Quietly Carving Out A Niche

I was at school the other day, and someone asked me if I had ever heard of the Canadian Women's Hockey League. I have, in fact, heard of the league as I had done a story on the draft that took place to get the inaugural five teams up and running. It was then that I realized that I have seriously neglected the highest professional hockey league that women can compete in against other women. Because of this oversight, today is all about the Canadian Women's Hockey League, how each team is doing, what they are wearing, and where you can catch a game or two if you're interested.

I want to preface this article with this statement: if you spend the time telling me that no one cares about women's hockey through comments or email, your comments will not only be denied entry on to this article, but I'll categorically go back and delete any and all comments you have ever made. And any future comments will be denied entry as well. I'm tired of hearing "hockey fans" crap all over women's hockey like it means nothing. If that's the case, your kid's Timbits hockey or any minor hockey in general is just as meaningless. As a true hockey fan, this won't fly with me. Capisce?

First off, there are a lot of recognizable names playing on the five teams in the CWHL. The five teams are based out of Brampton, Burlington, Toronto, Montreal, and the lone American-based team in Boston. These teams were assembled through a draft that happened in early August of 2010, and the teams have been battling since the season started.

If you're a fan of Burlington Barracudas, you want to keep your eyes on Danijela Rundqvist, Becky Kellar, Ashley Riggs, and Shannon Moulson. Burlington has had a rough start in the inaugural CWHL season. They currently sit fifth out of five teams with a 4-17-1 record, including being 1-11-1 away from the friendly confines of the Appleby Ice Centre.

If you cheer for the Brampton Canadettes-Thunder, Jayna Hefford, Gillian Apps, Cherie Piper, and Lori Dupuis are probably household names. Brampton has been on a major tear recently having won eleven straight games, and this streak has propelled them into second-place in the CWHL with a 17-6-0 record! Brampton is pretty consistent when it comes to their play as they are 9-3-0 at the Cassie Campbell Comnmunity Centre and 8-3-0 away from home. Hefford is the CWHL's all-time leading scorer in the previous incarnation of the CWHL, so there's some history there too!

The Toronto Aeros are sitting in fourth-place in the five team CWHL, but trail third-place by only two points at the time of writing. Their 8-12-3 record sees them playing well at home where they are 5-3-0, but Toronto needs to be better on the road with their brutal 3-9-3 record. Jennifer Botterill leads the team in scoring, and she's joined by familiar faces Tessa Bonhomme and Sami Jo Small. The Toronto club is stocked with former NCAA players, so this young squad is coming along nicely as they mature through this season.

The Montreal Stars are the class of the league at this point, leading in wins and points in posting a record of 18-2-2. Caroline Ouellette is dominating the league with 58 points in just 22 games. Joining her on the Montreal squad are Emmanuelle Blais, Julie Chu, Sarah Vaillancourt, and Kim St-Pierre. Montreal is 11-2-1 on home ice at Aréna Étienne-Desarteau, but has yet to lose in regulation on the road with a 7-0-1 record.

The lone American-based team is the Boston Blades, and they currently sit in third-place in the CWHL. Boston is 10-13-1 through 24 games thus far, but are significantly better on American soil. The Blades have a 7-6-1 record at the University of New Hampshire's Whittemore Center Arena, but have struggled to a 3-7-0 record while traveling through Canada. Led by Angela Ruggiero, Caitlyn Cahow, Erika Lawler, and Kacey Bellamy, the American-based team recently put an end to Montreal's undefeated season thanks in large part to a 74-save effort by by goaltender Mandy Cronin!

Just so you're aware, the Blades will play 16 of their 26 games at “home” – six apiece at Harvard and UNH, and single games at Providence College, Kennedy Memorial Rink in Hyannis and Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Essentially, the "New England" Blades are making the tour through the NCAA circuit!

As you can see, some of the best women to ever lace up the skates are playing regularly in the CWHL. This will, of course, make the women's game much better as the women will regularly get to play at a high-level, and I commend the CWHL for its commitment to the teams, cities, and women who are putting their best game forward day in and day out.

In terms of recognizing the teams, there are some clear similarities between the CWHL and a few NHL teams. The first jerseys put forth were clearly designed from NHL templates. As you can see, the Aeros look like the Maple Leafs, the Stars look like the Canadiens, the Thunder are wearing the colours of the Ottawa Senators, and the Barracudas are shown in the colours of the Buffalo Sabres. All of them have the Dallas Stars' treatment on the front in this image.

Well, there were a few teams that stuck with those similarities, but one team decided to stick with their original colours and their original logo that they wore in a previous league. I have to say that there are very few images of CWHL players in comparison to other leagues. In saying that, here are how the teams look today.

Toronto is definitely blue at home and white on the road. The roster photos shown on their roster page have the players in this mock-up, but I have not seen this uniform used in any picture where the players are playing. I also have yet to see the alternate uniform proposed above, so I'm on the hunt for some of those images still.

Montreal proudly wears red at home and white on the road. Again, no sign of the alternate uniform, and I'm thinking this may be a cost-saving measure. Why create a third uniform in your first year of existence? Or when your uniforms look extremely sharp already?

Montreal should go down in the CWHL as the first team to wear a promotional jersey as well as the team wore pink jerseys on February 1 to help promote breast cancer awareness and to raise funds for the Fondation du cancer du sein du Québec to battle the disease. After the game, the Stars and their moms took to the ice for a photo! The Stars raised over $5000 for the charity on the night! Good on the Stars for helping this charity, especially since it hits close to home for a number of women playing in the game!

The Boston Blades look very familiar as they wear black with yellow at home and white on the road. Much like the Stars and Aeros, I have yet to see a third yellow jersey being worn by Boston, but I am still looking.

The Brampton Canadettes-Thunder have gone opposite to the norm, adopting the black third jersey as their home jersey while wearing white on the road. Instead of going red like the Senators do, the Canadettes-Thunder are wearing black. For a five-team league, you would think that Brampton could choose a different colour, but I'm not going to rain on their parade.

Burlington is the wild card in this five-team league as they decided to go with the template of the New York Islanders instead of the Buffalo Sabres. This may have been due to the fact that they wore orange and navy blue in their previous seasons, so this keeps their colour scheme intact. As you can see, the Barracudas wear white on the road while going navy at home. As you can see, Burlington has opted to keep their logo as they display it proudly across the front of their jerseys.

So there's your introduction to the Canadian Women's Hockey League. I'll be following these teams and players as the season progresses, and we'll have a full run-down of how well each team did at the end of the regular season along with a synopsis of how the players did in the race to win the scoring title!

I'd just like to point out that some of these amazing photographs were taken by Pasquale Stalteri and used with his permission. Please respect the copyright this amazing photographer has done, and I encourage you to check out his website or his blog where all of his amazing photography can be seen. I am truly thankful for the work Monsieur Stalteri has done with the CWHL, and for his generosity in allowing me to use some of his fantastic photography! A link to his site can be found on the menu to the right!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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HBIC YIR - Part Two

We're back for the second half of Hockey Blog In Canada's Year In Review. Champagne, good food, and friends and family should be on the docket tonight, so HBIC will run through some of the highlights from the second half of the year. Yesterday, we took a look at the stories from January to June that attracted some attention, and we'll do the same today as we work through July to December. Happy New Year, everyone, and we'll be back in the normal fashion starting on January 1 with more hockey-related news and stories. Until then, all the best in the new year, and may health and happiness find you no matter where you are!

