The Return Of Classic Auctions

There is no quantitative limit with regards to the respect and admiration I have for hockey history. There are so many great stories and so much fascinating imagery from the game that it should be celebrated as often as possible. Thankfully, Classic Auctions is holding another one of its fabulous sports memorabilia auctions, so I think it's time we revisit some of the great history seen in the game of hockey and some of the associated stories that have come along with these small glimpses into the annals of the game. Let's take a look at some of the more interesting pieces up for auction this time.

• We'll start this look into hockey history with a glimpse back at a jersey from an all-star. Vaclav Nedomansky was chosen as a WHA All-Star in 1976, and he played on Team Canada for the game in Cleveland, Ohio despite being from Czechoslovakia! The reason for this is that the WHA chose players for their all-star teams based upon where they played rather than where they were born! The Canadian-based WHA teams sent players as part of the Canada All-Stars and the American-based WHA teams sent players as the United States All-Stars. In 1976, Toronto Toros' star Nedomansky and the Canadian WHA All-Stars beat the US WHA All-Stars by a 6-1 score on January 13 at Richfield Coliseum!
• We move on to an Original Six team. I have to say that I am a huge fan of this Blackhawks sweater from the 1950s. The colours, the stripes, the logo, the font... it truly is a thing of beauty! If there was ever an opportunity to bring back a different alternate jersey for the Blackhawks, this one gets my vote.
• Strangely enough, the Blackhawks have worn this look closer to the future. In 1991-92, the NHL had the Original Six teams wear a throwback jersey, and the Blackhawks decided on a jersey that looked remarkably like their sweaters from the 1950s. Two things I don't like: the rear font they decided on, and the name on the back. The font is just too skinny, and if you're going to throwback to a previous incarnation, go all the way or don't go at all.
• This is a rare find, but I'm always intrigued when I come upon a number that I've never seen a player wear. Ethan Moreau apparently wore #65 during the 1994 preseason! If you're a Moreau fan, this number is one of those rare finds - much like Joe Sakic's #88 jersey when he played with the Nordiques!
• When you think of the Vancouver Canucks, does anyone else miss this look? I'm sorry, but as good as the current look is, there is still something about the skate logo that I truly miss about the Canucks. Maybe we'll see these beauties come back as an alternate one day? No one did yellow-orange-black like the Canucks did.
• As much as I hated them as a Penguins fan, there is something magical about the red-white-and blue of the Capitals. But I do have one question about this Doug Jarvis jersey from the early-1980s: why are the hem stripes so huge? They literally go right to the logo which is mid-torso! That's a little crazy.
• Just because there aren't enough Sutters in Calgary, here is more proof that the Sutter bloodline runs through the Flames. That's Shaun Sutter's jersey from the 1999-2000 season. Shaun is the son of Brian Sutter, and was drafted by the Flames when his dad coached there. Currently, Shaun serves as an assistant coach with the WHL's Regina Pats.
• I've looked at this before, but there was something going on with the Philadelphia Flyers in the late-1970s and early-1980s. Check out the location of the captain's "C" on Bob Clarke's jersey from 1976-77. It's nearly in the middle of his chest! And it's still pretty close to his mid-line in 1980-81! What gives? Why is it so close to the middle of his chest?
• We move to the international scene. There's a big story surrounding the 1988 Canada Olympic jerseys that I wasn't aware of before reading the story on the Classic Auctions site. This is Ken Yaremchuk's jersey, and he played alongside NHL players like Sean Burke and Andy Moog as they prepared to represent Canada at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. Here's the kicker: "An embroidered CCM crest on the rear hem has been covered with a patch of red tackle twill, obviously to comply with advertising guidelines. Canada received a fine of $100,000 for refusing to wear uniforms made by Tackla at the Games". I never knew that! Corporate America already had a hold on the Olympic Games back then! How cool is that little gem of hockey history? I'm hoping your answer was "very".
• Here's a number that wasn't seen on the ice at the 1991 Canada Cup, but Vincent Damphousse played during the selection camp. He wore #50 through the camp as he worked to play his way onto the team, but he was cut days before the Canada Cup started. It's another one of those number cameos by a player who never wore #50 again. We'll see more of Damphousse later in this article as he has another jersey in this exposé.
• We mentioned a couple of Sutters already, so let's bring a couple more onboard in this article. We get a good look at Duane Sutter's jersey with the Islanders from '81-82, and I'm always a fan of the first initial on a jersey. However, as we look at this photo with both Duane and Brent Sutter in it, does anyone see a major difference in the lettering? Duane's appears as single-colour font while Brent's font is double-coloured. It appears this was corrected as of 1981-82.
• With the Lightning changing their jerseys next season, it's always interesting to look back at some of their previous jerseys. Their inaugural jersey was interesting. Steve Kasper's jersey has that ridiculous font on it. I'm quite happy that it went the way of the dodo and was never seen again.
• I have to say that I always loved the colours of the Minnesota North Stars. We get to see that gorgeous green colour of the North Stars jersey here on Basil McRae's uniform from the 1987-88 season. This is what Minnesota hockey looks like. Bring back the green!
• Bob Rouse's jersey from his stint with the North Stars shows the addition of black to the colour scheme. This is how I think most people remember the North Stars. There were so many great memories of that Stanley Cup run in 1991 that ended at the hands of Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the final, but these great uniforms will stand out vividly in my mind.
• The jerseys that the North Stars wore in 1991-92 really took leaps and bounds in the wrong directions with their "re-design". Nothing about that design even comes close to giving off that great North Star vibe, and it feels pretty bland as a hockey jersey. Little did the hockey world know that the "north" part would soon be a thing of the past.
• By 1993-94, the Stars would be playing in Dallas, and they would be wearing uniforms that seemed to have a lot in common with the earlier re-design. Note to self, fans: if your team suddenly begins to remove the parts of the uniform that make you distinctly unique like, say, part of the team name, I'd be suspicious.
• Even the officials got in the act with some distinct designs. We've seen this image of Ron Ego calling a penalty in the WHA and discussed his red-striped officials jersey. I never scoured the internet for a picture with much intent because the referees seem to get lost in the shuffle of history. However, Wayne Mundey's referee sweater is a joy to behold!
• The NHL officials showed that they wore the NHL colours for a long time as this official's sweater from the 1970s has orange numbering to match the NHL shield on the front! Wasn't it nice when NHL All-Star teams and NHL employees all represented the league by wearing the league's colours? The "good ol' days", I suppose.
• The California Golden Seals seemed to miss the boat in the 1970s when they went pastel instead of staying true to their gorgeous green looks as the Oakland Seals. Bob Girard's uniform looks great, but it just doesn't have the same "pop" as the Oakland jersey does.
• The 1975-76 Kansas City Scouts jersey is a nice blend of colours, but that logo really draws the eyes to it. That logo features chain-stitching, a favorite of Mr. Paul Lukas over on Uni Watch Blog. I'm not saying the colours should return in the same fashion, but I really think someone needs to come up with a new "Scouts" ensemble. Any takers?
• Check out the logo on Nelson Pyatt's Colorado Rockies jersey from 1976-77. It looks a little off, doesn't it? That's because the Rockies didn't have their jerseys ready when the season started in 1976. The Kansas City Scouts had moved in the off-season before the 1976 season started to Denver, but they didn't have their jerseys ready in time for the start of the season. Thus the Rockies began the 1976-77 season with an odd-looking Rockies logo instead of their normal logos.
• Speaking of another jersey that just doesn't seem right, here is a Penguins jersey from the late-1960s. The stripes being light blue just don't seem right after having seen them in yellow-and-black for so many years. Another of the jerseys lost in the annals of history, I suppose.
  
• Don Maloney had an interesting career with the New York Rangers. While he wasn't officially the captain, he worked as acting captain whenever the Rangers saw their captain injured. Thus, he routinely is seen with the "C" on his sweater. However, Maloney is probably more well-known for his full name on the back of his sweater. I always thought that was pretty cool.
• How many people remember Guy Lafleur's tenure with the Broadway Blueshirts? The original "Flower" laced up the skates with the Rangers for 67 games in 1988-89, netting 18 goals and adding 27 assists. I don't remember this, but Lafleur wore #44 while with the Rangers.
• I found that the Detroit Red Wings did something as they evolved through the 1980s. In the late 1970s (and probably further back), the Red Wings used to use the wheel as the center point for their logo on their chests. The result? Greg Carroll's jersey looks seriously skewed because of the logo.
• Another gorgeous throwback jersey from the 1991-92 season was worn by the Detroit Red Wings. Doug Crossman played with them that season, and the stripes make this jersey look amazing. This is still one of my favorite hockey jerseys of all-time.
• How cool is this Hockey Night In Canada microphone cover and book? Ok, the book isn't all that important, but how awesome would it be to have that microphone caddy? I might want one of those more than I want a fabled HNIC towel!
• We've seen a number of the NHL Showcase Confrontation jerseys in the past, but there's another one in the auction this time around. Bryan Trottier's jersey is up for grabs this time, and I must admit that I really like the colours on this jersey. I may have to research these Showcase Confrontation games a little more!
• There are lots of people who saw the NHLPA 4-on-4 Challenge from Hamilton, Ontario in 1995, but there seems to be zero tape of these games online anywhere. During the strike, the players got together at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton to play some four-on-four hockey while representing their respective regions: Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, and the USA. Vincent Damphousse was invited, and he played for Team Quebec at the event in this gorgeous NHLPA jersey. I want it!
• We started with the WHA, so let's end it with a few WHA sweaters as well. The original team with the number on the shoulder was the Chicago Cougars, and Cam Newton's jersey from 1973-74 shows the number clearly. I'm still not a very big fan of having the number on the front of the jersey in hockey, but it seems to have made a comeback with some of the NHL teams today.
• Journeyman defenceman Jerry Zrymiak bounced around the WHA for a while, but he played with the Michigan Stags for a while during the '74-75 season. I'm not sure about you, but the name "Michigan Stags" just sounds like a manly name. The colour is a little less manly, though. I love the Stags' logo, though.
• Les Binkley starred in net for the Toronto Toros in 1975-76. I like the colours of the Toros' jerseys, but the important part is the "Toros" mark on the sleeve stripe. That's a huge detail on these jerseys, especially when you consider that the team moved after the '75-76 season and became the Birmingham Bulls. Why is this important? Check out the similarities in the Bulls' jersey to the Toros' jersey. The only thing missing is the "Toros" wordmark from the sleeve!

