Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Aeros Training Camp Roster

Okay, we have an official training camp list from the Aeros (as of 9/30, so it's missing the boys still up in Minny, but we know all about them by now, right?) Good work, Media Relations Studs!

Question: Where's Olvecky? Answer: Houston. He just got left off the roster. Phew!

Let's do 'em up in number order for easy reference during the game Friday night:

Goalies
1- Kellen Briggs - He actually got a PTO last season when we were in a pinch for goalies but never played. He and Traylen, below, are presumably competing for the 6th goalie position, so if we lose two of the top 4, we can call him up from wherever he's stashed in the ECHL and know what we're getting. Former U. of Minnesota goalie so go ahead and get on the bandwagon, Gopher Lovers! He played for the Idaho Steelheads last season and did fine there with a few AHL call-ups. Seems like a solid choice. (Tryout)
30 - Dimples - You know him. You love him. I don't need to say anything about Anton. (NHL contract)
31 - Nolan Schaefer - Steady Eddie. Will be nice to see him between the pipes again. (NHL contract)
37 - Dustin Traylen - Big, mature goalie at 27 years old, playing for the Corpus Christi Ice Rays this season and his signing even made it on the news (I'd fall over dead if the Houston news ever profiled a new player like this!) How does a goalie get 40 PIM? Even Barry didn't have close to that much! (Tryout)

Skaters
2 - Dane Crowley (D) - Big, young (21) fella who played for Constantine two seasons ago and continued with the Tips last season, throwing in a bit of time with Norfolk in the AHL. Career high PIM last season at 131, so he knows where his arms end. Not a big scorer but, according to HF.com, "a respectable defensive defenseman with good mobility, an eagerness to play a physical, rugged game, and a willingness to drop the gloves to defend his teammates if the opportunity should arise... He is a hard worker with good leadership ability, and a team-first mentality." Okay. Cool. (Tryout)
3 - Paul Albers (D) - Pauly Pauly, black and blue; Block those shots and we'll love you! (NHL contract)
6 - Mitch Love (D) - Former Everett Silvertips defenseman under Constantine, who wasn't signed by the Avs organization that drafted him. Seems he's a bit of a pugilist. He doesn't have another team lined up (that I could find), so he'll be busting his tail to make the team. He's a low-to-no scoring guy but had 213 PIM last season with the Lake Erie Monsters. One year, when he was with the WHL's Swift Current Broncos, he had 327 PIM. Holy shit! Here's his prospect page. Apparently he was much beLoved in Everett. (Tryout)
7 - Clayton Stoner (D) - Hey good lookin'! Whatcha got cookin'? (NHL contract)
10 - Jesse Schultz (RW) - Hooray for dudes who can score! Welcome to Houston, Jesse! (NHL contract)
11 - Jason Deitsch (C) - Jason's an older player who's been bouncing around the minors his whole career, but seems to have consistently served up a point per game, which is nothing to sneeze at, apparently plays a solid two-way game, and has enough PIM to know he's no delicate flower, despite his 5'10" stature. He is signed with the CHL Texas Brahmas this season. (Tryout)
12 - Ryan Hamilton (LW) - Oh, how I thought you had a chance this year, Hammy. I'm sorry. Keep it up though. You were on a crazy streak last season and with better guys around you this year, it will only get better. (NHL contract)
13 - Aaron Brocklehurst (D) - Coming out of college (St. Cloud, so another Minnesota connection), Aaron's not a real big guy, but he just signed with the Everblades in August and will spend the season there unless he sticks in Houston or gets called up. Coach Cameron says, "He's an outstanding offensive defenseman who skates well and has a bomb of a shot! Aaron was heavily recruited by a lot of ECHL teams and we're excited he chose Florida." Bomb of a shot sounds good! Aw, I miss Awe... (Tryout)
14 - Ryan Lang (C) - Small guy and 28 years old, but a BIG scorer in the ECHL. He just signed to play for Cameron and his Blades and coach had this to say: "He's an extremely fast skater with good hands, he has a strong desire to win and he brings tremendous leadership qualities to the table." Sounds great to me. (Tryout)
15 - Bryan Lundbohm (C) - Lundy's the oldest feller on the team at 31, so odds are very good that Coach Stalin and I will designate him "Team Dad" like we did Steve Kelly last season. Please, dear hockey gods, don't let him be like Steve Kelly. (NHL contract)
16 - Peter Olvecky (LW) - The quiet Slovak is back. Given the hype early in camp, I thought he might be in contention. Wrong again, yo.
17 - Riley Emmerson (L/RW) - Riley is under contract to the Wild but will likely end up with former ECHL Texas Wildcatters coach Malcolm Cameron and his Florida Everblades. For all the fist and hair swinging YouTube videos I've seen of Riley, I expected more than 142 PIM. (NHL contract)
18 - Josh Soares (F) - This is the first guy whose stats I've looked at and gone, "Wow!" and raised an eyebrow. The guy can score, at least in the ECHL, has good size, enough PIM to know he's serious... He's got a contract with the Alaska Aces for this season, but I'm kinda hoping he brings his flip-flops and stays a while. (Tryout)
21 - Morton Madsen (C) - The Great Dane needs to step it up this season. I'm just sayin'... (NHL contract)
22 - Jason Ryznar (LW) - Yet another NJ Devils draft pick getting a look by the Aeros! What's up with that? Tom Lynn must have a buddy in the Devils organization. Not much of a goal scorer but sounds like the type of player who might find wings under Constantine, based on his HockeysFuture.com write-up. He went to Wild camp and didn't get much press, but the fact that he got an NHL tryout tells me he'll likely be in the Aeros line-up this season. (Tryout)
23 - Petr Kalus (RW) - I hope he has a good season. He's obviously got the raw talent. (NHL Contract)
24 - John Adams (D) - Adams played pretty solid in Houston during his brief call-up last season, so it's good to see him back in the fold. Not seeing where he's signed for this season. Anybody out there know? (Tryout)
25 - Zach Tarkir (D) - Defenseman tryout signed with the ECHL South Carolina Stingrays. Like Adrian Foster and Aaron Voros, he's another New Jersey Devils prospect that didn't stick with the organization. I don't think there's another team in the league from whom we get so many... for lack of a better phrase... cast-offs. He appears to be good for about 20 points a season, so that's decent for a d-man. Weirdest thing about him is that he's from Fresno, CA. Not exactly a hockey hotbed. (Tryout)
26 - Maxim Noreau (D) - The darling of Traverse City. I'm looking forward to watching him grow this year. (NHL contract)
28 - Brandon Rogers (D) - I like Brandon. Hope whatever injury bug is plaguing him goes away quickly. (NHL contract)
29 - John Lammers (LW) - For a third round draft pick (Dallas) in 2004, you'd hope he'd done a little more. I'm sure Dallas fans do. Pretty thorough and interesting prospect report on him. Has some tools but not a thorough enough package, it seems. Nice hands, but lacks the physicality to get to the net and take advantage of those soft hands. (Tryout)
34 - Michael Couch (D) - Big d-man at 6'4". Is it wrong that I automatically think "Pylon!"? But here's a little love from the ol' coach: “Michael Couch was one of our most improved players over the course of last season. He’s a team guy in the locker room, he protects his guys on the ice, and he’s a joy to coach.” Hey, gotta like that. But don't we already have a Kassian? Oh look! He'll already have a pal at camp! (Tryout)
36 - James Jernberg (D) - Woo! Big fella! Low scoring enforcer-type. Not much out there on him as he spent the last two seasons in Europe. (Tryout)
38 - Pat Oliveto (D) - Not a fighter! Also, he's +11 for last season with the Mississippi Sea Wolves. Given that much of the team ended the season with a - in the column, I'm taking that as a relatively good sign. Not a big scorer but apparently a good all-around player. (Tryout)
39 - Vincent Zaore (D) - Vince played with both Noreau and Madsen in 06-07 in Victoriaville and is a big hitter who spent some time playing forward last season with the Johnstown Chiefs. Could be interesting. (Tryout)
40 - Marco Rosa (C) - Marco... I adore watching Marco move the puck. That's a guy who never gives up. He has incredible balance and pushes that thing through all kinds of traffic. Love his hustle. (AHL contract?)
41 - Jeremy Leroux (D) - Jeremy is signed with the IceRays. "Jeremy is a very good skater and very creative offensively," said (Coach Sylvain) Cloutier. "His ability and decision making with the puck will be a big plus for our power play."
42 - Matt Kassian (LW) - I'm so fond of Matt. He's not much of a hockey player, but he's a helluva guy and I want him on my team. Here's hoping he sticks in Houston.
43 - Chase Trull (F) - Another pretty tough guy. How many do we need? Though apparently he can play both forward and defense, so he's probably a pretty good two-way player. Big fella at 6'3". From the Sea Wolves coach Steffon Walby: "Chase is a true professional with a lot of grit and a great work ethic. He will be used in every role possible this season."
45 - Jason Tejchma (F) - Leading scorer for the Sea Wolves last season with 60 points. Could be good, but he's quite small. Anybody know how to pronounce Tejchma?
46 - Marty Mjelleli (F) - Are there any pro hockey players named Marty who aren't awesome? Oh yeah, Skoula. Well, anyway. He's signed with the Gwinnett Gladiators this season, though I'm not sure why. He has very few points, isn't real big, and almost no PIM. Here's a nice article about him from last year though.
47 - Adam Powell (LW) - Another IceRays signee with a "good gravy!" amount of PIM last season with that team (226!).
48 - Darryl Smith (C) - Rookie center for the CHL's Laredo Bucks fresh out of the QMJHL. He was on the Gatineau Olympiques team that went to the Memorial Cup championships this past season (which Justin Falk's Spokane Chiefs won). Here's a bit more on him. (Tryout)
49 - Ryan Cruthers (RW) - Can't quite figure this one out. Decent scoring; signed with the Islanders organization in March and has only played a handful of pro games. Meh. (Tryout)
84 - Corey Locke (LW) - Again, hooray for dudes who can score! Welcome to Houston, Corey! (NHL contract)
?? - Ryan Graham (LW) - No number provided for him and I'm surprised he's listed since he declined the offer to attend Wild training camp. Seems he's good for a few points and lots of fights, but I'm puzzled as to whether he's really going to be here or not. Why would you not go to Wild camp but come to Aeros camp?


