Happy Friday Eve!

Good game last night, eh?  The Americans trailed for the first time this season but managed to come up with the win.  And it got a little ridiculous too:

hoooo boy.

All that and the Americans power play still sitting at 2 for 7 on the night.  Booo-urns.

But hey, Brock Sutherland had 3 points on the night!!  Seriously, that is awesome.  Remember last season when I was so frustrated with him because I knew he could play better?  He's showing that he really can play better.  Keep it up Brock.

Also, kudos to Connor Rankin on his first WHL goal.  This kid is going to be damn fun to watch, this season and several more.

The fracas seemed to energize the Americans. Holland's second goal of the night tied the game at 4:53 of the period, and Rankin's goal came almost two minutes later.

"We didn't show a whole lot of emotion to that point," Beattie said. "But guys stepped up and did what they needed to do. We didn't play our best tonight, but we found a way to win."

Beattie also praised LW Justin Feser, who moved to the blue line during the 10-minute stretch following the dust-up when the Ams were down to three defensemen -- Spencer Humphries and Zachary Yuen received misconduct penalties, while Drydn Dow was out with an upper-body injury suffered in the first period.

Beattie said while Dow's injury wasn't considered serious, it was 50/50 whether he would be available for Friday's rematch between the teams at Toyota Center.  (Examiner)

Feser playing some defense?  That's hot.  And LOL at the word "fracas"--totally underused word.

"It was a lesson on how tough it is to play on the road," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. "We tried to prepare our guys on what to expect. Kelowna played really well, but you have to give the players credit, when it was tough they came through and got the points."

Patrick Holland scored twice for the Americans, who are 3-0-0-0 to open the season. Brock Sutherland added three assists and Adam Hughesman accounted for the remaining goal.

The Rockets (0-2-0-0) led 3-2 after the second period, and both teams started the third with several players in the penalty box for 10-minute infractions following a melee with eight seconds left in the second.

"It was really challenging for us, we had a lot of guys in the box," Hiller said. "We were left with eight forwards and (Tanner) Olstad, (Nils) Moser and (Zach) McPhee gave us good minutes."  (Herald)

Everyone's favorite, Regan Bartel says "Reddick's antics" got the win for the Americans.

Instead of scoring, Reddick started a skirmish late in the second period that would eventually get his team back in the game. Reddick body checked Rockets forward Mitchell Callahan into the boards in what appeared to be a check from behind. Instead of referee Andy Thiessen making a call, he let the infraction go, resulting in a scrum which saw Rockets defenseman Colton Jobke square off with Reddick while Max Adolph danced with Americans forward Jordan Messier. While those four were fighting, 10 minute misconducts were also handed out to several players. When the dust had settled, the Rockets found themselves playing shorthanded as the visitors were granted a two minute power play. With the Rockets holding a slim 3-2 lead after 40 minutes, the Americans gained momentum off the man advantage, eventually scoring two goals in a 1:58 span for a 4-3 come-from-behind win. (Regan's Rant)

Antics.  *facedesk*

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Jim Riley over at Buzzing the Net has a bit about reviewing goals and awarding points:

Statistics are a major part of earning awards and, ultimately, can affect player's NHL draft status. While statistics are only one criteria for teams to use, when the really tough decisions are made in the late rounds and one player has 40 assists for the season and another has 15, it's an easy call.  (Buzzing the Net)

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The latest BMO CHL Mastercard ranking is out, from the WHL:

BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings – Week 2

Rank    Team (Record)    Last Week Rank    Number of Weeks Ranked
1    Drummondville Voltigeurs (6-0-0-0)    -    1
2    Mississauga St. Michael's Majors (1-0-0-0)    1    2
3    Tri-City Americans (2-0-0-0)    6    2
4    Quebec Remparts (5-0-0-1)    -    1
5    Kitchener Rangers (2-0-0-0)    4    2
6    London Knights (2-0-0-0)    5    2
7    Saskatoon Blades (2-0-0-0)    8    2
8    Saint John Sea Dogs (4-1-0-1)    2    2
9    Red Deer Rebels (2-0-0-0)    10    2
10    Acadie-Bathurst Titan (5-2-0-0)    -    1
           
    Honourable Mention:       
    Oshawa Generals (2-0-0-0)    -    0
    Brandon Wheat Kings (2-0-0-0)    -    0
    Montreal Juniors (3-1-2)    7    1

Noticeably absent are the Portland Winterhawks.  But it was nice to not have the move up in the poll jinx the boys again.

Speaking of Portland, wonder if there's any Vancouver bloggers/P-B-P guys calling out Portland's "antics" in last night's game:

Couple of Vancouver instigators in there, maybe Portland bloggers/P-B-P guys will write about Vancouver's "antics".

Thanks to everyone who came out for the liveblog last night, it's always good to talk about the game with others who are tuned in too.

First live blog of the 2010-2011 season!!1

The boys are up in Kelowna tonight to take on the Rockets. Know what that means?? That's right, it's liveblog time. But first some tidbits:

It's so early in the season that a loss or two will not have a big impact on your season. But when you lose and don't put forth an honest effort, that's when there's a concern.

It wasn't a concern for the Tri-City Americans, who opened the 2010-11 season with a pair of wins, but for the Kelowna Rockets, their home opener -- a 6-2 loss to Prince George -- was less than acceptable.

"Opening night, we didn't compete," said Rockets coach Ryan Huska, whose team will entertain the Americans tonight at Prospera Place. "We were just standing around. It wasn't a great way to start the season, but if we had to learn a lesson, this was the time."

Tri-City (2-0-0-0, 4 points) last played Kelowna in the second round of the playoffs last season, when the Americans handed the Rockets a five-game series loss and an early start to their summer break.

Over the last five years, Tri-City is 16-4 against Kelowna, including a 4-0 mark last season where the Americans outscored the Rockets 20-5.

"We know the great tradition of Kelowna," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "We have seen them the last couple of years in the playoffs, and I think there might be some hard feelings after last year."  (Herald)

If I remember correctly, former American Spencer Asuchak had two goals for PG in that game too.  Huzzah!!

