Game Day vs Prince Albert

First, some highlights from the leadership press conference:

"It's an honor to get this," Wilgosh said. "I'm happy they think so highly of me. We (along with Shinnimin and Hughesman) just took a picture, and when we were younger, we had one just like it. I know they are happy for me and I'm happy for them. It means a lot to us. We have been together for so long it will be sad when it's over, but we want to finish the year with a bang and a make a good memory here."

Tri-City coach Jim Hiller has had his eyes on Wilgosh since the start of training camp.

"He's a guy who came in this year not knowing where he'd fit," Hiller said. "The night I won't forget is when we played an exhibition game against Spokane. It was the third game in three nights. It was just the preseason and Willie played as hard as he'd played in a playoff game. It mattered no different to him whether it was a preseason game or the final game against Calgary a couple of years ago. He just brings it. And that's why you see him right here."

After introducing Wilgosh, Americans general manager Bob Tory moved on to the assistants.

"Our leadership team wouldn't be complete if you had one guy from Winnipeg without a couple others from Winnipeg to join him," Tory said. "Brendan was crushed when I sent him home at 16 and told him there wasn't a spot on the team for him. He was a small guy who has gotten better and better each year and proved his critics wrong. He challenged for the scoring title last year (96 points), he's one of the elite players in the league and has a work ethic that is unparalleled in the league."

"It's pretty amazing how thing work out," Hughesman said. "Us three have been together forever. I know how happy our parents are back in Winnipeg. It wasn't for sure. We came here with five or six 20 year olds, and for it work out this way we are really happy.""It just brings you back to when we were kids in minor hockey," Shinnimin said. "We wore letters there, and now that we are 20 and it's our last year, it's cool that we got the letters this year. Taking on the responsibility of leading a team to what we hope is a championship would be awesome, considering we won a few championships back when we were younger. That's the goal. It's pretty early in the season. We are focusing on playing hockey and helping guys learn the game and progressing into great players. If we do a good job at that, we'll have a good shot at it."

"We joke about this. Feser is a silver spoon guy," Hiller said. "I don't think he's sat out a game. When you come in at 16, you have to pay your dues. All of these guys have paid their dues at different times. Feser is one of those rare and unique players that comes right in at 16 and already understands the commitment that is required and the effort on the ice. It was a natural progression from 16 to now, just playing like a leader every night." (Herald)

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Former American Brock Sutherland is happy to be playing for Calgary:

Brock Sutherland knew exactly who to call when he heard the news.

The newest member of the Calgary Hitmen defence corps was pals with former Hitmen captain Matt Mackenzie when they were with the Tri-City Americans last year.

So, when Sutherland found out he was being dealt to these parts late last week, he quizzed Mackenzie, a native Calgarian who recently inked a contract with the Buffalo Sabres, to dig up the dirt on his new home in the Western Hockey League.

"I talked to him quite a bit, actually," Sutherland said Tuesday. "I didn't know whether or not he was coming back to Tri-City and that kind of affected what was going to happen with me.

"We'd been in touch. His dad is really good friends with my billets, so we've been talking quite a bit."

While Mackenzie was dealt by Calgary last year at the trade deadline - his first time being traded in the WHL - Sutherland had already been dealt once before as a 17-yearold with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

"I wasn't as upset as I thought I'd be," said Sutherland, who'll wear No. 26 today when the Hitmen host the visiting Regina Pats. "I was really happy to come to Calgary.

"So far, it's been really easy, the guys have been great so it's been good." (Calgary Herald)

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 The Prince Albert Raiders in town tonight.  Honestly, I know little about them, that happens when the teams only face each other once a year.  Hell, I can barely keep up with US Division teams.  So here's to a good game, that's all I ask for :)