see it in person. No I won't. Those sleeves look ridiculous. The white striping down the side and up to the neck is unnecessary. I want the triangle with the star on the bottoms, under the sleeves.

I still like our logo and the multi-colored neck is nice, but that's it.

I'm sure I'll get used to them and all, and maybe they won't really be so bad in person, but ugh.

Also, I'm goddamn tired of new jerseys all the time. New logos, changed logos, 3rd jerseys (I do like those though), and now this EDGE crap. What a money-grabbing racket.

Hump Day

I had a dream last night that I was doing yardwork around my house (although it wasn't my current house, I don't know what house it was, but it was supposedly mine in the dream) and the mail carrier lady came up with a package for me. But it wasn't a box. It was a galvanized metal bucket/pail thing, a large one, and it was some kind of gift basket. It was filled with Maple Leafs stuff--a scarf, waterbottle, socks, shit like that. It also had a customized jersey. But not Leafs, it was Tomas Kaberle's Czech Republic sweater. One word = awesome.

That's all I remember from the dream. That's the trouble with not being able to sleep. UGH.

In other news, tonight is Season Ticket Holder pick-up party thingy at Kimo's. I may have received something notifying me of this in the mail and don't remember or lost it in the move, but I don't think so. Once again (and I could be wrong, srsly) failure of the AMS to promote an event where players will be, where people can pick up their tickets. If I did get notice and I'm not remembering it, apologies and ignore that mini-rant. I'm not going anyways, no sense driving all the way to Tri to get tickets, or even to take some pictures (I know, shame on me). Besides, Halladay's pitching tonight. :)

Drinnan reports that the AMS reassigned "F Braeden Adamyk, 19, to the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers".

Also, if you missed it, small trade yesterday sent goalie prospect Warren Shymko to Kelowna for "future considerations".

Healthy scratches from Saturday

Jarrett Toll, Justin Feser, Connor Rankin, Drew Owsley, Mason Wilgosh, Lane Werbowski
photo by Ann Hammer

More Reassignments

From Taking Note:

The Tri-City Americans have reassigned two players. F Connor Rankin, 15, will play for the B.C. major midget league’s Vancouver-Northwest Giants, while F Marcus Messier, 15, goes to the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox, Sask. Before Messier left, the Americans signed him to a WHL contract.

I am very excited for when Connor Rankin is a rookie. Very.
Drinnan also has this bit:

The Tri-City Americans have welcomed Belarussian F Sergei Drozd, 19, to their dressing room. Drozd, one of the club’s two picks in the CHL’s 2009 import draft, is expected to skate with his new team on Tuesday and will play on the weekend when the Americans’ play host to their annual tournament. . . . Russian G Alexander Pechurski, 19, the Americans’ other import selection, has yet to report and, in fact, is one of four goaltenders shown on the roster of the Continental league’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He was a fifth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2008 NHL draft.

The Penguins have their prospect camp going on now, but they don't have a roster listed anywhere (srsly? wtf) to see if Pechurski (From Russia With Glove) is listed there. He is not listed on their main camp roster. Still being listed on Metallurg's team is intriguing. Just because Penguins want him playing in North America, and just because AMS picked him up in import draft, does not guarantee he'll be here. He's getting paid real money in the Continental League, not just a petty stipend the junior boys make. I assume Pens would have to pay the team to compensate them for him, but that is not money for him.

It will be interesting to see if From Russia With Glove actually shows at all. If not, I'll be upset because that was a waste of an import pick. It'll also continue my growing anxiety about the situation in net this rapidly approaching season.

AMS vs. PG at tourney

lost 2-1, Feser with the one AMS goal.

They beat Chiefs yesterday 4-3, Lazo scoring with less than a minute left. Which you knew if you follow me on Twitter (don't worry, I'll add you, I'm just keeping spammers and pornbots away by keeping it locked).

Sorry I don't have more info than that, I am obviously not at the tourney. The paper doesn't provide much more either.