There are a pile of incredible auction items available through the Classic Auctions website. I really would kill for that HNIC microphone cover or that Detroit TBTC jersey, but, being that I'm a poor college student, these luxuries will have to wait. If you're interested, get over to the Classic Auctions website ASAP!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Another Brick Upside The Head

I'm not sure what it is about the stripes that hockey officials wear, but it seems to turn some minor-hockey coaches and parents into lunatics towards the men and women in stripes. While it seems that there are a few bad apples that spoil the bunch in terms of coaches, players, and parents, the few that are being completely unprofessional commit anywhere to from 80-95% of the acts of aggression towards the officials. Why is this? Why can't the officials do their jobs without the threat of verbal or, in some cases, physical abuse? Are we, as a society, really this depraved?

The majority of officials in minor-hockey are as young as some of the players they are officiating. That means that they routinely are near the same age of the players or, in most cases, slightly older than the kids on the ice. When a player yells at an official, it's normally in the throes of the game where passion, emotions, and adrenaline are all on extreme highs for the player. I don't condone yelling at an official, but sometimes it happens.

Where it seems that people lose their minds is in the stands or on the bench. Far too often, young kids who are trying to hone their officiating skills are forever put off the game by some blowhard who decides that a mistake by a 16 year-old referee or linesman has now cost his team of 13 year-old children all chances of ever winning the Stanley Cup. Never mind the fact that the 13 year-old kids are hearing all sorts of words that are normally bleeped out on television, but they are also learning that that type of behavior is acceptable.

Do officials make mistakes? Absolutely. They are just as human as you or I. Do they scream obscenities and threaten your health and safety when you screw up? I have heard, in my time spent at rinks, far too many death threats, obscenities, and other incredibly rude comments made towards the officials from the people around me in the stands or from across the rink from a coach. And that, readers, is ridiculous.

The reason this has come to light is because there is an alarming rate of official abuse being seen in Winnipeg's minor-hockey system. Russ Romaniuk of the Winnipeg Sun wrote a very good article on this topic Friday, and it really needs to be read.

Winnipeg minor hockey on-ice officials are increasingly facing physical and verbal attacks from players and coaches, as the abuse reaches what a local organizer calls an “epidemic.”

Hockey Winnipeg president Don McIntosh told league directors, co-ordinators and other organizers by e-mail this week that something must be done to stop attacks on the officials, who can be as young as 13.

"This is reaching epidemic status," he says in the e-mail, which was sent Wednesday and obtained by the Winnipeg Sun.

In the memo, he cites three Hockey Manitoba disciplinary hearings held within the past two weeks into physical abuse of referees or linesmen — two involving players and the other involving a coach of a team of seven- and eight-year-olds.

"There have been other hearings at Hockey Manitoba this year and three hearings pending from very recent incidents," McIntosh says in the e-mail, adding "the verbal and physical abuse of referees has to stop."

Glenn Asselstine, vice-president of officials with Hockey Winnipeg, told the Sun that 16 incidents of such abuse have been reported since early January — a sharp increase from what is usually seen in that period of time.

"Physical abuse of officials has jumped probably threefold in the last month and a half," he said. "It is very scary for us right now."

Incidents of physical attacks on officials generally lead to hearings held by Hockey Manitoba, the province's governing body for the sport. Suspensions can and do occur.

When contacted by the Sun, McIntosh didn't reveal specific details of the incidents.

He confirmed, however, that the increasing frequency of the problems has spurred his call to community centre directors and hockey sub-association presidents and co-ordinators to "talk to the coaches" to bring more awareness to the dilemma, which has prompted an undetermined number of refs and linesmen to leave their positions during the past few years.

"I’m told that referees are quitting because of abuse. Senior or management referees who we have in our system will tell you that," McIntosh said, adding he doesn’t know the number of such resignations.

"Referees are a very valuable and important part of our game. Our game couldn’t go without them."

McIntosh said abusive behaviour toward officials appears to be mostly in players aged 17 to 14, "who quite frankly, don’t give a damn on the ice, maybe, and don’t give a damn at school. It's a societal change that we're seeing on the ice, to some degree, I think. They’re just not as concerned about consequences as they once were."

The fact that there was an incident of physical abuse towards an official "involving a coach of a team of seven- and eight-year-olds" is downright pathetic. These are the people we are entrusting our kids to learn from both on the ice and in the dressing room, and this is what the coach is teaching our next generation of hockey stars?

Here are the stats that Romaniuk dug up in his story:

• 16 - number of on-ice incidents since January 4 involving officials.
• 10 - number of those 16 incidents that went to disciplinary hearings.
• $16 - lowest wage earned by an on-ice Hockey Winnipeg official.
• $51 - highest wage earned by a Hockey Winnipeg referees.
• $41 - highest wage earned by a Hockey Winnipeg linesman.
• 13 - lowest age for on-ice Hockey Winnipeg officials.
• 450 - number of on-ice Hockey Winnipeg officials today.
  

I'm not sure about you, but I have taken my fair share of abuse as a fan for telling parents of the teams I'm watching to give it a rest. I don't feel bad about telling them to shut their traps, and I'd rather they tell me off than to take it out on some teenager wearing an official's sweater. Personally, I can deal with that problem a lot easier than an intimidated 13 year-old teenager can. Yet here we are discussing these problems.

Readers, I encourage you to have some respect for the officials working games in minor-hockey leagues. If you see someone running his or her mouth, ask him or her politely to stop. For most kids, playing hockey is all about fun. Learning the lessons that come along with winning and losing is important, but kids will stop playing the game if it is no fun.

It reminds me of the Pink Floyd song: "Coaches leave them refs alone. Hey! Parents! Leave them refs alone! All in all, you're just another brick in the wall."

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Goalies Gone Wild

You may not recognize this guy, but I'd say he's a pretty fierce competitor. He's the kind of guy that will kill you if you don't kill him first as far as I can tell from what I've seen and heard. So while he's probably a pretty good teammate, I'd imagine he'd be a pain in the rear to play against. The man we're talking about here is Ottawa Senators goaltender Robin Lehner. And Lehner seems to have the psychological aspect of the game of hockey down to a science. He showed it last night against the New York Islanders, and he's shown it in the past as well.

Let's go back to this year's World Junior Championship where Lehner was the starting goaltender for Team Sweden. I'll let the video do the explaining, but watch until the end of the clip where Lehner goes off on the officials during an interview.

Wow. Do you really think that the goal that put Russia up 2-0 was the deciding factor? And I'm sure that the officials base their calls on who is playing in the game. C'mon.

Anyway, we can see that Lehner is a little intense when he plays the game. However, last night saw Lehner take things to a whole new level as the end of the second period became bigger than the game.

Now, considering yesterday's post, I'm quite certain that the Islanders' goaltenders were told not to throw down the cheeseboard and glove for some old-fashioned disagreement-settling. Kevin Poulin wisely keeps his gear on, but what was Lehner thinking with the forearm shiver he delivered?

If Lehner was trying to get into Poulin's head, it really backfired as the Islanders won the game in the third period on the ensuing powerplay that resulted from Lehner's indiscretion at center ice. Rob Schremp scored the game-winning goal at 1:39 of the third period, and the Islanders skated to the 5-3 victory. So while it appeared Lehner was trying to get Poulin off his game, it appeared to fire Poulin up as he shut the door in the third period.

I like Lehner's tenacity and intensity, and his personality will certainly keep him as a fan favorite if he continues to push the envelope. I was thinking, though, that maybe Lehner was keeping an Ottawa goaltending tradition alive?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Maybe The Fans Can Try?

I had visions of writing an article today on the shootout, and how this added bonus at the end of tied games send the fans home with a feeling of satisfaction or defeat. After all, hockey is a sport that prides itself on entertainment value, and no one really likes to go home unfulfilled after spending $500 on tickets, food, and souvenirs. Instead, I changed my focus once I came across an article that spoke of the longest shootout in hockey history, and one that network executive in North America would probably grumble about if it happened here.

We go back a few weeks to the Deutsche EisHockey Liga where the visiting Straubing Tigers played EHC München on December 22, 2010. Not much was out of the ordinary as the teams closed out the regulation sixty minutes tied 4-4. 4999 fans awaited the standard overtime period, and saw the two teams remain tied after the extra frame. So, as we see in most games today, a shootout was on-deck in this game.

The two goaltenders, Sebastien Elwing for München and Dimitri Pätzold for Straubing, have probably faced a number of penalty shots in practice, and I know some teams enjoy having a shootout competition at the end of practices as a little fun. I'm guessing both goaltenders have seen their fair share of penalty shots and shootout moves in their careers.

That being said, the game on December 22 may have doubled the amount of shootout attempts they have faced in their careers in one game. The shootout between Straubing and München went an incredible 21 rounds! The hockey game, including the shootout, lasted nearly three hours for the fans, players, coaches, and officials - a timeframe almost unheard of for professional hockey games.

There were goals in the third round of the shootout as Straubing's Justin Mapletoft and München's Martin Buchwieser each scored on their attempts to keep the shootout knotted at 1-1. Christian Wichart and Tobias Draxinger scored again in the fourteenth round to keep the shootout even at 2-2.