The Rockets won’t be challenging for much if they repeat Saturday’s performance. So this week, the team went back to the basics at practice.

“We’ve done some simple drills,” said Huska, Kelowna’s head coach. We have to try and get the guys to make sure they’re challenging defencemen with their speed, and our defencemen are trying to keep their game a little simpler.

“But more importantly, our guys have to work. They have to compete harder than what they did on Saturday night, and that’s the biggest message our players needed to take from that game."

Not helping Kelowna’s cause is that Tri-City has 15 players from last season’s squad, which won the Western Conference and lost to Calgary in the league final.

“They’re very similar to what they were last season,” said Huska, Kelowna’s head coach. “From what I hear, people are picking them and Portland to be the two teams to beat (in our conference). They’re going to be a very good team, and they’re going to be a hard team to play against. We’re going to need a much-improved effort than what we saw here on Saturday night."  (DubNation)

Looks like the Rockets will be without Tyson Barrie and possibly Shane McColgan.

Rockets are wearing pink jerseys, pink skate laces and pink hockey tape on their sticks tonight in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Fans are also asked to wear pink to the game and place bids on the jerseys the players are wearing which will be auctioned off after the game. All the proceeds will go towards the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. (Regan's Rant)

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If you missed it in the comments section from yesterday, friend of the blog Lietrum noted

Another from the "way too much time on my hands" category, former AMS, Mitch McColm is in the Norfolk Admirals camp with Mitch Fadden, and Aaron Boogaard is in camp with the Houston Aeros on a free agent invitation.

You may think it's way too much time on your hands, but I sure appreciate the information. My favorite Mitches (?) in camp together?  **swoon**
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Now for your liveblog info. I was going to come up with some "rules" but can't really think of anything beyond Don't Be A Tool. And no racist, sexist, or homophobic remarks or you'll be blocked.  Swearing is rampant so if you are easily offended, you've been warned.  Also, there's some fan-girling that happens.  Deal with it.

If you've never been in one of the I Mean, We Got Guys... liveblogs, I recommend you be a lurker for a game or two, see how things work. We're a pretty awesome bunch, but we get snarky if people are being stupid. And I have the awesome power and ability to block you if I choose (insert evil laugh). If you're new to the liveblogs, I will moderate your comments until I deem you worthy to be added. Sounds mean, but it's true.

It's not a rule, but just know my biggest pet peeve in the world is people saying "we". "We need to be better on defence". No, WE don't, the team does. WE are not on the team. And I get that you've invested money and time into being a fan and whatnot, so have I. But we're still not actually ON the team.

One more thing, pick a username and stick with it, it makes things easier on everyone. If you want to partake in the Craig West Drinking Game, those rules are right here.

Click on the "Read More" to get to the liveblog.

Read more »

Shots from the Point

If you missed it tucked in the last sentence in yesterday's post, it was an update to the original, but Cody Castro was released yesterday.

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Rene Ferran's latest "Meet the Ams" is highlighting Connor Rankin:

"Those first few shifts of that first game were pretty nervewracking," Rankin said. "But the other guys on the team helped me, and as the game went on I calmed down. I feel a lot better now."
Rankin still awaits his first WHL goal, but he knows it's only a matter of time.
"It's totally in the back of my mind," he said. "But I try not to think about it too much, because if I do, I know it's not going to happen."
First hockey team: The Mini Mite Bruins at age 5 in that hotbed of hockey -- Tucson, Ariz. Rankin was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, but his family moved to Arizona when he was 4 after vacationing there (they returned to B.C. when he was 10). "My parents asked me what I wanted to do, and I said hockey. The closest rink was 45 minutes away."  (Examiner)

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Buzzing the net has a great read on Bob Tory and the organization he got turned around:

Bob Tory, who became the team's general manager 10 years ago, admitted it was a long, uphill climb to turn the league laughingstock into a perennial powerhouse.

"It took longer than I thought to turn things around," Tory said. "I didn't realize the level of dysfunction that was here when I arrived. It's really a remarkable story. We tell players never to give up and what's happened here is why you never give up."

The Americans have enjoyed four 40-win seasons in a row and the Toyota Center in Kennewick has become one of the loudest and most difficult places to play in the entire WHL.


"We think we're as good as we've been the last three years," Tory said. "We've got almost all our forwards back, our goaltending is back and we've added size on our blue line. We feel we can compete with any of the top teams in the division. And it's a very good division, there's no question about that."

Tory, who has twice been named the WHL executive of the year, said the biggest change for the Americans has been an attitude adjustment.

"The first thing we had to do was eliminate the excuses on and off the ice," Tory said. "We stopped looking at the reasons we couldn't succeed and began to do the things that we could. It's a very simple thing and it's called work ethic. It's something you have to have in a small business."

I encourage you to read the rest here, it's good stuff. 
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According to Regan Bartel:

The Rockets will be wearing pink jerseys, pink skate laces and pink hockey tape on their sticks in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
Fans are also asked to wear pink to the game and place bids on the jerseys the players are wearing, which will be auctioned off after the game.
All the proceeds will go towards the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. (Regan's Rant)

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The boy weighs in on some of the CHL's new 3rd jerseys:

Now, you all know about my gripes about front numbers, templated design, and unnecessary piping on the new Reebok Edge systems, as I have voiced my displeasure on The Show and here. However, there's something new that's popping up that's starting to become my top annoyance, and it's really showing through in the new Canadian Hockey League third jerseys coming out.

Mismatched nameplates.  (The Strangest One of All)

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Finally today, the Nashville Predators have sent Chet Pickard back to Milwaukee.  (Predators)

It's Monday, yo*

I believe in Jordan Messier!!1

That was going to be my new rally call this season.  Heck, probably still will be.  And last night he showed what he could do--be a big body in the right place at the right time.  Twice.