Also, put on waivers with the intention of coming down to Houston ultimately (but can stay up for 30 days to help out with pre-season relief):

  • Tomas Mojzis
  • Krys Kolanos
  • John Scott
  • Barry Brust
More significant are the NOT CUTS (as of 10/1):
  • Erik Reitz
  • Benoit Pouliot
  • Colton Gillies
  • Cal Clutterbuck
  • Danny Irmen
  • Justin Falk
I'll keep updating this list as information becomes available.

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I can haz SedinBotz?

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Wild Pre-season Line-up: Game 4 (and a bunch of other stuff)

At home against Chicago (against whom we are 0-1 in the pre-season) will be, in no particular order:

Forwards: Veilleux, Brunette, Boogaard, Gillies, Kolanos, Koivu, Pouliot, Sheppard, Kalus, Gaborik, Bouchard (maybe--he's still day to day) Clutterbuck, Miettinen

Defensemen: Skoula, Schultz, Scott, Cuma, Mojzis, Bergeron

Goalies: Backstrom, Harding

Doubt I'll get to listen to it, but I'll update later with any significant happenings. Excited for Cuma to have another game. And sort of amused that they keep hoping Scotty will turn into Chara. Hey, you never know, I guess. Better to roll the dice in pre-season than when it counts.

Updated with the news this morning of Cal filling in for Butch. Huzzah!

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Found out tonight that this Sunday's novice league game will be against one of the the Sugar Land Novice league teams. Our red team will travel to Sugar Land to play against them at their rink, and my green team will play their other team at Willowbrook. I'm excited. It should be good fun to play against a new group.

I feel sure we'll whip them because we actually have quite a few ringers on our team. I mean, they really do play novice, but they could easily play C or B league if they wanted to. But we need them because if we only played with true novice players, I'm not sure we'd get better as quickly as we can playing with good players.

It's big hockey for the next couple of weeks: I'm going to try and steal away during lunch Friday for a bit of a skate on the other rink at the Aeros practice facility, and catch the boys practicing a bit, if I can. Then Friday night is the pre-season game. Then Sunday is this novice "championship" (not sure if we're playing for first or third place). Then Saturday is the Toyota Center game and then the Aeros game that night, as well as the first Wild game that night.

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I've fully updated the Aeros TC Roster post with info about each of the tryout players who will be in camp. At least, the ones I know about so far. An interesting assortment of guys. I bet there will be a gem or two in the mix, like Rosa and Awe were last year. Just good, hard-working guys who manage to hustle their way out of the ECHL.

In case it's not painfully obvious, I so miss the boys and cannot wait for Friday to see them on the ice again. Seems like only yesterday was my birthday with the boys losing out of the playoffs (to no one's surprise, unfortunately). I think it's going to be a good year if they can get the chemistry going sooner than later.

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Monday, September 29, 2008

My creation for the night


Heh. The Sedins are so damn lovably creepy.

