Brain Dump

Bits from Ferran:

Tri-City Americans goalie Drew Owsley had a couple of so-so performances earlier in the preseason.

But Friday night in the team's final exhibition game, Owsley put on the type of show he had last season in propelling the Americans to a third straight U.S. Division title. 

"Tonight, Ows looked like the guy who carried us last season," said Ams coach Jim Hiller. "I don't think any of the games prior to tonight that we saw Ows at his best. But tonight, we saw it again. He made the first save and didn't give up a lot of rebounds."

Now, the players take three well-deserved days off from the ice to rest up for the final push toward the regular-season opener.

The coaching staff and GM Bob Tory, meanwhile, have the task of figuring out how all the pieces of the team's current 28-player roster fit together.

"We're in no hurry right now," Hiller said. "Everyone who's here has played well and deserves to be here. Our numbers are high, obviously, and we can't carry this many players all year. But for now, we're in no hurry."  (Examiner)

Apparently things got a little out of hand in Cranbook on Thursday night:

The WHL office also suspended Kootenay Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch for one game and his side $250 for its part in a multiple-fight situation in a 4-1 loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans on Thursday night. The Americans weren’t disciplined at all, so that tells what the WHL thought of that situation. Kootenay F Jared Iron drew a one-game suspension for his fourth fight, which came against the Americans.
Finally, Tri-City F Zach McPhee got a one-game suspension after incurring a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct in that game in Cranbrook.  (Taking Note)

From the Ice's Jeff Bromley:

Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch didn't take long to endear himself to the powers that be in the WHL as he was suspended for one game - tonight's game in Spokane - for the line-brawl that occurred near the end of the game Thursday night. The club was also fined $250. The Americans were not fined nor was Jim Hiller suspended.

For his part Ams forward Zach McPhee was suspended one game for hitting from behind when he nailed Mike Simpson that touched off the brawl in the first place.

Ice F Jared Iron was suspended one game for his fourth fight of the preseason.

Tough to believe only one team got the gate in this one. Both parties were willing combatants.  (Ice Chips)

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Whether you use Twitter or not, you have to admit it's a very valuable and free marketing tool for a sports team. Which is why I find it interesting that only half the QMJHL teams are using it. The numbers get better in the OHL and WHL, but it should be 100 per cent across the board in every league.

The break downs can be found at NHL Draft Video

The CHL is going to a uniform website system (although it hasn't been the smoothest transition) and they should make it a rule that each team has to have a twitter account to promote the product. Every league should be doing this in my opinion. (Coming Down the Pipe)

I agree that Twitter can be great tool teams could use for promotion.  Facebook too.  But I also think it can only be as effective as the person/people running it.  Updating it.  Tweeting.  However you want to describe it.  It can be used for special deals (like $7 preseason tickets!) and for posting scores.  Some WHL teams have been on Twitter for awhile and some manage their accounts better than others.  Portland, Seattle, and Everett post scores and tidbits.  Last time I checked, and I admit it's been awhile, the Spokane Twitter often posted links back to their website or Facebook page.  

Maybe it's just me (quite possible) but when Twitterers just link to their website--I'm talking teams here, not bloggers and such, that's a different can of worms--it seems...unnecessary.  If I'm a fan of the team, I'm checking out the website anyway, aren't I?  I get that Twitter is real-time so you can get news to followers faster, but I guess I want something different.  And like I said, that may just be me.  I want the Ams twitter to tell me how Macek and Alex are doing at NHL camps.  I want to see promotions, like reminding people to wear pink as the Breast Cancer Awareness night gets closer.  If they're using Facebook too, they can put pictures on there, put link to photos on the Twitter.  

I don't know, it's complicated.  I think different people use social media for different reasons.  And again, I think it's only as effective as the person/people running it.
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Speaking of bloggers, there's been some kerfuffle at the NHL level as to whether bloggers should be allowed the same access as the main stream media.  

Eyebleaf weighed in on the issue the other day:

What's ironic to me, and I think most people that read and/or write blogs, is that everyone, I believe, wants the same thing: accountability.

Even more ironic: while the lines between traditional and new media continue to blur, they've already intersected. For good. Take a look at the sports sections of your favourite newspapers; everyone is blogging. The debate has been pitched as mainstream media (MSM) versus bloggers, but so many in the MSM are blogging, that the entire conversation doesn't make a lot of bloody sense anymore.

I've worked in broadcast journalism, with TVO's The Agenda With Steve Paikin. As an associate producer at the program, it was mandated that we write a blog post for each segment we put to air. It was mandated that we get on Twitter with work-related accounts, and tweet about story ideas, and future programs. Steve Paikin's got his own blog. Mike Miner, a producer at the program, has his own technology/media blog, The Fifth Column. Those are mainstream journalists, blogging.  (Sports and the City)

And it seems to be that way in the WHL for the most part too.  Drinnan, the best WHL blogger there is, works for the Kamloops Daily News.  Regan Bartel works for the Kelowna Rockets (well, for the radio station that broadcasts them), same with Andy Kemper in Portland.  Everett's Nick Patterson works for the newspaper there, same with Steve Ewan in Vancouver.  I could go on, but you get the point.

There are some WHL blogs out there that aren't part of the MSM, mine being one of them.  And that's exactly how I want it.  I don't want to have restrictions placed on what I can say or how I can say it.  Everyone's favorite Regan Bartel has had to apologize several times for things he's said (something about giving Myers a thumbs up for taking out Mitch Fadden for one).  He has a bigger responsibility than I do to be more neutral, unbiased.  MSM isn't supposed to be all fanatical.  If you read the rest of Eyebleaf's piece you'll see his visit to the Leafs pressbox was low-key.  He didn't wear Leafs jersey or even his "Playoffs!!!1" shirt, he didn't get all fan-boy or starry-eyed about being there, it was a professional thing.

I don't want to be in the press box.  I want to be a fan.  I want to be able to Blingee up pictures of Mike Brown, or say I'm pissed at so-and-so for having a shitty game.  I want to be able to use the word "shitty".

I have been so extremely fortunate.  The Americans could make things very difficult for me, but I think they recognize that even if I'm opinionated, I'm passionate about this team and the blog might bring in new fans.   But like I said, I don't want in the press box, I don't want anything like that.  Then blogging becomes a job.  I do this for fun and because I love my team.  There are days when I don't feel like writing and the beauty is that I don't have to.

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Alright, enough blabbing.  I apologize if none of that made a lot of sense, it's been a scattered morning.  I'm off to do something productive.  Probably laundry.