Hockeyblog.com

Needless to say, I won't be blogging from a game again. There's just no way to do three things -- the blog, a game story, actual enjoyment of the hockey -- at once. Sorry to take up all that space.

The natives are restless down in Corpus, and the owner has a sense of humor. You'll have to register to see the post, but it reads in part:

In an unprecedented move, a number of fans of teams in the Central Hockey League have called for an early end to the 2003-2004 season. "Laredo is undefeated, and I think that we played a hopelessly bad game against them, so it's time to call it quits", said one fan with an undistinguishable screen name. "If 4 or 5 games doesn't tell you enough about the team, then you're not much of a hockey analyst", said another South Texan message board wiz.... The games, in spite of the hopelessness felt by several unnamed parties in Corpus, must go on. [W.D.] Frank was real careful about putting pressure on his team. "These guys are real sensitive, and I don't really care whether we play well anyway. What's more important than our coach's emotional well being? I just like the cool music and the zamboni drivers anyway."

With Tim Harvey retired I have to point out this excellent piece on the instigator rule.

Also of note, Al Strachan and Bruce Garrioch slinging Guerin (and/or Matvichuk) to Toronto rumors, which Larry Brooks dismisses.

Think Brent Scott still has 20 in him? Imagine the fun he'll have -- one night he could check Paul Vincent, another shoot the puck at Rooney, another mess around with Cheeseman and another drop the gloves with Ryan Anderson.

For the record, Derek LaxDAL was never an assistant coach in Lubbock.

An Ice Bats fan of my acquaintance wants Kris Waltze to line up with Seguin and Tally, making them the "SWaT Team." Another retorts that said acronym would stand for Seguin Waste of a vet spot And Tallaire.

I don't happen to share that opinion, but I still laughed. Personally I'm waiting for Josh St. Louis to join them as the ST2 line.

Neither Bats nor Jacks fans will admit that they saw this one coming: Dan McIntyre may become the co-No. 1 between the pipes for Flint.

Some sentences that have never been written before:

1. [Dan] Price is just as good a playmaker as he is a goal scorer... the Komets also hope Price is a defensive upgrade.

2. Rick Nichol.... will be the backbone of the team's defense

3. Dan Kletke started the scoring.

All right folks, I'm off on a weeklong trip, with dial-up costing me a dime a minute, so you can guess what that means. If I can check in now and then from an Internet cafe I will; if not, see you on November 5th or 6th.

# posted by JC @ 2:51 AM 0 comments

Ok, I'm done here, gotta write a Statesman story. Bats just scored to make it 4-1 with 4:55 left.

# posted by JC @ 10:56 PM 0 comments

Smart out of the corner, feeds Lardner who puts a sweet backhanded turnaround past Ballard. He is now officially "flashy forward Tab Lardner." 3-0 Bats, 4:21 of the third.

# posted by JC @ 10:38 PM 0 comments

A Manning face-off win produces the first Blazers' shot on goal, followed by more pressure, but nothing comes of it. At the other end Ballard covers up a bouncer. 4:28 gone.

# posted by JC @ 8:40 PM 0 comments

CHLTV is back on line

Bit of a groin epidemic in the league: not one but two goaltenders in Memphis, and Kelly Smart in Austin.

# posted by JC @ 2:49 PM 0 comments

Everyone already knows this, but Dougie is indeed on board on Alabama. Meanwhile, rumor has it that Brent Scott is one of the names on that 28 man roster.

Apparently, Andrew Katzberg fared so poorly in his two bouts with Kris Waltze that his body was actually taken over by the Ice Bats forward. (Since corrected -- y'know, I've fixed things without a trace myself occasionally, but there's something to be said for the Slate approach.)

Speaking of errata, according to The Hockey News, Eric Schneider and Michel Periard are two of the nine best players in the CHL. I can understand including Periard, who was maybe gonna find his way back down, but Schneider's departure was pretty ancient news.

Anyway, Amarillo-based writer David Henry has Memphis, Austin, Indy, Oklahoma City, San Angelo, New Mexico, Colorado and Corpus Christi as his top eight teams, which would also put Odessa (#10, with Bossier in at ninth) in the playoffs at the Eagles' expense. 'Rillas fans accustomed to bashing John Kaltefleiter (who just wrote a sharp story on visors, btw) might want to save some bile for Henry, who picked the home team third-to-last (above the Killer Bees and Brahmas) despite pegging DeGagne as the second-best goalie in the CHL (after Bach and ahead of Carroll).

The Winston-Salem Mooseheads are now a team without a name. Multiple-choice follow-up:

1. Let me guess, their official colors are black, white and masking tape.
2. Good thing the SEHL isn't perceived as bush-league.
3. On the plus side, it's really hard to chant, "WHO OWN DA '-----?'"