Hockey was crazy tonight. Hardly anybody was there, so we just had a loose scrimmage. No whistles or stoppages or anything. Only two forwards on the bench and one D. I ended up playing for the red team, since they were very short handed, and I carry my red Russian Ms. Conduct jersey with me for just such an occasion.

Anyway, the green team has much better players, so we got skunked big time, but it was fun and exhausting. I got dizzy a couple of times, but really hadn't been feeling well all day thanks to my neck being jacked up, which makes me feel bad all over. But I managed. Also, I got the puck a LOT. Easily more in one game than I have in 8 weeks or whatever combined. So, that was fun. Lots of shots on goal but the green team didn't have a goalie, so their D was playing goal and playing goal REALLY well. It was ridiculous. They got a stick on every attempt I made. Grr.

Still, it was fun fun fun. I wish it was always that casual (though with two full forward lines, please!) as I seem to play much better in a more relaxed environment. Or maybe I'm just relaxing in general. Nah, that can't be. ;)

I even had a couple of nifty moves, but only because the green team was letting me skate with the puck, which the red team never lets me do (or my team is so fast, I never actually GET the puck). One, I was skating in with the puck and kinda lost it off my stick but managed to kick it with my skate and keep moving with it. Normally, when I lose the puck, I lose it with gusto.

Another, I took a shot on goal and it hit the "goalie's" stick and deflected off my skate and around the side of the net, so I picked it up, carried it around behind, and shot it to the guy in the slot waiting for me. That was pretty cool. Of course, being the harbinger of doom for any scoring opportunities, I got no goals and no assists still. Sheesh. I clearly have zero offensive touch, but it was a lot of fun to try.

It was a tough game, so I'm wondering what strange places I'm going to be sore tomorrow. :) Update: Shoulder and hip (from falling). I think sore abs are on the horizon but won't hit until later this afternoon. Shoulder hurts pretty bad though.

Anyway, I'm all jacked up on a hockey high, so I think I'm going to go read this terrific statistical breakdown of the NHL that some guy did. That should be interesting/boring enough to wear my brain out.

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Sunday, September 28, 2008

Fantasy Hockey: Russoville

Okay, another good draft. Ended up picking them all myself. Maybe I have a bit of control freak in me. Maybe.

Here's how it shook out:

Starting Lineup:

C - Olli Jokinen (PHO)
C - Derek Roy (BUF)

LW - Patrick Sharp (CHI)
LW - Vaclav Prospal (TB)

RW - Jarome Iginla (CAL)
RW - Petr Sykora (PIT)

D - Brian Campbell (CHI)
D - Tomas Kaberle (TOR)
D - Dennis Wideman (BOS)
D - Michal Rozsival (NYR)

Util - RW- Mike Knuble (PHI)
Util - LW - Scotty Hartnell (PHI)

G - Marty Turco (DAL)
G - Marty Biron (PHI)

Bench

LW - Chris Higgins (MON)
C - Benoit Pouliot (MIN) (except Yahoo has him categorized as a LW... gonna see about getting that corrected)
C - Steve Ott (got Otter back!)
LW - Taylor "Token Hottie" Pyatt

I've got Higgins and Hartnell up on the trading block because I have too many Left Wings, so I need a RW.

Other than that, I'm pretty happy. Got my favorite goalie, and another really solid one behind him (plus, those eyes! There should be a Gorgeous Eyes stat.) Iginla's a stone cold stud and I figure I might as well get something out of him steamrolling the Wild every time they meet.

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Saturday, September 27, 2008

Wild Pre-season Line-up: Game 3

Heading out to Buffalo tomorrow will be:

Brunette - Belanger - Clutterbuck
Gillies - Locke - Nolan
Veilleux - Pouliot - JSchultz
Hamilton - Sheppard - Weller - Boogaard

NSchultz - Skoula - Reitz - Cuma - Noreau - Bergeron - Johnsson

Backstrom - Harding

Very cool that so many youngsters are getting some quality playing time. Unfortunately, I have hockey tomorrow night, so I won't be able to listen to the game. *sniff* ETA: Oh, it starts at 6 so maybe I can listen to most of it before I have to leave. Wee!

Also, my final fantasy hockey draft is tomorrow afternoon. Still haven't decided whether I'm going to auto-draft and see my little experiment through, or make my own picks. I've at least eliminated all the known-to-be-injured players and all the guys on my other team. And Todd Bertuzzi and Brad May, just because I can't stomach those guys being on my team.

Post game Update:
I didn't get to listen to but about half the game and it sounded pretty dreadful. I wasn't really sorry to take the earbuds out and go to my own hockey game.

However, the cool thing is that Cal got props from Lemaire after the game, without any prompting other than, "Which young guys stood out to you?" Cuma, Clutterbuck, Pouliot, Shep, in that order. Booyah! You're a rock star, Cal!

Also, I had a spy in the crowd who was busy watching her own boys (which I totally get), but did take a picture of someone holding a Clutterbuck sign! I think he's from not too far from Buffalo (but I'm too lazy to look up where Welland, ONT is exactly), so I'm sure he had family and friends there, which is terrific for him.

Finally, I think I have a man crush on Cuma. I know I'm not a man, but it's sort of like if you met Jesus or Superman or something. Just sort of awe and excitement about him. I'm already looking very much forward to next season just because I'm guessing he'll make the team handily. Rock that shit, Cuminator!

Has M.A. Bergeron been taking lessons from Avery? WTF is up with two fights in two games? Did we know he did this kind of thing? I'm scratching my head.

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Friday, September 26, 2008

Wild Pre-season Line-up: Game 2

Ahh, more of my boys getting a shot tonight. Very exciting, though I feel pretty sure we're going to lose as the Chicago line-up is better offensively. But at least I get to listen tonight! Huzzah!

The lineup for tonight:

Nolan Irmen - Belanger - Veilleux
Gillies - Pouliot - Weller
Boogaard - Sheppard - Clutterbuck
Kalus - Koivu - Miettinen

Skoula - Zidlicky
Noreau - Johnsson
Bergeron - Reitz

Harding - Schaefer

A quote from Ryan Stanzle's blog regarding the travel plans for the game:

The team will depart from MSP at 2:30 p.m. for tonight's game, then return immediately afterward. Head Coach Jacques Lemaire said that the team is away from home so often during the season that, during the preseason, it's nice to give the guys a chance to stick around a little longer.

Cal Clutterbuck, though, is so fired up to be on this trip that he may just head to the airport right now.
Heh. I'm excited for him. Go Cal!

Very cool that Noreau is getting to play, too. It really is pretty amazing considering he was undrafted just a little over a year ago and now has a 3 year NHL contract and is playing his first NHL pre-season game tonight. Go Max!