München captain Stéphane Julien appeared to score in the seventeenth round, but the goal was waved off by referee Lars Brüggemann after the video replay showed the puck did not fully cross the goal line. 34 skaters in, two goals, no winner yet. Will this game ever end?

As an aside, Lars Brüggemann is an interesting fellow. He is a former player from the DEL, and has now turned his sights on officiating in the German Elite League. Brüggemann played one season in the QMJHL with the Hull Olympiques in 1993-94, recording one goal, three assists, and 93 PIMs over 58 games. He left for the DEL after that season, but returned to North America to play in the ECHL three years later. He suited up with the Jacksonville Lizard Kings in 1997-98, scoring one goal, six assists, and spending 91 minutes in the penalty box over 49 games. The rest of his career played out in Germany. But back to this story....

Neville Rautert and Andy Canzanello exchanged goals in the eighteenth round, and both Martin Buchwieser and Tobias Draxinger scored again in the twentieth round as the two teams remained knotted at 4-4 through the shootout. But things were about to change in the 21st round.

Straubing’s Éric Meloche, who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL, blasted a slapshot past Sebastien Elwing to put Straubing up by a 5-4 score. The game came down to Stéphane Julien, but the München captain was stonewalled Dimitri Pätzold as Straubing won the shootout by a 5-4 score and the game by a 5-4 score after 21 rounds of shootout.

The longest shootout in IIHF competition was 13 rounds between Belarus and France at the 2002 IIHF U-20 Championship. Belarus eventually won the game on Dmitri Mialeshka's goal in the 25th round as Belarus downed France. The NHL's longest shootout is still remembered between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals from November 25, 2005. I mean, how could anyone forget this goal?

Eric Meloche's name is the answer to the trivia question: Who scored the goal to end hockey's longest shootout in history?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Chris Pronger Comedy

I have to give some credit to a man that a lot of people simply don't like. Chris Pronger, in recent years, has become sort of the NHL's improv comedy guy. From toying with reporters during press conferences to cracking jokes during scrums around his locker, Pronger really has started to show his personality, and I'm starting to warm to the guy. How many times have you seen an interview with a player where he gives all the clichéd answers and standard responses to questions? Too many, I'd say. It's no longer the case with Chris Pronger.

The following video was posted to YouTube by BroadStreetHockey, and they deserve some credit for capturing the reporters' reactions as they ask Pronger about the disallowed goal against Calgary on Friday night. The reporters clearly like talking to Pronger because of how candid his answers are. Take a look, and watch their reactions to Pronger's answers:

"That's a five-second delay, Chuck!"

I'm not here to debate the wording of the rule that the NHL has in place or whether the referee, Mr. Ghislain Hebert, was right in making the call. The call was made, it can't be changed, done and done. Yes, the call cost the Flyers one point in the standings, but they had additional chances after the goal was waved off.

What I am here to say is that it is refreshing to hear a player make comments that generally don't get him fined. More players need to learn this skill, and it's one that Pronger has down cold. How entertaining would the NHL be if the player interviews were as good as the game itself?

Don't get me wrong: I don't support or endorse what Pronger did in any way. I know Don Cherry had a problem with it tonight, and that's his belief. If Pronger did it innocently, that's his claim to defend and support. I'm not comparing his actions with Sean Avery's actions simply because Avery went out of his way to distract Martin Brodeur. But it does look kind of fishy when Pronger is waving his hand at the height of Kiprusoff's head.

Regardless of whether he was right or wrong, Pronger's interview skills should be endorsed because he's the most entertaining chatter in the NHL right now.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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TBC: Peter Puck's Big Book of Hockey

As you're probably quite aware, I love hockey history and quirky facts from the fastest team game known to man. There are lots of places to find these tidbits of information, but it's always handy to have a book full of interesting anecdotes and quips about the game of hockey. Admittedly, I could probably sit and read a book of historical and interesting hockey facts for hours. Because of that, Teebz's Book Club is proud to present Peter Puck's Big Book of Hockey, written by Brian McFarlane and published by HB Fenn and Company. Peter Puck, the "Poke-Check Professor", takes a front-and-center role in presenting some historical, unusual, and interesting stories from the game of hockey, and it's this look at hockey through the eyes of the affable Peter Puck that we get Peter Puck's Big Book of Hockey.

Brian McFarlane, the son of Hardy Boys author Leslie McFarlane, was working for NBC in the early 1970s. The Canadian sportscaster and author was asked by his boss at NBC to come up with a way to educate people in hockey. McFarlane's idea was Peter Puck, although the name was created by Joe Barbera, president of Hanna-Barbera Cartoon Studios who helped create the look of Peter Puck.

"When I was with NBC in 1973, my boss, Scotty Connell, decided that our intermission features needed to be more instructional in nature," McFarlane said. "He called Joe Barbera out at Hanna-Barbera, and said, 'We need a little animated character to describe hockey.' They asked me to send Hanna-Barbera some of my literature on hockey, some of my books, and describe what an offside is and icing and that sort of thing."

Now that you know how Brian McFarlane and Peter Puck came to be, Peter Puck's Big Book of Hockey, voiced by Peter Puck, contains a lot of information broken into distinct chapters:

• Love That Hockey History! - all about hockey's beginnings.
• The NHL's Fascinating Past - all about the NHL's history.
• Those Cool, Courageous Goalies - all about goaltenders.
• Getting An Early Start - all about youth and young hockey players.
• Women Love Hockey, Too - all about the fairer sex in hockey.
• Stanley Cup Facts and Follies - all about the big, silver trophy.
• Some Fabulous Hockey Records... and a Few Less Memorable Ones - all about hockey records.
  
• When Coaches Lose Their Cool - all about coaches.
• Some of My Personal Favorites - all about Peter Puck's favorite facts.
• Remember the WHA? - all about the WHA.
• About the Game Officials - all about officials.
• Hockey Here and There - all about facts and stories from random hockey locations.
• What More Can I Say? - all about random hockey facts.

Needless to say, there is a wide range of hockey information contained on the 222 pages that Peter Puck has voiced. The facts that are presented are a variety: there are some that are known, and some that were completely unknown to me. What Peter Puck's Big Book of Hockey does is bring them all together in one place, and present them in an organized fashion.

Do you know who the youngest NHL owner was? Do you know who the first Russian-trained player to score an NHL goal was? What team did he play for? Why was 1989 a significant year for Europeans in the NHL? Do you know who the last goaltender was to play every minute of every game for his team, and what team did he play for? How many women have had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup? All of these questions are answered in this book, and Peter Puck's Big Book of Hockey presents it all in short, anecdotal form.

As stated above, there are some relatively well-known facts that are presented in Peter Puck's Big Book of Hockey, but there are a significant amount of facts that were unknown to me. The chapters are broken down into easy-to-read sections, and all progress chronologically so that finding a specific fact is relatively easy to locate. The one thing that this book required was an index for even faster referencing, but it's not that hard to find what you're looking for if you know what you need. Because of Mr. McFarlane's writing and knowledge of the game, this book is a "must-have" for all hockey trivia buffs and amateur hockey historians, and certainly deserves the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval.

As Peter Puck always says, "Love that hockey game!"

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Par For The Course

I had serious reservations about posting this tonight, but I think we need to look at the event that occurred at Madison Square Garden between the New York Rangers and the Edmonton Oilers yesterday. The man to the left, Sean Avery, played a big role in the fiasco that erupted on Sunday afternoon, and there are a number of factors that contributed to the insanity that erupted after Avery set the fireworks off. Sean Avery has always played on the edge, repeatedly pushing the envelope in terms of what is acceptable on and off the ice. His run-in with Ladislav Smid on Sunday afternoon is entirely why Sean Avery gets little to no respect from his peers and the NHL fans.

Let's start with the video of what happened.

Oi vay. Let's break this down as easily as we can.

1. THE HIT: Avery's hit on Colin Fraser was completely clean, and there was no need for Ladislav Smid to challenge Fraser at first appearance. However, the Oilers trailed 5-2 at that point in the game, and Smid may have been looking to give his team a spark. A little retribution for a hit on Fraser doesn't hurt either, but the hit was clean.
2. THE CODE: Smid openly challenges Avery to a fight, and Avery stands there with no reaction to the challenge. Smid, seeing the play continue, has to remain aware of where the puck is as he still has a job to do as a defenceman. Avery, after five seconds of standing with his hands at his side, drops the gloves without letting Smid square up. That, readers, goes against the "code" in the NHL. I'll talk a little about this below.
3. THE PUNCH: Avery caught Smid square on the jaw with a thundering right fist before Smid had a chance to square up and get his hands up. This, in any other instance, is a sucker-punch. If you saw someone at a bar or on the street get popped like that, you'd call it a sucker-punch. Avery could have said "no" to Smid's challenge - something that the "code" states is allowed - but he instead waited until he had an unfair advantage as Smid had half-turned away from him.
4. THE AFTERMATH: Kudos to the officials for getting Avery off the ice as quickly as they did. It could have been a bloodbath had Avery been allowed to remain on the ice, and the officials deserve credit. As for all the other players, the brouhaha is all about respect and pride, and they did what they had to do. But it wouldn't have gotten as serious as it did had it not been for Sean Avery's actions.

Ok, let's go back to "the code". I want to make this clear for all of those who think that hockey fights are barbaric and idiotic: I do not condone fighting, but fights happen in a game where emotions and violence line-up alongside one another. I'm not advocating fighting in hockey in any way, but they occasionally happen. The problem is that fighting in hockey could be controlled if it was left up to the players.

In any case, the "code" states that:

• ... players fight within their weight class. I'd say that Avery and Smid are fairly decent middleweights. No mismatch here, so this should be a fair fight.
  
• ... players challenged have the right of refusal. The challenged player must have a good reason to refuse the fight, or additional verbal abuse may be issued. From the way the video showed it, Avery just stood on the ice. He didn't accept nor refuse when Smid asked. He just stood there. Make a decision, Avery, and make it fast.
• ... players fight fair. You do not embarrass, humiliate, or exploit an advantage to gain an edge in a fight. EVER. If you gain a reputation for that, chances are that someone will do the same to you. Avery, unfortunately, has that reputation, and he is only cementing this further with his actions on Sunday.