Other positives from the game:

• Sam Grist stayed out of the box, played a much smarter and better game.
• Started to see some life and some of that fantastic moxie from Nils Moser
• I'm loving the play of David Conrad more and more.  He might become my hockey bf for this season
• Penalty kill looked solid which was good since Seattle was rather undisciplined (no they weren't, it's all the refs fault!!!  *facedesk*)
• TANNER OLSTAD!!1

Needs improvement:

• Power play.  2 for 8 with all the offense this team has is icky.  Granted, it was Calvin Pickard, but still.
• Line changes.  Those sloppy changes where guys coming off are running into guys coming on is going to catch up with them.
• Defensive zone faceoffs.  Still a clusterf@ck.  I was hoping this new season would be a different story, so far I am disappointed.

From the media outlets:

"Two big wins," said Messier, who has three goals in the first two games of the season. "We went out and did what we had to do this weekend. We are a great team at home, but you can never take Seattle too lightly. Calvin (Pickard) keeps them in a lot of games."

"They play us so hard in this building and Calvin was good, as he always is," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. "You can't relax until the final whistle. I was happy with how we executed our system this early. Off the top of my head, I didn't see any area of concern. I think we have a pretty good foundation."

"I'm using my size and shooting the puck more," Messier said.

"Our PK was really, really good," Hiller said. "It was an area we thought we could improve and we've devoted a lot of time to it."

Trailing 1-0 after the first period, the Thunderbirds weathered the storm of three Tri-City power plays, then evened the score at 12:42 as Charles Wells brought the puck up the ice, circled around the back of the net, came out front and threw the puck on net, surprising Ams goalie Alex Pechurskiy, who had faced just three shots on goal before then.

"That's my fault," Pechurskiy said. "I'd only seen a few shots before that. It's tough to watch at the other end. I worked in just the third period and had a big save one-on-one (with Colin Jacobs)."  (Herald)

The Colorado Avalanche have a lot to look forward to with young Pickard.  He really is that good.  I did have a big LOLtastic moment when he threw that big ol' hissy fit after one of the goals.  I remember he did the same thing last season too.  He's gonna have to learn to control that temper and keep emotions in check.  I will say, he was pissed and yelling at refs, but it didn't rattle his overall game too much.

"One thing we talked about before the season was getting into shot lanes, taking care of our own end," Messier said. "Our offense didn't come right away tonight, but if we're solid defensively, good things will happen for us. Alex made a great save on a breakaway, and then Yuen made a good shot, and I was lucky enough to be there to tap that in."

One of the keys to Tri-City's defensive performance Sunday was the improved play of the rookie D-man pairing of Sam Grist and Spencer Humphries.

Grist took four penalties in Saturday's season opener, including two in the same sequence that led to a four-minute Chiefs power play.

But in Sunday's game, the 17-year-old delivered several hard hits while not taking any penalties, while the 18-year-old Humphries delivered another in a string of solid performances starting with rookie camp.

"Humps has only had a handful of games in the league, but we're playing him like he's a veteran," said coach Jim Hiller. "And Sam is just two games into his WHL career. With each game, they'll feel more confident and more comfortable. They have huge upside potential that they'll continue to grow into."

Another rookie who shined Sunday was 18-year-old forward Tanner Olstad, in the lineup because Mike Brown had to sit as the odd overage player out.

"We have a lot of depth, and it's hard for the young guys to get into the lineup," Hiller said. "When they do, they have to do what Tanner did tonight and make an impact. He drew two penalties and worked hard."  (Examiner)

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Around the WHL:

Drinnan reports on Marc McNeil, from the Prince Albert Raiders:

It was Sept. 16 when F Mark Mackenzie intercepted a would-be burglar in his billet home in Prince Albert and became physically involved with him. Today, Mackenzie, who turns 17 on Nov. 5, is at home in Kelowna from where he told John MacNeil of the Prince Albert Daily Herald: “I just couldn’t handle it there anymore. It’s not the right place for me. . . . They won’t give me my release . .. . so hockey is probably over for me. I’m not going to play junior A to become an 18-year-old in the Dub next year, when I’ll just be put on the fourth line. It’s not worth it. They don’t want to give my rights up, so they can keep them. I’m not playing."

Chris Turnbull, Mackenzie’s agent, told MacNeil: “There were promises made to Marc that I guess there was never any intention of keeping. His dad just got upset and said, ‘That’s it. If you’re not going to keep your word, we’re out of here.’ So, basically, that’s where it sits.”

Mackenzie played in Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Blades in Saskatoon, but was scratched from Saturday’s rematch, which the Raiders lost, 6-5.
“We think, rightfully so, that Marc is a pretty special hockey player,” Turnbull told MacNeil. “He’s got a lot of talent.

“Bruno made promises of where he would play and how many games he would have to sit, which is none.

“He only had four or five shifts the first night and then got sat (Saturday) night. His dad wasn’t very happy.”

Bruno Campese, the Raiders’ GM/head coach, didn’t return a phone message left by MacNeil on Sunday.

MacNeil’s complete story should be right here on the Daily Herald’s website on Monday.  (Taking Note)

So, let me get this straight.  The kid (or his dad) would rather quit hockey than to play on the 4th line as a 17-year-old.  Which, I might add, is not uncommon.  It's called development.  You can be a super talented kid, like our Connor Rankin, but you still have to bide your time, and earn your playing time.  It's not just handed to you.  The dad's mad, the agent's mad, and now the kid is going to quit hockey.  Poor life choices.

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It's finally up and totally awesome--The Dub Nation magazine.  

Here, you’ll find the PDF of DubNation that you can download, free of charge, for your reading enjoyment. The September, 2010 edition is 31 pages in length, and, bulging with several photographs and stories, comes in at a stiff 6.9 megabytes in file size.

So when it comes to saving to your desktop, some patience is required, though with today’s fast download speeds, the transaction shouldn’t take long.

Click DubNation, Sept., 2010.pdf to download the September, 2010 edition.  (Dub Nation)

And yes, I giggled like a 13-year-old boy when I read "bulging" and "stiff" in the same sentence.  I'm mature.
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Just got word that Cody Castro has been released. 

*stealing lines from Eyebleaf again, yo

Hey, I didn't jinx them!

What a game, eh?  Ok, what a first period, eh??