July Highlights

• July 2: An interesting Sports Illustrated article from 1976 shows that some of rules instituted by the NHL in the last few years are the same ones that players in the 1970s wanted. History does indeed repeat itself, it seems.
• July 5: Hockey loses one of its most feared players as Bob Probert passes away. I always respected Probert as a hockey player because he was the ultimate hybrid of guts and skill. Unfortunatley, his star burned out far too early.
• July 9: The National Film Board of Canada has another video gem in their archives. The Rocket is all about Maurice Richard, and is a fascinating film!
• July 16: The Hartford Whalers. I love the Whale, and I really wish the original Hartford Whalers were still playing. This article brings back some great memories.
• July 26: ESPN runs an interesting column that looks at the cleanliness and overall food quality of arenas and stadiums. A very interesting read for those attending games.
• July 29: Sports Illustrated's 1969 article about how Vancouver was going to become competitive as an expansion team is almost too incredible to believe. Except it happened, and Sports Illustrated ran the story.

August Highlights

• August 4: We get out first glimpses of what the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames will be wearing during the 2011 Heritage Classic. Also included: my comments.
• August 12: HBIC recaps the first-ever Canadian Women's Hockey League draft. There are some good teams being assembled, and I think this league deserves a little recognition.
• August 15: Some incredible WHA news was reported in this 1979 Sports Illustrated article. It's amazing to read some of the interesting stuff that happened in the "Dub".
• August 31: Seventy-four year-old Chris Chelios announces his retirement from hockey. Immediately after, hell freezes over.

September Highlights

• September 4: HBIC's month-long road trip through the midwestern US takes me through Kansas City, Missouri. Lots of good hockey history in that city, and I look at some of it.
• September 5: The following day had me in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Great city, and some solid hockey history there. I really enjoyed my time in the city.
• September 8: Houston's WHA era was interesting, and certainly has some very cool history behind it. The Howes, the flirting with the NHL, and their eventually dissolution are all covered in this piece.
• September 9: Houston's WHA Aeros led to the IHL's Houston Aeros being born in memory of the WHA franchise. Some more excellent hockey history here.
• September 20: San Antonio is a gorgeous city, and I really enjoyed my time there. Because of my visit, I wrote a piece on San Antonio's hockey history.
• September 23: My stop in Des Moines, Iowa was short, but I drove through the city rather than going around it. A lovely little city that has a solid hockey history attached to it.
• September 29: The Whale return! Unfortunately for Hartford, the Whalers continue to not exist while the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack will become the Connecticut Whale. I'm not impressed with these developments.

October Highlights

• October 2: Washington shows off its uniform choice for the Winter Classic. While the jersey choice is highly appropriate, Reebok's lack of effort in recreating the uniform is more than disappointing considering the magnitude of the game.
• October 17: Found some great viral video from France that features a guy showing people what it looks like when a player gets bodychecked into the boards. Hilarious!
• October 29: The Penguins show off their chosen duds for the 2011 Winter Classic. It's kind of a mish-mash of former uniforms, but it gets a pass.

November Highlights

• November 7: Buffalo and Toronto clash in the annual Hockey Hall of Fame game, and Buffalo shows up with some serious problems on their uniforms.
• November 12: The New York Rangers officially unveil their new alternate uniforms just weeks after Sean Avery unveiled them on his website.
• November 13: The Saskatoon Blades donned their "Canadian tuxedo" uniforms to welcome the Professional Bull Riders Association, as well as Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed.
• November 20: Pat Burns, the legendary NHL coach who won three Jack Adams Awards, succumbed to cancer after a long battle. Burns' contributions to hockey will live on forever, and we lost a great man far too soon.
• November 25: The Columbus Blue Jackets unveil their new alternate jersey, and I express my unhappiness with their choices. This won't be the last time we talk about these uniforms, I assure you.
• November 26: Another day, another alternate unveiling, more unhappiness from Teebz. This time sees the Anaheim Ducks squarely in my cross-hairs.
• November 30: It was a tough November as the hockey world lost another great. Hall of Fame writer Jim Kelley lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, and the world loses one of the most passionate hockey voices on the planet.

December Highlights

• December 2: The Portland Winterhawks unveil a new alternate jersey, but it looks remarkably like a jersey from a team in a different sport. To err is to be human, but this one just makes the team look bad in ripping off another team's idea.
• December 9: The University of Michigan and Michigan State University look to make history as they play an outdoor game in The Big House at Ann Arbor. Lots of cool information here about outdoor games.
• December 13: Remember those Blue Jackets' alternate uniforms? Apparently, the team has decided that superstition will kill them off as Columbus looks to mothball them.
• December 18: Donald Fehr is introduced as the new Executive Director of the NHLPA. Baseball laughs and mocks the NHL over their horrible luck. However, Fehr sounds like he's more interested in making hockey better.
• December 20: The world of Teebz and HBIC are changing. Actually, they already have by this point, but I've now charted a better future for me. Cross your fingers, kids!
• December 23: John MacLean is fired by the New Jersey Devils, and Jacques Lemaire is brought back. I point a finger at the $100M root of all the problems in New Jersey.

So there's another year down in the history of Hockey Blog In Canada. I'm really looking forward to next year already, and it starts with the 2011 Bridgestone Winter Classic tomorrow afternoon evening. Hunker down in front of the old cathode ray tubes, and enjoy some outdoor hockey from Sid the Kid and the Great Eight!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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HBIC YIR - Part One

Time certainly has flown this year as we're two days away from recycling those 2010 calendars hanging on walls and posted on desks. Hockey has seen some great things this year, and we've also lost some icons that made the sport much better with their presence. We've seen players emerge as superstars and we've seen superstars fall to below-average play. All of this is actually a statement about the game - it's fluid, and it's constantly changing and evolving through each shift, each game, and each season. Today, HBIC looks back on the first six months of the year, and the important stories that came from January to the end of June.

January Highlights

• January 1: We start every year off right with the NHL's Winter Classic, and the January 1, 2010 game was certainly memorable as the Philadelphia Flyers visited the Boston Bruins in historic Fenway Park. What a great day of hockey!
• January 2: Switzerland's World Junior Championship team pulls off a massive upset as they defeated Russia 3-2 to beat the Russians for the first time in history at the WJC.
• January 5: The 2010 World Junior Championship is decided in overtime as American John Carlson ends Canada's streak with his goal to give Team USA the gold medal. Great game, and a very impressive showing by America's best young hockey talent.
• January 21: If you've been following this blog, you know I'm a big fan of Frank McClelland's newest equipment invention. January 21 was the first time I was lucky enough to speak to Frank and bring to light what would eventually be his Skate Fenders product. A very interesting story to see how the plastic skate guards got started!
• January 23: I arrive in Minneapolis for the US Pond Hockey Championships, and the weather was very un-winter for the tournament. Strange weather is nothing new on the prairies, but January is rarely a month known for rain. Great uniforms seen at the tournament, and a few great stories!
• January 25: I express my disappointment with the NHL's stance on protecting its players after a major incident in the QMJHL.
• January 29: I bring to light the story of Alton White, the first professional black hockey player to record 20 or more goals in a season as well as the first professional black hockey player to record a hat trick in a professional game. Since it happened in the WHA, no one seems to care that he doesn't get this recognition. But I do.

