Tired

A shootout loss--not great, but got a point which is better than zero.  The boys looked tired, often like they were just going in slow motion.  I don't particularly blame them, it's been a really rough month.  They came out slow, PG dominated the start of the game, but give the tired team some credit, they kept fighting and took it to OT then to shootout.  Snow angel count:  zero.

"They are a dangerous team up front and they have guys who are dangerous with the puck," said Messier, who had two goals and an assist in regulation. "We played hard this month with all the road games, and it's good to get a point even though we didn't win."

"I wish we'd had a little more in the tank," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "You don't want to lose that point in the shootout. They (PG) have a really strong offensive team. Prince George scores a lot of goals and they can score in a hurry. You have to be on your toes."

Former American Spencer Asuchak put the Cougars back out front 3-2 at 5:53 of the second period, following his own shot for his eighth tally of the year.

"This (win) feels good," said Asuchak, who had all of 10 goals last year. "I wanted to take it to them and show them what they are missing. We proved ourselves here tonight." (Herald)

I'm glad to see Spencer doing well, just wish it wasn't against my team. 

I assume the boys have today off, Shinnimin and Prokop (along with Winger) will be at Ranch and Home later today for part of the safe Trick-or-Treat shindig.

So go ahead and stuff your faces with candy, it's the thing to do.  Happy Halloween!!

One final note, huge Congratulations today to my dear friends Audra and Zac who are getting married today!!

Finally a home game!

Like sister tweeted this morning, it's like a home opener all over again.

Boys faceoff against the Prince George Cougars--again.  They'll be coming off a great shootout win against Everett last night.  That was a tightly played game, another one that would have been easy to blow off just to finally get home.

And home they are.  Think about it though, as much as we hated the lack of home games, as much as the boys probably hated it too, they have already completed a third of all their road games for the season.  And it's still (technically) October.  In those 12 road games they've gone 7-4-0-1 with a .625 win percentage.  That is nothing to be ashamed of.  In fact, it's pretty impressive.  Those 12 games include the great Eastern road swing too (as if you didn't know that).

As for the game last night, Drinnan reports:

This was victory No. 48 for Owsley, moving him into seventh on the franchise’s all-time list, one ahead of Olaf Kolzig, who now is one of the team’s owners. . . .

The Silvertips announced after the game that their Pink in the Rink auction raised US$38,807.77, with proceeds benefiting the Providence General Foundation. Among other things, they auctioned off special game jerseys. The highest price paid for a jersey was $1,500, for D Ryan Murray’s. . . . And a special tip of the cap to Denny Spencer, a season-ticket holder in Everett. He donated $5,000 in memory of his wife, who recently lost her battle with breast cancer. You, sir, are someone special. (Taking Note)

Impressive money raised for such a good cause.

Compared to October, November (Movember!) will be relatively calm, the boys will have plenty of time to practice, work on some of the little things.  I imagine it will also give Tory and the coaching staff time to figure out what to do with Neal Prokop.

"No question the guys will be happy to be back in front of the home crowd," said Ams coach Jim Hiller, whose team hosts Prince George tonight before getting a week off. "We've had some emotional wins on the road, and it's been draining."

"We do feel good right now, but as a coach, you always have your eye on the next game," Hiller said. "We'll need to be ready for the next one, and then we'll take a look over the landscape of what we've accomplished over the last month. That won't come until after tomorrow night."  (Examiner)

Speaking of the Examiner, Ferran's latest "Meet the Ams" featured Adam Hughesman:

"That's been my problem the last few years," Hughesman said as the team readied for the 4-hour bus ride to Everett. "I'd get off to a hot start, then slow down. But I think I've learned a lot the last couple of years, and I'm ready to be more consistent. That's what I've tried to improve on."

Must-see TV Hughesman had anticipated this question for some time. " 'Jersey Shore.' Me and (Tanner) Olstad and Suds (Brock Sutherland) and (Drew) Owsley love that show. That's a few of our Halloween costumes, too -- the characters on that show."  (Examiner)

I'm not sure about this Jersey Shore obsession.  Then again, I've never watched it--I prefer to keep as many IQ points as I can.

Finally, another challenge for the team.  This one issued by Scotty Wazz.  If you haven't seen it, check out the video of the Washington Caps Mites with their unique goal celebration:

Wazz challenges the Americans to do this. In fact, he'll pay $25 to each guy on the ice that celebrates a goal by making a snow angel. That's easy money boys, you can do it.

IT'S REAL LIVE HOCKEY TONIGHT PEOPLE!!!

YAY ANOTHER ROAD GAME!

Americans in Everett tonight.  It's the light at the end of the October Road Month.  It's also Everett's Breast Cancer Awareness game (and auction).  Friend of the blog Su Ring has info over at From the Rink:

Tonight, they hold their annual "Pink the Rink" event. Last year, they sold special pink hockey sticks autographed by players (I bought one signed by Cameron Abney, who's now with the Edmonton Oil Kings). This year, they're selling sticks again, and they're also auctioning off special jerseys worn by players at tonight's game. The jerseys are green and white, with a touch of pink. The auction will also include jerseys autographed by Head Coach Craig Hartsburg, Associate Head Coach Jay Varady (who won a gold medal as part of Team USA's coaching staff at the last World Juniors) and Assistant Coach Chris Hartsburg; plus a jersey signed by the entire team.

Here's how it works: Bids start at $150 each. Fans can place their bids in person during the first and second periods of tonight's game. Winners will be announced during the third period. After the game, they will get the chance to have their picture taken with the player whose jersey they won. The jerseys will then be cleaned, autographed and ready for pickup on Wednesday, November 3rd.

Huzzah for washing smelly jerseys before people take them home!  When I bought one literally off Cole Butterfield's back a couple years ago after the MDA Skills Challenge, it rode home in the trunk because of the smell.  On that note, the Ams should bring back the skills challenge.  Srsly.

Su also notes what the Kootenay Ice are doing for "Growvember" (or Movemember):

The Kootenay Ice are getting a head start on the "playoff beard" look. They'll let their facial hair go wild during the month of November, which is being re-christened "Grow-vember."  The move is a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society, which is turning the focus on men's health, especially cancers that "occur below the belt." The Ice want male fans to grow their facial hair throughout the month and email their photos. The fan with the best look will win box seats for a Kootenay game in December. Here's the email address: growvember@gmail.com.

The Ice will also raffle off players throughout the month. Winners and five of their friends will get to spend an hour with the player doing whatever they want, within reason. The team says this contest is geared toward younger fans who could invite players to birthday parties, lunch or some other fun event. (The raffle begins tonight!)  (From the Rink)

That's pretty awesome, not gonna lie.  Don't forget I issued a personal challenge to the team yesterday.  Best moustache at the end of November and I'll donate $50 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation in their name.

Anyways, back to the game tonight.  Shinnimin still out, I have no idea about Kruise, Stebner, or Moser.  Guess we'll find out, eh?

