Quick Hits

I've always wanted to write a novel but just never had the spark of an idea I needed to set me on my way. I may or may not have felt that spark as I was lying in bed tonight trying to fall asleep. Not a euphemism...

So, here I am, 3 pages into my novel, no clue what the plot is going to be, but will be forging ahead anyway in fits and starts with time I don't have for it.

Anyway, as I was doing some research, I ran across this article from a 1962 issue of Sports Illustrated and thought it was quite amusing. Not only for the content but the writing is just so charming. Good on SI for dragging some old classics into a modern medium.

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It's been a quiet weekend and I'm finally hunkering down and getting my pre-season look at the Aeros written for PHN and Wild Nation, though I think I'll try to let this first week of Wild training camp get done before I finalize them, just to see if that answers some questions I have. And then we should get an Aeros training camp list quickly thereafter.

Then, two weeks from now, we'll have seen our first pre-season game. Which means absolutely nothing, but at least it will be live, in-person pro hockey. I don't really care who plays or what the game looks like. I just want the fix. Then I'll worry about what and whom I'm looking at.

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Finished watching the entire two seasons of Sports Night over the last couple of weeks. Fantastic show. I don't think I could have appreciated it before as much as I do now. Granted, the show isn't about sports, but a lot of the obsession with the job that drives some of the characters IS related to a love of sports that I think you have to share to appreciate why it lights their fire like it does.

But now I'm back to working my way through the Trailer Park Boys and can I just say, there is nothing better to watch after playing hockey. I don't know what it is, other than it's just so raw and funny and ridiculous, but also warm in its own warped way, it's great filler for any rough edges I'm feeling after a game. So, ya know, there's a pro tip from me to you other goalies out there.

Speaking of pro tips, I was quizzing a goalie (who's definitely been there) about how to survive this 3 in 3 I've got coming up and he suggested Endurox as a recovery drink, which I remember a fellow marathon friend being a fan, too. I always went for PowerBar recovery shakes, which I can't seem to find any more.

So $33 later, I'm the proud owner of a meathead-sized tub of Endurox powder. And it's orange flavor. I hate fake orange flavor, but I went to 3 stores and only REI had any at all and only had that flavor so... orange it is.

Wondering if the benefits of the drink would be negated too terribly by the addition of vodka.

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Hey, raise your hand if you were out drinking with Clutter Wednesday night! Yeah... Twitter is awesome. Hope everyone enjoyed their last gasp of summer vacay because it's on now, boys. Go get 'em.

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I blessedly got out of having to go to the Texans/Jets game tomorrow, though I was kinda looking forward to annoying Bourne, a Jets fan, with my tweeting about it. Alas, I will just be shuttling Mr.C and his friend, also a Jets fan, to and from the game. And in between, I can get some work done while watching the Texans lose from the comfort of my sofa.

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!

This post needs pictures. Here's a song I like for reasons I can't figure out, but it seems appropriate for a 3:30 a.m. blog post:

Owl City - Fireflies
Uploaded by UniversalMusicGroup. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

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Andrew is the Man

Nice little live blog from him tonight during the Aeros-Rampage game in San Antonio, where the Aeros stunk it up, but set the stage for the continuation of what was already a pretty nasty rivalry (and therefore wonderful).

Interesting that their pre-season game was free and we had to pay $10 for the Aeros game. Now granted, if you skate and will use the free-skate pass included with each ticket, the game only cost $3, but I'm guessing this being Texas, most of them don't. If it had been free, my seat probably would have been even worse. ;)

Okay, here on out is real hockey, gang, for both my teams. Awesome.

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Hockey Saturday

Unfortunately, I'm going the whole week without skating, so I'm likely gonna suck and be miserable tomorrow night, but I don't really care. I'm still looking forward to the big city-wide novice league championship tomorrow (okay, perhaps that description is a bit overblown). :) Though I'm so tired today, I feel like I played last night.

The expected roster for tonight:

G - Shaef, Dimples

D - Crowley (why?), Albers, Stoner, Brocklehurst, Adams, Jernberg

Lines (just a stab, but notice how we have 3 lines that have a decent chance of scoring? How novel!):

Schultz, Locke, Lammers
Ryznar, Lundbohm, Hamilton
Kalus, Madsen, Olvecky
Soares, Lang, Kassian

Assuming the C and As will stay the same for now since all three are back in this game.

Based on this line-up, I think you can make some assumptions about who is getting a good look: Ryznar, Lammers, Soares, Lang, and Crowley (why?).

Sadly, I'm not going to the game. Saving my road trip hall passes for games that matter, but I'm sure Andrew will have a good report for us.

As for the Wild, they're playing what will likely be their "healthy" lineup for the season tonight in Montreal (until Gaborik is traded for a couple of third liners and a scrub or two). Gillies, Pouliot, and Reitz all seem to have made the cut for now. Last night, Lemaire said Backs is starting in goal and Brusty is backing him up, but Shipley's blog said Brusty is starting. I don't believe it, but, of course, I want to believe. :)

ETA: Shipley was wrong, but that's okay because Backs had a great shut-out and the Wild won 3-0.