February Highlights

• February 5: The hockey world stops for a few moments to grieve the loss of Brendan Burke, Brian Burke's son. Brendan worked as student manager for the hockey team while attending the University of Miami (Ohio), but made headlines when he announced to the world that he was a gay man. And I still believe in my words: "Being gay doesn't change who he is or how much respect I have for him. Nor should it change you."
• February 13: Phil Hecken of Uni Watch Blog and I take a look at what each team will be wearing at the Olympics. Some uniforms are good. Others are not.
• February 14: I discuss some of the ways that women's hockey at the Olympics can fix blowouts between the elite teams and the rest of the field. I still feel that getting more women involved from the other countries will make the game stronger.
• February 21: Team USA plays a much more complete game in the round-robin at the Olympics and beats Canada soundly. I'm hard on Canada and praise the Americans. And this will only set up the inevitable.
• February 28: The Goal. Need I say anything more? I take a look at the 2010 Winter Olympics as a whole, and celebrate "The Goal.

March Highlights

• March 4: Frank McClelland returns with some updates on his Skate Fenders. I'm truly a fan of Mr. McClelland's and LSSU's work, and this product is something that players should really look into for their own health.
• March 11: HBIC renews its commitment to the Vancouver Olympics by giving the sport of sledge hockey as much coverage as possible. I really like this sport, and there have been some excellent games as of late as a number of countries have improved in this sport.
• March 18: One of the countries that has improved? Japan. They defeated the heavily-favoured Canadian squad by a 3-1 score in the semi-final to earn a berth in the gold medal final. If you haven't seen a game of sledge hockey in your life, you're missing out.
• March 21: The 2010 Women's Frozen Four wrapped up in style as there were some incredible games played by the NCAA women. Congratulations go out to the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs who captured their fifth NCAA Championship!
• March 30: The 2010 CIS Men's Hockey Championship wrapped up, and the Canadian collegiate champions are the Saint Mary's Huskies! Canadian collegiate hockey, while not as prolific as NCAA hockey, is certainly one of the places where NHL teams can find some hidden talent. There are lots of good players studying across Canada!

April Highlights

• April 4: The Alberta Pandas, the women's CIS hockey team, pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in the history of the CIS as they defeated the McGill Marlets in the CIS Championship game to be called "Canada's best".
• April 5: Columbus Blue Jackets' forward RJ Umberger calls out the Washington Capitals, and makes a prediction for the playoffs about the Capitals' chances of going all the way. A number of people wrote Umberger off, but read his comments. Hockey players know hockey.
• April 10: The Boston College Eagles defeat the Wisconsin Badgers and capture the 2010 NCAA Men's Hockey Championship. The win was a great effort for a team that many didn't pick to win the championship, but the Eagles captured their fourth championship!
• April 18: I'm fairly harsh towards Hockey Canada and the effort put forth at the World U-18 Championships. I like Canadian hockey, but I hate lack of effort.
• April 27: The NHLPA decides to change the Lester B. Pearson Award to the Ted Lindsay Trophy. More hockey history is being killed, and I'm not happy about it.
• April 30: In the same fashion I criticized Hockey Canada's efforts in the U-18 Tournament, I rip the Washington Capitals for their lack of hard work. Another exit far too early in the playoffs, and the Capitals spend more time on the golf course.

May Highlights

• May 3: The KHL crowns a champion as Ak Bars Kazan won their second KHL Championship in consecutive seasons. While there are still major differences between the NHL and KHL, it appears that Kazan is becoming the "Detroit Red Wings" of the KHL.
• May 7: I found a great article in Popular Science from 1935 about the game of hockey! It's a very good read with lots of pictures, but it goes to show that some magazines were covering hockey before it was popular!
• May 14: A reader by the name of Chelsea sent me a great email about head trauma suffered by hockey players. She makes some excellent points in her email, and there are several NHL players who echo her sentiments.
• May 23: The Czech Republic snaps the Russian's 27-game winning streak at the World Championships, and captured the World Championship title! Jaromir Jagr's reason for winning? "They had stars and we had guys who play in the Czech Republic, but this shows that talent doesn't matter - you have to work hard." Hard work, kids. I can't say it enough.
• May 25: I still have no clue as to what happened to the Charlie Conacher Memorial Trophy that was awarded annually to an NHL player. Any ideas?
• May 28: Damian Cox goes absolutely loopy with his suggestion that the Chicago Blackhawks change their logo because it's offensive. Cox stirring the pot? Nothing new.

June Highlights

• June 1: A fabulous video from the National Film Board of Canada shows off a ton of Quebec Nordiques history. This video is amazing!
• June 7: More videos are posted, this time of the WHA in all its spectacular glory. I really wish I had more WHA video. Note this foreshadowing. It will come in handy next week.
• June 9: The Chicago Blackhawks are your 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Champions. They dispatched the Philadelphia Flyers in six games to capture their first Stanley Cup in 49 years. To the victors go the spoils!
• June 14: The AHL's Hershey Bears stand atop the pile of AHL teams as they capture the 2010 Calder Cup as AHL Champions! The Bears defeated the Texas Stars in six games to capture their second consecutive Calder Cup. Well done, Bears!
• June 22: In what seems like a crime against humanity, the Hockey Hall of Fame finally allowed women to be eligible to be voted into the Hall of Fame. Women's hockey has its detractors, but the pioneers of the sport deserve their kudos as much as the men.
• June 28: More amazing hockey video is found through the National Film Board of Canada's website as we see the UBC Thunderbirds heading to China to help grow the game in the Communist country. This is another amazing video that shows how significantly-different cultures can work together to grow the game.

So there are the highlights from the first six months of HBIC's 2010. I really had a great time writing this year, and the interactions with you, the readers, are what makes this so rewarding. I love reading other opinions and ideas, and I encourage you to continue to email, comment, friend me on Facebook, and whatever else you to do to send me your hockey thoughts.

More tomorrow as we review the year that was from July to December!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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TOE = Tuesday's Odds And Ends

The foot to the left has five toes on it, but today's article brings you only this TOE: Tuesday's Odd and Ends. These are more images and stories that have been sitting on my desktop that need their stories told, and we'll do that today. It's an eclectic mix of things from several leagues, so we'll work through these as orderly and quickly as possible. Some of the images are interesting while some are strange, but they are all entertaining in their own right. Needless to say, this little piggy had better get to market and write this article before Christmas gets here! Here are some random things from the world of hockey. Enjoy!