"As much as everyone loves to play, you have to practice to get better," Hiller said. "You also get a chance to gain confidence as a player. During a game there is so much on the line, but in practice you can try different things."

"There are a few factors that play into it," Hughesman said of his hot start to the season. "We have a few guys hurt and Shinny (Brendan Shinnimin) is suspended. We aren't at full strength. But that's the strength of our team -- it's hard to shut us all down. They shut down Shinny or Kruise (Reddick, concussion) and Mess or (Justin) Feser is there to score. We will score by committee until we get the rest of the guys back."

"We having been playing a young lineup without Kruise and Shinny," Hiller said. "Many who we didn't predict would play that much. They have doing a good job and that's a good sign for the future.

"We made an example of Hughey from day one," Hiller continued. "When guys were at NHL camps, he was here setting the pace. He has done an outstanding job right through training camp. I'm glad to see him rewarded. From the first day he showed up here, he has been as determined as we've ever seen him and that's reflected in his play on the ice." (Herald)

Scoring by committee is hot.

I got nothing else.  Click the "Read More" to get to the liveblog.

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Portland

The Winterhawks got Nino back today from the Islanders and also released 20-year-old goaltender Ian Curtis.  That leaves them with an OA spot, but no import spot--so no From Russia With Glove in a 'Hawks jersey.

Pink Moustaches?

Title made you look, didn't it?

Drinnan has a picture of the Regina Pats' breast cancer awareness jerseys (that I'm totally gonna copy and paste right now):

I like their use of blue, should coordinate well with their pants.  Here's Everett's:

Not sure how much I love green and pink together, but it works as green is 'Tips primary color.  Both teams (and many others) will be auctioning off the jerseys with proceeds going to cancer research foundations.

Personally, what I would love to see is the Americans take the template for their 3rd jerseys and just replace the red with pink for breast cancer awareness night.  

As usual I have to wonder though why our breast cancer awareness night is in January, not October.  I'm all for awareness year-round, but still.  

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Speaking of cancer awareness, November is Movember--prostate cancer awareness.  Right here, right now I'm issuing a challenge to the team.  Grow your moustache boys.  From the Movember site:

The Mo, slang for moustache, and November come together each year for Movember. 

Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a moustache. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st  clean-shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month.  The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men.  Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days.

Here's the rest of the challenge part:

Me and the Bishes will judge the growing moustaches over the month and whomever we deem "Best Moustache" I will donate $50 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation in their name.

So shave now, boys.  Get ready to let it grow starting November 1.

Post-Game and Happy Anniversary

Against Seattle I knew it was going to be a hard-fought game.  The Americans played from behind the whole game, taking it to overtime, then to a shootout.  Great job by who else, Justin Feser and Patrick Holland.  How good have these two been the last couple games?  (we're forgetting Saturday against PG, remember?)

And take a look at Jordan Messier, eh?  He has nine goals on the season, same as Holly which ties him for 2nd in goal-scoring, both behind Adam Hughesman.  When people talk about this team I think Messier is overlooked for some of the "big name" guys, but he's doing the work, getting it done.  He deserves mad credit for that.

There was discussion last night in the liveblog about the defense and penalties (specifically Sam Grist).  Taking a look at the statistics from the awesome and accurate WHL site, leading the D in PIM/game is Tyler Schmidt at 2.20.  Next highest for defensemen is Zachary Yuen averaging 1.47 penalty minutes per game, and Sam is 3rd at 1.38. 

While I'm still looking at the stats sheet, can't help but notice that Spencer Humphries is a -6 while Drydn Dow is a +5 and somehow it's been Dow that's been the odd D-man out when rotating in defensemen--Grist, Guenther when he was here.  Holy crap, Macek is a -8.

Moving on, back to last night.  The normally solid penalty kill was not on track, allowing Seattle to go 3 for 4 on their power play.  Give 'em credit though, all of them, they never gave up.  It could have been so easy to get behind on the scoreboard and think "eff this noise, let's just get this over with and GO HOME" but they didn't.  They kept at it.  Kudos to Hiller and the rest of the coaching staff for pushing them through this road month.  Just one more in Everett on Friday, with today and tomorrow in Tri to recoup.

"No question, it'sbeen a long road on the bus," said Ams coach Jim Hiller. "We managed to keep coming back tonight. We put in a workmanlike effort before coming home."

"We've leaned on Justin a lot without Kruise and Shinny," said Hiller, alluding to injured captain Kruise Reddick and suspended F Brendan Shinnimin. "He got off to a real slow start, and we had him playing defenseman for a while. But the last 6-7 games, he's starting to find his stride. He and Holland were on a line together last year, and they're starting to find that chemistry again." (Examiner)

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In other news, it's my blog's birthday!  I Mean, We Got Guys... officially turns three today.  I can't believe it's been that long.  I started out with a plan to write about hockey, about the Carolina Hurricanes.  I wanted to be a part of Hockey's Ladies of Greatness (HLOG).  Since then, I figured out that writing about the Americans is what I really had a passion about since I love this team.  As a season ticket holder, I had much more to say about the Ams than the 'Canes.  HLOG has essentially gone defunct as all us awesome ladies have lives, our own separate blogs, and work/school/family.  Which is sad, really.  It's a great group of women hockey fans who know and love the game.  I am glad to say I was a part of it, if only for a short while.

This is a great comic on the reality of blogging.  I like to think I have been able to build that relationship.  Hell, I have made some really wonderful friends as a result of the blog.  I have been able to be an occasional contributor on Puck Daddy (I'll pick up the name I just dropped on the way out).  I have met the love of my life because of this blog and my connections with it.  I've been to an NHL press conference and the NHL Draft (hoping for media credentials next year).  I have had the help of my amazing sister (aka The Design Team) coming up with t-shirts that fans can buy, and I have been able to donate a chunk of change to the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation with the sale of breast cancer awareness shirts.  

I have had the opportunity to develop a working relationship with the team as well, huge thanks to Bob Tory and everyone in the front office who let's me do my thing here--and expand as well (more interviews coming soon!) 

But enough about me, it's all about you.  The amazing readers who come to this site everyday.  Without you I wouldn't be here.  Ok, I probably would be, but I wouldn't feel the pressure to put out quality every day.  In other words, without you, this blog would be a whole lot shittier.  

Even after 3 years I'm constantly amazed that people come to this site and read my babbling, opinionated non-sense.  I love the little community that joins in all the liveblogs and those that have joined in from across the continent (looking at you Zack and Gizmo!)  We all share a love for this team, even if we disagree on players/roster moves/who should be my hockey bf/etc.

tl;dr--I'm grateful for each and every single one of you who have helped make this little blogging project of mine so much fun.

Game Day at Seattle

Oh look errbuddy, another road game.  I love my livebloggers, but I would really like some home games.  I would guess the boys do too.  But hey, what can you do?  I do like getting the road work out of the way early, and they are over .500 on the road, so can't really argue too much with that.