Add in a little bad blood due to how poorly the Oilers have been playing, and Avery was the spark needed to set off this powder keg. Had he simply refused the challenge from Smid or accepted and engaged immediately, none of the aftermath would have happened.

I do agree with John Mackinnon of the Edmonton Journal who said, "The brawl was merely the logical conclusion of one team overreacting to a normal body check. Avery is an easy and convenient target, owing to his long rap sheet. But, in this case, I blame Smid for the whole brawling mess."

As you may have heard once or twice, it takes two to tango, and Smid was certainly instigating the scrap when he went over to Avery and challenged him to a fight. Smid is not a fighter, and Colin Fraser had no problem with the hit as it appeared. The check was legal, and Smid did something that is becoming all too prevalent in the NHL today: he challenged the hitter after a clean, big hit was thrown. Smid isn't known for his pugilistic skills, so Smid canot be absolved of all the blame in this instance.

However, where it gets murky for Avery's credibility is in his refusal to initially fight Smid, allowing Smid to back off before attacking him. That's Strike Two when it comes to the "code" as illustrated above. If you say "no", the engagement is over. There are no second thoughts or regrets; you either engage or not. Avery said "no", and Smid backed off. Case closed, according to the "code", and the game continues.

Except this happened. Look at that series of pictures again, and look at Smid's legs. He isn't squared up to Avery until his chin is taking the full force of Avery's punch. Avery has a distinct advantage in that the best punch that Smid could throw as he's leaning back is a left-handed roundhouse. Otherwise, it would be a left jab, and that's going to do nothing as he is leaving his face exposed to Avery's right hand by standing open. Smid wasn't ready for the fight, and Avery took advantage of an unfair opportunity. He broke the "code", and his time might be coming sooner rather than later if the Oilers have something to say about it.

This isn't the first time I've gone on in length about how Avery flirts with the wrong side of the law, and it probably won't be the last time either. Ladislav Smid is now sidelined with a concussion from the punch-and-fall combo, and that leaves a gaping hole on an already-depleted Oilers blueline. As for Sean Avery, he's still playing for the Rangers having apparently escaped any further discipline.

I'm not sure what one can do about Avery's antics, but this is seemingly par for the course for the NHL's bad boy in a career filled with childish behavior and questionable, dangerous hockey.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Zebra Chicks Care Too

This article isn't about any African hoofed animals, but there is a strong correlation to stripes and those that go about earning them. While I've talked a lot about the NHLPA charitable organizations, there's no doubt that there are other people that give their time and their efforts selflessly, and these people should also be highlighted for the efforts they are putting forth. The NHL Officials also do a phenomenal job in their charitable work, but it doesn't just end with the men that wear the stripes. Instead, the wives of NHL Officials have decided to raise a ton of money for a very good cause this summer.

If you wander over to the NHLOA website, you can find a great article written by Amy Watson, wife of NHL referee Brad Watson. In her article, you learn that Chris Van Massenhoven, Christa Cherrey, Kristen Ciamaga, Katie Line-Courcy Joannette, Tamara Devorski, Rhonda Galoway, Mary Imrie, Alaine Kowal, Kathy McConville Racicot, Natalie Miller, Natalie Miller-Kovachik and Michelle O’Halloran are all participating in the Shopper’s Drug Mart Weekend to End Women’s Cancers, taking place September 10 – 11 in Toronto. It's a great event, and they can use your help.

The ladies were inspired by Chris Van Massenhoven's fight against Stage Three breast cancer. Chris found out that she was afflicted with the disease in April 2009. After six months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and lymph node removal, she finally finished her radiation therapy in February 2010. Chris decided to participate in the Weekend to End Women’s Cancers after defeating cancer.

When word of Chris' successful battle and charitable undertaking got around amongst the wives of the NHL officials, it became a no-brainer for the ladies to rally around Chris and her cause. After all, nearly everyone who is participating has been touched by cancer or knows someone who has been afflicted with cancer, so it's a cause that hits close to home.

"Together, I believe we can all make a difference," says Christa Cherrey, wife of NHL linesman Scott Cherrey. "I will walk for all the amazing survivors, those in my life who lost their fight too soon and for my daughter and nieces, in hopes that they will never be concerned about this."

And so it began: the "Zebra Chicks", named for their husbands' chosen field of work, decided to walk with Chris to show their support and raise money to help all women in their fight against cancer.

"Each member of this extended family is bringing a unique talent to the Zebra Chicks. Chris describes the Natalies as the organizers and Katie Joannette as the team recruiter. Kathy Racicot is the t-shirt designer and head cheerleader; Michelle O’Halloran is the pajama pre-party host; Christa Cherrey is the fundraising inspiration, and Alaine Kowal is the one with brilliant ideas. Tamara Devorski is the you-can-do-it girl and Rhonda Galloway is the motivational walker."

Now, I know Mrs. Galloway quite well, and I'm very proud of her in taking on this kind of challenge. She really is passionate about these kinds of events, and I'm quite certain that she's more than just a "motivational walker" in this group. Her energy and enthusiasm will not be lost on any of the women, and this outlook in life that she brings to everything will help to inspire everyone.

That's what I'm hoping to do today: inspire everyone. I'm pledging to donate $50 to Rhonda's total today, and I want to see the Zebra Chicks meet their goal of $26,400. I'm not soliciting donations, but I would hope that both Chris' story and the story of the Zebra Chicks would motivate you to add some money to their total. $10, $20, a nickel... anything to help them on their path to defeating cancer.

Here's how you can add some money if you so feel like donating:

1. Click on this link to get you to the endcancer.ca website.
2. Click on "Toronto" where the ladies will be walking.
3. In the top right, click on the "Donate" button.
4. Change the radio button to "Search for team", and enter "Zebra Chicks" in the search field.
5. When the search returns the Zebra Chicks team, click on their name.
6. You should arrive at this page where you get info on their progress.
7. Click on any of the ladies' names, and make a donation to aid their progress.

I'm proud to mention this effort by the NHL Officials' wives as they help both a friend and colleague in Chris Van Massenhoven, as well as helping daughters, wives, aunts, grandmothers, and mothers across the country.

While their husbands are wearing the stripes, these ladies have certainly earned them. But they still have a ways to go in achieving their ultimate goal - defeating cancer for good!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Watching Hockey History

A few days ago, I was lucky enough to bring to you a video all about the Quebec Nordiques, and I was pretty happy with what was shown in the video. The Nordiques' story was all about how they prepared for their first season in the upstart WHA, and the video by the National Film Board of Canada was pretty impressive for both its clarity and its information. This led me to start looking around on video sites for more WHA videos as it is literally a window in hockey's history. While the NHL will never speak of the WHA's effect on its business, there are a lot of interesting things that the WHA did. Thankfully, great people are posting these videos, and we now get to see the WHA in all its glory. Let's take a look at some hockey history.

This first video has a few amazing things shown in it. I'll post them below. Honestly, once you get past the 3:00 mark, it's all some campy 1970s dream sequence of Bobby Hull. My recommendation? Fast forward or stop the video.

There are a couple of good things happening above:

• Bernie Parent wore #00 as a member of the Philadelphia Blazers!
• Alton White can be seen standing next to the goalpost at the :20 mark.
• The Winnipeg Jets took a page out of the Flyers' book as they wore white nameplates on their blue jerseys - similar to the Flyers' orange jersey.

Here is Part One of the Chicago Cougars' 1973-74 WHA season. Lots of great stuff in here as well.

We'll run through this as quickly as possible:

• Recognize the coach of the Cougars? That's Jacques Demers! Check his hair at the 4:00 mark! Very 1970s indeed!
  
• The team in stripes at the 2:15 and 2:35 marks is the Cleveland Crusaders. They're playing the Minnesota Fighting Saints, but the footage is from 1972-73. The Saints are wearing the stylized "S" instead of the Fighting Saints logo!
• Check the skates on the visitors at the 3:00 mark. Those neon white skates are worn by the New York Golden Blades, and we actually can see them in colour! For the :25 the Golden Blades are on the video, I can't stop staring at their skates.
• Check out the referee at the 7:35 mark. His stripes are red-and-white, rather than the standard black-and-white. The linesmen? Standard black-and-white.

Part Two of the video has some more good stuff in it.

Again, moving through this video, we see:

• That phenomenal referee's uniform is seen from the back at the :57 mark. Wow.
  
• You can see Gerry Cheevers as a member of the Cleveland Crusaders at the 1:20 mark wearing #30.
• From 1:42 to 1:52, you can see the Toronto Toros and their New York Rangers-inspired drop-shadow on their rear numbers.
• At the 2:02 mark, you can clearly see the front numbers on the Chicago Cougars. The NHL has apparently learned something from the league they won't recognize when it comes to jersey design, it seems.
• Good side-by-side comparison of the referee and linesman at the 3:44 mark. The red is clearly different on the referee.
• At the 5:36 mark, check out the rollerblades sported by Chicago's Ralph Backstrom. Backstrom calls them "street skates", and they show him skating all over his neighbourhood. Backstrom puts on a pretty impressive display with his "street skates" in his 48 seconds of airtime!
• At the 6:45 mark, you can see a Toronto goalie by the name of Gratton. That's Gilles Gratton in the Toronto net, sporting #33.

And we finish with Part Three.