Um, and just to be fair: Go Crack Squirrel!

Back after the game with any interesting stuff...

Update: Nolan is scratched so Irmen, who traveled as an emergency fill-in, is in. Very happy for him since the last game didn't go so well, with an ugly (and controversial) misconduct penalty that ended the game with only 3 minutes and change in TOI for him.

Post-Game Update: Nolan was purposely scratched to give Irmen another chance. Boy, that was nice of JL. And he did much better. JL expressed great pleasure with his performance tonight. He even got an assist on the first goal.

On the other hand, Reitzy... oh boy. He had a brutal game and got called out for it afterwards by Lemaire. He's in deep doodoo up there. I feel for the guy big time, but this is what I was afraid of for him. That he just wouldn't be able to think and act fast enough for the NHL game.

Kalus got himself a goal though it sounds like he got lucky. I'm sure they'll have highlights on Wild.com tomorrow, so we'll see.

Didn't hear anything good or bad about Clutterbuck, so I'm assuming he played a pretty conservative game. I did hear his name in the mix a few times. I dunno. Wish I could watch these games with my own eyes.

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Thursday, September 25, 2008

BobbleMania!

The Aeros released their promotional schedule for the season yesterday (god forbid they do it before the game selections for partial season ticket holders are due).

It's the usual Mullet Night and Breast Cancer Night and stuff. And because it's the 15th anniversary of the team, they're doing a bunch of bobbleheads of, I guess, important players from the team's history. Okay. That's nice.

But two nights stand out to me:

The first is Election Night, where they're handing out Obama and McCain bobbleheads. I have a feeling that by election day, we're going to want to put them all in a pile in the street and send a steamroller across them. For the love of god. I watch hockey to get away from the ugly bits of life, like political elections. But it's pretty clever and might be a good draw, so whatever. Butts in seats, right?

The other, which I only noticed after a second look at the list is Friday, March 13th - Superstitious Night. HA! Now that's kinda clever. I'm not sure what that will entail, but I have to wonder how the goalies will feel about this night. Something about calling attention to their superstitions is sort of doubly bad luck, so to have a whole theme night around superstitions (though presumably not our goalies' superstitions per se), seems like it would set them on edge a little.

Then again, maybe they'll do free beers every time Brusty gets up to 50 pad taps in a single face-off tapping session? That would be awesome. For us. Terrible for him with the whole arena focused on his little ritual. We don't know much but we do have experience counting in unison.

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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Tasty Morsels

Thanks to the effervescent Hammer, I'm now hooked up with Google Alerts, which I've set up to send me e-mails if certain search terms come up anywhere on the internet (blogs, news, etc.)

Right out of the gate, I get useful results. According to the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL:

Rounding out the list is defenseman Zach Tarkir, who will battle for a roster spot with the Houston Aeros. Tarkir, 24, signed with the Rays last month after spending the majority of the 2007-08 campaign with the Trenton Devils. The Fresno, California, native is entering his second full season following a four-year stint at Northern Michigan University. Originally the New Jersey Devils' 5th round selection in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft (167th overall), Tarkir has also seen action in 13 career AHL contests, all with Lowell.
Also, while this is more personally interesting to me, my Aeros ticket rep has landed with the New Mexico Scorpions of the CHL. Dan, if you're out there, WE MISS YOU! Why'd you leave us? *sob*
As the Scorpions continue to sign players and get themselves ready on the ice for the upcoming season, the front office is also gearing up with some changes of their own. Dan Boutureira has arrived while Amy DeGroot has moved to the American Hockey League (AHL).

Boutureira joins the Scorpions after spending the past three seasons with the Houston Aeros in the AHL. With the Aeros, Boutureira led the group sales department and also was very involved with youth hockey in the Houston area.

That's all the news for today. Exciting huh? :) Okay, maybe just to me.

Watching the Rangers/Devils play tonight while I watch the Wild/CBJ box scores online. Go boys!

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Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Wild Pre-season Line-up: Game 1

Brunette-Koivu-Miettinen
Gillies-Sheppard-Nolan
Hamilton-Kolanos-Irmen
Veilleux-Pouliot-Weller

Schultz-Johnsson
Bergeron-Zidlicky
Mojzis-Reitz

Backstrom
Brust

I'm surprised to see an all-AHL line in there (though maybe that's normal for pre-season), but knowing Jacques, that will get shuffled around 25 times and the lines themselves are pretty irrelevant, but it's nice to see quite a few Aeros (which is what I'm calling everyone with a 2 way contract) on the roster. That's gotta be exciting for those guys to actually have a crowd to play for.

The game will be on WCCO 830 in Minneapolis/St. Paul at 7 p.m. Central, so I hope to listen in on their internet feed and hear how the boys are doing.

Suppose it irks Pouliot a bit to be starting on a lower line than Kolanos? Mmmm-hmmm....

UPDATE: Well, if Pouliot was irked, he kept it off the ice. He got a goal and JL is saying he's thrilled with his play. That's great. I hope he keeps it up.

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Monday, September 22, 2008

Fantasy Hockey: Wild Message Board

I'm pretty happy with my WMB draft tonight. Only one pick that I'd give back if I could, but I was under the gun and just had to pick someone. First, however, I'd like to apologize to the following players because you're about to have a crap season.

Starting Lineup

C - Joe Thornton - Sharks
C - Daymond Langkow - Flames

LW - Brenden Morrow - Stars
LW - Sean Avery - Stars

RW - JP Dumont - Predators
RW -Daniel Cleary - Red Wings

D - Wade Redden - Rangers (the one I regret)
D - Marek Zidlicky - Wild
D - Tom Gilbert - Oilers
D - Johnny Oduya - Devils

Utility
C - Andrew Cogliano - Oilers

Bench
C, LW - Alexander Steen - Maple Leafs
RW - Colby Armstrong - Thrashers
C - Steve Ott - Stars LW - Todd Fedoruk (PHO)

Goalies
G - Miikka Kiprusoff - Flames
G - Mike Smith - Lightning

So, I'm a bit heavy on Stars players, but I feel like the rest is pretty nicely spread out. I'm willing to be heavy on a team I feel will be a cup contender this year. And only one Wild player, so not too homeristic. Though Mike Smith won the back up goalie spot due to his history with the Aeros, so that's kinda homery.

Anyway, I'm happy. The next one with the Russoville gang should be easier now that I've done a shit load of research. Then again, I'd said I was going to Auto-Draft one of my teams and compare the two. But it's so fun to draft! I don't think I can resist it.