As always with the Thunderbirds it'll be a tough game, have to fight for the win.  And then try to get the puck past Calvin Pickard--no simple task.  They'll be without Shinnimin and Reddick again, which sucks, but as shown in Friday's game in PG (not Saturday's) there's other "top guys" on this team in Holland, Feser, Messier, and Macek.  Not sure the status on Stebner, guess we'll find out, eh?

With Mace, and I was discussing this with friends over the weekend, I think it's a combination of NHL camp hangover, and gripping the stick too hard.  Expectations are high for him, that's gotta be tough.  We all know he's capable, it's frustrating waiting for it to happen.  I'm sure he's frustrated, I know the coaching staff is frustrated.

Alright, I've had this tab open while perusing all the media and WHL blogs for anything additional to add to this post, but alas, there is nothing.  If something comes along today I'll update this post.  Otherwise, click on the "Read More" to get to the liveblog.

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So, that sucked

ass-pat to Wazz for sending the image.  But yeah, that's about how it went last night.  

"This is one (film) that you don't even watch once," said Ams coach Jim Hiller. "You can slice and dice this game 100 different ways, but it was just a bad game for us."

"Early on, we weren't as firm on the puck," Hiller said. "We had opportunities with the puck on our stick but couldn't get it past our own blue line.

"We just weren't ready for their pressure tonight, and it showed. They wanted the puck more early in the game, were firmer with the puck, and they were able to find the back of the net."

"We were fortunate that way last year" avoiding the injury bug, Hiller said, "but we're paying the piper a little bit early this year." (Examiner)

That last quote refers to Stebner leaving early in the game and not returning.  EEEeek.  Time to whip up a  batch of healing waffles--they worked for Neal.

Let's just forget about last night, mmkay?

Game day at PG part deux

Back at it again against the Cougars tonight.  First, let's bask in the awesomeness of last night's game.

I would love to talk about the first period, but didn't hear most of it because feed crapped out.  Oh well, the real magic happened in the 2nd and the 3rd when the Americans were scoring goals left and right.  Well, maybe not left and right, but srsly, lots o' goals.  Hughesman had 2, Feser had 2, Messier, Holland and Olstad chimed in too.  All this "without our top guys".

Now that annoys me.  Yes, Reddick and Shinnimin are "top guys", but who the hell's to say Hughesman, Feser, Holland AREN'T?  Like Spokant said last night, "to all other WHL teams, haha we have Patrick Holland and you don't!"  Holly had 5 points last night, Feser was a +4, Jordan Messier was a +3.  Hell, "Most Improved" Brock Sutherland was a +3.  Tanner Olstad with his first WHL goal--that's hot.  The depth on this team in bananas, able to have two+ lines of "top guys".

And Chris Dreidger between the pipes--hell yeah!  If he had any nerves playing his first WHL game, it didn't show (I guess, like I said, I missed most of the 1st).  He got scored on by Connolly and Asuchak, the Cougars' top two goal scorers, can't really complain about that.  Scorers are gonna score, no matter who's in net.  Could Owsley have stopped any of the three PG goals?  Who cares.  Dreidger needs to get minutes under his belt sooner rather than later.  And you know what?  He's a good goalie.  Sure he's 16 and has some learning to do, but that's what this league is for.  So KUDOS TO YOU Chris Dreidger!!  Now, will he play two nights in a row?  No idea.

So back at it again tonight, PG's gonna be hungry, the Americans have to be ready to match their drive and desire.  Let's be honest, they have to exceed PG's drive and desire.

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Thanks to Kimberlee, friend of the blog, who let me know that former American Jarrett Toll got signed by the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League.  Rush GM says,

"And I believe Jarrett was the steal of the draft. He slipped to the sixth round because of his hockey commitments but I'm confident he will see some game action with the Rush this season."

Toll was selected in the fifth round of the 2010 NLL Entry Draft after a stellar season with the New Westminster Salmonbellies of the B.C. junior league. The five-foot-11, 195 pounder is a solid defender and strong leader who also chipped in 10 points for the 'Bellies last season.

The Maple Ridge, B.C., product has received permission from the University of Alberta Golden Bears hockey team to pursue his pro lacrosse aspirations. (Our Sports Central)

Best of luck to Toll in his lacrosse endeavors!

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Alright, I'm off to take pictures of Behbeh Spokant's birthday party, see y'all at the liveblog, click the "Read More" to get there :)

Read more »

Game Day at Prince George

Boys made the long trek north to Prince George for a two-game series starting tonight.  The big story of course is that the Cougars are not the same team they've been the last couple seasons.  Last year they only won 12 games.  This year they've already won 6 and are in 2nd place in the BC Division.

The two big names for PG are Brett Connolly who spent most of last season in the stands, injured.  But he oozes talent and was drafted this summer, 6th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning.  He's stayed healthy so far this year and has 18 points in 11 games, 11 of those goals.  For those of you keeping track at home, that's averaging a goal a game.  Not too shabby.

The other named bandied about when talking about PG is recent acquisition Sena Acolatse.  Ams fans should be familiar with him, he played for the Seattle Thunderbirds for what seems like forever.  I swear he's got to be like 29 by now.  I hated him with Seattle (because he's good) and I'm sure I'm going to hate him with PG.

One of the names you don't hear so much when talking about PG but you should is former American Spencer Asuchak.  He's 2nd on the team in goals scored with 6.  I, for one, am really glad to see him doing so well.  Just hope he hits a slump the next two nights.

The Americans will continue to be without Shinnimin of course, but also Kruise Reddick.  Jeeeze Louise it'll be nice to get those two back in the lineup.  That being said, mad props to the other guys for stepping up their game.  Depth is key to this team, and they haz it.

I would like to see more shots blocked--poor Drew has faced the 3rd-most shots (308) in the league, behind Freisen in Swift Current (375) and Heemskirk in Moose Jaw (357).  That's a lot.  Obviously, the addition of Stebner will, theoretically, help that.  A lot.

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"It's a 14-hour bus ride when you win, but it feels like 28 when you lose," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller of the trek to northern British Columbia. "It's always a tough building to play in. It will be one of our biggest challenges of the season. They were young last year, but they have some key guys like (Brett) Connolly, and they have added some dangerous players."

"I think this will be a good test for us," Clark said. "They are a good team and have been for quite a while in the league. If we make some of the mistakes we made (Wednesday) night against Tri-City, we wouldn't win. We have to be a lot better. Bob has done an excellent of retooling and they will be a team to reckon with come down to the end" (Herald)

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Yahoo's Jim Riley looks at how Reddick and the Americans are dealing with adversity:

After Shinnimin's lengthy suspension was announced for a check from behind penalty on Oct. 6 in Saskatoon, Reddick was quick to step up and declare that this was an opportunity for a good team to get even better.

"We knew there were guys in the dressing room who would have to step up and take on bigger roles," Reddick said. "We addressed it and guys have been playing their hearts out. That's what we needed. He (Shinnimin) plays hard and is a great player, but we had to accept it and move on. "

Reddick declined to give his opinion about the length of the suspension, preferring to concentrate on the silver lining.