• I was looking through the New York Islanders' website on Sunday evening for some information on the fans from Quebec City who had made the pilgrimage to Nassau Memorial Coliseum. I didn't find very much information, but I did find that the Islanders' photo gallery page is actually a time-travel portal! Yes, that gallery is dated for January 1, 2011. And just like the product they roll out onto the ice, the quality control people still have that date on the website at the time of writing this article!
• Huge kudos go out to everyone who attended The Big Chill at The Big House on Saturday! A Guinness record-setting 113,411 people were at the game, and they got to see the Michigan Wolverines knock off the Michigan State Spartans by a score of 5-0. John Merrill was named as the game's first star as he scored two of Michigan's goals. I am definitely impressed with the fans in Michigan who showed up for this game, and you certainly deserve a spot on Guinness' lists with that effort! Well done, fans!
• The AHL decided to roll out their newest All-Star Game uniforms in conjunction with the Hershey Bears. The Bears, as you may know, are hosting the game this season, and I expected something quite traditional with the AHL celebrating its 75th anniversary. Well, we got traditional as the AHL unveiled their home Eastern Conference uniforms and road Western Conference uniforms for this year's game. I do like the look of them, but I immediately thought of these past NHL All-Star Game uniforms. They seem pretty similar, no? Does anyone in hockey have any creativity left?
• Great article from Brett Zarda of The New York Times about a small Canadian town that has solved the issue of springtime ice in their arena without a refrigeration system. Fort Chipewyan, a tiny outpost on Lake Athabasca in northeastern Alberta, has invested $559,000 into synthetic ice for their arena over the summer. The cost of a refrigeration system in the arena would have been into the $2 million range plus annual maintenance costs. The synthetic ice is no different than regular ice: players still use their regular skates on the synthetic ice, only there is far less maintenance involved with the synthetic ice. If you're interested in reading more about this, click the linked article above or click here to visit the Global Synthetic Ice website. It's a very cool product!
• I had never seen this before, but a friend sent me a picture of a patch that the Vancouver Canucks wore in 1986-87. The "Rick Hansen - Man In Motion World Tour" was started in 1985 from the Oakridge Mall in Vancouver, and eventually saw Mr. Hansen travel more than 40,000kms on his trip while confined to his wheelchair before finishing on May 22, 1987 at BC Place. While support was slow at the start, Hansen eventually raised over $26 million for for spinal cord research and quality of life initiatives. The Vancouver Canucks supported Mr. Hansen in his efforts, and wore a patch to help bring his work to light. A very cool patch for a great cause!
• Last, but certainly not least, is a friendly holiday greeting from the 1941-42 Chicago Blackhawks! I'm not sure how many teams would actually send a team photo to fans in this day and age, but I was tickled pink when I saw this holiday message from the Blackhawks! Bill Thoms, second from the right at the top of the card, would lead the team in scoring that season with 45 points (15G, 30A) in 47 games. Two brothers, Robert and William Carse, can be seen on the bottom row while Doug Bentley stands beside Robert Carse. Earl Siebert can be seen at the top-left as well. Missing from that team photo are Max Bentley and Billy Mosienko - two very important players in Blackhawks history!

There are a few of the odds and ends that I've had kicking around my desktop the past few weeks. I'll begin collecting some new ones as time progresses, and I'm sure we'll have another edition of TOE. Or maybe WOE if it happens on a Wednesday. Or Foe if it's a Friday. In any case, I'll see what else I can find for another episode of Odds and Ends!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Michigan's Big Chill

This weekend sees the first outdoor game of the hockey season in any league as the Michigan Wolverines host the Michigan State Spartans in The Big Chill at the Big House. This game has all the makings of something extra special: two rivals who have unbridled hatred for one another, 110,000 rabid fans, the magic of an outdoor game, and some serious NCAA hockey action. If this doesn't get you into the hockey spirit, I'm not sure you have a pulse. There are so many little details about this game that will make it one of the most memorable games in recent hockey history, and I'm here to outline as many as I can.

First off, this game is completely sold out. There isn't a seat to be had at The Big House on Saturday as 109,901 people will pack the stadium for the outdoor game. Not only will that set an NCAA record for highest attendance at a collegiate-level game, but it will also set the record for the highest attendance at a hockey game at any level. The current record is held by Veltins Stadium in Germany where 77,803 fans packed the soccer stadium to watch Germany play the USA at the 2010 IIHF World Championships. To give you perspective on this, that's 32,098 more people than the Germans' record-setting game, and just slightly less than the 37,592 fans that the 2010 Frozen Four Championship Game at Ford Field in Detroit brought in last season. The Big House is going to be a-rockin'!

Of course, there is some great history with this rivalry, and this isn't the first time that these two storied programs have met on outdoor ice. On October 6, 2001, Michigan State University hosted the Michigan Wolverines in front of 74,554 fans at Spartan Stadium for the Cold War. However, nothing was resolved that day as the two teams battled to a 3-3 tie after all was said and done.

There were some pretty recognizable names playing in the Cold War game. Mike Cammalleri, on the right, of the Montreal Canadiens had two goals for the Michigan Wolverines that day. Jed Ortmeyer of the AHL's San Antonio Rampage suited up for the Wolverines. Mike Komisarek patroled the blueline for the Wolverines that day as well. On the other side, Jim Slater, on the left, of the Atlanta Thrashers scored his first NCAA goal in the final minute of the game to propel the MSU Spartans to the tie. Adam Hall of the Tampa Bay Lightning scored the opening goal for the Spartans. Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks scored a powerplay goal for Michigan State as well. Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres was the goaltender of record for the Spartans that day. Not a bad list of players featured in that game!

Here are the vital statistics you need to know for Saturday's game:

• The rink being used on Saturday will be Olympic-sized: 200' x 100' rather than the NHL-sized 200' x 85'. The center-ice red line will run on top of the 50-yard line, and the end boards will extend to reach the 17-yard lines.
• All-time, the Wolverines lead the series between these two teams with a 136-121-18 record. MSU's records state that UM actually leads 140-122-18 due to when UM's varsity status was being attained.
• Michigan has won the last three games against Michigan State.
• Michigan is ranked #12 in the nation while MSU is unranked at this time.
• Michigan will wear special jerseys for this game. The Wolverines will take to the ice in throwback jerseys from the 1945-1948 era that look similar to what the hockey players from UM wore those years. Why this era? The 1947-48 Wolverines won the inaugural NCAA Hockey Championship in 1948. Adidas is manfacturing these uniforms for The Big Chill.
• This will be the third outdoor game for the University of Michigan, and the fifth in NCAA history. Michigan tied MSU 3-3 in the Cold War in 2001, and lost 3-2 to the Wisconsin Badgers at the Camp Randall Hockey Classic in February 2010. Michigan State's only appearance in an outdoor game was in the Cold War game in 2001.
• This is the 281st time these two teams will battle - the most of any two teams in NCAA history. This is collegiate hockey's version of Red Wings vs. Blackhawks.
• TV feeds of this game are available on FS Detroit locally, Big Ten Network nationally, and LeafsTV in Canada.
• Michigan Sports Network will carry the radio feed while the Internet webcast can be found through Fox Sports Detroit.

I, for one, am excited for this game. I think it will be one of the most memorable games in history simply due to the rivalry and the fans. As we've seen in NCAA football and basketball, people bleed for their universities, and there's no doubt that Spartans bleed green and Wolverines bleed maize and blue. One can only hope that this game is of "epic" status to put this in the upper echelon of fan memories. With the temperature forecasted as being between 28F and 34F, this should make for a great winter day!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Building Great Talent

With the emerging trends in the NHL of teams keeping and developing their good, young talent on a regular basis, Hockey Canada is beginning to find itself in a quandary, albeit a very good one. The World Junior Championships are a hallmark event for the Canadian hockey body in which they have seen unparalleled success from the rest of the world. A lot of this has to do with the excellent development programs in the Canadian Hockey League, but this is leading NHL teams to keep their high draft picks on their rosters in order to develop that talent at a faster rate. Because of this, the Canadian World Junior team sees its roster missing a lot of its top-tier talent every Christmas.

While this may sound like a complaint, it's not. It's great to see players such as Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, and Jeff Skinner suiting up for Canada, but the NHL is a business and the teams need to continue to develop their talent if they wish to remain competitive. While sending young players to the World Junior Championships would be a nice luxury for some teams, reality sometimes limits what teams can do.

The luxury that Hockey Canada has in this country is that Canada is deep in hockey talent thanks to a phenomenal major junior system and a passion for the game. Canada will have some solid returning players to man their blueline as Ryan Ellis, Calvin de Haan, and Jared Cowen will return for Canada. Up front, there is only one returnees, but there is some significant talent, and Team Canada's strength will be depth.