UPDATE: Hated to do it but in a dream last night, I realized that I'm shooting myself in the foot to have both LWs from the same team, so I needed to have a couple of guys on the bench to fill in. Which meant Otter had to go since Steen is a C/LW and can play both roles. However, pickin's were pretty slim for LWs so I went with the homer pick: Todd Fedoruk!

Hey, if Fridge can't be on my real team, there's a spot for him on my fantasy team. Otter has better numbers but I think Fridge will improve his numbers from last year since he will be used as a skater with protection duties. A few points and nice PIM. Works for me.

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Terrific Wild Season Preview Video

I normally don't like to regurgitate other people's stuff on my blog, but this just put a big smile on my face. Of course, no way do I think we're remotely Stanley-bound, but sometimes it's fun to push that homer hat right down nice and tight and pretend to believe unconditionally for a little while.



In other news, hockey was exhausting tonight. I'm sitting up late waiting for the Advil to kick my migraine in the ass. We only had 5 forwards and 3 defensemen, so we ran ourselves ragged playing longer shifts than usual. I think it definitely hurt us a bit as the other team had 2 full forward lines.

Still, it was fun. I didn't play so great, but had a few moments that worked out okay. Worked on screening the goalie a bit and he said I did a good job, but no goals came from it. Told him next time I'm gonna go Avery on him. He said I'll get a shove out of that. :) Of course, as I've said, while I really don't appreciate getting hit, I actually like a little shoving. Lets me know I'm in someone's way. :)

Wild training camp is into day 3 now. No cuts yet, but they let the public in today to watch and we got lots of good reports back from folks. Apparently Mikko has put on 13 lbs of new muscle over the summer. Holy hell! I'm telling ya, we need to lock that guy up for a million years when his contract comes up for extension. He and Burnzie. Lock 'em up. None of this wishy washy Gaborik bullshit.

My first fantasy hockey draft is Monday night. I'm excited for it and thinking hard about which goalies I might prefer. Got my THN Ultimate Pool Guide at the ready. Hopefully I'll do better than my fantasy football team. Jeeze Louise, does my team ever SUCK. Not to mention that I didn't have internet last weekend, so I was unable to adjust my roster for the fact that the Texans didn't play last weekend, and as a result, I had guys playing who had a bye week. Augh. No such excuse this week, other than everyone is just flat out underachieving besides Brees. Feh.

Anyway, if you have a sleeper pick in the later rounds that I should keep an eye out for, let me know. Esp. if you follow an East Coast team, since I'm a lot less familiar with that crowd.

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Saturday, September 20, 2008

Hockey is back!

Sure, it's just pre-season, but that's as exciting to me as regular season since it merges both my worlds with prospects playing with the big club. Everything is full of promise right now. Very exciting.

Watched the Rangers at Senators and it was fun seeing Voros again. He kinda went screwball on the Wild at the end of the season and spent a bunch of time in Lemaire's chateau bowwow, but he's still just pure energy on the ice and so much fun to watch.

Great intermission interview with him, too. He's having his "new guy, great backstory, loveable style of play" moment of glory. He had it in Minnesota, too. Who else remembers the Aaron Voros as Chuck Norris thread on the Wild board? Good times.

  • Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Voros made him cry.
  • Chuck Norris does not sleep. He hides from Voros.
  • The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain. Thanks to Voros, that is now also the chief import as well.
  • Chuck Norris doesn't believe in God, he only believes in Voros.
  • Chuck Norris has never blinked in his entire life, but Voros made him flinch.
Heh.

Pardon my sentimentality. It doesn't appear much. But AV was an unwitting key player in lighting my hockey fire, both in Houston and in his move up to the Wild. No matter what, he'll always have a special place in my hockey heart. Plus, he has a spectacular ass. But honestly, it's more about the other stuff. The magnificent ass is just gravy.

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Friday, September 19, 2008

Prospect Tourney: Third Place Game

Ahhh, that was fun. Nice to see the youngsters head into big camp with a nice victory under their belts. Hey, at least someone in the Wild org can beat someone in the Red Wings org!

A few things that stood out to me:

  • Cal is still the cat's pajamas. Love the look of the C on my guy there. Great intermission interview, too. He's 007-cool. And he was the top scorer for Minnesota in the tournament.
  • Kassian looks like a lumberjack when he skates. Won't someone tell him to get those arms swinging more front to back than side to side when he's skating? Augh. Still love ya though, Kass. WTF was up with the way they were pronouncing his name: Kay-shun? Yeesh.
  • Dimples was fan-fucking-tastic, particularly in the shootout. Talk about a guy who is patient and cool. Not quite 007 cool, but certainly Batman-cool.
  • I haven't read much about him in the coverage of the games, but I noticed Kevin King quite a bit. Seemed to be doing the right things most of the time. And he's only 18.
  • I found Madsen frustrating me in the way Pouliot frustrates me. Very graceful skater, big guy, creates great chances for himself, but can't finish.
  • Cuma is very very good. Just brimming with confidence and maturity on the ice. Wow. Definitely looked like a guy who could play very well in the AHL right now. Will be interesting to hear reports from big-boy camp about how he looks compared to NHLers. Liked that he showed some emotion, too. You sometimes expect these goody-two-shoes (and he is SUCH a GTS by all accounts), to be sort of hockeybots, but he was jawing and pissed off at one point. I love emotional players who can still play wicked smart.
  • Not so impressed by Scandella or Schmidt.
  • Hodgman and Almond looked good.
  • McMillan didn't make much of an impression. Culligan only slightly more. They were fine but didn't really get my attention.
  • Noreau looked good, but I'm still not seeing why everyone has such a hard-on for him. But then, my judgement around defensemen is notoriously lame.
  • If I did not call your name, you may leave the runway because you're out.
Man, I was so screwed up by all the goofy numbers. That 78 on Cal was too heavy for him. He needs a lighter number. And 54 on Kassian? Ick. Wrong.

Anyway, that wet my whistle big time. If I was jonesing for hockey before, I've absolutely got the DTs now, man. Time to strap me to the bed until Oct. 3 when I get to see real hockey in person again.

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Thursday, September 18, 2008

Book Review: Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems

I'll admit, I don't read much poetry. Okay, any poetry. As a kid, I enjoyed writing it but a brief obsession with Shel Silverstein was the extent of reading it outside of English assignments (and I'll be honest, I relied heavily on Cliff's Notes).

Still, as a writer, I identify with the effort of good writing, even if I'm not willing to put in the effort of reading it. And to some degree, poetry does take a bit more effort than your average prose. It's not for the easily distracted or those who demand instant gratification. Fortunately, the only thing that truly holds my attention in absolutely any form (KHL issues excluded) is hockey, and being a glutton for punishment, I believe a little delayed gratification is good for the soul.