"Now with me out as well, a lot of guys are going to get to play more minutes and take on bigger roles," Reddick said. "We were already a tough team and this is going to make us even tougher. I think we reacted to it just fine.

He thinks this Tri-City team could be the best he's played on and doesn't back down when asked which team he considers to be the best team in the WHL this year.

"I don't want to sound cocky, but I'd have to say our team right now," Reddick said. "We have the depth to do well and we're showing that now. There are plenty of other great teams like Portland and Everett and Saskatoon, but I think we can play with all of them."  (Buzzing the Net)

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The WHL announced their rosters for the Subway SuperSeries yesterday and one of the games will include the Americans' Brendan Shinnimin.  He's slated to play in the November 17th game in Kamloops.  You can find the complete roster and schedule here.

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If anything else comes along today I'll update the post, but that's about all I got for now.  Click on the "Read More" to get to the liveblog

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Interview with Jordan Messier

I had the opportunity to sit down with Jordan Messier recently and get to know him a little more.

Dave Schultz:  Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, I'll start with hockey questions and then it goes downhill from there.

Jordan Messier:  Alright sounds good

DS:  First off, the Americans just came off their best season in history, and you were a part of that obviously.  What do you think was the key to the teams' success?

JM:  I would say depth up and down the lineup.  All year we had four strong lines and they could score at any point and we proved that throughout the year and that's what carried us through the playoffs, being able to play that many guys, stay fresh.

DS:  Do you think that's going to be a strength again this year?

JM:  Absolutely, match our forwards against any team in this league, I got confidence in the guys in the room.

DS:  What do you personally do to mentally prepare yourself for games?

JM:  I like to keep to myself a little bit before the games, I don't do a whole lot, I know some guys like to plays sewer ball before the game a little bit of soccer, I just kinda stay quiet in the room and get prepared that way.

DS:  Is the preparation different for different opponents, like do you prepare differently if it's Spokane?

JM:  I don't prepare any differently, I definitely get more fired up for the Spokane games, it's always exciting playing Spokane, I try to approach every game the same way.

DS:  How do you feel you have improved as a player from a year ago?

JM:  From last year?  I think one of the biggest thing for me is I've found confidence in my game and being a big guy.  I worked a lot over the summer with a trainer in Canmore getting faster and getting a little bit more meat on my bones.  I think my confidence has improved and I think I'm getting a little bit bigger and faster out there.

DS:  If there was any area of your game that you could improve, what would that be?

JM:  Definitely, not so much my skating, but my agility--being quicker.  

DS:  Is there drills that you guys do that would help with that?

JM: That's one of those things I can work out on my own time, I've taken the first step and making an effort to do that.

DS:  Is there drills that you enjoy more than others when you guys are practicing?

JM:  Yeah, I like drills when we play against some of the other guys, say a 2-on-1 drill and you're competing with the other forwards.  I like those kinds of drills.

DS:  With the amount of Winnipeg boys on the team, is it still "Winnipeg Against the World" drills?

JM:  There's definitely been a little bit of that.

DS:  Is there anyone in particular you pattern your play after, either on the team or in the NHL?

JM:  I try and play a bigger game, so maybe a player like Jordan Staal or one of the Staal brothers.  I try to model myself after how they work hard and they go to the net hard and get rewarded.

DS:  Have you set any personal goals for this season?

JM:  I haven't as much set as many personal goals as team goals.  I think a lot of guys have the itch after coming so close last year to get right back at it and I just want to help the team any way I can and make this a fun year.

DS:  Awesome, as a fan I love to hear that.  What is the best part about being a member of a team?

JM:  I think just having what I would call 25 other brothers in the dressing room.  We're lucky enough to be on this team where we're all so close and we're all doing stuff together and I think that's a lot of fun to be a part of something like that.

DS:  Well, you mentioned it, 25 other brothers, but you really do have a brother on the team.  What's that been like?

JM:  It's good, we're still sharing a room so I gotta keep him in line a little bit.

DS:  Are you still making him sleep on the floor?

JM:  No, he's got an air mattress, he's being spoiled right now

DS:  What has been your favorite off-ice team building activity?

JM:  We've done a few things but I think one of the really fun ones was when we went camping down in Oregon there for a weekend, we went for a kind of overnight thing, that was a lot of fun.  We stayed in tee-pees which was a strange experience at first but it was pretty fun.

DS:  Why did you choose the number that you wear--or if you didn't choose it, what number would you wear and why?

JM:  I think it could be a little bit of a superstition thing sometimes.  But there's not a lot to choose from when you come into the team as a 16-year-old, but I always kind of liked the number 19 because I've always been a big Steve Yzerman fan, Red Wings fan growing up.  My original number was actually number 12 because that's what my dad wore when he played, so I grew up wearing 12 so when I came to Tri-Cities I switched it up.

DS:  Do you have a favorite rink (besides Toyota Center) that you like to play in?

JM:  Ahh jeez, that's a tough one.  I like all the rinks in the Eastern division, we were just out on that swing.  I used to play in a lot of those rinks in midget days.  I'd probably say my favorite rink to play in would be in the Rose Garden.  Good feeling in there, pretty spectacular building.

DS:  What about your least favorite?

JM:  I would have to say...God that's tough.  None really stick out in my head.  I know it's always tough going into Spokane, those guys they get some good turnout and the fans are pretty wild in there so it's tough to overcome that atmosphere.

DS:  Have you been the victim of a shoe-check?

JM:  I have actually, one time in my career, it was on the eastern swing (this year).  It was Mike Brown, snuck up behind me, gave me the old heel check.  That's the first time, first time victim.

DS:  Is that the best prank or is there others you'd be willing to share?

JM:  The best I probably saw was Plouffe got shoe-checked one time, I forget who, one of those 16-year-olds, and he had Ranch all over his shoe, he didn't take to kindly to that.  It was pretty funny.

DS:  Who's the best prankster on the team right now?

JM:  Oh God, I'd have to say Brooks Macek.  I'll tell you this...How we figure out if we're playing or not is if we got jerseys in our stalls.  One time Mace took my socks and my jersey and put it behind his.  And he strung me out for about 15 seconds and then showed me I was actually in the lineup.  That's probably the best anyone's ever got me, I'll tell ya that one.

DS:  Does he have payback coming for that one?

JM:  I'm gonna have to get him one of these days.  He's pretty due for a little payback I would think.

DS:  Who is in charge of the locker room music?

JM:  I think it's kind of general, everyone kind of puts on a song, I know Shinny likes to put on a few songs.  We got some guys that don't touch the music because of superstition, me being one of them.  I'd say it's pretty general, Shinny likes to pick, Holly's got some good ones.