The return of Brayden Schenn to the Brandon Wheat Kings yesterday opens all sorts of doors for Hockey Canada. Schenn had spent considerable time with the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and the AHL's Manchester Monarchs before being returned to the Wheat Kings before his 10-game option ran out. This, of course, gives Team Canada a big boost as Schenn will be the lone returnee, but the Los Angeles Kings feel this is the best way for Schenn to develop as they have the talent to compete without keeping Schenn in their lineup.

"My candid opinion would be sure, that would be a great thing to be able to go play for Canada in the world juniors like that," Kings' GM Terry Murray told the Times. "It’s great competition and valuable experience."

Add in other notable draft picks such as Erik Gudbranson (Florida), Ryan Johansen (Columbus), Brett Connolly (Tampa Bay), and Zack Kassian (Buffalo, 2009) shows that Canada will have some solid talent assembled in Buffalo. For Kassian, it's a chance to show the team that drafted him that he's ready to make the jump from Windsor in the OHL to the bright lights of the NHL. So while the blue-chip names like Hall, Seguin, and Skinner remain with their NHL clubs, Team Canada still has themselves a very competitive roster.

Canada's major test will most likely come from the Americans once again. Team USA had nine players returning from their gold medal team one year ago for their evaluation camp, including goaltender Jack Campbell, defensemen Cam Fowler and John Ramage, and forwards Ryan Bourque, Jerry D'Amigo, Chris Kreider, Jeremy Morin, Kyle Palmieri and Jason Zucker. Fowler, though, appears to be staying with the NHL's Anaheim Ducks, but the other eight men have every opportunity to make the team and defend their gold medal.

It's a credit to the NCAA and the USHL for helping to develop young men in America into solid hockey players in the same way that the CHL does in Canada. These two developmental leagues are putting America on the map as a World Junior Championship power when they weren't even considered an also-ran as recently as a decade ago. Because of their work, there are a lot of excellent American-born players in the NHL, and that trend should continue with the work these two leagues are doing.

It should be an interesting camp in Toronto, Ontario for the Canadians as they prepare for the 2011 World Junior Championships. While the star power may not be there, Canada has a number of top-tier players who should provide a lot of exciting moments during the holiday season!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Some Tuesday Thoughts

As I work through another week here at HBIC headquarters, I'm proud to say that the upgrades went wonderfully yesterday. There were no hiccups to report, and everything is working much better with the increased amount of RAM I installed to give the old box o' chips a much-needed speed infusion. Because I really wasn't watching any hockey on a very quiet Monday in the hockey world, I do have some thoughts that occurred to me while working on my computer last night. Some of these will certainly come with pictures, but others will simply be questions with potential answers. All in all, I have some thoughts I want to get down, and this is the place to do it. Let's go!

• Just an update from that story from Sunday about Miami University (Ohio) defenceman Will Weber. If you missed the info, Weber's neck was cut inadvertently byu a skate. Weber has been released from hospital, and apparently is doing well. The only thing that's hard to take? That wound that required 15 staples and 100 stitches to close. I'd never wish that kind of injury on anyone, but Weber is truly ready for Halloween. Stay strong and get well, Will!
• Speaking of Halloween, the San Jose Sharks are continuing a good NHL tradition of jerseys and charity. The Sharks wore Halloween-themed jerseys for practice once again, much in the similar vein as they did two years ago. All of the practice jerseys will be sold during an auction on two nights: October 27 vs. the New Jersey Devils and October 30 vs. the Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks will also offer up one Halloween jersey via the NHL Auctions page, and Ryan Clowe's jersey is up for grabs. The online auction ends November 3. All proceeds will benefit the Sharks Foundation in assisting local non-profit organizations in the San Jose area. Good cause, great font, love the execution of this idea.
• In keeping with Halloween, it was nice to see Mike Bossy honored by the New York Islanders last season. The only problem is that Satan was honoring him! That's Miroslav Satan in the Bossy vintage jersey, and I really think the Islanders should do more of these kinds of events to bring back the former Islanders fans who may have moved on.
• It has long been stated that the reason for the broken center red line was for black-and-white television to ensure that viewers could differentiate between the blue lines and red lines on the ice. But what about teams that weren't televised on the old Hockey Night broadcasts? The Quebec Aces prove that solid red lines can be used for non-televised hockey teams, despite the blue lines in the background looking somewhat similar. So television really may be the reason for the center line to have a pattern. I still love that old Aces logo, though.
• I've got nothing but praise for Steven Stamkos this season as he is truly proving he is a bonafide NHL scoring machine in leading the NHL in scoring, but he's really abused one team in his division: the Atlanta Thrashers. He has 12 goals and nine assists in 14 career games against Atlanta, and doesn't appear to be slowing down after picking up four points in his most recent game against the Thrashers. Perhaps the Thrashers should be a little more aware of Stamkos when he's on the ice, and get under his skin a little to get him off his scoring streak.
• After losing his starting job last season to Tuukka Rask, there were rumours all summer about Tim Thomas being traded to various teams. The 2009 Vezina Trophy winner has shown that he's back to his dominant form, and really looks like the man he was two years ago. Thomas is 4-0-0, and is playing some of the best hockey in the early-going that I have seen in some time.

There are some photos and thoughts on Tuesday. Antler Banter is back tomorrow as I take a look at the Moose through three weeks, and we'll see if they can get back on the winning track against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Another Gruesome Injury

Just caught this quickly in passing today, but apparently there was a scary and gruesome injury in an NCAA game last night. From some of the reports I've seen and read, it appears as though defenceman Will Weber, a member of Miami University (Ohio), had his neck sliced open by a skate in their win over Northern Michigan. The RedHawks' assistant captain was opened up accidentally by a Northern Michigan player's skate, and had to be rushed to the hospital. This kind of story brings back memories of a couple of gruesome injuries that I've witnessed. The man to the left is Clint Malarchuk, and his injury was horrific. The second man was Richard Zednik, and Zednik's injury was downright scary.

Kids and parents, if you're squeamish, I recommend not sticking around for the videos below.

Here is Clint Malarchuk's injury.

And we'll follow that up with Richard Zednik's injury.

Godspeed to Will Weber, and here's hoping he makes a full and speedy recovery. I'll update Will's condition in the coming days, but injuries like these will take time to heal. All the best to Will and his family in a time like this.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Before Legein, There Was Oreskovich

I'm sure we all remember the outrage that some people had over Stefan Legein's decision to quit hockey all of sudden in August 2008. It shocked Blue Jacket fans, and the story was broken by my good friend and colleague Bethany at the time. But before Stefan Legein shocked the new NHL world and the word had spread like wildfire on the Internet, there were others before him who simply walked away from the game at a time that seemed almost too good to be true. One such man will wear the antlers for a portion of the year this season as Victor Oreskovich will start the season with the AHL's Manitoba Moose. And yes, Oreskovich quit hockey shortly after starting his professional career with the Colorado Avalanche with little to no fanfare of his decision.

Oreskovich was a solid player with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers. He had put up decent numbers with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers in 2003-04 before jumping to the NCAA's Notre Dame Fighting Irish to continue both his education and his hockey career. However, after nine games in 2005-06 with the Fighting Irish, Oreskovich jumped to Kitchener where he could kickstart his career after wallowing at Notre Dame.

He had been noticed, though, by one NHL team. The Colorado Avalanche liked the work he did with the Green Bay Gamblers, and they selected him in the second-round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft at 55th overall. There was hope that the 6'3" winger would develop into a scoring, speedy forward who could boast some size along the boards. The plan got derailed, though, when the Avalanche assigned Oreskovich to the AHL. Oreskovich, however, was finished.