I'm also torn on a new nickname for everybody's favorite agitator. Should we go with Dan Wildfang or Evander Wildfong? Yeah yeah, I know the second one is backwards, but it has such a nice ring to it.

On a more serious note of mutilation, check out what happened to former Mudbug Kevin St. Pierre. Glad he made it through ok.

Not everyone was moved by Jeff Greenlaw's post-game lovefest. There's no word on whether Greenlaw also turned to the cameras and said he's going to Disney World, writes Greg Rajan.

Who, by the way, says (in picks that weren't available online) Corpus over Amarillo and Memphis over New Mexico in the conference finals, with Memphis winning it again. Rayz broadcaster Rick Dames say the RiverKings as well, over Odessa, with Austin and Colorado losing in the conference finals.

Funny thing -- whether you call it the Miron Cup or the Miron President's Cup, I believe the actual piece of hardware is the former WPHL trophy, which means that no team has ever won it just one time. If Memphis does do it again, that would be two three-peats in a row. At least we know it hasn't been damaged much in transit.

# posted by JC @ 1:19 AM 0 comments

Just call 'em the Alabama Oiler Rays. Any minute now, the WHA-2 Slammers will announce a major signing that I'm pretty sure is Dougie Lawrence (and if not, it could be Jorin Welsh). Hall and Unger have also signed up Ronayne, Prentice, Cheesman, Quinnell and Renard. Sly Naud, it's your move.

# posted by JC @ 2:00 PM 0 comments

Don't forget those CHL-UNDERGROUND Game Reports!

# posted by JC @ 4:11 AM 0 comments

As Bats fan bk first pointed out to me, the home team's 0-5, outshooting your opponent doesn't seem to count for much and Bossier almost had more penalties than shots. Congratulations especially to Tulsa and San Angelo. Hope the Saints pack 'em in tonight.

Hockeyblog.com goes "legit". And man, I barely recognize some of those RiverKings without their playoff hair. It's only one game, but if he keeps skating with Parsons, Brian Tucker has a chance to be that much more despised, for points as well as PiMs.

I'm defending Mike Minard, but contrast his reaction last year to Arturs Irbe this year.

From Ice Bats practice goalie to ECHL back-up: congratulations to Martin Kresac.

# posted by JC @ 4:18 PM 1 comments

Meet the Austin Ice Bats. Plus a piece on new head coach Jeff Greenlaw (not to be confused with "Mike" Greenlaw -- hey, it wasn't me, I swear!).

# posted by JC @ 2:22 PM 0 comments

Utterly meaningless statistic: Eric Schneider is the Utah Grizzlies' scoring leader.

I'm busy with a Statesman preview, but since the puck drops tonight I'd better get on record with my picks.

I basically agree with the official CHL-Underground version, except I'm putting my chips down on New Mexico instead of Wichita, and Bossier instead of the defending champs. The Thunder have more talent than the Scorps, but ('01-'02 aside) it isn't the post-season without Macker. And the Mudbugs, they're just gonna be too hungry.

Truth is, I'm surprised people are picking Memphis for the three-peat. Not that they'll be bad. But the Kings have lost a fair amount of players, and St. John's does not appear to be replenishing the roster (except between the pipes of course). Plus there's no telling what a new coach with a new style means, or how the MVP will take to it. It's easy to forget that last year's club-- with Richards, Stastny, Cote and Nasato, not to mention that Doug Shedden fellow -- only made the playoffs by two games. The line is fine

And oh yeah, Amarillo will lose to Indy again -- this time in the President's Cup final.

# posted by JC @ 2:54 AM 0 comments

Love this Sauter quote about Shawn Weiman:

He has decided to stay in the San Antonio organization. He went to Augusta (of the East Coast Hockey League) instead of coming here. They promised that he'd be back in San Antonio in two weeks. I said, 'I can promise you that, too. I don't know if that'll happen or not, but I can promise you that.'

# posted by JC @ 2:56 PM 0 comments

Well, obviously the big news around here is the addition of game reports and features to your favorite CHL web site. Here's Mitch Cooper's first contribution from Austin.

Cheesy but brilliant: RiverKings Championship rings for fans. On a related note, I hear Glass Rattler poster Legault Jr. has commissioned his own specially designed Governor's Cup ring.

Got a question about the CHL? Don't just e-mail me, ask the expert: in this case Caller-Times writer Greg Rajan. Here's my question: "who was the best beat writer in the WPHL?"