5 days till AMS are back at Toyota Center for us all to see! woohoooo!!!!!!

omgomgomg

Drayson Bowman. Carolina Hurricanes. om nom nom nom

Everett Tournament

AMS lost to Everett last night in their first game of the tournament. My friend MotleySu is at the tournament and is thankfully keeping me posted on the goings on. Also, sending pictures via Twitter :) I've been re-Tweeting any AMS stuff she's sent my way so head on over to Twitter for updates coming later today as the AMS take on Spokane at 3.

For a recap of last night's game, check out The Daily Su.

Drinnan's got the goods

From Taking Note:

The Tri-City Americans reassigned 11 players late Wednesday. On the move are G Warren Shynko, 17 (Yorkton, SJHL); D Chase Wharton, 18 (Spokane, KIJHL); D Jordan Allan, 17 (Tri-City Titans); D Sam Grist, 16 (Victoria, BCHL); F Alex Kromm, 18 (Brooks, AJHL); D Riley Guenther, 15 (Calgary, midget AAA); D Brett Pile, 16 (Winnipeg, midget AAA); D Eric Coscione, 18 (San Diego, junior A); F Brendyn Ilchuk, 16 (Winnipeg, midget AAA); F Jesse Wiebe (Spokane, KIJHL); and F Dayton Shaw (Drumheller, AJHL).

also:

Wondering how Don Nachbaur, who left after six seasons as the Tri-City Americans’ head coach to join the AHL’s Binghamton Senators, is doing these days? You can find out right here.

I miss Coach. Coach Nachbaur. I have to specify that now, Coach is now Coach Hiller. Speaking of Hiller, the Herald has article discussing how he and the players are getting to know each other.

"I was excited because I had a pretty good handle on the returning guys," Hiller said. "What I have been impressed with is the players coming up. The depth of the young players is impressive. There is competition for ice time from top to bottom. There are 16-year-olds who can play."

The Gold Team that skated Wednesday afternoon featured a good portion of the Americans returning defensemen, including Tyler Schmidt, Brett Plouffe, Brock Sutherland and 2008 first-round draft pick Zach Yuen.

"It's a very competitive returning lineup," Hiller said of the defensemen. "They will be battling for minutes, but that competition makes everyone better."

Schmidt, in his fourth year with the Americans, said he's adjusting to Hiller and the different schemes.

"It has all changed," said Schmidt, who is the leading returning defenseman with 41 points and a team-high 164 penalty minutes. "We're just trying to learn it all. It's just a different style of play. We have a lot of team chemistry and we are working together."

If anyone is going to the Everett Tournament and wants to keep me informed on the scores, it would be greatly appreciated. :)

UNCLE MITCH!!!!

Ass pat (glove tap?) to commenter aaAlta who left me a note to say our Mitch McColm got an invite to Vancouver Canucks prospects camp next week!!!!!!!!

Here's the release from the Canucks.

I admit, I have been neglectful of scouring the interwebs for prospect listings. I have time this weekend, I shall do it. Maybe.

New boys signed

from amshockey.com:

Tri-City Americans General Manager Bob Tory announced today that the team has signed 2008 sixth round (132nd overall) bantam draft pick Zach McPhee and list prospect Drydn Dow to standard WHL Players Contracts.

McPhee, a 6'3 180 lb. center from Vernon, British Columbia, spent last season with the Vernon Renegades midgets of the Greater Vernon Minor Hockey Association. McPhee appeared in 32 games, collecting 13 goals, 34 points and 30 penalty minutes. With the signing of McPhee, the Americans have now signed their first 4 picks from the 2008 draft, joining Zachary Yuen, Nils Moser and Max Moline.

Dow, a 5'8 160 lb defenseman, Alberta, played for the Calgary Buffaloes AAA Midget team last season, finishing fifth on the club in scoring (11-11-22-54) and was named an AMHL all-star. Dow, a native of Calgary, helped guide the Buffaloes to the 2009 League, Provincial and Pacific Regional Championships and a second place finish at the Telus Cup, Canada's National Midget AAA Championships.