DS:  The best advice you ever got and from whom:

JM:  I would say the best advice I ever got was when my dad told me "Don't get too high with the highs, and don't get too low with the lows" and he got that from his coach Ron Mason when he was at Michigan State and he told me that's the best advice he ever got.  So I've tried to apply that to myself and hockey by just keeping a level head and when things aren't going good, can't let it get you down.  When things are going good just take it in stride and keep working hard.

DS:  If you could have dinner with anyone alive or dead, who would it be and why?

JM:  I would say if I could have dinner it'd be with Don Cherry.  I think Don Cherry would tell some unbelievable stories about his hockey experience and I would enjoy that very thoroughly.

DS:  What hobbies or activities do you have away from the rink?

JM:  I know I'm definitely big into golf, I go with Owsley, Macek, and Sudsy sometimes.  We get out a little bit.  It's getting a bit chilly now so that might be it for the golf this year.  I like to golf, just take it easy.  I like my quiet time away from the rink.

DS:  What song would you be embarrassed by if people knew it was on your ipod?

JM:  I dunno, I got a lot of Taylor Swift on there, some people might give me a hard time about that.  I'd say any Taylor Swift song.  I think she's pretty good.

DS:  What actor would you want to play you in a movie about your life?

JM:  Oh God, I'm trying to think of a name here.  I don't know, that's a tough question.  I'm trying to think of movies I've seen.  What's that guys name, Gerald Butler?  I think he's pretty tough and rugged.  Is that the guy?  What's that movie he's in?  "Law Abiding Citizen"  I think that's it.  We'll go with that, Gerald Butler.*

DS:  What random piece of information or trivia do you use to impress people?

JM:  Any kind of hockey knowledge, I like to talk about hockey.  That's a tough one.  Yeah, I guess I could pull out some hockey trivia.

DS:  If people don't know that you have this famous last name, do you try to keep that from them, let them form their own opinions about you and your play?

JM:  It's definitely tough to get away from but I don't mind having it.  It gets a little repetitive sometimes when people ask "hey are you related to Mark?"  I don't mind.  But I do like the thought of forming my own identity as a player.

DS:  Waffles or pancakes?

JM:  I think I'm a pancake guy, that's for sure

DS:  What do you like on 'em?

JM:  Strawberry sauce

DS:  Awesome.  See?  These are the in depth questions that people need to know.

JM:  Yeah people need to know what I eat at IHOP everyday

DS:  I think that's about it for my questions, is there anything else you want to share?

JM:  No, that's great.  Thanks for choosing me to share.  

DS:  Alright I'll let you get back to your life, I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me.  Best of luck with the rest of the season.

*Gerard not Gerald

Post Game vs. Calgary

Real live hockey--oh how I'd missed you.  And you didn't disappoint.

"Brooks had his best game of the year," Hiller said, "and that was a real important part for us tonight. He's been in the doghouse for us, but he worked hard tonight. And when he works, he's tough."

Owsley was one of several players who was on pins and needles during the first month of the season as the team sorted through its roster and what roles each would play.

With the release of goalie Alex Pechurskiy at Thursday's WHL overage deadline, Owsley is now the undisputed No. 1 goalie on a team looking to return to the WHL Finals -- where the Ams lost in five games to Calgary last year.

"The competition was good in practice, but it's nice to get that cleared up," Owsley said. "I think everyone is a little more calm now. Everyone was nervous when people were being sent home."

"Willy was great. I thought he added something for the team," Hiller said. "And that's what we expect from Zak, about 20-25 minutes a night. When the pressure was on, he's a veteran player who keeps his head and doesn't panic."

"We still haven't played with our entire team all season," Hiller said. "It'll be close to a month before we get our whole team together. Until then, we'll patch it together. But we've been getting good minutes from people we didn't expect to play this much." (Examiner)

I'm glad Brooks was in the doghouse--he deserved to be.  Good for him for stepping it up a notch and playing to his potential.

Drew Owsley was simply brilliant last night, the one that got by him was of no fault to him, it was a bullet.  It was nice to see him not be rattled facing the team that shook his confidence so badly in the playoffs last season.  Granted, the Hitmen are a much different team than last season, but still. 

Mason freaking Wilgosh was back in the lineup--huzzah!!  It was great to see him out there, grinding it out like he does so well.  And speaking of grinding (heh) how about that David Conrad?  He already has my vote for "Unsung Hero".

Guys I expect to have great games had a great game--Macek, Holland, Feser.  Holly was well deserving of first star status.  The kids got some playing time--Olstad, Moline, even Behbeh Messier and McPhee got some time in the first.  Sadly, they weren't used much after that.

Stebner played really well, I think he's going to work out just fine.  He logged a ton of minutes--as he should as a veteran--didn't get rattled, he was solid and steady.  He skates real well and is a big body in front of Drew.

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According to The Red Light District, Pechurskiy may be going to the Portland Winterhawks if they don't get Nino Niederreiter back.  If the Islanders keep Nino, that will open an import spot.  Portland already has 3 20-year-olds, I would guess if From Russia With Glove is possibly headed there, the 'Hawks would release 20-year-old goaltender Ian Curtis.  I would also guess he'd be backup to Mac Carruth who has established himself as Portland's #1 goalie.

Normally, I wouldn't want an inter-division deal like that, where a rival gets one of our former players, but for this fan's sake, I sure hope Portland gets him, then the Ams can score some sweet 5-hole goals on him right and left for the rest of the season.

**UPDATED**
From OregonLive:

Going forward, this is an important point. If Nino sticks with the Islanders, the Winterhawks can pick up another Euro--subject to CHL rules such as the player having gone through the import draft--while still retaining Nino's rights in case the Islanders change their minds later (say, at the forty game mark). In fact, they could keep his rights next year in case the Islanders decide to send him back as a 19-year-old (and it has happened, check the same link above).

So, yeah, the Winterhawks could pick up a Euro today, and if Nino happens to come back a few days later, you're only out the karma of having picked up and then releasing a kid over a few days.

Is this likely? In Pechurskiy's case, I wouldn't think so.

First, I think Nino is probably coming back, which would render the whole thing moot.
Second, the Winterhawks have spent eleven games trying to sort out three goalies that they apparently like. Bringing Pechurskiy in would be blowing that work up and starting over.
They would have to like Pechurskiy a lot more than at least two of the goalies to make doing that worthwhile.

You also have the idea that it's inefficient to use either a 20-year-old spot or a Euro spot on a backup goalie, much less both. That's true as far as it goes, although I don't think it goes very far in this case.

So it's doable, but it would be pretty surprising if it happened.

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From Drinnan this morning:

Meanwhile, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Dr. Michael J. Stuart and others have organized a conference called The Ice Hockey Summit: Action on Concussion.

In a piece by Jeff Z. Klein at The New York Times’ hockey blog, Dr. Stuart says: “Whenever I talk to young players, I always say the same things: never use your stick; never use your head as a weapon; never leave your feet to deliver a hit; never do anything at the expense of the health and safety of your opponent or yourself. I try to show them that you don’t have to kill the other guy to separate him from the puck.”

Amen!