Lots of good stuff here as well:

• Everyone's favorite WHA official is visible at the 2:04 mark. That's Ron Ego. Yes, that's his real name. Can you imagine hearing, "Tonight's referee - Ego #3"? Wow.
• A great look at the Dave Dryden signing at the 4:00 mark.
• Jacques Demers mentions the name "Jersey" at the 5:42 mark as one of the teams "you play against". The New York Golden Blades would become the New Jersey Knights midway through the 1973-74 season. Rather than re-design brand-new uniforms, the newly-named Knights simply recycled their old New York Raiders jerseys by replacing the logo.
• You can see Mark Howe's full name on his Aeros jersey at the 6:57 mark. As the camera scrolls, Marty Howe is just visible before it cuts to the crowd.

One last video before we go will show you an incredible piece of history.

That is Wayne Gretzky's first professional goal. The team and goalie he victimized? The Edmonton Oilers, and goaltender Dave Dryden.

Lots of WHA goodies seen in these videos today. Honestly, the Golden Blades' skates are still astounding in how white they are. It's pretty remarkable to see all the former and soon-to-be NHL goaltenders in the WHA in 1972-73. And those rollerblades worn by Backstrom? They look like they could be straight out of a sporting goods store today!

How cool is hockey history? Very, if you ask me.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Two Powers Meet

Canada and Norway meet tonight in Vancouver with first-place in Group B on the line at the 2010 Paralympic Games. Canada is 17-4-1 all-time against the Norwegians, but Norway has shown some grit and determination in rallying against both Sweden and Italy for wins. Paul Rosen will get the start for the Canadians tonight, and his counterpart in the Norwegian net will be Roger Johansen. Canada is in white, and Norway is in red for the game.

• 15 seconds in, and Norway is called for hooking. Not the way that Norway wanted to start, and Morten Vaernes will serve two minutes or less.
• Billy Bridges made sure it was less than two minutes. Bridges snapped a high shot to the right of Johansen inside the post, and the puck found the back of the net. Just 31 seconds in, and Canada has the lead on a powerplay goal by Bridges, his first of the tournament. Canada leads 1-0.
  
• Jean Labonté gets called for a hold as he wrapped up an arm of Loyd Remi Johansen, and Norway will go to the powerplay at 1:51 of the first period. They are one-for-six in the tournament, and Canada has two shorthanded goals.
• Just after Labonté's penalty expired, Greg Westlake is called for roughing at the 4:56 mark. Canada needs to remain disciplined. Norway is starting play more offensive, and can certainly score when given the opportunity.
• Norway's Helge Bjornstad is called for holding moments later. Four-on-four play will take to the ice at the 5:04 mark.
• Billy Bridges absolutely laid out Morten Vaernes at the 6:35 mark, and somehow referee Derek Berkebile thought it was roughing. A good shoulder-to shoulder check by Bridges shouldn't be a penalty. However, Norway will go back to the powerplay.
• Brad Bowden showed amazing speed down the left side to corral a loose puck. Moving in from the left side, Bowden feathered a gorgeous pass across to Greg Westlake who buried it over a sprawled Johansen for his second shorthanded goal and sixth of the tournament at 7:14. Canada leads 2-0.
• More penalties are handed out at the 7:35 mark. Raymond Grassie and Rolf Einar Pedersen are sent off for coincidental minors, so the Norwegian powerplay will continue.
• Canada is certainly showing why they are considered one of the favorites. They have aggressively forechecked, finished every check, and have shown their unbelievable speed thus far through the first period. With two minutes to play, Canada certainly has controlled the period.
• At the end of the first period, Canada has the 2-0 lead. Canada's physical play have certainly forced some turnovers, but their overall speed has been the factor that has overwhelmed the Norwegians.

It's interesting to see some of the hurdles that these sledge hockey players have overcome. 27 year-old Raymond Grassie, for example, underwent a double leg amputation, but the young man has shown that his setback won't hold him back. 52 year-old Herve Lord lost a leg after a car accident in 1983, but the veteran Canadian player is now the unofficial leader of the team. It was because of him that most of the Canadian players took up the sport of sledge hockey.

These are the kinds of stories that really puts things into perspective. Not only are these men amazing athletes, but they have faced adversity, conquered it, and are now heroes to many for what they have overcome. They have a permanent fan in me, and I'm proud of the entire Canadian Paralympic team and their efforts in representing Canada. They are true Olympic heroes!

Ok, back to the game. Here's the second period action.

• 11 seconds into the period saw Canada break into the Norwegian zone. Westlake fed Bowden cross-ice, and Bowden fired a quick shot on net. Johansen was moving away from the right post where the puck was heading, and couldn't recover in time to stop the puck. Bowden's third goal of the tournament showed exactly how important a shot on net can be. Canada leads 3-0.
• Graeme Murray was sent off for roughing at 1:24, sending Norway to its fourth powerplay of the night. Again, Canada needs to play disciplined. Otherwise, these powerplays may come back to haunt them in the end.
• Rolf Einar Pedersen ends the powerplay early by taking a high-sticking penalty at 3:24. The physical play on Pedersen, Norway's top player, is clearly having an effect. Pedersen takes his second penalty of the night for high-sticking Greg Westlake.
• Greg Westlake is really making a play for the MVP. Bowden's low shot is redirected in front by Westlake, and the puck slides past a helpless Johansen for a Canadian powerplay goal at 3:48. Westlake has his second of the night, and sixth of the tournament. Canada leads 4-0.
• With 9:48 gone, there will be another Norwegian penalty. Kjell Vidar Royne is sent off for interference, and Canada's lethal powerplay comes back onto the ice.
• Adam Dixon's shot from the point on the powerplay at 11:04 spells the end of Johansen's night. Dixon's long shot found its way past a couple of screens, and Johansen didn't even move. That's the third goal of the tournament for Dixon. Kissinger Deng will take over in the net for Norway. Canada leads 5-0.
• Norway is whistled for another penalty at 12:18. Thomas Jacobsen is sent off for roughing after mugging a Canadian player along the boards. No dice on the powerplay for Canada as Norway kills off the penalty.
• The period draws to a close with no other highlights, and Canada has a 5-0 lead after 30 minutes in a game that they have dominated.

I've been looking at the names of the players on Norway's jerseys, and it appears that they are written in their native Norwegian spelling rather than the generic English. For example, Helge Bjørnstad has the "O" with the slash in it. Also, Morten Værnes has the "A" and the "E" combined. I'll see if I can find pictures of both players as they show off some great lettering from their native language.

On to third period action!

• It appears that Canada has let up on the gas ever so slightly. They are still playing smothering defence, but they seem to be content to hold back a little in the offensive zone. This might be a good idea for Canada with the semi-finals happening on Thursday. Why risk any injuries?
• In just speaking about the semi-finals, USA secured top spot in Group A with a 6-0 win over Japan earlier today. Japan finished second in Group A, and will play Canada on Thursday in the early game if the score holds true.
• 6:06 into the third period sees Canada back on the powerplay after Loyd Remi Johansen is whistled for roughing. A punch to the head will definitely get you two minutes or less to think about what you did, and that's what happened to Johansen. Norway weathers the storm, however, and comes away unscathed.
• Close the book on this one. Canada wins 5-0, but a late scrum between Rolf Einar Pedersen and Todd Nicholson shows just how frustrated the Norwegians were. There's no need for this, and the referee and linesmen quickly step in before the situation escalates.

With the win, Canada wins Group B, and Norway takes second-place in Group B. Both advance to the semi-finals on Thursday. Here are the times of the semi-final games so you can catch all the action online:

Canada vs. Japan - 3PM ET
USA vs. Norway - 10PM ET

Of course, the winners will square off for the gold medal. Canada is the defending Paralympic Champions, but the USA is the defending World Champions. We could see the third Canada-USA hockey final at the Olympics, and this game should be a battle of the titans. That is, of course, if both teams advance.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Antler Banter: Volume 17

With the second week of the Olympics underway, and a lot of good hockey still to be played in Vancouver, we pause to check out what's been happening with the Manitoba Moose on Antler Banter. The Moose had a Toronto-Rochester-Toronto swing to end their eastern portion of the roadtrip before getting ready for a trip to Texas to end the roadtrip this week. We'll review those games, and talk a little about the Syracuse-Binghamton outdoor game from last Saturday. You can always find all of your Manitoba Moose news and information on the Moose website. If you're interested in attending a Manitoba Moose game, please click here for seating information, ticket pricing, and availability. Let's get cracking with the Hardcore Hockey!

Moose Blinded By Big City Lights

The Moose rolled into Toronto on Wednesday night after having dispatched the Rochester Americans the night before. Having split with the Marlies the weekend before, there was some urgency to pick up at least a point on the road against Toronto. Cory Schenider and Joey MacDonald took to the blue paint at either ends of the ice for this game.

The opening faceoff led to an odd-man rush for the Moose as Dan Sexton cruised into the Toronto zone after taking a pass from Travis Ramsey. On the two-on-one, Sexton fed a lovely pass across to Michael Grabner, and the Austrian-born sniper buried the puck behind MacDonald. Just 11 seconds in, the Moose were up 1-0 on Grabner's 12th goal of the season.

Manitoba increased their lead on the powerplay just before the midway point of the period. Nikita Kashirsky had taken a hooking call at 6:03, but Brett Festerling was sent to the Toronto sin bin 16 seconds later for roughing. Kashirsky spent the two minutes in the box, and emerged as Manitoba stormed up the ice. With their mere 16 seconds of powerplay time, the Moose capitalized when Marco Rosa ripped a shot from inside the faceoff circle past MacDonald. Rosa's 19th goal of the season at 8:14 was a powerplay marker, and gave Manitoba the 2-0 lead.

Brian Salcido took a tripping penalty 27 seconds after the goal, sending Toronto to the powerplay. After a fairly uneventful start to the powerplay, the Marlies began to move the puck well. A point shot by Brendan Mikkelson was tipped in front by Kyle Calder, and the puck found its way past Schneider. Calder's powerplay goal at 10:25 was his fifth of the season, and Toronto was on the board, trailing by a 2-1 score.

The rest of the period was played out without any goals, but the two teams were knotted at 14 shots apiece. While I wouldn't say the Moose were firmly in control, the first period looked like a good road effort. However, the second period proved me wrong.