“At the time, I was a little burned out from hockey,” Oreskovich admitted to Jim Bender of The Winnipeg Sun. “I didn’t plan to come back to the game, but I took a step away and it made me realize how much I missed it... I finished all my schooling and it made me realize the importance of hockey in my life.”

Oreskovich had quit the game he grew up playing in the midst of his young career. He went back to South Bend, Indiana to finish his Finance degree at Notre Dame University, turning his back on the game he loved to play. He worked in a mall while working his way through his degree, but began to feel that itch to play again.

Knowing he needed a break, Oreskovich called his former Kitchener Rangers coach Peter DeBoer in 2009. DeBoer, who had been hired to coach the Florida Panthers, went to Randy Sexson to see if his former player could get a shot on a tryout with the Panthers. DeBoer liked what he saw, but assigned the former OHL Ranger to the AHL's Rochester Americans for a little more seasoning. He had, after all, been out of the game for two years.

Oreskovich took the opportunity his former coach had given him and ran with it. He played 34 games with Rochester before being called up to help the Panthers. And he never saw Rochester again last season. Oreskovich spent 50 games with the Panthers, scoring two goals and adding four assists - nothing to be overly optimistic about, but quite an achievement for a man who one year earlier was sitting in a university classroom.

After being traded to the Vancouver Canucks this season, Oreskovich knew that his shot at making the NHL club was long. The Canucks boast talent on all four lines, and head coach Alain Vigneault decided to send Oreskovich to the Moose where he can play with energy and chip in a few goals along the way.

"It was surprising but, at the same time, I was pretty excited," he said of the trade to Vancouver. "Florida’s a good organization and they were great to me, but I think Vancouver is a special spot and Manitoba is one of the best AHL franchises out there. When it happened, I was thrilled, I really was."

Honestly, I'm thrilled to have Victor Oreskovich playing for the Moose this season. The Moose have had some very skilled wingers before in Jason Jaffray, Lee Goren, and Alexandre Burrows, but Oreskovich brings both size and skill to the table. The Moose need a big-bodied winger who can cut to the net hard, and it looks like Oreskovich might be that player.

“He’s had a good camp,” head coach Claude Noel said. “I like the way he works and let’s see how he does here. My understanding is he’s an energy guy who has the size. I watched him in Vancouver and I liked him a lot. He was strong on the puck, reliable defensively, played with some energy, played with some physicality so, is that what we’re going to see?”

I hope so. If Oreskovich can play with the up-tempo, never-say-die attitude he brings to life, he'll be a fan favorite in Manitoba.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Sweet Home Alabama

Despite me being back in the saddle here at HBIC, I am proud to bring another reader's article to you today. I don't get a lot of opportunities to cover NCAA hockey since the only games that are broadcast in my area are UND Sioux games. I'm not complaining about those, but there are a large number of teams that I'd really like to see on TV thanks to the power of the Internet and word-of-mouth marketing. Today, Mr. Aaron Duncan brings to us the story of one team that has seen its ascension into Division-I NCAA hockey come with its fair share of hurdles and obstacles.

Aaron is a major sports fan. He has a major collection of baseball caps, loves the beauty of the 6-4-3 double-play, and appreciates the game of hockey at the collegiate level. Today, Aaron brings to us the story of the University of Alabama-Huntsville hockey program. Honestly, it's quite an intriguing look at a collegiate program where one wouldn't suspect a top-flight hockey program exists. Here's Aaron!

If you’re like me, the first place you think about when you think of ice hockey is Huntsville, Alabama. Wait... Alabama? Ok, let me re-phrase that, the last place you think about is Huntsville, Alabama. As odd as that seems, the University of Alabama in Huntsville is home to the Chargers, an NCAA Division-I ice hockey program, and a pretty good one at that.

Collegiate sports have always fascinated me more than the pros, and hockey is no exception. My first exposure to NCAA hockey was with various teams in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, but, living in southeast Missouri, teams like North Dakota and Minnesota seemed so far away and non-accessible. I began to study the other conferences looking to see if there were any teams closer to home, but did not find a "home team". I did find one interesting geographic anomaly and that was the UAH Chargers. As I began delve deeper into the Chargers story, I began to realize how easy it is to become a sentimental fan of these underdogs.

The UAH program began as a club team in the Southern Collegiate Hockey Association in 1979 and won the SCHA championship their first three year in existence. The Chargers obtained NCAA varsity status in 1985, and competed in Division-II until the NCAA closed it after the 1986-87 season. This development forced the program to move up to Division-I. UAH operated as an independent team at this level until the reinstatement of Division II for the 1992-93 season. It was during this period that the Chargers developed a serious rivalry with the Bemidji State University Beavers. The two teams fought it out for the NCAA title for several years in a row, with the Chargers winning their first national championship in 1995 and followed up with another title in 1998.

The NCAA again shut down Division-II at the start of the 1998-99 season forcing the Chargers to move to Division-I again as an independent. The following season, UAH joined with Army, Air Force, Bemidji State, and Niagara to form the College Hockey America conference. Again, the Chargers continued to win, making six appearances in CHA Tournament finals and winning the conference championship twice. Due to this, they also earned two trips to the NCAA Division-I tournament, including this past season. They have even been awarded the right to host the 2012 “Frozen Four Tournament” in Tampa, Florida.

Sadly from this point on, the fate of the UAH program is in question. The CHA ceased operations at the end of the 2009-2010 season with four teams leaving for other conferences. Nebraska-Omaha and Bemidji State have joined the WCHA, while Robert Morris and Niagara are joining Atlantic Hockey. UAH made an application to join the CCHA conference but, by a vote of acclimation, were denied entry and this is where things start to get troublesome.

The CCHA commissioner, Tom Anastos, issued the following statement in a news release, "The league completed its due diligence of the application for membership submitted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville with careful consideration and discussion of various issues. At this time we have chosen to maintain our membership at its current level The CCHA will remain focused on maintaining and strengthening our existing members to ensure the conference’s continued success and long-term viability." This is a long winded way of saying nothing so speculation as to their intent is wide spread.

While searching various blogs and articles on the matter I have come across a few theories for the UAH denial. The first theory is that it would be cost prohibitive for the smaller conference teams to have to travel to Huntsville for games. The CCHA just lost Nebraska-Omaha to the WCHA. This is a team with a similar distance from the majority of its former CCHA members as the Chargers would be if accepted into the conference. Perhaps the CCHA is wanting to see how finances are across the conference without the travel expenses they have had in the past. It is even rumored that UAH had offered to help offset the additional travel expense to the other teams, but if that’s the case, it did not help their bid for membership.

Another theory is that the CCHA is holding out for a possible Big-10 hockey conference. If six of the Big-10 teams are active in a varsity sport they would be able to organize under the Big-10 name. This would also pull teams from the WHCA. Of course, after the last round of NCAA conference adjustments this did not come to play, but could still be a future possibility.

The theory that seem to currently have the most strength is that the CCHA is holding out for Penn State, who are working on moving their men’s and women’s programs up from the club level to Division-I. Now I personally find this hard to stomach if it is the case. To turn away an established program with a competitive record behind them and proven facilities for a higher-profile name that doesn’t have any experience at this level is complete nonsense.