And make no mistake — this has to start at the grass roots level of minor hockey. Players have to be taught how to use angles, how to squeeze an opponent out of the play and away from the puck, the dangers of leaving your feet and on and on and on.
But, at the same time, they need to be taught to be aware of what’s going on when they are out there on the ice.

Hockey is a tough, physical game. And when you get to the junior level and above, fans pay money to be entertained. That entertainment includes good, hard checks.

Bauer Hockey, USA Hockey, and Hockey Canada have also put together a Hockey Safety Panel to address issues such as "concussion awareness and management and neck injury prevention". You can read more about it here.

Also from Drinnan today:

Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls. . . . Nicholls was penalized at 13:04 of the first period and the Warriors scored on the ensuing PP. It was Nicholls, of course, who was hit from behind by F Brendan Shinnimin of the Tri-City Americans on Oct. 6, a hit that resulted in a 12-game suspension to Shinnimin.  (Taking Note)

Just gonna leave that right there.

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Kelowna's Mitchell Chapman gets 6-game suspension for nasty kneeing incident.  Awww, come on Regan, no saying Chapman better watch his back?  No mention that Chapman would be Public Enemy #2 (only behind Shinnimin)?  And yes, I hate myself for even acknowledging his stupid commentary from his blog.  Ugh.

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Stay tuned around here tomorrow, I have something awesome coming your way :)

FINALLY It's game day

You guys, we're gonna see real live hockey again!!

The Calgary Hitmen are in town tonight, last time the Americans saw them was in the WHL finals.  I don't know about you, but I'm betting it's going to be a good game.

"They ended our season last year in a hurry," said Tri-City captain Kruise Reddick, who is questionable for tonight after suffering a concussion Oct. 8 against Brandon. "A lot of guys in the room have a bitter taste in their mouth. We want to erase that. We want to come out and take it to them. We need to come out strong. They are a good team and they will play us tough."

"We are ready to be home," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "It was quite a trip, starting in Spokane and going as far east as Brandon. We made it through the adversity and I liked how we finished much better than how we started."

"We are starting to see what we have with the new players and what they bring," Hiller said. "The veterans are becoming more comfortable, some struggled a bit a out of the gate. Zak (Stebner)brings something that is hard to find and that is experience on the blue line. He's a right-handed shot and plays on the power play and penalty kill. He plays an important role on the power play. It helps balance out the minutes and in the end will make everyone better." (Herald)

Speaking of Stebner, Rene Ferran featured him the other day in his "Meet the Ams" series:

He already has one ally in the dressing room in captain Kruise Reddick, a former teammate of Stebner's in midget hockey.

"It's exciting to have a chance to have another playoff run," Stebner said. "This is a good group of guys, and they're a good team this year."

Must-see TV: "Seinfeld." "Hands down. I grew up watching it. And add 'Jersey Shore' for the guys in there (pointing to the dressing room). We all watch it." (Examiner)

Also part of the "Meet the Ams" feature, Ferran talked with Tanner Olstad:

How would Olstad describe his game?

"Gritty," he said. "I like to make plays out there, make sure I'm working hard and doing the little things right. It's about just moving your feet, trying to make things happen. People see that, and it forces them to bring you down."

Favorite hockey moment: Olstad was going to go with his fight against Seattle's Austin Baecker in the second game of the season, but he changed his mind. "My shootout winner in the Alberta Cup in 2007. I was playing for the Calgary Northstars 15-year-olds (Bantam AAA)."(Examiner)

I haven't yet received any entries in the "Welcome Back Wilgosh" or "Welcome Back Prokop" poster contest.  Willy may be back tonight so that would be the deadline, if you got a poster made, email me a picture of it (or find me at the game to show me) to be entered into the contest.  You can win a 2011 Heritage Classic t-shirt. 

F Yeah Mason Wilgosh

Tri-City Americans’ Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced today that 19-year-old forward Mason Wilgosh will serve as one of the team’s alternate captains for the upcoming 2010-11 season.  Wilgosh joins a leadership team that include team captain Kruise Reddick and fellow alternate captain Tyler Schmidt. 

“Mason epitomizes everything we ask of our players…TEAM FIRST,” Tory detailed.  “He joined us as a 16-year-old and has done everything asked of him.”

“He is capable of playing on any of our lines, kills penalties and brings a tireless, workmanlike approach to the rink every day,” continued Tory.  “This is a honor he deserves and he will add to an already strong leadership group.”

“Mason continues to grow his role with our team,” explained Americans’ head coach Jim Hiller.  “He took a leap forward with his play in the playoffs last year and has earned the respect of his peers.”  (amshockey.com)

My reaction

I have little to add to what Wazz posted earlier.  It's confusing.  Yes, the Ams need defensive depth.  I imagine it all depends on the health/rehab of Neal Prokop.  And as long as Prokes is still on long-term injured reserve, they can carry 4 20-year-olds.  If/when Neal is ready to go--then I guess we'll see what happens.  That's about all you can do.  I will say that when a guy is on his 5th team of his junior career, that makes me nervous.

Can't say I'm surprised the Americans released Kardashev, hasn't played a minute since pre-season.  Guenther sent down, that will be better for his development than sitting in the stands.  But I think he'll be back, he has good size and from what I saw of him, potential.

as for the goalie situation, only one thing to say:

Dropping The 20's

With DS busy this afternoon, I knew I'd be by a computer and be able to update. Huzzah.

However, your Tri-City Americans had to get down to their three 20-year-olds today and they did it, starting in confusing fashion. It was mainly due to the trade to start off with, as the Ams acquired defenseman Zac Stebner from the Calgary Hitmen, who is an overager. From the Ams release

Stebner, listed at 6’3 205 pounds, is moving to his fifth WHL team in his fourth full season. Originally a second round (32nd overall) selection by the Red Deer Rebels in 2005, Stebner has appeared in 218 career games while totaling 25 goals, 80 points and 294 penalty minutes. In addition to the Rebels and Hitmen, the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native, who has notched 11 goals and 30+ points over his past two seasons, has also played for the Prince Albert Raiders and Kamloops Blazers. Last season, Stebner was traded to the Calgary Hitmen in mid-January, appearing in 30 games and collecting four goals, 17 points and was a plus-10 while leading the Hitmen to a 2010 WHL Championship and an appearance in the semi-finals of the MasterCard Memorial Cup. Coincidentally, Stebner is expected to be in the Tri-City line-up on Tuesday, October 19 when the Americans play host to the Hitmen in a re-match of the 2010 WHL Finals.

“It was obvious that the area we needed to improve on the most was defense,” explained Tory. “Zak is a top-4 defenseman, with Memorial Cup experience, and has the proven ability to contribute offensively. His presence will add tremendous depth to our blue line.”

In order to get back down to the maximum three overagers, the Ams put Mike Brown and Alex Pechurskiy on waivers:

Meanwhile, Brown and Pechurskiy, who were integral parts of the Americans’ run to the 2010 WHL Finals last season, will go through the WHL Waivers Draft later this afternoon. Any of the WHL clubs with open overage spots can participate in the Draft. All players that go unselected in the Waivers Draft will be declared free agents.