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It's GO Time!

Can you smell the ice (mixed with the pizzeria scents and Zamboni exhaust)? Hear the pucks hitting the boards, skates digging into the ice? Oh yeah, baby, hockey is back.

Skipped out for a bit today and caught the pre-game skate for the campers playing in tonight's game against the San Antonio Hosers Rampage, as well as the practice for the non-playing campers.

Seemed to be a pretty even mix of vets and tryouts spread between the red/green jerseys AND between the playing and non-playing teams, though it did seem like the team not playing tonight had more enforcer types. Of course, with about half the tryouts being rather high PIM guys, I'm not sure that matters much. In practice, they all look pretty nice (except Emmerson, who is scary regardless).

I had a big duh moment because in the first skate, I saw Dimples (recognized the hot, blond angel paint job on his mask... I guess if you're gonna have a guardian angel on either side of your melon, she might as well be hot and blond). But I assumed the other goalie was one of the tryouts because he had on solid white pads and a mask with some ferocious yellow animal on it. And I was watching him thinking, "Damn! That guy is pretty good!"

Well, apparently it was Nolan, so I'm assuming he gets the start tonight. He looked better than Dimples, who got frustrated at one point during a 2 on 0 drill where he was just getting lit up. Understandably. My inner goalie cringed watching the drill. However, I did see him moving the puck quite a bit and he's handy at it, which I don't recall from prior games. You all know how I adore puck-moving goalies, right? Yeah. Go Dimples.

Of course, one of my big ponders this summer has been who might be the captain this season. I can say that Stoner, Hamilton, and Kassian all had leadership roles on the ice during practice, whether it was helping shoot pucks for drills or leading the stretching. It's no surprise that these are the go-to guys. I'm guessing Stoner wears the C tonight.

Here's the roster for tonight in no particular order:

G - Khudobin, Schaef

D - Crowley, Albers, Love, Stoner, Tarkir, Noreau

Just taking a stab at some line combos:
Schultz - Rosa - Locke
Kalus - Madsen - Olvecky
Tarkir - Lang - Ryznar
Soares - Deitsch - Powell
Lammers

That top line could be scary. Rosa and Locke seemed pretty chummy and though I didn't have my list of numbered guys in front of me, I kept noticing #10 for his nice shot and soft hands. Turns out that was Schultz, which is fantastic. And they have Locke listed as a LW, so we'll see how that position change works for him. My understanding is that he's been playing center for some time now.

Of course, I'm sure the lines will be shaken and stirred throughout the game but it's more fun to look at a roster in line combos, I think.

Another guy I noticed was Ryznar. He put a nifty backhander in the net, seems to have good hands, and is a pretty big guy.

Locke was first off the ice, Rosa was last off, as he spent quite a while doing a little puck handling drill. It's clear why he's so strong on the puck if he's doing these little things on his own.

That's it for the guys who are playing tonight. Should be a good game.

The second practice was the non-playing guys and included some vets like Hamilton, Kassian, Rogers, and Lundbohm. It was a much harder skate and occasionally looked like real hockey, which was a sight for sore eyes. Not much else gleaned from watching that session, other than Kassian putting a couple of pucks past the goalies. Atta boy.

Oh and in spite of having quite a few tough guys in the second practice, it wasn't super physical. The guys were definitely not going all out in their checks and stuff.

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In other news, the Wild signed big defenseman Justin Falk of the WHL Spokane Chiefs to a 3 year deal and a fat signing bonus. Somebody's getting a new car this weekend. He's coming to Houston likely within the week, but is playing with the Wild tonight in his pro debut. Big day for that kid. The Wild are never short on drama in their contract dealings.

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Wild Pre-season Line-up: Game 5

Against Buffalo at home, here's the expected line-up:

Forwards
Veilleux, Koivu, Miettinen, Pouliot, Brunette, Sheppard, Boogaard, Weller, Bouchard, Nolan, Belanger, Kolanos

Defense
Scott, Mojzis, Schultz, Burns, Cuma, Reitz

Goalies
Harding, Backstrom

Not many youts in the line-up tonight other than on D. Pretty much guarantees I won't bother listening. Which leads me to something else that may get me kicked out of Wild Nation: I don't much care for the way Tom Reid and Bob Kurtz call the game.

There. I said it.

It's very difficult to follow the game listening to them. If you're gonna yak about stuff, do it between plays and during the 40 minutes of intermission. And when the puck is moving, call the damn action. I'm not watching it on TV so I need YOU guys to paint the picture in my head.

So, that said, I'm sending up a prayer to the hockey gods: These dudes aren't exactly spring chickens and when their time to retire comes along, PLEASE OH PLEASE get Jason Shaver into his rightful spot in the Al Shaver Press Box!

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In other news, Ryan Hamilton and Crack Squirrel were released this morning. Sorry guys, but good to have you back. I still don't understand why Justin Falk is still at camp. Anybody? Bueller?

Aeros vets just hit the ice for an optional skate down in Sugar Land. I can feel it in my bones, baby. Hockey's back in Houston!

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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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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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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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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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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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