The best beat writer in the CHL on Sunday was Barry Lewis, first out of the box with a preview in the Tulsa World, and a lot more willing to handicap the dregs than I am at the moment. Though I will say this: some teams look good on paper -- Bill McDonald's teams look good on the ice.

Anyway, if you don't like where Lewis picked your local squad, take solace in the fact that he had New Mexico over Tulsa for the President's Cup last season. I'm allowed to bring that up 'cause I'm the idiot who had San Angelo in the playoffs and Laredo in last place.

I'm thinking Robbie Nichols is not on Kirk Tomlinson's Christmas card list... In other Lubbock news, nice piece on C-Kings voice Matt "Red" Marshall, courtesy the SMU paper (and brought to my attention by The Farm Report, natch). Hmmmh, now that I think about it, where's that Daily Northwestern review of Zamboni Rodeo?

And finally, you'd think that realtor I pointed out the other day might have set up shop in this Newfoundland town.

# posted by JC @ 4:05 AM 0 comments

Today's transactions.

Among the highlights: Jason Bone and Jeremy Cornish were beat out by the rookies in Laredo, Colorado is not so overcrowded that they couldn't pick up Russell Hogue (who shined for Stew in San Antone), and the Jacks did indeed acquire Currie.

# posted by JC @ 10:15 PM 0 comments

Two goals in two games for Michel Periard -- at the moment he certainly isn't planning another trip down 35.

# posted by JC @ 11:56 AM 0 comments

Full pre-season results.

# posted by JC @ 2:07 PM 0 comments

Greg Rajan points out this quote from Killer Bee Darcy Smith, who was also recruited by the Rayz:

I found out that they like penalty minutes and majors and stuff like that, and that’s not my cup of tea.”

Of course, before he started drinking tea, the 6'4, 232 lb. defenseman had 207 PiMs his first pro season, and 175 (in just 42 games) his second.

Oh right, actual hockey games... how 'bout that Jeff Hackett? No, seriously, here's Rajan's story from Thursday's Bucks-Scorps game, and fan reports on the Blazers-Thunder match-up. What, no shootout? Was Bud Selig there?

Seriously... that makes no sense to me. If you want to play it safe injury-wise and not bother with the extra five minutes, that's understandable, but I thought the whole point of an exhibition was to simulate real game conditions in a way that practice can't provide. You don't have to send Clayton or Manning out there, but surely other players (to say nothing of the goalies) could have used the work -- plus the fans get resolution.

# posted by JC @ 1:31 PM 0 comments

More on the CHL's dispute with the Tupelo T-Rex.

What I get out of this story is that the WPHL didn't "loan" the T-Rex money, they just allowed them to operate without paying their franchise fees. It's also surprising that Global wasn't more aggressive about enforcing the T-Rex trademark, even if junior hockey didn't fall under the umbrella of the non-compete (or they simply didn't care when it was junior hockey).

Still, it's a legitimate debt and Fletcher signed the deal... if he had just figured out a way to go out of business and re-incorporate with a new company and a new team name, maybe none of this would have been an issue (you can be sure there are other teams that didn't pay their WPHL franchise fees and never had to, either because they went out of business or a new owner took over and stayed in the league with those debts forgiven).

Let's face it, it's not like the Tupelo organization gave anything a lot of thought when they rushed into the AWHL that first year. If they have the money to operate they should have the money to pay their debts. And I'm certainly not gonna feel sorry for an owner whose "struggling" hockey team couldn't pay its franchise fees but could afford to carry Jason Firth.

It's also hard to imagine Jim Riggs was blindsided by this, considering he was in Memphis (then owned by Chen) at the time of the WPHL/CHL merger, when Tupelo remained in play.

It may seem petty, but business is business. What if, a year from now, the SEHL merges (or re-merges) with the WHA-2 while the higher-level WHA sniffs around Memphis and OKC? Everyone is competition. The folks who started up the WPHL have always seen that, treating minor pro hockey as a single business. That approach has caused its share of questionable or unpopular decisions, but you can't say it hasn't been right-on.

# posted by JC @ 3:47 PM 1 comments

Hmmh, I sure hope Tom Wheatley is a predicting genius -- though I'd have to root against the Stars.

Okay, okay... I enjoy goofin' on Nasato as much as the next guy, but for those of you who really think the guy is worthless, your approach should be A) not talking about him or B) expressing joy he's gone.

Let's not forget, his baggage includes three championship rings -- and of course the team that signed him knows what he's about. Bottom line, when he isn't acting like an idiot, the guy can play, and when he is acting like an idiot it's good for business -- otherwise we wouldn't yap about him.

And speaking of the bottom line, he's not running away from anybody, but rather, towards a bigger paycheck. Which may keep him from adding a fourth ring, but who can really say right now -- and it's not like he was guaranteed to get one with the Bees (or the RiverKings for that matter).