“It’s obviously an unfortunate situation, as both Alex and Mike are strong players that we would gladly keep if the rules allowed it,” Tory clarified. “Unfortunately, this season, there are more quality 20-year-old players than there are spots available, so we were unable to arrange a trade for either player. We thank both men for their hard work and dedication to this team and wish them nothing but the best.”

Granted, now the Ams have three active overagers-- Kruise Reddick, Tyler Schmidt, and Stebner, with Neal Prokop still on the IR. So what to do when Prokop comes back is anyone's guess.

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In other moves, GM Bob Tory re-assigned Riley Guenther to the Calgary Northstars AAA Midgets and released Nikita Kardashev. The moves put the Ams at 24 players on the roster.

Again, Schultzie will have more insight to this with her take later on, but figured this needed to be up here now.

Faceplant and Poster Contest

This is how last night's game went.

Personally, I'm glad the road trip is over. I'm sure the boys are too.

The Americans went 3-3-1-0 on their seven-game trek that started a week ago Saturday in Spokane, getting a split of the 14 points available on the trip.

"We're on the bus headed home, but it would have felt better if we'd gotten some points from this last game," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller.

"We were just not smart enough or desperate enough the first two periods," Hiller said. "The third period, we started to play that way, but it was a little too late." (Examiner)

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Leave it to the awesome Gregg Drinnan to be keeping a tally of the check-from-behind hits going on in the WHL.  For each game recap from last night he has a count--there were 2 minor penalties handed out last night for checking-from-behind. 

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Today is the deadline for 20-year-olds.  Who will be left on the Americans roster?  Who knows.  I have a busy afternoon so I'm gonna have to rely on Twitter to fill me in.

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Want to win a 2011 Heritage Classic t-shirt?  Look how awesome it is.  I freakin' love the logo.

I have one to give away, it's an Adult Large. So how can you win it?

It's another poster contest.  I want to see your best "Welcome Back Neal Prokop" posters.  Or "Welcome Back Mason Wilgosh" posters.  I don't know what game either of them will be on the ice, so I don't have an exact date to give you for a deadline.  Put it this way, the deadline for the contest will be each players' first game back.  There's a wide-open (no Ams hockey boooooo) weekend coming up, get your creative juices flowing and email me a picture of your poster at hammerrules [at] gmail [dot] com.

Game Day at Swift Current (aka Is The Damn Road Trip Over Yet?)

Alright, this is (hopefully) the last time I have to talk about Shinnimin's suspension.  But the Prince Albert Daily Herald had a good interview with Shinnimin and Nicholls about the hit.

“Obviously, it’s disappointing,” Shinnimin said from Swift Current, Sask., where the Americans face the Broncos tonight to finish a six-game Prairie road trip.

“You don’t want to be out of the lineup too long. But it’s a fair punishment and I accept it.”

Shinnimin phoned Nicholls on Sunday to apologize for what both players described as a “scary” transgression.

“I got a hold of him and it was good to hear that he’s doing OK,” Shinnimin said. “I just gave him my condolences and apologized for the incident. He said he was doing better. That’s good to hear.

“It’s disappointing to hear that I’m suspended for 12 games, but the main thing is that Josh is all right and everything is going to get back to normal.”

“I was just backchecking hard and it was just one of those things, just a last-second reaction,” he said. “I had seen the puck get thrown to the middle toward (Nicholls). I had no intention of hurting the player. It was just a bad break and a bad decision, a mistake by myself. I feel awful about it, obviously.

“It was tough to sleep for a couple of nights. It was a scary moment. You never want to see a player go down like that.”

Nicholls was dazed after the hit, but he clearly remembers the pain he experienced.

“I can remember everything,” he said. “I was just having trouble breathing and my back was kind of sore.

“It kind of opens your eyes to how dangerous the game can be and that it could end any day,” he said. “You never know when this could be your last game. I just feel lucky that I can continue playing in the next week or so.”

“Just like that Liambas hit last year, I think it could even be worse than that,” Nicholls said. “It’s just the fact that I didn’t crack my skull or anything serious like that, it’s not all over the place and it’s not (considered) that serious, but I think it’s just as bad as that one.”

“It was obviously a bad hit — the hit I made — but I didn’t intend to injure him,” Shinnimin said. “I didn’t go for the head or anything like that. I was just backchecking pretty hard and I gave him a bump and he went into the boards pretty awkwardly.

“I’m disappointed at the length,” Nicholls told the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

“I think it could have been a bit longer, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. Just got to keep playing.” (Daily Herald)

I think it's really good that Shinny called Nicholls to apologize.  And he'll serve his time, hopefully learn from his mistakes.  Personally, I think the 12 games is fair, wouldn't have been surprised with more--like 15-20 even--and wouldn't have necessarily thought more games to be unfair.  It was a bad, ugly hit.  As I type this, the boy and I are debating if the 3 Shinny already sat out should have counted or if it should have been 12 more games on top of the 3 "time served" games already.  Hard to say, like I said, 15 or more wouldn't have surprised me.

Alright, enough of that, let's move on.  There's a game tonight.  The boys roll into Swift Current for the last game of the brutal eastern swing road trip.  It's also the last game before tomorrow's 20-year-old cutdown deadline.  Who will still be with the team on Friday, Mike Brown or Alex Pechurskiy??  Does Alex get the start in what might be his final game as an American?  Will Nikita Kardashev ever get to play a game?  Hell, is Kardashev even on the road trip??  Poor kid.

Of course we'll be liveblogging the game, starting at 5:45 tonight.  Not sure how lively it will be, I've had the week from hell and it's only Wednesday and I know Spokant is fighting a vicious cold.  But we'll be here dammit.  Click on the "Read More" to get to the chat.

Read more »

Shinny Suspension handed down

12 games.  I think that's a fair assessment.

Prior to the discipline being handed down, there was a lot of speculation--a lot of it wondering why the WHL was taking so long. 

Coming Down the Pipe weighed in:

Shinniman doesn't have the reputation as a dirty player but you have to have more respect then that. Some have used the word "vicious" and "intent to injure" in conversations I've had. The point was also raised that Shinniman at the time of the hit was tied for the league lead in scoring with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Will that play into the suspension because he's viewed as a star player?

It better not. Shinninam (sic) was given 2 game for boarding with more to come. I think if the WHl is perceived to be letting a player off easy they're asking for trouble, and if I was Richard Doekrsen it wouldn't be less then 20 games. (CDTP)

As for the punishment, so far most see it as fair:

Few neutral observers will have any quarrel with this: Tri-City Americans centre Brendan Shinnimin has received a 12-game suspension for his brutal check from behind last week on the Saskatoon Blades' Josh Nicholls.
Twelve games is probably just long enough to eases doubt about double standards for stars. Shinnimin, the Americans' best offensive player, will ultimately miss one-sixth of the 72-game schedule, so he hardly got off lightly. (Buzzing the Net)

Buzzing the Net also has links to others' opinions from around the league.  Me?  I don't wanna talk about it any more, it's done and over with, he'll serve his time.