They came out on fire--or through fire with the pyrotechnics--lighting up Reid for four goals in the first period.  The place was rocking, the team was clicking, it was awesome hockey.

2nd and 3rd periods either saw Spokane wake up or the Ams sitting back, but as the 3rd period went on, I just wanted to end, if it didn't, I could see it possibly going another direction.  Thank God for Mike Brown and his empty netter to provide the insurance.  Mike Brown = Captain of my Heart.

The 2nd and 3rd periods also saw a lot more Ams penalties.  Sam Grist must have had some cookies hidden in the penalty box that he couldn't wait to eat.  Sam is a big boy.  Huge.  I'm guessing he just hasn't mastered control of his body and as such will take some penalties.  It's unfortunate, but I think he's got a mountain of potential.  Hope the coordination comes soon.

As Spokant pointed out last night, David Conrad wins faceoffs.  Huzzah!!  Also, I liked his play on the penalty kill.

Some quotes from the Herald:

"When this building is electric, this team can move," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "We are looking to be great every night. It's a pretty high standard around here and that's the standard we have to hold as a team."

"It was pretty cool raising the banners," said Tri-City goalie Drew Owsley, who finished with 25 saves to win his third straight home opener. "It was pretty emotional knowing I had a part in that. And Tri and Spokane on a Saturday night, it doesn't get any better."

"Give them credit, they played well, but at the same time I thought we made far too many mistakes and they capitalized on those mistakes," Nachbaur said. "That's what good teams do. Our veterans weren't good enough tonight. Our young guys learned as the game went on but the young guys can't win unless the old guys show them the way. I thought too many guys who played on this team last year took a back seat. If they keep that up they'll have a seat in the stands."

"Obviously the guys were pretty pumped for tonight," Shinnimin said of the quick start. "We celebrated what we accomplished last year and when the puck dropped we got after it and got our fans in the game. A lot of the guys here learned from Don and we knew if we played our game we could win."

"There was a scrum in front of the net and the next thing I know it was inside the post blocker said," Owsley said. "The last half of the game we took our foot of the gas pedal and got into trouble." (Herald)

Foot off the gas is right. Hope that serves as a wakeup call.

I'm just ecstatic that I didn't jinx them. I was getting worried there in the 3rd.

"Obviously, the guys were pretty pumped up for tonight," said center Brendan Shinnimin, who opened the scoring just 1:22 into the game, added another goal 57 seconds into the second period and saw a third disallowed despite a lengthy video review.

"It felt good to get that early goal. It got the fans going, the team going, and we built on that. We let up in the second and third, and I didn't like that. It was good to get the win, but we've still got stuff to work on."

"Dow and Sutherland communicate pretty well together and move the puck out quickly," Hiller said. "With Sam and Spencer, they're both big, strong guys, and if they can develop chemistry, they can become a big, aggressive, nasty pairing. We just need to give them a chance."

That also was Shinnimin's take on how the young defensive pairing did on opening night.

"Grist made some big hits and established himself in this league," Shinnimin said. "What we need them to do is learn every game. When we get them to the level of our veteran players, our back line is going to be tough to beat."  (Examiner)

Ferran's article also mentions that Pechurskiy will be in net tonight.

Final note on last night, those 3rd jerseys are SHARP.  The way the blue at the bottom blends into the blue shorts it makes the guys look taller.  The colors are rich, it's not an obnoxious red.  And there's not a lot of white.  They just look good.  And the part I don't like, the "Tri-City" along the bottom, I still don't like, but at least it's not unflattering on skinny hockey players.  Still don't really like it enough to buy one, but looks good on the players.

Game day tonight against Seattle (hey, they beat Portland last night!) at 5, skate with the Ams immediately following the game.

Oh, one more thing, you should pick up one of the new media guides.  They are really fantastic.

OPENING NIGHT!!!!1

This is it, the day we've been waiting for for months.  New US Division banner.  Western Conference banner.  Facing the Spokane Chiefs.  Tell me, please, how could it get better than this?  Alright, a win, obviously.  

When the Tri-City Americans open their season tonight, all eyes will be on goaltender Drew Owsley.

"I knew I had it in me," Owsley said of last season, when he posted a 33-11-1-1 record with a sterling .918 save percentage, a 2.51 goals against average and four shutouts. "But I did surprise myself at the start with the great record we had."

Tri-City plays host to former coach Don Nachbaur and the Spokane Chiefs tonight and will entertain the Seattle Thunderbirds on Sunday. Owsley will get the start tonight.

"I'm excited for another home opener," said Owsley, who has won the last two -- both against Kelowna. "It's a fresh start to the season and I think the whole team is excited to get things going. It is a little weird seeing Don over there in Spokane colors."

"He had a lot of success at the midget AAA level in Lethbridge, and goaltending history tends to repeat itself," Tory said. "When you scout goalies, you look for guys who win. It's almost more important than goals against or save percentage. This is not a developmental position -- in goal there is no place to hide. You either succeed or fail."

"There's an uncertainty until you see what they can do, but we couldn't get Brett in the lineup, and that's a credit to Drew," Tory said. "Not only did he have a good season, but an outstanding playoffs. He didn't have a problem until we ran into Calgary."

"They were a good team," Owsley said of Calgary. "I think we were overwhelmed. We had never played on a stage like that in front of 15,000 people. I don't think we played our best -- me or the team."  (Herald)

I sent Rene Ferran an email yesterday telling him how appreciative I am for great the work he's doing covering the Ams for the Examiner.  As long as I've been watching this team, I've never been overall impressed with the Herald's coverage, though I know they get more than some other teams, especially small market ones.  But Ferran's work is fresh and interesting and it's just nice to have another resource reporting on the team.  From his Western Conference preview/prediction piece:

Call it the Craig West method of predicting.

The veteran voice of the Tri-City Americans on the radio divulged his method of picking how the final standings will shake out during the second period of a recent preseason game.

Figure out the goals scored of the returning players of each team, then put the teams in order.

More often than you'd guess, West said, when you get to season's end, the standings will look eerily similar.