So, when I found out Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems, a book of poetry by Randall Maggs about late goaltending legend, Terry Sawchuk, was coming out last spring, I knew it was something I had to take a crack at. Of course, being a fairly new hockey fan at the time, I also needed to bone up on who Terry Sawchuk was beyond his Wikipedia entry.

I started my Sawchuk education by reading his biography, Sawchuk: The Troubles and Triumphs of the World's Greatest Goalie by David Dupuis. It's a good, thorough book whose author obviously had to dig pretty hard to scrounge up a lot of information on the famously reclusive, reserved hockey great. While I'm not saying the book is a prerequisite, I know myself well enough to know that if I feel like I'm missing part of the story, I'll get frustrated. I found having the baseline information helpful.

Even with this knowledge, there were times I found myself wondering where the author was taking me with a particular piece. Perhaps a more seasoned poetry aficionado would have known to be patient and trust that a good poet will eventually unfold the story for you. He did every time and it was always gratifying and worth the wait.

And what this book turned out to be was not just a book about a hockey player or a book of poetry. At times straightforward, at times teasing, sensual, mysterious, or sad, it is an experience as much as a book.

Night Work is brilliant in at least two ways. First, as a book, it's varied in style, tone, perspective, always changing just when you think it could get dull. Always forcing you to chew a bit, and chew slowly at that, and being all the more enjoyable when you surrender to the pace of the writing.

Second, it's the idea itself: poetry about a hockey goalie? Maggs is utterly inspired for seeing what an ideal subject Sawchuk's life is for such treatment. The style is spot on, nothing maudlin, saccharine, or cliche. Just a constant, subtle restraint that pulls you along, wanting more.

Here's an excerpt from one of my favorites:

No Country for Old Men

(i)

I'd like to leave hockey like that. In good style.
Someone read his lips and wrote it down.

Bedlam drowned the words themselves. An uproar
after the miracle, jubilation, the clatter of sticks flung down
on the dressing room floor like crutches in a pile,
hair-stuck tape and plaster peeled away.
Down to the raw, gap-toothed, wrapped in towels,
the shouts and candour of the showers, though each
of the Leafs had stopped to speak a word or two to Terry,
each taking in the open flap of undershirt, the old man's bones
like a washboard. Where the devil does he find it?

The seeming fleshless legs without their pads.

(ii)

Half undressed he slumps
against the wall, no one says a word
about the cigarette in his hand. He'd drink a 7 UP
but can't get up and wouldn't ask. A fog billows out
of the showers. Bare feet flap the marshy floor.
Cautiously, the press guys squeeze between the massive flanks
and watch their backs--a snapping towel could tear your ear,
or worse, take the arse right out of your suit.
A little getting even masked as a joke.

A Leaf or two has slipped away and the older guys
are quieter now, more thoughtful, knotting ties,
one by one they sense a deepening silence in the room
and turn to look where Terry's resting, panting, having
wrestled off his sodden shirt. Their eyes tell them
armload of plums, say peacock's plumage.
Their fingers pause in their intricate task. Jesus, Ukey,
someone breaks the silence. The whole room
gapes at the hammered chest and belly. Easy to count
the darker nine or ten from Hull. They can't even look
at the shoulder, but watch as he peels off the infamous underwear
and heads without a word toward the showers.

These were guys who'd paid their dues,
who'd seen it all. But this was a moment that got their attention,
seeing what they'd asked of him that night.
Seriously, a most excellent book. Go here and buy yourself a copy and wallow in your hockey nerditude. You know you want to. I never re-read books, but this one will be an off-season staple for years to come. That's about as high a compliment as I can give any piece of literature.

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FU Ike (and other stuff)

Hockey news up front:

  • Fozzie did get signed with the Red Bulls. A.J. Thelen did not. Ouch! Sorry kid.
  • Going to buy my pre-season game ticket for the Aeros on Oct. 3 today. I can't imagine they're sold out but I'll cry if they are. Beg, plead, offer to pay double, stand, whatever. I need hockey and I need it as soon as possible.
  • Wild training camp starts Saturday. I'm excited to get Russo's reports from camp. He's had lots of interesting stuff from the pre-camp skates. Burnsie sure does get my blood pumping. What an exciting player he is. Should have signed him to 20 years or something. Lock that boy up.
  • My boys are in the Third Place game in the Prospects Tourney. On TV tonight, so I'm pumped. 7 p.m. NHL network against the Red Wings prospects. It goes to a dramatic shootout finish. Wee!
  • Joe O'Donnell was hired as the new Aeros voice. He's coming from the Idaho Steelheads in the ECHL and had a blog on their site, which I hope he'll do here as well. Always fun to get a little candid chatter from folks on the inside.
Other stuff:

We survived the hurricane. Got power back night before last but the phones are apparently out until October. And of course, we have DSL. So no internet, and as a telecommuter for my real job, that's kind of a problem. I'm totally out of touch. I'm spending LOTS of time at Chick-fil-a eating chicken and using their wifi. Need to find a solution closer to home though. Looks like I might can get free wi-fi from AT&T at Starbucks. The trick is finding one with the lights on. Rawr.

Other than that, I don't have much to complain about. But you know I'll find a way anyway. :)

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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

PHN: Aeros Offseason and 08-09 Outlook

In addition to my silly blog nonsense where nobody edits out my f-bombs but me, I'm now doing a bit of real writing for ProHockeyNews.com covering the Aeros.

Mom and Dad should be very happy that the BJ degree (that's Bachelor of Journalism, but really, it doesn't seem like they thought that through very well, huh?) hanging on the wall is finally being used as it was originally intended. Well, not for sports writing... in fact, that's the LAST thing I would have thought I'd end up writing about.

Anyway, it should be pretty fun and fabulously talented photographer, Fred Trask, who takes amazing photos of the Aeros at each and every game, is coming along for the ride, so if you don't like my writing, you can look at his fantastic pictures and bask in the delight of the upcoming season.

The first article went up today, thanks to the kind and patient hand-holding of my friend Buddha who writes about the Wild for PHN and the editors there at PHN, so pop over and have a gander. I'm pretty pleased.

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Ask and ye shall recieve!

I wanted hockey? I'm getting hockey. In FOUR SHORT DAYS. Okay, they'll actually be really LONG days. But according to Slap Shot:

UPDATE: Hey — big news! If you’d like to see Filatov, Mayorov and lots of other top rookies and prospects play, including Steven (Don’t Call Me Steve) Stamkos, the NHL Network has just announced it will televise the entire Traverse City tournament, starting on September 14. These are not live telecasts, but so what? We got the email from the NHL Network PR department telling us of the telecasts, but nothing has yet shown up on their website or on NHL.com (where they are busy hawking back to school backpacks instead), so you’ll have to trust us on this for the moment. The teams playing are from Atlanta, St. Louis, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, Rangers and your Columbus Blue Jackets.
Sweet fancy Moses! Clutterbuck! On the ice! In four days! And I get to watch!!!