As the period wore on, you could tell that Toronto was building some momentum by carrying the play. MacDonald played well in the Toronto net, stopping the Moose chances, but Toronto was getting more quality chances, and it showed when the Marlies capitalized.

A delayed penalty call allowed the Marlies to send on the extra attacker, but it didn't take long for them to score. Tim Brent converted a Greg Scott pass into a goal when he left the two Moose defencemen looking like pylons before sliding a puck under Schneider. I'm not sure what Nick Boynton and Nolan Baumgartner were thinking, but someone should have laid Brent out before he got to Schneider. In any case, the Marlies tied the game at 2-2 on Brent's fifth goal of the season with 3:01 remaining in the period.

Jonas Frogren took a selfish kneeing penalty at 18:13, and the Moose were headed back to the powerplay. However, another miscue between Boynton and Baumgartner allowed a shorthanded two-on-one for Phil Oreskovic and Ben Simon. Simon found Oreskovic wide-open at the backdoor, and he buried his first of the season while shorthanded at 18:37 of the second.

The period would close with the Marlies up 3-2 on Oreskovic's shorthanded tally, and the Marlies leading 25-20 on the shot clock. Honestly, Boynton and Baumgartner were truly killer B's out there as their mistakes cost Manitoba the lead in that period.

Tim Brent added his second goal of the evening by squeaking a wraparound past Schneider. Schneider just couldn't get to the post before Brent slid home the puck, and Brent's sixth of the season at 4:23 gave the hometown Marlies the 4-2 lead.

The Moose didn't quit, however. Sergei Shirokov found the back of the net when his shot got underneath MacDonald's glove at 12:23 of the third. Shirokov has been missing from the scoresheet lately, so it's nice to see the Russian rookie doing what he does best again. Shirokov's 17th of the season made it 4-3 for the Marlies.

Joey MacDonald didn't allow another puck past him, despite a furious flurry of shots in the late going, and the Marlies skated to the 4-3 victory. Toronto outshot the Moose by a 33-25 margin in the game - yet another sign that Manitoba really didn't deserve to win. With the loss, the Moose fall to 27-24-5-1 on the season.

A Rochester State Of Mind

Manitoba regrouped and headed to Rochester for a Friday night game with the Americans at Blue Cross Arena. Manitoba's 6-3 victory on Tuesday was still fresh in the minds of both teams, so there was some hope that Manitoba could continue their winning ways against the Amerks while the Amerks wanted some revenge. Cory Schneider got the call yet again for the Moose, while Rochester sent out Alexander Salak to the cage.

Rochester opened the scoring 8:01 into the game. Jeff Taffe gained a head of steam as he tore down the right wing on a two-on-one. His backhander went upstairs in a hurry over Schneider's glove to the top shelf. Taffe showed why he has 19 goals on the season with that effort, and Rochester had the 1-0 lead.

However, I would like to point out what appears to be one of the worst non-calls on the season. Referee Terry Koharski stood idly by while a Rochester forward laid out Brian Salcido at the Moose blueline, causing the two-on-one to develop. It had to be one of the most obvious interference calls to make, but no call was made on the play. The result was Taffe's goal as Travis Ramsey was the only defender back during the rush.

The Moose made up for the non-call 1:24 later. Pierre-Cedric Labrie caught a break as he came down the left wing. His centering pass intended for Tom Maxwell in front of the net was deflected by Stefan Meyer's stick. The deflection, though, went up and over Salak's right shoulder and landed behind the surprised goaltender inside the net. Labrie's unconventional third goal of the season tied the game at 1-1.

Late in the period, the Herd went ahead. Rochester's Victor Oreskovich was in the box for his high-sticking infraction, and the Moose powerplay took control. A shot on net from the slot by the streaking Nick Boynton was stopped by Salak. However, the rebound landed into the feet of Boynton and three Americans, and Salak couldn't cover it. The puck squirted loose to the left hash marks where sniper Dan Sexton was waiting. With Salak down and out, Sexton tickled the twine as he sent the puck high. Manitoba took a 2-1 lead into the break after Sexton scored the powerplay marker, his fifth goal of the season, with 1:11 left.

7:26 into the second period, the Moose added to their total. On a three-on-one, Guillaume Desbiens carried the puck down the right wing as Mike Keane hustled to catch the play. The trailer, defenceman Travis Ramsey, stayed put in the middle as Keane filled the left wing lane. A nice saucer pass from Desbiens to Keane settled on Keane's stick, and Salak slid across to play Keane's shot. Keane caught Ramsey in the slot and dropped the puck to him. Ramsey wasted no time in slapping the puck into the open part of the net, and Manitoba was up 3-1 on Ramsey's first goal of the season.

Rochester opened the third period by inching closer on the scoreboard. At the 56-second mark, the Moose were whistled for too many men. The Amerks' powerplay made them pay. Jason Garrison's point shot looked like it caught teammate Michael Duco up high, and ricocheted to the left side of the crease. Mike York was standing wide-open at that spot, and he fired the puck home over Schneider's pad from the sharp angle. York's powerplay goal was his sixth of the season, and the Americans trailed 3-2 just 2:06 into the third frame.

Both teams battled down the stretch, but Manitoba went up by two goals again. Marco Rosa caused a turnover in the Rochester zone, and fed a pass from the middle of the ice to Michael Grabner on the right side. The puck was slightly behind Grabner, but he corralled the puck and fired a high laser over Salak's shoulder to the far post. Grabner's 13th goal of the season gave the Moose a 4-2 lead with 4:14 to play.

The Americans closed the gap 1:22 later. Evgeny Dadonov started a give-and-go with Michal Repik the resulted in a shot on net for Dadonov. Chris Taylor was battling in front of Cory Schneider with Nolan Baumgartner, and Taylor got his stick on the puck to shovel the Dadonov rebound between Schneider's pads to the back of the net. Taylor's 12th goal of the season made it a 4-3 game for Manitoba.

The Americans could not get any closer as the Moose defencemen and Cory Schneider kept them off the scoresheet. With the win, Manitoba moves to 28-24-5-1 on the season.

Returning To The Scene Of The Crime

The Moose were back in Toronto for a Saturday afternoon game against the Marlies. The Moose had dropped the last two games to the Marlies, so they needed to get back on track against a team trailing them in the standings. The Marlies wanted to continue their recent success against the Moose, and sent James Reimer to the net to continue his winning ways against the Herd. The Moose went to Daren Machesney for this game after Cory Schneider had dropped his last two games against Toronto.

Just 4:50 in, Toronto grabbed a lead. Tim Brent's backhander was stopped by Machesney, but the rebound popped out front into the scrum. Greg Scott banged away at it, but the Moose goalie held his ground. Unfortunately, the puck bounced to Machesney's right where Viktor Stalberg was standing at the edge of the crease, and Stalberg buried the puck past a helpless Machesney. Stalberg's 12th goal of the season gave Toronto the 1-0 edge.

The play went back and forth for the majority of the period with both goalies matching each other save for save, but a Toronto powerplay proved fruitful for the home squad. Juraj Mikus teed up a point blast that hit Machesney, but the rebound found its way back into the crowd of people on the doorstep. Kyle Calder picked up the puck with Michael Grabner on his back, and slid the puck past the outstretched glove of Machesney into the open net. Calder's sixth goal of the season put Toronto up 2-0 at 17:46.

Aside from a round of fisticuffs between a few competitors later in the game, that was it, folks. James Reimer made 31 saves for his first AHL shutout, but not many were of the spectacular variety. Toronto hands the Moose another loss, this one by a 2-0 score, and sends Manitoba home with a 28-25-5-1 record on the season.

Taking It Outside

Saturday was a special day for the AHL as the Syracuse Crunch hosted the first outdoor game in AHL history. The Mirabito Outdoor Classic was played at the New York State Fairgrounds, setting the scene for a game between the Syracuse Crunch and Binghamton Senators.

If anyone asks, the first goal scored outdoors by an AHL player was scored by Syracuse forward Alexander Picard. The game also set an AHL attendance record as 21,508 fans turned out to see the Syracuse Crunch defeat the Binghamton Senators by a 2-1 score. In one of the cooler moments, skydiver Ray Maynard arrived on the ice from the air above to deliver the first puck used in outdoor game to New York Governor David Paterson and Senator Chuck Schumer. That puck was originally used on September 27, 1991 when the Los Angeles Kings hosted the New York Rangers in Las Vegas in the first professional outdoor game in modern history.

As stated above, Picard gave the Crunch the lead 6:47 in. Binghamton's Josh Hennessy tied the game up early in the second period. David Liffiton's goal late in the second period restored the one-goal lead for Syracuse, and ended up being the game-winner. It was all about goaltending in the third period as neither team could put the puck past the opposing goalie. Kevin Lalande recorded the victory for Syracuse while Binghamton's Mike Brodeur took the loss.

So why I am talking about this game? The Moose had their own outdoor game on Monday! Bob Hobson of Winnipeg won the Home Depot Backyard Rink contest for his awesome backyard rink, and his prize was a game of shinny against the Moose players!

Daren Machesney, Matt Pettinger, Evan Oberg, Michael Grabner, Nathan McIver and Guillaume Desbiens showed up for the fun, and the neighbourhood kids played the Moose! Mick E. Moose was there to stir up some fun as well. All in all, a very cool promotion run by Home Depot and the Manitoba Moose. Congratulations to Bob Hobson! Make sure you check out the Moose's Build A Rink page so you can get some tips on how to build your own rink, and maybe the Moose will be in your backyard next season!

Heading South

The Moose have a three-game affair to take care of in Texas this week. The Houston Aeros are up first on Thursday, and then its off to San Antonio for dates with the Rampage on Friday and Saturday.

