Home Opener in ONE DAY!!

Steve Ewan at the Vancouver Province takes a look at the top 30 players in the WHL, including our Shinnimin and Holland:

5. BRENDAN SHINNIMIN, TRi-CITY, CENTRE
(NHL team: Free agent)
NHL people worry about his size and whether he's got the footspeed to make up for it. WHL people, outside of Tri at least, worry about whether he's going to have their guys' lunch. The 20-year-old from Winnipeg, who was skipped over in the bantam draft, has also been passed by in three straight entry drafts, despite tearing it up for the Americans, including last season (60-34-62-96, plus-20, 84 PIMs.). The 5-foot-10, 175-pound lefty shot is getting a free agent look from the Phoenix Coyotes, but here's a bet that he's back to take a run at the WHL scoring title.

19. PATRICK HOLLAND, TRI-CITY, RIGHT WING
(NHL team: Calgary Flames, seventh round, 2010)
What's with Tri-City guys flying under the radar? Nobody wants to go to Kennewick, Wash., to watch them? The 6-foot, 175-pound Holland, 19, could be a late-round nugget for the Flames, considering his shot and willingness to go the net. He showed that last year (71-22-40-62, plus-10, 24 PIMs). The Americans took the right-handed shooting Lethbridge, Alta., native in the sixth round of the 2007 bantam draft.  (Province)

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Shinnimin, as noted yesterday, got sent to the Coyote's AHL affiliate so they can keep evaluating him.

"It's been awesome," said Shinnimin, who will leave Phoenix today for Portland, Maine. "I went to the rookie camp with the mentality to making main camp. I guess the GM and coaches were impressed. I got the invite to main camp. I adapted really quick and did well there, too."
The Coyotes have not signed Shinnimin to a contract, but he's hoping that will come soon.
"Nothing is for certain right now," he said. "They are sending me to Portland and hopefully I can develop in that league. Things seem to be coming together as I hoped they would. I'm at a stage where negotiations are starting to happen. Hopefully I'll have a contract when it's done."
Shinnimin played in exhibition games during rookie camp, but didn't get the opportunity in main camp.
"I didn't get to play with the pros, but it was exciting to see them play at that level," said Shinnimin, who will not be in the lineup for the Americans' home opener Saturday against Spokane. "That was pretty cool."  (Herald)

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We may not agree on everything, but I agree with Dylan Bumbarger's tweet from last night:

"I understand it to an extent, but I find the media reports about the Myles Bell deal a little creepy in what they leave out."

Bell was in a car accident where drinking was involved and the passenger killed.  Since Bell was a minor at the time his name wasn't released but it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to put 2 + 2 together.  Bell was traded to the Kelowna Rockets from the Regina Pats yesterday and none of the usual places I get info from have mentioned the accident much at all.  Only Alan Caldwell had this:

the Rockets say Bell will join them immediately and is expected to play this weekend. I was thinking the deal was a little risky for the Rockets since Bell had the injury and didn't attend Pats training camp - not to mention his other issues that he has going on. But if he's ready to play, then at least from the hockey point of view this deal makes sense on both sides. From the other points of view.....there's going to be some strong feelings amongst some fans about seeing him back on the ice.  (Small Thoughts At Large) 

Strong feelings is right.  Keep in mind he hasn't been sentenced yet and I believe in innocent until PROVEN guilty, but I can also see where some people are coming from.  Tough situation for sure.

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Kelly Friesen over at Buzzing the Net asks 10 questions about the WHL including the Comrie question (the Dub only gets 10 questions while BTN has been fellating the OHL with 5 questions per team all week.  Ahh well, I'm not usually very happy with Friesen's work so maybe it's better):

5. Will 16-year-old Eric Comrie struggle or blossom in his rookie season between the pipes?

Comrie didn't ask the Tri-City Americans to trade their previous season's top two goaltenders, Drew Owsley and Chris Driedger, to make room for him, but they did anyways. And with those trades the Americans undoubtedly added a heap of pressure on the 6-foot, 175-pound goaltender's shoulders.

With Comrie being compared to former Americans goaltender Carey Price, some might expect him to have a similar rookie season to the Montreal Canadiens backstop. All Price did in his first season in the WHL was post a a 2.38 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 28 games. With that in mind, it is safe to say expectations are unfairly high for Comrie.  (Buzzing the Net)

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Matt MacKenzie was sent to Buffalo's AHL affiliate today.  At least he's still playing for a team named the Americans?
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As usual, this post will be updated if anything new comes along today.  In the meantime, Happy Home Opener Eve!