*breathing*

*squeeing!!!*

*breathing*

Phew. Okay, I'm alright. Put the phone down. Cancel the 911.

...

...

*squee!* No! No really, I'm okay. Cool like Fonzie.

(Thanks hockeygirl101!)

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Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Seriously? Hockey really needs to start soon.

Because my meanest little bastard in hockey is running around buying dozens of sunflowers to decorate his "space" and frankly, the news of this is crushing my spirit.

But then I suppose his job in the hockey world is to crush spirits, so maybe he's just THAT GOOD at it.

I put up with his short pants and his vests and his weird shoes. But when he's flouncing around Chelsea in a sunflower frenzy... I mean really. Doesn't it just want to make you check him right into the East River? I like him better when he's telling fashion reporters that he's gonna go jerk off to them. That's the Avery I love. The jaw dropping, raised by wolves antagonist.

*sigh*

Though in one of the interviews with him on the Stars site, he talks about a woman who sits by the opposing penalty box and says the nastiest things he's ever heard a woman say. And I'm sure she saved the really good stuff for him. But whatever the case, I know this woman and I would get along. Maybe she and Sean can have a little Trash Talking Think Tank (T4) up there in Big D? Genius! I hope I get an invite.

Okay, I feel better. My spirit is back.

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Fozzie Lives!

Thanks to Russotan, Claire, who found this nugget: Fozzie is apparently trying out for the Red Bulls in Salzburg.

Here's a badly Bable-translated article that gives the gist.

Update: Here's an English account from the Red Bulls' site...

Salzburg's head coach Pierre Pagé is also taking advantage of the closing games of the pre-season to try out further new players. Yesterday, Sunday, saw the two tryout players Adrian Foster (CAN/forward) and Teemu Kuusisto (FIN/forward) join the team in Copenhagen and they were given the chance to prove themselves today.
Of course, there's no assessment, but it sounds like he didn't score.


On the one hand, I'm glad to know he's somewhere. On the other, I'm pretty disappointed that the Wild weren't willing to make a spot for him. He played his ass off here and while he didn't have a "first round draft pick" quality season, for spending 5 years grappling with injuries and to come back and play the whole season here, that's something special.

Then again, maybe they did offer and he wanted a better deal. Regardless, I hope he finds a soft place to land. Found this article about him on NHL.com yesterday that I hadn't seen before. I'll keep an eye on things in Austria to see if they sign him. What a grind it is for these guys. Sheesh.

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Monday, September 8, 2008

Coveting the Goalie

As the draft came along this year and I looked at where we have holes in our system, my natural instinct was to worry more about goaltending than the rest of it. We have Anton Khudobin as our only legit prospect and I'm not sure he'll be an NHL-caliber goalie. Of course, my darling Brusty is the next Roy, but I'm not sure the organization sees it like I do.

As a result, I did a little investigating of the top goalies in the draft hoping the Wild would pick one of them somewhere down the line. The top two were Chet Pickard and Tom McCollum, and it was an easy choice for me after watching some scouting footage which goalie I could love more and would want to watch more. McCollum is a good goalie but... meh.

Pickard, on the other hand, was dynamic and athletic and snappy and aggressive and awesome. Come to mama! Of course, "mama" turned out to be Nashville, those saber-toothed bastards. Okay, not really bastards; I kinda like that team and don't have a problem with players I like going there, as opposed to going to the Ducks or some ass-clown club like that.

So, it was delightful to find this great interview (jump to page 17) with him in the Goalie News online edition. Man, talk about a kid with poise and maturity and a good head on his shoulders. Between him and the Blues giant goalie prospect, Ben Bishop, my goalie interest continues to spread around the league. It won't be long before I can't decide who to root for in any non-Wild, non-Stars match-up because everybody will have goalies I like.

We never did draft a goalie, so it seems the Wild are looking at goalies Cody St. Jacques (who played in Guelph behind McCollum last season but was traded to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds this summer) and Steven Stanford, who had unimpressive numbers for Prince George last season. Not seeing much there. Plus, both guys were only born in 1990, which means they're only 18 and couldn't play pro yet anyway. I dunno.

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Sticks and Bodies

Hockey was fun last night. But man, I'm so tired. We had 2.5 hours of ice time, played 6 periods, and only had two offensive lines because a few people didn't show up. I was dragging ass by the end but it was by far the most relaxed and fun game I've played.

I felt like my positioning was good most of the time and my hustle was pretty good except when I was super tired and had been on the ice too long. I got a few shots on goal and would have had an assist if the ref hadn't blown the whistle early. He actually thought I had a goal, but my center shoved the rebound in just as the whistle blew. Boy was I mad about that.

The best part of the game was that I was really in the fray a lot around the net, which is fun. As the subject implies, it's just bodies and sticks battling it out for control. I never really understood when players say that some contact gets them into the game (of course, they mean checking and stuff that we can't do in rec leagues), but a few of these big boys shoving me around and vice versa fires my ass up big time. Bring it, bitches!

Of course, I play it off as newbie incompetence a lot of the time, but really, I could move out of their way and I choose not to. They always have this look like, "WTF do you think you're doing, girl?" Um, I'm pissing you off and messing up your play, suckah! Heh.

No penalties or falls last night. Though the female D on the other team and I got into a battle for the puck in the corner (which I won, TYVM) but the poor ref was caught up in it and thanked us after the game for the "sandwich" action. Hah! At least we smell better than the boys.

I think the two weeks off from hockey and skating were good. Gave me a chance to unwind a bit and get some perspective. I think skating on Saturday helped, too. Since I started playing, I've definitely slacked on my mid-week skate and that's done me no favors. I really should try to get over to Willowbrook on Friday lunches for a good hard skate each week. The rink is virtually empty at that time and Saturdays are sometimes difficult and always crowded.

Anyway, good stuff. Back to reality now. Booooo!

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Saturday, September 6, 2008

Adrian Foster

Okay, I wouldn't normally do this, but I'm looking at my stats and see that tons of people are searching for Adrian Foster, many from Australia.

So, if you're one of those people... I beg of you, solve the mystery for me and leave me a comment about why you're searching for him!

Even Fozzie himself is lookin' around trying to figure out what the hell is going on...


Update: Come on. I see y'all. Comments are moderated. I won't publish it if you don't want. The curiosity is consuming.

Update 2: Okay fine. You're shy. You're hiding from the law. Whatever. He's in Austria.