The Aeros have a nearly identical record to Manitoba, so this should be a close game. Houston enters the game with a 28-24-6-1 record, and currently sit fifth in the tightly-contested West Division. Maxim Noreau leads the team with 43 points, and Jon DiSalvatore leads the team in goal-scoring with 18 goals. Both Barry Brust and Wade Dubielewicz don't have very impressive records, but their 2.43 and 2.51 GAAs, respectively, show that they are effective puck-stoppers. Manitoba will need to find its scoring touch to win this game.

San Antonio sit seventh in the West Division with a 24-24-3-6 record. This is another team that doesn't score a lot, so Manitoba will need to have its scoring production on hand. San Antonio is led by forwards Kevin Porter, Kyle Turris, and Sean Sullivan. All three men have 37 points this season. Chad Kolarik is the leading goal-scorer on the Rampage with 17 tallies to his name. Josh Tordjman is still a very capable goaltender, but Justin Pogge has come on strong since being assigned to the Rampage. I'd expect to see both men in the two-game set.

Looking at the three-games-in-three-nights set, I'd be happy if Manitoba returned with four of six points. Personally, all six point would really help as the Moose sit in fourth spot in the AHL's North Division, two points back of third-place Abbotsford with a game in hand. Here's hoping the Moose can go guns-a-blazing through Texas, and come home with six points in their pockets.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Before The Torch Is Lit

As the torch is carried closer to the Vancouver Olympic Games, the NHL has started to shut itself down as the players and executives not going to the Left Coast start a two-week holiday. However, HBIC is staying on hockey's trail, covering the Olympics as much as I can, but also keeping an eye on the AHL, ECHL, and various other leagues across the globe. But because this is a big day for Canada, I'm just going to post a few stories for today. They aren't any sort of breaking news stories, but they are stories that I found interesting from the hockey world.

• A very interesting story about a man I personally know and have the utmost respect for was published on the NHL website on Wednesday. Ryan Galloway, a linesman who plied his trade in Winnipeg for a long time, finally achieved a life-long dream by officiating in all 30 NHL arenas after suiting up in the stripes at Madison Square Garden. Congratulations on all your success, Ryan, and here's hoping you have nothing but good luck and success for as long as you're wearing the stripes!
• The Chicago Blackhawks opened up some cap room today when they dealt defenceman Cam Barker to the Minnesota Wild for defenceman Kim Johnsson and prospect Nick Leddy. Barker's salary hit wasn't good for Chicago's bottom line, so dealing the blueliner was almost inevitable. In Minnesota, Barker will get a lot of playing time, and the Wild can use his booming shot. The Hawks, meanwhile, get a solid prospect, and Johnsson's salary comes off the books at the end of the season - two perfect scenarios for Chicago.
• The Carolina Hurricanes made a move today, dealing Matt Cullen to the Ottawa Senators for defenceman Alexandre Picard and a second-round draft pick. Cullen goes to a team that has been searching for a solid two-way centerman that can play in any situation, and Cullen fits that bill. Picard will get a chance to eat up the minutes that Niclas Wallin left behind after he was traded, so it appears this is a deal that will work for both players as much as it will for both teams.
• Just a day after putting tough guy Donald Brashear on waivers, the New York Rangers went out and acquired Jody Shelley from the San Jose Sharks for a sixth-round draft pick. Why the Rangers went for a tough guy when they are already paying a tough guy not to play is beyond me, but Shelley should bring an element of toughness to the ice every time he hops over the boards. But again, this move seems inexplicable to me.
• The Montreal Canadiens added another player in the hopes that his effort and energy will help the club. Montreal shipped a second-round pick in 2011 to the Florida Panthers to get Dominic Moore. Moore should be a solid addition for the Canadiens as Moore can kill penalties and should be a useful addition to the Canadiens' second or third lines.
  
• According to Flyers' GM Paul Holmgren, goaltender Ray Emery will get three weeks off to rest his ailing hip. Holmgren also nipped the Turco-to-Philly rumours in the bud when asked about the possibility of the Dallas goalie being a target by the Flyers. Holmgren denied that the Flyers had any interest in the Stars' netminder.

With the trade freeze on now, there will be no deals made by NHL clubs until the Olympics are over. In knowing that, it's time to kick back and watch the best players in the world play for a gold medal. It all starts this weekend, so let's get ready for some Olympic hockey action! Tune in tomorrow when Uni Watch Blog's Phil Hecken and I look at all twelve men's teams' jerseys in the Olympic men's hockey tournament. It should spark some debate!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

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Antler Banter: Volume 11

Antler Banter is back this week with a look at the Moose's battles with the best team in the AHL. The Moose welcomed the defending Calder Cup champions in the Hershey Bears back to MTS Centre in a two-game series this past weekend. As you know, these two teams tangled in last season's Calder Cup Final, but the Moose have undergone vast changes. This series would be a good measuring stick to see how they stack up against the AHL's elite. The Moose also visited Abbotsford, so we'll update that series. Of course, player moves, injury reports, and the future games will be examined today. For all of your Manitoba Moose news and information, don't forget to check out the Moose website. If you're interested in attending a Manitoba Moose game, please click here for seating information, ticket pricing, and availability. On to the Hardcore Hockey!

Best of the Best

Friday night saw the return of the AHL-leading and Calder Cup-defending Hershey Bears to Winnipeg with the Bears bringin a ten-game winning streak to the game. Hershey is certainly one of the elite teams in the AHL, and that's reflected in both their play on the ice and the way the franchise runs their operation. This looked to be a big test for the Moose, but to be the best, you have to beat the best. Cory Schneider drew the assignment for the Moose while Braden Holtby took to the blue ice in the Hershey zone. Due to call-ups and player releases, the Moose only dressed five defencemen tonight, but the blueliners performed admirably.

As it seems with the majority of the games that the Moose play this season, the first period against teams that the Moose haven't seen this season are a feeling-out period. Such was the case against the Bears as neither team budged against the other. In fact, it took nearly seven minutes for the first shot to be registered as Hershey's Chris Bourque put the puck on net.

Moose call-up Taylor Ellington was whistled for the first penalty on a high-sticking call, but the Bears couldn't solve Schneider. I found it quite funny that Bears defenceman John Carlson was booed mercilessly by the Moose fans every time he touched the puck. Of course, Carlson was part of the gold-medal winning USA team at this year World Junior Championship, and the Moose fans reminded him he was on Canadian soil every chance they got. After one period, the Bears had outshot the Moose by an 8-6 total, however neither team could break the scoreless tie in front of 7779 fans at MTS Centre.

It took only 13 seconds into the second period for the scoreless draw to be broken. Andrew Gordon took a lovely cross-ice pass from Alexandre Giroux, and one-timed the puck past Schneider for his 17th goal of the season on the two-on-one. Keith Aucoin also drew an assist after winning a puck battle at the Moose blueline against Nolan Baumgartner, and his initial pass to Giroux started the play to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.

The battles continued in the second period as neither team gave the other any significant scoring chances without paying a price for them. However, the Moose drew even at 16:52. Matt Pope poked a puck between Patrick McNeill and Bryan Helmer where Matt Pettinger picked it up in full stride. Pettinger gained a step on Helmer as he broke in on the right side and pulled the puck to his backhand, forcing Holtby to slide across the crease. As Holtby opened up the five-hole as he slid across, Pettinger ticked his seventh goal of the season through the five-hole, and the Moose were even again. Honestly, Pettinger showed the Manitoba crowd a big-league, NHL-style goal with his speed and move.

A great goal had the crowd buzzing for the remainder of the period, but both teams went into the second intermission deadlocked at 1-1. In showing that they could skate with the Bears, the shots were even in that period at 14 apiece.

The third period remained the same as the tight-checking affair continued. Both Keith Aucoin and Guillaume Desbiens were sent off midway through the third period after some rough play for the only penalties of the period, so neither team had an opportunity to play with the man-advantage. With neither team giving the other many opportunities, the 1-1 game moved into an extra frame.

Overtime was just as fruitless as the third period, so a shootout was required to solve this game. The Moose took a perfect 6-0 record into the shootout. Marco Rosa and Kyle Wilson both scored in the opening round of the shootout. Michael Grabner put the home squad up with the next shot, but Alexandre Giroux tied it up with Hershey's third shot. Sergei Shirokov and François Bouchard exchanged goals in the fourth round to make it 3-3 in the shootout. It would take another three shooters for either side before Andrew Gordon beat Cory Schneider to give Hershey the win.

Despite dropping the 2-1 game in the shootout, the Moose looked impressive against the Bears. Schneider was exceptional in the Moose nets again, and the Moose played very well against the best team in the AHL. With the shootout loss, the Moose fall to 21-14-4-1 on the season. Just as a roster note, Mathieu Schneider wore #24 in his first game for Manitoba Moose this season.

Almost, But Not Quite

After an exciting game in which the Moose dropped their first shootout loss the night before, the Moose looked for revenge on Saturday night against the Bears. 7784 fans turned out to see the second game of the two-game series against the defending Calder Cup Champions, so another solid crowd was on-hand for the Moose. Cory Schneider got the call for the Moose for the second night in a row, and the Bears responded by sending Braden Holtby back to the nets.

Hershey looked strong in the first period, hemming Manitoba in their own zone while on a powerplay. The Bears used an effective forecheck all night to keep the Moose off-balance. The first goal of the game went to the Bears, and the Aucoin-Giroux-Gordon combo was back on the scoresheet. Giroux chipped the puck into the Moose zone, and Mathieu Schneider couldn't corral it before the fleet-footed Andrew Gordon streaking down the right side got to the loose puck. With a step on Schneider, Gordon wired a wrist shot for his 18th goal of the season past Cory Schneider to give the Bears a 1-0 lead at 9:56 of the first period.

Similar to the night before, the two teams began to settle down on the defensive side of the puck, and the Bears took a 1-0 lead into the intermission. Shots were even at 10-10 after one period, but Holtby kept the Moose off the scoreboard.

