Weekend Preview 1/29/10 - Utah vs Las Vegas

It seems we've spent a lot of time wondering about the Grizzlies' troubles lately. Sure, it hasn't been the best stretch. But the Las Vegas Wranglers, who the Grizzlies play Friday, Saturday, and Monday, aren't having the best time of it either. They've only won 1 of their last 5 games, so we're hoping the Grizzlies can maybe take advantage of that slump and get a couple of morale-boosting wins on the board.


While we don't really want to dwell on the team's troubles (because there's a lot of fun stuff going on this weekend we'd rather address), we did want to post a few quotes from Coach Colley's post-game interview that we thought were notable:


"I just think right now guys are looking to the guy beside them to go do all the dirty work and do all the hard work and hope we pull out a win, instead of just taking the bull by the horns themselves and just going out doing everything they can as an individual to help the team succeed."

RE: Finally having a full week to practice on home ice
"The guys are working hard, they're just not working smart," Colley comments. "When you grab somebody and actually show them on the ice where they're supposed to be and how to position themselves sthey get a lot more out of it than watching video."



So we're hoping that with that good practice time, and the team getting a little more instruction, we'll see an increased confidence level, and maybe some Wrangler butt-kicking this weekend. Awesome.



Now, on to the fun stuff...



It's Hockey Weekend Across America (sponsored by USA Hockey), and the Grizzlies are obliging with a couple of really great promotions. Friday night is another Pack the House night at the E Center, with ALL seats being sold for $5. The last one (on November 20) ended up being a 4-0 shut out for the Grizzlies (no, they WON that one) in front of a crowd of 9,304. Hey, at $5 a seat, it's probably the best entertainment deal in town this weekend, so you may as well go support the team. Put a little bit of pressure on them to get their game going. And, of course, support Hockey Weekend Across America.

Friday is "Wear Your Favorite Hockey Jersey", so dig it out of the closet and put it on, America.


Saturday's theme for HWAA is "Bring a Friend to the Rink", and the Grizzlies have provided a great opportunity with their Guns N' Hoses theme game. This annual charity event includes an afternoon game (2:00 pm) that pits local police officers against firemen, with proceeds going this year to Shriners Hospital. The Grizzlies will sport special jerseys in the game Saturday night that will be auctioned off, those proceeds also going to Shriners Hospital. If you buy a ticket for Utah vs Las Vegas on Saturday, that ticket will also get you into the Guns N' Hoses game. So grab a couple of friends for this one, and introduce them to hockey for a good cause.



Also on Saturday, USA Hockey is introducing a new event - try hockey for free. The Acord Ice Center in West Valley and The Ice Sheet in Ogden are participating, so if you want to give it a shot, give them a call. Most of them are hosting the event between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm local time, but many have extended hours. USA Hockey requests you contact your participating local rink for more information. (This list has the contact information for all participating rinks.)



There isn't a Grizzlies game on Sunday, but the HWAA event is "Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes". Here's what they say about it:



USA Hockey and Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports know that every hockey community has individuals who helped make the game great for its players and fans. Today is a perfect day to honor these hockey heroes with ceremonies at youth, junior, college or professional games, letters to the editors of local newspapers or even sincere one-on-one expressions of gratitude.



We have one more suggestion - make a sign for your favorite Grizzlies player and take it to the game on Monday night. There are some awesome guys on the team.



For some reason that we can't really explain, Gary Coleman will be dropping the puck at the game on Monday night. Not that we're against it or anything, but we do think that this is one of the oddest articles the Grizzlies have ever posted. (Although not quite as odd as this one from NHL.com. So many unanswered questions...) We hope Gary enjoys the game. We also hope he comes dressed like this:





Have a hockey weekend!

Go Grizzlies!