So for fun, doing some rough estimates from last year's statistics, here's the Craig West-metric final standings for the upcoming season:

U.S. Division
Portland Winterhawks (208 goals back)
Tri-City Americans (182)
Everett Silvertips (176)
Spokane Chiefs (144)
Seattle Thunderbirds (113)

Not as fun as the Craig West Drinking Game because you have to wait the whole season to see how it shakes out, but looks like solid predicting to me.
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I'm going to let everyone know right here and right now that if they lose tonight I take partial responsibility.  I'm going to be at the rink early.  Every time I'm there early, they lose.  I'm hoping to be far enough away to not be a jinx.  I've warned some of the boys so they know they have to overcome opening night jitters and my potential jinxing.
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Just a reminder for new readers, I'm just a fan.

Opening Night Eve prognostications

Dylan Bumbarger over at OregonLive moved the Ams up from what he had them (#4) to #2--behind Portland of course:

Tri-City Americans. Last time I had them behind Vancouver and Everett. Looking at the rosters more close, I can't justify that. Most predictions and the CHL preseason poll agree. I see Alex Pechurskiy has been returned from Pittsburgh. The assumption is the Ams will get rid of him, which I don't understand. He and Owsley made a pretty good duo last year and I wouldn't be too quick to junk that.  (OregonLive)

Duo, yes.  But a 2-spotter is a tougher spot to be in.  From Drinnan:

The Tri-City Americans will have an interesting decision(s) on their hands now that the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins have returned Russian G Alex Pechurskiy, 20. He becomes one of four 20-year-olds on their roster, along with D Tyler Schmidt, F Mike Brown and F Kruise Reddick. . . . Pechurskiy is one of two imports on the roster, with D Nikita Kardashev, 18, being the other. However, Russian D Nikita Nesterov, another 2010 import draft selection, is still working to get clearance to play over here.  (Taking Note) 

And I do believe the plan was/is for Nesterov to play.

Russian defenseman Nikita Nesterov has his interview with Homeland Security on Oct. 16.  (Spokesman Review)

Anyways, back to prognostications, more from Drinnan:

1. TRI-CITY AMERICANS (47-22-1-2; 6-2-0-0): The Americans have finished atop the division each of the last three seasons. . . . They just might make it four in a row. . . . They are coming off their first appearance in the WHL championship series, where they fell in five games to the Calgary Hitmen. Experience like that can only help a team. . . . Drew Owsley gives them quality goaltending, although he may need more rest than he got last season. Do they dare keep Alex Pechurskiy, a two-spotter as a 20-year-old import, to pair with Owsley? . . . Their top six forwards — Brendan Shinnimin, Justin Feser, Brooks Macek, Kruise Reddick, Jordan Messier and Adam Hughesman — are as good as anyone else’s top six. . . . F Patrick Holland finished strong in his rookie season. . . . They return four defencemen, led by the ultra-reliable Tyler Schmidt, and will be looking to Russian Nikita Kardashev for some positive results.
OUTLOOK: The pieces are there for another first-place finish.  (Taking Note) 

That's right, he has them first in the division.  I like that.  Interesting he picked Portland 3rd, I think they'll be 1st or 2nd in the Division.  But, since there has only been exhibition games so far, it's anyone's guess how it'll all shake out. 

Over at the Examiner.com, Rene Ferran has his season preview:

After so many years of championship famine, the past three years have been quite the feast for the Tri-City Americans and their fans.
They never hung a championship banner at Toyota Center until 2008, but this Saturday they'll unfurl a U.S. Division banner from the rafters for the third straight year -- and add their first-ever Western Conference banner to boot.
So what do the Americans do for an encore? They've obviously gotten pretty good at the "reload, not rebuild" thing, and this season should be no exception.  (Examiner)

If you missed it, you can see what the Ams new 3rd jerseys look like over at the Herald's blog.  I like everything except the "Tri-City" along the bottom.  Might as well put a billboard around my gut.  Not flattering for many women, that's for sure.  Otherwise, they look pretty sharp.

Neate Sager over at Buzzing the Net has five WHL Storylines, an interesting read for sure.

From Russia--and Wilkes Barre--With Glove

The Pittsburgh Penguins reduced their training camp roster by 15, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.

Thirteen players were assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Two were returned to their junior teams.

Joining Wilkes-Barre/Scranton are forwards Jesse Boulerice, Chris Collins, Joey Haddad, Nick Petersen, Ryan Schnell, Zack Sill, Alex Smigelski, Keven Veilleux and Geoff Walker, defensemen Jason DeSantis, Derek Peltier and Carl Sneep and goaltender Patrick Killeen.

Forward Tyler Brown (Plymouth, Ontario Hockey League) and goaltender Alex Pechurskiy (Tri-City, Western Hockey League) were returned to their respective junior teams.  (Wilkes Barre Penguins)

Mike Brown

Rene Ferran's weekly Get To Know The Americans focuses on Mike Brown this time:

"A bunch of our scoring guys were gone during camp, and I tried to help out in that department," said Brown, who has 12 career goals in 153 games. "But my role has not changed a whole lot. I'm still the big guy on the team, and I have to play that way."
What else is there to know about Brown?
First hockey team: The Trails West Tykes team at age 6 in his native Calgary, Alberta. "I'm still friends with a couple of guys who were on that team."
Favorite hockey moment: Brown listed two -- his first WHL goal as a 17-year-old with Swift Current against the Prince George Cougars, and winning the Western Conference title last year with the Americans. "Just the whole experience, especially the feeling after winning each round, coming into the dressing room and getting to share it with these guys."

You can read the rest here.

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If you want a good fan-run blog about the Seattle Thunderbirds, check out Let's Go Birds.  Tyler's been running a great site over there for many years and does a really good job.  

And I really loved this:

As many of you know, last season was especially tough in the life of this blogger. No... It wasn't tough in a "lose your job" kind of way. It was tough going through a season trying to stay objective in the face of a team that was pretty darn lousy. There are only so many times you can say "Pickard is awesome, the defense is making too many mistakes and nobody scores besides Rai".