The second period started with the Moose on the powerplay, but the Herd couldn't solve Holtby. Two consecutive penalties to Sergei Shirokov and Michael Grabner just 27 seconds apart gave the Bears a five-on-three opportunity for over a minute and a half. Schneider made some key saves to keep the deficit to one goal, and the Moose were rewarded for killing off the penalties.

Shirokov emerged from the penalty box and rejoined the play in the Moose zone, but he didn't stay long. Mike Keane picked up a loose puck and banked it off the left boards out into the neutral zone where the speedy Shirokov gained control. Breaking in all alone from the left wing, Shirokov went forehand-backhand on the deke and found an opening through Holtby's five-hole to score the shorthanded goal. Shirokov's 13th goal of the season pulled Manitoba even at 1-1 at the 5:14 mark of the second period.

Manitoba poured on the pressure after the momentum swing, and Holtby began to see shots regularly. The pressure finally got to Hershey at 15:24 of the second period. With Guillaume Desbiens coming down the left wing against Hershey's Chris Bourque, Desbiens leaned in and threw the puck from the corner to the front of the net with one hand on his stick as Bourque finished his check. Marco Rosa had a step on John Carlson, and the Moose centerman made no mistake as he tipped the centering pass just past Holtby at the right post. Rosa's eighth goal of the season put the home side up 2-1. With twenty minutes to play, the Moose needed a big effort against the league's top team.

Hershey used the intermission time to refocus, and they came out flying. Just 1:20 in, the tied the game up. Mathieu Perreault won a puck battle against Brian Salcido in the right corner and skated out towards Schneider. With both the goaltender and defenceman Travis Ramsey watching Perreault, no one picked up Chris Bourque sneaking in on the backdoor. Perreault flipped the puck to the Hershey sniper, and Bourque buried it over a sprawling Schneider for his ninth of the season and a 2-2 game.

Both teams picked up the pace again as they looked for the win. It took over fifteen minutes, but Hershey finally pulled ahead. Boyd Kane feathered a pass over to Kyle Wilson as Wilson crossed into the Moose zone. A stumble by defenceman Nolan Baumgartner allowed Wilson to gain a step on the Moose rearguard, and Wilson drove the net hard. Wilson roofed the puck from in close as Schneider went down, and the Bears jumped out to a 3-2 lead on Wilson's 11th goal of the season.

Shortly afterwards, the Hershey bench was assessed a bench minor, and Boyd Kane was given a ten-minute misconduct and tossed from the game under Rules 75.4 and 75.5. According to the rulebook, Rule 75.4 states that a misconduct is given when any player or goalkeeper persists in using obscene, profane or abusive language directed towards any person after being assessed a minor or bench minor penalty. Rule 75.5 states that a game misconduct is given when "a player or goalkeeper persists in any course of conduct for which he was previously assessed a misconduct penalty". I'm not sure what Kane was unhappy about, but he didn't do any favors for referee Kyle Rehman.

With the Moose on the powerplay to finish the game, they had several good opportunities, but Braden Holtby was equal to the task. When the final horn sounded, the Bears took the victory by the 3-2 score. With the loss in regulation, the Moose drop to 21-15-4-1 on the season.

Back to the Drawing Board

For the first time in the regular season, the Moose headed west to British Columbia to face the Abbotsford Heat on Tuesday night as part of a two-game set against their division rivals. Having only collected one point on the weekend, the Moose needed to pick up a few points against the Heat while stopping the Heat's four-game winning streak. A full house of 7046 was out in Abbotsford to see the Herd play the Heat with the crowd split between Heat supporters and Canuck fans. Cory Schneider got the start for the Moose while Matt Keetley was between the pipes for the Heat.

Listening to this game on CJOB with Moose play-by-play man Brian Munz, it sounded like the game started with opportunities at both ends of the ice - a sign that both teams are playing with confidence. Neither side could find the twine early on, but this game had all the signs of a "last goal wins" game. I apologize for the lack of details on this game, but I didn't have a video feed last night nor was I able to travel to Abbotsford for the game. I know - weak effort on my part.

David Van Der Gulik ripped home a slapshot at 12:56 to give Abbotsford a 1-0 lead midway through the first. JD Watt made it 2-0 four minutes later when he opted to keep on a two-on-one and fired it low blocker-side on Schneider. Despite the chances that the Moose had, Keetley kept the Herd off the scoreboard after one period of play.

The second period saw the Moose powerplay come to life. Eric Walsky netted his second goal of the season off his own rebound at 5:01 with the man-advantage, and the Moose were within one goal at 2-1.

Guillaume Desbiens and JD Watt decided to settle their differences the old-fashioned way just ten seconds after the face-off, and the two men were sent to the penalty box with major penalties.

Less than two minutes later, Marco Rosa banged in his ninth goal of the season. Lawrence Nycholat drew the assist as his shot rattled off the end boards, and Rosa slapped the rebound over Keetley's leg. The Moose drew even at 2-2. For some bizarre reason, Leland Irving replaced Matt Keetley in the Abbotsford net after Rosa's goal. Personally, it sounded like Keetley was doing a good job in holding the Moose off the board, so I'm not sure why the change was made.

Former Moose Jason Jaffray continued to haunt his former team. At the 16:29 mark, Jaffray beat Schneider through the five-hole for his 15th goal of the season after making his way to the front of the net. Abbotsford was back on top with a 3-2 lead, and they carried that lead into the second intermission.

The third period saw more hitting as the two teams looked to put more pucks in the net. However, the rough stuff caught up to Abbotsford at the 9:25 mark when they were whistled for an extra roughing penalty. Brian Salcido was sent off for the Moose, but both Cam Cunning and JD Watt were given roughing minors for Abbotsford.

On the powerplay, Mathieu Schneider fed a great pass to Marco Rosa who was open in the slot. The Moose centerman made no mistake as he wired his tenth goal of the season over Irving on the powerplay, and the Moose tied the game at 3-3. The crashing and banging being done by both teams carried right through the rest of the third period, but neither team could muster the winning goal. The final horn after sixty minutes with a 3-3 tie meant we had extra time!

The extra time didn't last long. Lawrence Nycholat's blast from the top of the face-off circle just 39 seconds into overtime gave the Moose the two points they needed. With the overtime victory, the Moose push their record to 22-15-4-1.

Wrapping Up the Week

The Moose lost two close games to Hershey, but there is no reason to suggest that they can't run with the big dogs in the AHL. What may have hurt the Moose in the second game of the series with Hershey is their wanting to sit on a lead. No lead is safe against the AHL's highest-scoring and top-defensive team, so the Moose should have taken it right to the Bears in the third period of Saturday's game.

The game against Abbotsford was a good rebound for the squad. Again, and I can't stress this enough, games against divisional opponents are must-win games. By winning last night's game, Manitoba opened a three-point cushion on the Heat and leap-frogged the idle Rochester Americans. If the Moose can pick up another two points tonight in BC, it will go a long way in putting them back into the upper echelon of AHL teams.

One Man Goes Down, Another Man Is Lost

It was a tough week for one Moose defender, while a Moose regular moved into the injury bay with a new injury.

• Daren Machesney - knee injury. Machesney tweaked his knee during practice, but shouldn't be out long. He's hopeful for next weekend's clash with the Milwaukee Admirals.
• Michael Funk - concussion. As I had suggested last week, Funk's symptoms were not diminishing, so it may be time to shut down his season to be safe. And that's exactly what the Moose blueliner did on Thursday. Honestly, there's no reason to gamble with his life at age 23. Hopefully, he'll return next season as he really began to shine in his 19 games.

Musical Locker Room Stalls

The Moose welcomed a number of players this week, and then said good-bye to a few of them as the revolving door on the locker room continued to spin.

• Jimmy Sharrow - signed and released from PTO. Sharrow was brought in on an emergency basis when the Moose were down to five rearguards. Sharrow has played parts of seasons with the Moose before, and will head back to the ECHL's Victoria Salmon Kings.
• Stefan Drew - signed to Amateur Tryout contract. Drew was picked up from the Springfield 98s of the Manitoba East Hockey League where he had been plying his trade. The 24 year-old had been in Moose training camp earlier this season, so he is on the radar. Once Machesney is back from his injury, Drew will most likely be released.
• Evan Oberg - recalled and re-assigned by the Canucks. Oberg's call-up left the Moose slightly shorthanded for their game with Hershey, but he was returned to the Herd on Sunday.
• Taylor Ellington - recalled from Victoria. Ellington has spent a few games with Manitoba, and appears that he could be a very serviceable seventh defenceman if the Moose decide to keep him around.

Like a Moose in a Chat Room

Nolan Baumgartner was the featured guest on Monday in the AHL Chat Room. He spoke about his time in Portland, Maine, why he came back to Manitoba, why he likes playing here, the impact that Mike Keane has had on him, and how Sergei Shirokov is adapting to North American life. You can read the full transcript here of his time in the chat room.

Personally, I appreciate when a player says that the fans and organization are the reasons for him choosing to play in a city. It speaks volumes about the franchise and its fans, and Baumgartner really said some nice things about the Moose in his chat.

Always Wanting More

The Moose battle the Heat again tonight in Abbotsford, and it goes without saying about the importance of a victory tonight. Manitoba is one point ahead of third-place Rochester, but the Amerks have a couple of games in hand. Hamilton has opened a nine-point lead over Manitoba, but the Moose need only to worry about themselves right now.

The upcoming weekend has the Milwaukee Admirals visiting the Moose at MTS Centre. Milwaukee is currently tied for the lead in the West Division with a 22-13-1-5 record. Cal O'Reilly, currently with the NHL's Nashville Predators, leads the team in scoring with nine goals and 26 assists. Mark Dekanich and Chet Pickard are solid goaltenders, but haven't been outstanding. However, the Admirals can score in bunches, so the Moose will have to be defensively solid again.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!s

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