More on the Flyers game coached by writers, as well as Hitch's perspective.

Brad Wingfield remains in Houston -- if I caused any confusion the other day that's because the "Corpus Five" were actually six with Levesque (making Starling #7).

Anyway, it will be interesting to see if the Winger/Legs rivalry lives up to the hype, since the two are former teammates and good friends. Legault's comment:

We decided we're just gonna see what happens as the season goes on. It's part of the game, and it's our jobs to do what we have to do, I know there's times, when you have friends in the league, their coach is gonna send them after me and vice versa. We're grown men, and we know that. We're also two guys who have tempers that flare up in the heat of the moment -- and that's all I'm gonna say about that.

Of course, if they do steer clear, that just means lots of Wingfield/Waltze and Richardson/Legault.

# posted by JC @ 1:43 AM 0 comments

Tim Harvey does my job again (good thing this isn't his beat): Craig Coxe, soon to be coaching (you can't make this part up) an SEHL farm team.

# posted by JC @ 12:32 AM 0 comments

Ice Bats camp begins.

# posted by JC @ 12:45 PM 0 comments

And the answer is.... the UHL. Luch Nasato is a Richmond Riverdog. Thanks to Rinkblog's Tim Harvey for the heads-up.

# posted by JC @ 11:37 PM 0 comments

Now granted, hockey scribes are not geographers, but what's up with this Scorps article, which says the team's training camp locale in Corpus Christi puts them "near the noted Spring Break hangout of South Padre Island." That's like saying, Albuquerque's "near the ski resort of Taos." Shoot, the CHL's newest Texas team actually *is* near South Padre -- and still not near enough!

Hey, if Wilkes-Barre Scranton sent a dozen players -- that's 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 players -- to Wheeling of the ECHL (owned by two guys who also hold an interest in the Penguins) where do you suppose the Colorado guys fit into the call-up pecking order?

Speaking of affiliations, thanks to Wolfie in Laredo for noticing this display of arrogance/ignorance on the part of Norfolk Admirals fan Christopher Smith, who says the Indy Ice affiliation with the Blackhawks, "gives the [ECHL] Florence Pride a place to call up players for the Pride."

A belated must-read: Brian Ross' MLN Sportszone piece on Taylor Hall, the Rays and the WHA-2 in Pelham.

Still plenty of slots left for the Central Hockey League junior reporter program. Get those sons/daughers/nieces/nephews/neighbors in the mix! So long as they don't have to meet that guy in the picture it should be a great experience.

As usual, Tim Harvey's Rinkblog is the place to go for an NHL labor round-up from the Sunday papers, among many other subjects.

Here come the the big, bad, Wichita Thunder.

And finally, R.I.P. Dan Snyder. Awful story, with awful consequences -- not to mention morbid, pitch-black irony.

# posted by JC @ 1:58 AM 0 comments

Just to follow up, the Panthers goalie hijinks were not expected to affect the Rampage. Now that's a sure thing, as Steve Shields is headed down to Sunrise.

Nice little informational piece on developmental hockey leagues from the Dallas Morning News.

And here's the cure for hockey's lack of scoring: let the writers coach. Here's Wayne Fish's bench-side report from Friday's Phantoms-Flyers tilt.

# posted by JC @ 2:44 PM 0 comments

Weird turn of events with the Florida Panthers goalie situation, though in the end, it doesn't look like it changes things in San Antone.

Gotta keep reading those ECHL transactions. Among the names today: Peter Bournazakis, Justin Cardwell, Tom Kotsopolous, Julius Halfkenny, Bobby Brown, Robert Fail, Shawn Skiehar and Dominics Forget and Periard.

# posted by JC @ 1:40 AM 0 comments

Clever move by the fledgling Texas Wildcatters -- they have signed Danielle Dube, which should at least compensate, PR-wise, for losing Kevin Hodson.

Dave Gove is ready for October 10th. I say he'll be there.

Nice to see Stephane Desjardins still kicking around. Not only was Steph the first Ice Bat I ever really interviewed, but his picture appears in Zamboni Rodeo, unidentified (an oversight the paperback corrects).

# posted by JC @ 12:45 PM 0 comments

Official word on the ECHL, Part II. I'd say the union won -- the cap stays high, the floor is something they proposed and the vet rule's games-played number is the highest in the country (if only for two seasons).

Plus, all but eight guys on every team get total free agency each off-season -- that should impact CHL (and UHL) recruiting.

Just awful, the car crash in Atlanta. You can't help but think of Vlady Konstantinov and Pelle Lindbergh.

# posted by JC @ 2:17 AM 0 comments