This, coupled with some other "factors", made me consider hanging it up. At the end of the day, I certainly don't need this blog. It's like having a second job that doesn't pay the bills and it really isn't that much fun having Thunderbird "fans" harass you for providing free content to read simply because they don't agree with your point of view.

Summer came and summer went and my energy has been renewed to a certain extent. I was excited to be writing again and I was excited to start working on roster construction articles and mathematically breaking down whether this team could make enough progress to find themselves back in the playoffs again (article soon to follow).

For the past 3 seasons I have "covered" the team like a journalist without a media pass, like a beat reporter with no ability to attend practice and limited ability to travel with the team. As a result, I feel like my role as a "reporter" has suffered. I simply do not have time to attend every prospect scrimmage, training camp scrimmage and every single game. I have a life and that life includes a lot of things outside of Thunderbirds hockey. Does that mean I can't still provide fans with some quality content? I don't think so and I'm betting on the fact that a lot of fans still want to hear what I have to say (maybe I'm wrong!!)

3 years ago, the team issued very few press releases, offered very little information and most certainly didn't have a Facebook profile and a Twitter account to better disseminate basic information to the fans. The team now does all of that. Want to know who was invited to prospect camp? Go check the website. Want to know how former Tbirds are doing? Check their Facebook page. Want to have live updates on scoring from the game when you can't be there? Check their Twitter page.

All of these developments are things I wished the team had done 3 years ago… hence the genesis of Let's Go Birds. So the question is what should I do now that the reasons for starting the website have been fulfilled? Do I quit? Or do I adapt and evolve?

It means that from this day forward I am changing the way I write Let's Go Birds. It's going to be less about "covering" the team and more about the analysis of the team. Obviously some topics and events will fall into a grey area between reporting and analysis and the line will become blurred. This will mean more content on big picture things and less about the details. If you want to know who is injured and how long they will be out, look for that some other place. I'm not going to go hunting down that information like a reporter would. If Marcel Noebels is hurt right now (which he is) I'm just not going to harass parents, players or front office staff members trying to find out what exactly is wrong. That is information you're just going to have to find in other places.

The team wants to treat me like any other fan with a blog. No special attention or privileges and no differentiation between myself and anyone else. I don't like it and I don't agree with it… but I don't have to and I'm certainly not going to sit here and cry into my keyboard about it either. Quite frankly, just like I don't really need this blog… I don't need input from players, coaches, front office or anyone else in order to provide the fans with quality content. I learned to skate when I was 4 years old and I've played this game for a total of 17 years between junior and adult recreational hockey. I think my knowledge of the game is strong but I'm also not arrogant enough to believe that I have everything figured out and I constantly strive to learn more about the game, this team and the WHL.  (Let's Go Birds)

Sorry Tyler, I cut and pasted almost that whole post, it was really good. 

So if you want T-Birds stuff, head there.  Especially if you don't like some other Seattle fan blog (not naming names).  My God, I don't understand people.  If they don't like reading something, why do they keep going back?? 

WHL preview

Tri-City Americans
General Manager: Bob Tory
Head Coach: Jim Hiller
2010 pre-season:  8gp, 6-2-0-0
2009-10 Record:  47-22-1-2, 97 pts (1st in U.S. Div., 1st in Conf.)  GF: 272  GA: 193
2009-10 Power Play / Penalty Killing ranking:  PP 2nd (28.0%)  PK 15th (78.5%)
2010 Playoffs:  Lost in five games to Calgary in WHL Championship Series
2009-10 Top Scorers:
Brendan Shinnimin         70gp-27g-55a-82pts
Justin Feser                  72gp-36g-37a-73pts
Brooks Macek               72gp-21g-52a-73pts

Up Front:  The Americans were the third-highest scoring team in the WHL last season.  Their offense should be just as deadly this season with almost all of their top guns returning for 2010-11.  Back are Brendan Shinnimin, Brooks Macek, Justin Feser, Kruise Reddick and Jordan Messier, who all scored at least 20 goals last season, as well as Adam Hugesman, who netted 19 times.  Those six, alone, form one of the WHL’s best top-two line combinations.  With Patrick Holland, who managed 16 goals and 36 points as a rookie, and fellow sophomore Mason Wilgosh returning as well, the Ams boast plenty of offensive depth.  Youngster Connor Rankin has made a good impression while 20-year-old veteran Mike Brown has done a good job during the pre-season in making his case to claim one of the three overage spots.

On The Blue Line:  The Ams only return four regular defensemen from last year’s team that boasted the WHL’s 4th-best defense.  20-year-old veteran Tyler Schmidt picked up 38 points, including seven goals, last season.  He’ll be charged with providing strong two-way play and leadership for what will be a younger Ams defense corps this season.  Also back is veteran Brock Sutherland, the only other returning rearguard with more than one season of WHL experience.  Sophomores Drydn Dow and Zach Yuen will take on bigger roles this season while Russian rookie Nikita Kardashev appears capable of stepping into a top-four role. 

Goaltending:  19-year-old Drew Owsley returns after enjoying a fantastic season in his first year as a starter last year.  Owsley was among the top five WHL netminders in just about every category last year, and was very good in the Ams’ run to the WHL Championship series.  Potentially back is 20-year-old Alex Pechurskiy.  The Russian netminder was very good in the 27 games he played, and was excellent in the post-season as well, when called upon.  Pechurskiy, however, is eligible to play professionally in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ system.  16-year-old rookie Chris Driedger has shown promise, and could slot into the back-up role.

Player to Watch:  Brooks Macek
A second-round pick, 43rd overall, in the 2007 Bantam Draft, Macek broke out last season with 21 goals and 73 points to establish himself as a top-notch playmaker.  The 5’11”, 175-lb Winnipeg, MB, product is a very good skater and has excellent vision and passing abilities.  Though not the biggest player, Macek competes hard and doesn’t shy away from physical play.  Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2010 NHL Draft, Macek will be a catalyst for what should be a very strong Americans offense this season.

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. 

Is it hot in here??

no.  It's just Mike Brown.

c'mon, you know you want one.