Probably the most emotional of theories is that it is simply a matter of regional clique. Like it or not, many in the ice hockey community look down on any organization that forms in the south. I have noticed this even as high as the NHL where teams like Florida, Phoenix, and Dallas have a hard time getting the same respect the northern teams do. I think this line of thought is more an emotional knee-jerk reaction than actual fact.

As it stand now, the Chargers will be operating as an independent which will be very difficult this day and age. Without conference backing, it will be difficult to schedule games. They will have play teams during available non-conference times. There will also be a serious lack of media coverage and available scholarships. This will seriously hurt their chances in recruiting talent. These factors will make it very difficult - if not impossible - to maintain operations without a conference home in today’s economy.

So what we are faced with is a hockey program with 25 years of winning experience and a proven fan base that is on the verge of extinction due to outside factors they have little to no control over. A conference, the CCHA, that could come out of this with "egg on their face" should the UAH program fold, and the reputation of collegiate hockey, who face the possibility of their host team for the Division-I tournament closing down prior to the event, are in serious jeopardy of looking like a second-rate outfit rather than the highest standard of American developmental hockey. It’s sad and infuriating, but at the present we have little choice but to wait and see. I hope and pray that the University of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers are able to find a home soon. It would be a true shame to see so much hard work and pride just vanish for no better reason that pure politics and money.

Wow! What an excellent article! Thank you, Aaron, for your passionate look at UAH hockey!

Let's get to the meat of this article: the existence of UAH hockey. Should they have a team in the CCHA? Yes. Very much so. But, as Aaron pointed out, this is not the case. The history that the Chargers have written in the NCAA's various Divisions would put them on the same level as that of Maine, Boston College, and Denver, yet they have little to show for their efforts. And, as Gross Misconduct's 2009 article states, this move to exclude UAH could be "the first domino to fall in what could prove to be a herd-thinning situation in college hockey".

I want you all to click this link which will take you to the "Save UAH Hockey" page. The link is the "How to help" section, and the authors give a ton of excellent suggestions to show that UAH hockey is more than just some random collegiate sport. It means a great deal to the University of Alabama-Huntsville, the community, its fans, and the people that work for, with, and around the team.

Thanks again, Aaron, for bringing this to my attention, and I really hope that the UAH team will exist in 2012 to host the Frozen Four. I'll do my part, and help the team out by following the suggestions on the linked page. I hope you will as well!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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More Wardrobe Changes

There have been a pile of new uniforms that have been unveiled thus far this off-season, and we're far from being done with all the new threads being worn in this upcoming season. There are Heritage Classic jerseys, Winter Classic jerseys, throwback jerseys, alternate jerseys, and every other imaginable reason for new jerseys causing Reebok much havoc in the design and manufacturing departments. Not that I'm concerned much about Reebok, but they do have the contracts for just about every professional and junior hockey league in North America. We have a bunch of new looks to examine today, so let's get to this as we'll cover several leagues worth of new uniforms.

If you happened to poke through the Sean Avery website that Justin St. Louis brought to our attention the other day, you may have caught this information. If not, the Icethetics blog did. While the page might be dead, Icethetics kept the image alive by capturing Sean Avery in what appears to be the new New York Rangers alternate jersey.

I'm almost 100% certain that the page is dead because the Rangers have yet to show off the new threads, and since Avery's page URL includes "feels nice", one should feel confident that the jersey that Avery is wearing is indeed the new uniform. I'm not sure when the page was taken down, but the Icethetics page is dated September 16, so the picture is fairly recent.

The next jersey comes from the AHL, and is another New York-based hockey team. The Rochester Americans are part of the opening weekend of throwback games, and we're still waiting for these new jerseys to be unveiled. However, they did get the jump on showing off their new alternate jerseys for the 2010-11 season, modeled here by American Spirit Dance Team members Jillian, Allison and Stephanie.

Personally, I don't mind the throwback to the 1960s, but they look a lot like their home uniforms. I much preferred these alternates that the Americans wore, but to each their own, I suppose.

While there was no jersey unveiled, the Hartford AHL franchise announced major changes to their operations yesterday. The Wolf Pack will eventually change its name to "the Whale", but no dates have been set yet as Howard Baldwin takes over.

My take on this is that the name may draw people back to the idea of the Hartford Whalers, but the Connecticut Whale are still the Wolf Pack. I believe William Shakespeare had it correct when he wrote, "What's in a name? that which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet". In other words, it doesn't matter how you dress up the AHL franchise, they are still the same AHL franchise. Unless Baldwin has some sort of magic power that endears the community to the team, he's simply playing on the fans' passion for the Whalers. The name will only carry the team so far.

The WHL's Red Deer Rebels also jumped on the throwback alternate bandwagon today when they introduced their new alternate jerseys for the upcoming season.

From the Rebels' website (along with some grammar and spelling corrections done by me):

The most noticeable change from the previous "R" uniform is the base color. The predominant burgundy has been replaced by a beige color that adds both a retro tone, along with a western feel. The standalone "cow skull" shoulder path, taken from the teams' primary logo, reinforces this western concept. The striping has been moved to the middle of the jersey, and a burgundy shoulder "yolk" added to the top of the sweater.

The most predominant feature of the jersey, the popular "R" logo which the team has worn since 2001, has been madeover. The black fill adds strength to the logo, and compliments the neck collar. The team will wear black pants and black helmets to complete the look. Player socks will be beige with two burgundy stripes through the middle.

Count me as one who likes them. The Rebels look like a collegiate team, but they wear the throwbacks well. These jerseys should be a big seller in the Alberta city!

The OHL's Kingston Frontenacs got into the throwback alternate business today when they debuted their new alternate jerseys for the 2010-11 season.

"We went for a retro look and they turned out better than what we ever imagined," said Jeff Stilwell, Director of Marketing and Communications. I have to agree. I love the yellow jerseys, and the socks are an added bonus with the bold striping. The Frontenacs will look good in their alternates this season!

While it wasn't an announcement about new jerseys, it still was a big announcement for Penn State University as they join NCAA Division One hockey this year! To add to the event, Penn State showed off the uniforms they will be wearing. Unfortunately, they are the same as their non-D1 days, but it's still a big day for the Nittany Lions.

There are some of the major uniform updates through to today. Tomorrow, we'll take a look at the hockey history of Des Moines, Iowa. I happened to stop there for the night, and it was interesting to hear people talk about the Stars, the Chops, and a few other teams that have called the city home.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Girls Being Drafted

This is not going to be an article about women in the military, although I would like to point out that HBIC is a big supporter of equality. That being said, the very first draft was held on Thursday evening at the Hockey Hall of Fame for the newly-founded Canadian Women's Hockey League. While only three of the five teams took part in the draft, it was seen as a success for the fledgling league as they look to break new ground in women's professional hockey.

The idea behind the draft was to create better parity in the league. Normally, teams fill out their rosters with the best layers they can find, and player movement within the league is minimal at best. In order to shake the teams up and create some parity for the newer expansion teams in Toronto and Boston, the CWHL decided to employ a draft to move players around. The only catch was that each team could protect five players from the draft.

"In other professional leagues, people get place on different teams and people get traded and we in women's hockey have never really experienced that," goaltender Sami Jo Small explained to The Canadian Press. "It's been your choice as to where you want to go.

"Now you go where you are drafted and you have to make it work there and you really have to work hard to make it work."

With that knowledge, the woman pictured above, Tessa Bonhomme, was selected by Toronto as the very first CWHL draft pick. The former Ohio State Buckeye captain will suit up on the blueline for the as-yet-unnamed Toronto squad alongside current and former Canadian National Team members such as Sami Jo Small and Jennifer Botterill. Both of those players were on Toronto's five-player protected list.