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Don't look now, but without Shinnimin, the Americans have won their last three.  No, I'm not at all saying they lost some games because of him.  Coincidence my friends.

They were without Kruise Reddick yesterday too, he apparently got himself a conky.  Poor Pokey.  I'll have to make some healing waffles for him--hey, those waffles worked for Neal Prokop!

Yesterday was apparently the Connor Rankin and Drew Owsley Show in Moose Jaw. 

"We're just playing better without the puck," said Ams coach Jim Hiller. "Because of that, we're getting better chances offensively."

The Americans played without captain Kruise Reddick (concussion) and suspended forward Brendan Shinnimin, but they got contributions up and down the lineup, with 10 players recording points.

"That's been a hallmark of this team," Hiller said.

He praised the play of forwards Tanner Olstad and David Conrad, who played major minutes with Reddick and Shinnimin on the shelf.

"Tanner has come in the last couple of games and had to take on a more important role with this team," Hiller said. "Those two have been getting the job done as second- and third-line centers."

Reddick's status is day-to-day, and it's unlikely he will play when the Ams conclude the road trip Wednesday in Swift Current.

"We don't want to rush him back," Hiller said. "But the guys are getting the job done (in his absence)." (Examiner)

And quick plug, if that Examiner.com is not part of your daily reading, you should make it so.  Rene Ferran is really doing a great job. 

But back to the game.  Mad props to my boys Tanner Olstad and David Conrad.  Really, mad props to the depth of this team and the ability to roll 4 good lines.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving up north, the Americans are celebrating with an afternoon game.  It will be against the Moose Jaw Warriors at 1 pm our time.  That means no liveblog--I have a real job people.  I'm going to be lucky to even be able to listen to the game :(

Saturday night's game against Brandon...yeah, don't have a lot to say.  I had company over which is part of the reason I wasn't as lively in the liveblog.  But it also meant we were doing a lot of talking, not a lot of listening to the game.  Hey, it happens.

I will say I'm pretty stoked for David Conrad getting a goal.  Huzzah backup bf!!  And in front of the almost-hometown crew too, awesome!

"That's what you call a character win," said Ams coach Jim Hiller. "We needed everybody tonight with the injuries. Every guy put in the hard work, blocking shots, dumping the puck, the small details that had we'd gotten away from."

"No question he (Owsley) was real solid tonight," Hiller said. "That really looked like his true form. Just his rebound control was good tonight. When he does that, you know he's on his game."

Reddick needed stitches after a first-period collision and sat out the rest of the game. Hiller said he wasn't sure whether Reddick would play in Monday afternoon's game at Moose Jaw, but the prognosis sounded good.

"Kruiser got his bell rung a little bit, but he's fine now," Hiller said. (Examiner)

So here's hoping for another character win today, and I'm glad Pokey's ok.

HUGE NEWS and game day at Brandon

Rumors are true.  THE TEAM IS PICKING UP NEAL PROKOP IN BRANDON TODAY.  brb, scaring the neighbors with my shrieks of joy.

ok, I'm back.  He's rejoining the team, but he's still on injured reserve.  He's way ahead of schedule as far as healing and physical therapy, but is still a good 6 weeks or more away from playing in any games.

but still..  NEAL PROKOP IS COMING BACK TO TRI-CITIES!!!!!!

as long as he's still on IR, the team can carry 3 other 20-year-olds, so either Mike Brown or Pechurskiy don't have to go anywhere yet.  I mean, one of them will, by Thursday, but not both just because Neal is back.

Speaking of Alex and the OA situation, I got my hopes up last night when Gregg Drinnan tweeted that Regina traded one of their imports.  That gave them an import AND a 20-year-old spot--and they need a goaltender.  But then:

1. Early on Friday, the Regina Pats traded F Killian Hutt, 19, to the Swift Current Broncos for a sixth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft.
2. Following a 4-2 loss to the visiting Red Deer Rebels on Friday night, the Brandon Wheat Kings announced they had acquired F Hampus Gustafsson, a 19-year-old Swede, from Regina for a 2011 sixth-round bantam draft pick. He had 37 points in 68 games with the Pats, including four points in seven games this season.
3. Following a 6-4 loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans, the Pats sent that sixth-round picked in the 2013 draft, the one that had been acquired for Hutt, back to the Broncos. In exchange, Regina gets Slovakian F Juraj Roznik, 18. He had two assists in six games with the Broncos this season.  (Taking Note)

Well, dammit.  They really need a goalie, how could they not pick up Pechurskiy??!?!?

Speaking of crazy, Spokane outshot Portland 48-19 last night and still lost  (Oregon Live).  Gotta feel bad for them, 48 shots on goal.  Oh wait, I don't feel bad for them.  Awesome.

There's still talk about Shinnimin--and there will be until the league makes a decision, and even then, I'm sure the talk will continue.  Whatever the WHL decides some will think it's too harsh, some will think it's not enough punishment.  I was talking about it with Sasky last night and I believe he deserves what he gets.  Will it suck if the league decides to make an example out of him and give him 20 games?  Yes.  But if it makes the game safer for ALL players in the future by doing so, I'm all for it.  Gotta just stop and think for a sec, what would we want if the hit had been by Nicholls on Shinnimin--we'd be calling for his head.  It has to go both ways.

Last night was a good game, the boys did the work they needed to in order to get it done.  I don't care that Regina is in last place, even last place teams make you earn a win (see Seattle Thunderbirds) and the Ams did, lead by Jordan Messier.  Also great to see Feser get on the scoring sheet.

"It's only one game early in the season, so you have to be careful" about reading too much into the win, Hiller said. "This is a tough road trip. We'll take this one, and tomorrow night (in Brandon), we'll see what happens."

"It was nothing magical," Hiller said. "I thought we were a little more determined. We tried to get to some rebounds. We were attacking, playing a little more north-south rather than east-west. Jordan had a strong game, a real power-forward game."

"That helped (having Drydn Dow back), no question," Hiller said of the 18-year-old's presence. "We were able to spread minutes around and keep people fresher."  (Examiner)

Like Sister mentioned last night, they haven't lost a game with Dow in the lineup.  Something to think about.

I like that behbeh Messier and McPhee got some playing time, and certainly made it count--McPhee's first WHL goal!  Great to see hard work from Jordan Messier and Feser, both rewarded for it too.  Now we just need Brooks Macek to find his groove.  Or any groove.

Alright, early game tonight, pre-game show on the air at 5:15 which means we'll be liveblogging then.  Last night's LB was fantastic, let's have that kind of gathering again, eh?  No trolls, people bringing the funny, and of course the win didn't hurt either :)  You know the routine, click on the "Read More" to get to the livebloggidy goodness.

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