Game Day

I know, it's just pre-season, BUT IT'S GAME DAY!!!

The boys were on the road last night up in Cranbrook (I love that little town) and had a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice.  In front of 531 people.  ouch.

But Mike Brown scored 2 goals you guys.  TWO.  Yes, one was an empty net, but still.  Tanner and Pokey added the other two goals.  Chris Dreidger stopped 16 of 17 shots.

Tonight the Spokane Chiefs are in town.  Tickets are only $7 if you haven't got 'em yet.

That's all I got, I'll update this post if something new comes along today.

update

Shinnimin and Feser return today

Humphries and Holland return tomorrow

Macek going to main camp

Pechurskiy at main camp

and OMG OMG OMG the Americans are finally in 2010.  According to the new website, under fanzone, there is now link for Twitter and Facebook.

ass-pat to Aeris for letting me know.  I've been avoiding the new website till they get kinks worked out.

Captain of my heart fighting for an overage spot

Nice bit in the Herald today about Mike Brown working his tail off for the last of 3 20-year-old spots (Reddick and Schmidt are the other two, obviously).

"It's an honor to play in the league at 20," said Brown, a native of Calgary. "Seeing that it's your last chance, you have to do the right things in the offseason. I took all the ice time I could get and skated with some other guys in the league."

And his hard work has paid off. In five preseason games, Brown has two goals, three assists and 11 penalty minutes.

"He's doing what he should do and he's doing an excellent job of it," Hiller said. "He's a big strong guy and he's more confident with the puck. When he came in last year at the trade deadline, we had a pecking order and his role was limited. Now he's getting time on the power play and penalty kill and making the most of his opportunities." 

With other teams trimming down to three overage players, there might be another player on the market that could offer Tri-City a different skill set. 

"Certainly at the end of last season we didn't know where Mike fit in," Tory said. "We didn't know how the overage situation would pan out. At that time, we still had Eric (Mestery) and Alex decided he was coming back."

Mestery retired, taking him out of the mix, and Pechurskiy takes up an overage and a European spot, which clouds the picture a bit.

"There are a lot of thing we have to look at," Tory said. "It's healthy for guys to compete for spots and we don't have to make a decision until after our Eastern swing. (Herald)

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Rene Ferran has highlighted Tyler Schmidt in the weekly "Meet the Ams":

What's playing on his IPod? "I don't have an IPod." How about the CD player in the car? "Country music, some hip-hop and rap ... anything really."
Anything? Even opera? "Hey, that little girl from 'America's Got Talent' is pretty good."  (Examiner.com)

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Speaking of Tyler Schmidt, he's been named an alternate captain for the season.  Totally expected with his leadership and being a veteran.  Like RW13 says "he talking to the refs all night anyways."  HAHAHAA YES.  I literally LOL'd when I read that.  Anyways, here's from the official press release:

Tri-City Americans’ Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced today that 20-year-old defenseman Tyler Schmidt will serve as one of the team’s alternate captains for the upcoming 2010-11 season.

Schmidt, who will be entering his fifth and final season with the Americans, is coming off one of his strongest seasons yet.  He played in a career-high 71 games, while totaling seven goals, 31 assists and 38 points.  He followed that up with a career-best post-season run in which he collected five goals, 12 points and 42 penalty minutes in 21 games.  In 250 career games for Tri-City, the Winnipeg, Manitoba-native has registered 22 goals and 112 points.  Schmidt currently ranks 8th all-time on the Americans’ penalty minutes list and he sits just outside the top-10 in games played.  Originally drafted by Tri-City in the 2nd Round (27th overall) of the 2005 Bantam Draft, Schmidt played his first full WHL season in 2006-07, making his WHL debut on September 22, 2006 at the Kootenay Ice.

“Tyler epitomizes what our program is all about,” explained Tory.  “His relentless work ethic and courage are what makes him a special player.”

“As a five-year Americans veteran, Tyler understands what the expectations of the team are both on and off the ice for our group,” Tory continued.  “The remainder of the leadership group will be named in late October after the team returns from their swing through the East Division.”

“Tyler’s leadership qualities and vast experience will serve our team well as we begin the new season,” said Americans’ head coach Jim Hiller.

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Justin Feser is on the main camp roster for the Columbus Blue Jackets.  RAWR!

Brooks Macek at Traverse City tournament.  Photo from Red Wings Central. It looks like he's on Detroit's main camp roster as well.  Double RAWR!!

The New York Rangers don't have their main camp roster up anywhere yet, so not sure if Shinny is staying with them, same with San Jose and Spencer Humpries. 
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$7 Hockey!!!

Tri-City Americans vs.Spokane Chiefs

Final Pre-Season Game!

9/17/10, 7:05PM at the Toyota Center

All tickets general admission and only $7!!!

Plenty of seats available at the Toyota Center Box Office

Call 737-3722 for more information

Shots from the Point--Tuesday edition **UPDATED**

If you are living under a rock and missed it (good lord, why are you looking here for breaking news), Bob Tory got a new contract extension yesterday.

Top Shelf Entertainment, Inc. ownership group is pleased to announce today that they have granted a four-year extension to the employment contract for Tri-City Americans’ Governor/General Manager Bob Tory, extending through May, 2015.  Financial terms of the extension were not disclosed per team policies.

Tory, the two-time WHL Executive of the Year, is set to begin his 10th season with the Americans and sixth in the role of both Governor and General Manager.  In his nine seasons as Tri-City’s General Manager, he has overseen a club that has gone 333-253-20-11 with 31 ties (0.562 win%), including three U.S. Division Championships, one Western Conference Championship and one Scotty Munro Championship.  The longest-tenured GM in Americans history, Tory has built, developed and traded his way into molding Tri-City into one of the most competitive, exciting young teams in the Western Hockey League.

“Over the past five years of our ownership of this franchise, Bob has been able to bring stability and success to the organization on and off the ice.  Bob’s dedication to the organization and tireless work ethic are to be commended,” said Dennis Loman, Americans’ Alternate Governor and Ownership Partner.  “It is because of these attributes that the ownership group has offered this contract extension.”