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Saturday Skate!

Haven't had one of those in a while. But I took my skates in for sharpening during the week and had to pick them up, so why not get a skate in while I'm at it, right?

Didn't do anything novel. Just did the usual swizzle stuff, crossovers in both directions, and then a good bit of backwards. Apparently my hips are retarded because I can do a backwards c-cut with my right leg but just totally grind through it with my left.

Poor Coach Stalin just watched and watched to try and figure out what I'm doing wrong, and she kept telling me to relax my legs and hips, just go with the flow. Well, apparently you have to HAVE flow to be able to go with it.

At this point, I'm actually considering get a lesson with Coach Stalin's coach, who she calls "Kid Teacher" because he's a high school kid who learned under Andrea and then got qualified to give lessons himself. It might help to have someone who's taught a number of people and maybe has some troubleshooting experience here. I dunno. Just something I'm pondering, because backwards skating is one of the larger hurdles to becoming a goalie, and today we spent some time fooling around in the crease. Man, I'm telling you, I feel so happy in that spot. Pad me up and shoot pucks at me! Please! (But, dear green team, don't expect me to stop much.)

Anyway. Long game tomorrow night and then that's the last of the long sessions (secretly very happy about this). Feeling very neutral about it. Not excited, not dreading. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from my last game and could really use a good experience tomorrow.

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Friday, September 5, 2008

StateofFootball

That's my fantasy football team's name. :) Figure I'm surrounded by "State of Hockey" people, I better represent the big TX, right?

Anyway, our draft was this evening. Pretty fun since I've never done a fantasy draft before. I'm happy with all but one of my choices, but we'll see how it plays out. It's all for shits and giggles anyway.

Here's my StateofFootball starting line-up (now in good Houston Texans tradition, I'll just say their first name and you all yell out their last name while "crowd cheering" noises are piped in over the loudspeakers, okay? Ready for some football? Okay!)

  • QB - Drew BREEEEES! (saw him on TV the other day thought he had a goalie face... someday I'll gloss "goalie face" for you)
  • WR - Roy WILLIAAAAAAAAMS! (Hook 'em, bitches!)
  • WR - Laveranues COOOOOOLES!
  • RB - LaDainian TOMLINSOOOON! (I got the #1 pick and he was it. Don't let me down LT!)
  • RB - Willis MCGAHEEEEEE! (okay, this is the "regretted" move... I was rushed and just had to pick someone)
  • TE - Antonio GATESSSSSSS!
  • WR - Joey GALLOWAAAAAAY! (part of my heart is still a Bucs fan)
Now, on the bench, currently, I have:
  • RB - Ernest Graham (another Buc)
  • RB - DeAngelo Williams
  • WR - Kevin Walter (who is a) hot and b) one of Matt Schaub's favorite guys to throw to underneath... he's my sleeper)
  • WR - Vincent Jackson (never heard of him)
  • QB - Jeff Garcia (don't really like him other than he's a Buc, but he's the best QB available late)
  • RB - Justin Fargas (never heard of him)
For my kicker, I picked the Texans' Kris Brown. I feel like we're gonna be kicking lots of field goals, and he's a solid kicker. Not spectacular, but he's good and has had the job since the team started.

I chose Seattle's defense because Kevin in PA told me they were good. WTF do I know? I always forget Seattle even has a team.

So, there's Ms. Conduct's StateofFootball. Go team. I guess Sunday morning, I'll need to figure out who's playing and who isn't. I've got a couple of "questionable" guys in the starting lineup.

Anyway, hopefully this is the last I'll talk about it here on my hockey blog unless something exciting happens.

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Tuesday, September 2, 2008

But wait! There's more!

The Aeros unveiled their new web site today and while it's a lot of the same, with some nods here and there to the 15th anniversary of the team, it has a new section for photos that isn't entirely fleshed out yet, but amusing to browse through anyway.

http://www.aerosphotos.com/

Of course, the best ones are the action shots of the games (though, would it kill ya to whittle them down to the best 50 and fix the color and contrast? I know you people have interns out the wazoo. Hell, I'd do it for free tickets) and, while there's only one game up (but about a thousand pictures from that game), it's pretty entertaining to flip through. Some great shots of Clutterbuck throwing nice hits and Gillies jawing and throwing hits. Lots of all the boys really, which was cool.

But also on this site are pictures from the Houston Aeros Charities Golf Tournament. It's mostly just the boys looking like sloppy young athletes surrounded by people with enough money to buy themselves a sloppy young athlete for the day for the tax write off and a good cause. Jealous and cynical? Me? Never. Anyway, they're worth a look to see the boys in civies. But I'll post one here, because it made me laugh out loud.

"How's she bootin'er, ladies?"


Oh, dear Brusty... they're not even sucking in their guts for you, honey.

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Lovin' Life

Some days, life just seems really good and all the I Can Has Cheezeburger cats seem LOL-funny and even Deadspin throws a morsel your way that just tickles your heart.

Like today, it is revealed that the knocked-up daughter of GOP VP candidate, Hockey Mom, was knocked up by a "a superhunky bad-boy ice hockey player." Oh SWEET! I mean, if you're gonna get knocked up at 17, for the love of God, at least do it with a ripping young hockey player. But, come on, don't marry the hoser, sugar. More here.

More delightful news, I was looking in my THN Yearbook at the list of the top 30 scorers in the AHL last season, grumbling to myself about how there were absolutely no Aeros on that list, and then I saw "Kolanos"... and then I saw "Schultz"... and then "Locke" and realized that Lynn did about as good a job as he could have getting us some offense. And they weren't even #s 28, 29, and 30!

11. Corey Locke
20. Jesse Schultz
25. Krys Kolanos

The prospect of all those goals is utterly squee-worthy. Though I wonder how our wundergoalies will respond to possibly having less pressure to pretty much stop everything. Ah, I'm sure it will be fine. *knock on wood*

Oh, and there are some exciting events on the horizon:

  1. Russoville Fantasy Football draft on Friday evening
  2. Our last 2-hour game of the year on Sunday (novice league)
  3. Traverse City Prospect Tourney Sept. 13-17
  4. Wild training camp opens Sept. 20
  5. Aeros training camp opens ???
  6. Playa del Carmen in early October (ahhh, vacation!!!)
  7. Novice league game at Toyota Center Oct. 11
  8. Opening Wild and Aeros games also on Oct. 11 (yes, I get to play hockey on Aeros ice and probably see them practicing a bit, AND go to the opening game against Chicago that night... Could a day be any better??)
  9. Cool weather arrives - Late October
More on each as the time comes but I just had to squee a little about all the exciting things on the landscape of the next couple of months.

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