Bonhomme is a self-described "offensive defenceman", and that should prove to be valuable in the new league when trying to attract fans to games. The 24 year-old's hockey skill has provided her opportunities with Team Canada, so you know she has the skill to back-up the lofty draft position.

The second overall pick went to Burlington, and they chose forward Ashley Riggs. Riggs was a member of the Niagara University Purple Eagles, and was a dynamic scorer for the school. Riggs holds the single-season school records at Niagara for points (51), goals (29), shorthanded goals (6), plus-minus (+29), and hat tricks (4). She's third all-time in scoring for Niagara, so Burlington is getting a very accomplished scorer in Ashley Riggs. Burlington protected four-time Olympic defenceman Becky Kellar to strengthen their squad.

The third overall pick went to Toronto again, and they opted to choose Brittney Smith. I have no information on Miss Smith, but I'm going to go ahead and assume she's a fantastic hockey player. That seems safe.

There is absolutely no news on the results of the draft results anywhere on the Internet, so I can't tell you who Brampton chose with their first selection. I can tell you that Brampton protected Olympians Cherie Piper, Jayna Hefford and Gillian Apps on their roster, so they'll start with an excellent foundation of experienced players.

Montreal and Boston did not participate in the draft due to costs of having players travel and potentially move to a new city to play hockey. The league felt that they were not in a position to tell the women where to play based on the fact that players in the CWHL are not paid a salary to play. Travel costs and ice-time during the season are covered by the league and teams, but the players receive no pay to play. To compensate Montreal and Boston, those two teams are able to recruit and sign players from their respective regions.

"We're not paying enough money to make a woman move from [Toronto] to Boston," CWHL executive director Brenda Andress said from Toronto. "It's not feasible or logical at this point."

Essentially, it's like the NHL circa-1920 for the CWHL where players from various regions are recruited and play for their local teams. To ensure that the players from the Greater Toronto Area are spread out evenly, the draft was devised to create parity amongst the southern Ontario teams.

The CWHL is smaller by one team this year. Last season, the league featured the Mississauga Chiefs, Brampton Canadette-Thunder, Burlington Barracudas, Vaughn Flames, Montreal Stars and Ottawa Senators. While Montreal, Burlington, and Brampton were retained as teams for the 2010-11 season, there were a few losses.

Ottawa was having problems drawing enough elite players to compete with Montreal and the Toronto-based teams in the CWHL, so they withdrew from the league. The league made an executive decision to shut down the Vaughn team in order to prevent a "watering-down" of talent amongst the GTA teams.

In their places are a team based in Toronto and the first non-Canadian team in Boston. The Boston team has already committed to practicing at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington, and to play their home games in the greater Boston area.

Boston has already announced that American Olympians Kacey Bellamy (UNH), Caitlin Cahow (Harvard), Angela Ruggiero (Harvard), Erika Lawler, Karen Thatcher (Providence College) and Molly Engstrom will be a part of their team. Tryouts have been extended to defenceman Cherie Hendrickson, former UNH standouts Micaela Long and Sam Faber, and former Boston University goalie Melissa Haber. Hendrickson suited up for Brampton last season, so her experience will be counted on for this expansion season.

Canadian Olympians Caroline Ouellette, Kim St. Pierre and Sarah Vaillancourt have announced that they will play for Montreal next season.

For more information on which players were protected by each team, please click this link that will take you to the CWHL website.

Pretty cool idea in the CWHL, and I'm happy to see that the league is starting to gain ground. The "fantasy draft" is a very novel idea in the world of hockey, and it may prove to be the best way for this league to survive. Well done, ladies, and good luck in the upcoming season!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Thanks, Dad!

Today is a big day for dads. Father's Day is always special as we take time to honour and celebrate our father or father figure for the influence and guidance he has provided us over the years. Hockey dads are a part of hockey culture around the globe, especially when families are large and a number of children are playing the sport. As much as mom drives the family foundation by being a provider for kids, dads share an equal responsibility in helping his children and his children's friends become better people. Most often, we see a lot of fathers as coaches.

My father had the same role as I grew up. He often coached at both the amateur and high school levels in the one sport he knew best: soccer. He recently called it quits after coaching for over twenty years, but the one thing he always stressed was fair-play and respect for both his opponents and the officials on the field. Yes, disagreements will occur, but he was always the first one to shake hands with the officials after the game despite their differing opinions on calls.

Today, I would like to look at the men who are making kids' sporting lives a little better by teaching them the importance of being good people. This includes teaching sportsmanship, respect, fairness, and how to be part of a team, and there are a lot of dads out there who do this regularly through coaching. The linked article below probably didn't get a lot of fanfare from hockey bloggers and reporters over the last year, but I think these men deserve to have their stories told.

• Bruce Ferguson, a Fort McMurray, Alberta father, has been coaching for over twenty years, including his two sons. The most important thing he teaches his team is the importance of equality. Ferguson's sons never got preferential treatment on any of his teams. Everything that came with it - respect, communication, sportsmanship - came with his lesson.
  
• Jay Greco, an Ottawa, Ontario father, has coached his daughters through various levels of hockey, and now sees his daughters coaching younger players in the Ottawa area. He credits the bond through hockey he has with his daughters of making him a better dad. And his daughters agree. The best part? Mr. Greco's philosophy in coaching came from a man who coached him in North Bay when he was a youngster. Highly recommended read!
• Ben Hoger talks of the late Art Missias, a coach in Kalamazoo, Michigan, who became a second father to a lot of the players he coached. Missias showed a tough exterior on the ice, but he was a true softie underneath his gruff exterior. Because of his love of the game, he inspired players to greater heights, and had a number of players and people follow in his coaching footsteps. Rest in peace, Art. Your lessons will live on throughout time because of the life lessons you taught your players.
• We can't forget the lessons taught to society by Leafs general manager Brian Burke after his son announced that he was gay. John Buccigross penned an exceptional piece on how the gruff Brian Burke supported his late son, Brendan, when he first came out as a gay man to his family and then the world. Burke showed the kind of unconditional love that you'd expect from a true father, and Burke's support of his son, who passed away in an auto accident last winter, continues today. As much as Burke may not be liked by some in the hockey circles, Burke is the kind of father all sons and daughters should want.
• A great story comes from Manhattenville College where Michelle Witz has benefitted greatly from her father's humbleness about his daughter's ability as a hockey player. While Michelle Witz was getting better as a hockey player under her father's tutelage, Ed Witz was always the last person to suggest his daughter should be elevated to better teams. In fact, most coaches had to force Ed Witz to speak about his daughter. Ed's lessons in humility has allowed Michelle to grow without the pressures that some children in sports feel. That is a very important lesson being taught.

Now, there are probably hundreds of other stories out there about coaches who have done amazing jobs in shaping children to be better people as they move through the stages of their lives. I simply selected these stories because they show exactly what kind of lessons I learned from dad as he coached me: respect, fairness, and sportsmanship like Mr. Ferguson; give back and help other like Mr. Greco; inspire and teach, but don't be a jerk like Mr. Massias; love unconditionally like Mr. Burke; and, be humble while being supportive like Mr. Witz.

To all dads today, I want to say thank you for the time and effort you put in while coaching and making today's tykes into the great coaches of tomorrow. More importantly, I want to say thank for molding these young people into great adults by teaching them lessons they need to know in life.

Thanks, Dad!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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