“I am pleased and honored to continue my role with this hockey club,” expressed Tory.  “It is a responsibility that I do not take lightly.”

“We have been blessed with some special players and extraordinary staff over my time here,” Tory continued.  “I look forward to continuing our quest for excellence in all of our endeavors, both on and off the ice.” (amshockey.com)

I believe in Bob Tory.

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If you're not reading Gregg Drinnan, you're doing yourself a great disservice.  Not only does he have the most comprehensive coverage of the WHL from a blogging perspective, but he also has other great stories and features.  Yesterday he had a piece on Ryan Cuthbert and the problem with concussions:

He knows his problems “probably” started in junior. But, he adds, “I didn’t have any major problems there.

“When I got them in junior . . . I never got forced into playing when I didn’t need to. It was the ones in pro that started to linger. One would be a week. The next one would be two or three weeks. I got one the year before I retired that was probably three months.

“The last one . . . I kind of shot myself in the foot. Who knows? If I would have taken the time I needed . . .”

In this first two years in the pro game -- 125 games with Charlotte, 25 with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack -- he says he took “four pretty good shots.”

And then came what he calls “the bad one.”

It was at the start of his third season with Charlotte.

“The bad one . . . I just couldn’t get over it,” he says. “I just couldn’t shake it.”

He goes on to describe the next few months of his life . . .

“It dragged on for months and months. The headaches were real bad. About every four months I would notice a change, maybe the headaches were going away a little more. For a good 18 months probably, I had real bad post-concussion syndrome . . . it would get better but I still had it bad.

“I got headaches all the time. For that 18 months that I struggled with post-concussion syndrome, my headaches were every day all the time for the first while.”

Think about that. A headache. Every day. All the time. Every day. All the time. Twenty-four hours a day . . . 144 hours a week . . . for months. All the time.

“Four months later, I’d be OK,” he said. “Then every couple of days I’d get a bad one. Then every three or four days.”

Cuthbert pauses.

Then he adds: “I don’t deal with headaches any more but there’s other stuff.”

Like what?

“A lot of this stuff I don‘t notice at times but I’ll catch myself after. Short-term memory stuff. Your moods are different. You deal with anxiety sometimes. It just depends . . . every case is different.

“Some of the stuff you don’t see until after. You deal with depression. Obviously, that’s part of giving up hockey and stuff, too, but I think concussions can play a lot of tricks on your mind, too.”

When he finally realized that his playing career was over, Cuthbert didn’t know what he was going to do. All he had known was hockey from a player’s perspective. And now that had been taken away from him.

That is just an excerpt, you can read the whole thing here.  I recommend it.  As a fan who knows these are just kids, and as someone who knows a little about brains (I've had 2 tumors), it scares me to death knowing (or not knowing) the damage that can be done by playing hockey.  Or any other sport.  At the same time, what can be done?  No one wants to see the sport softened or become zero-contact.  Equipment can only do so much before it severely limits the ability to play effectively--it's hard to play hockey in bubble wrap.

There's obviously no easy solution or it would be implemented already.

----------

Turn any direction around the WHL and you'll find the frustration with the new league and team websites.  I'm no rocket surgeon or web designer, but I do know what gross incompetence looks like.  Alan Caldwell had the following:

I've received a few e-mails about the Great CHL Website Boondoggle, and it seems that perhaps the WHL and its teams are not very much to blame for the situation. It sounds like this is all being driven by Forces From Out East, and the WHL and its teams don't have much blame in the matter, except of course for the fact that they agreed to this CHL-wide project in the first place. I can't imagine that they had no choice in THAT decision.

Sounds like the website design is/was being done by a group in Ontario. Regardless of where they are, they are not competent for this job. If I did this kind of crap at MY job, I could probably start looking for work tomorrow.  (Small Thoughts At Large)

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I've seen a couple times (**cough**messageboard**cough**) people thinking Neal Prokop will be back.  Look, I'm as optimistic as the next guy, but get real.  Healing is minimum 6 months.  Then physical therapy.  It would be at least a year after initial break for full contact (practice) could take place.  So he'd be back for playoffs.  As much as I would love to have Neal back, I don't want to head into playoffs relying on a guy who is recovering from a broken femur.  And that would only be if his recovery went as fast as minimally expected.  It's just not going to happen. 

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To those saying a small goalie can't take a team all the way I've got two words:  Dustin Tokarski.  As much as that name makes me vomit in my mouth a little, all the shit that was talked about him (by me and others) and his size and blah blah blah, he's pretty much proven everyone wrong.  Sure, it's uncommon to see a small goalie make it big time or whatever, but it is possible.  Just throwing that out there.

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Speaking of goalies, the Tennessean has a bit on Chet Pickard looking to crack the Preds roster:

During the summer, Predators goaltending prospect Chet Pickard monitored various websites and television channels to check whether Nashville had signed a backup goalie.

For now, the Predators have decided to keep their backup goaltending competition in-house, giving Pickard a better chance to win the spot behind Pekka Rinne.

"It's exciting when you look at TSN or NHL.com and you see that open spot and they haven't signed anyone," Pickard said. "It shows the organization believes that one of us guys can do it. And that's all you can ask for, is that chance, and when you get the chance, you have to make the best of it."

As the only first-round draft pick of the group, the 6-foot-2, 213-pound Pickard arrives at camp with the highest pedigree of the goaltenders behind Rinne.

"Last year when I first went into Milwaukee, it was a big change for me, pro style compared to junior," Pickard said. "So there was a lot of learning I did last year."

Most importantly, Pickard learned how to manage his body and saw how this affected his on-ice performance.

When he was in the junior leagues, he could slide from post to post and get up and down at a slower rate and still make a save. He found that as a professional, he needed to pick up his speed. During the season, he lost 10 pounds and gained quickness. While his numbers did not show improvement, his coaches saw a difference.

"I think the progression for him started off the ice," Milwaukee Coach Lane Lambert said. "It flowed onto the ice for him because of the composition and his body composition, and the way he made himself leaner and quicker made him better and better on the ice." (The Tennessean)