Hockey Outside the Grizzlies Box - 3/10/2011

A look at some other hockey news while the Grizzlies are gearing up for their last 13 games...

AHL

The Abbotsford Heat fake traded defenseman Keith Seabrook to the Manitoba Moose for center MacGregor Sharp this week. We say "fake traded" because somehow they worked it out so that the parent clubs (Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks) retain the rights of their own players, they just go play on someone else's team for a while. We guess it's kind of like getting a foreign exchange student or something. Confusing? That's nothing compared to the ironically named "clear day list" the Heat had to submit to the AHL on Monday. From what we could gather, this is the finalized 22-man roster each team has to set for the playoffs. However, the Heat's list included several players currently on IR, and left of some that are actually getting ice time. Here's the trick - there's an "emergency conditions" provision that allows them to use players not on the list if someone gets injured. Therefore, by putting currently injured players on the list, everyone else falls into that "emergency" category, and they can keep as many players as they want. So what's the point of the 22-man clear day list? "I don't really understand it, to be quite honest with you," Abbotsford's coach Jim Playfair said. Maybe they should rename it the "clear as mud day list." Ha ha...

Abbotsford is currently in 5th place in the North Division, but they're only 5 points back of 1st place Manitoba. Says goaltender Leland Irving, "It's going to be a battle the rest of the year. In a sense, I think it's good for us because it forces us to play playoff-type hockey right up until the playoffs start. By that time, we'll be ready to go." The Heat host the leage-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday and Saturday. The two teams' goalies are old buddies. For more on the Heat, check out the Heat Report.

NHL

We have to admit it - at the beginning of January we had pretty much written the Calgary Flames out of the playoffs. Long time general manager Darryl Sutter had just resigned and rumors of franchise forward Jarome Iginla being traded were about 23947 times more abundant than points in their win column. (There were a lot of rumors.) They ranked in the bottom third of the league in special teams play and had the worst road record in the Western Conference. They lost 2 of their first 3 games of 2011. But then they started something. They lost a couple in shootouts, but picked up a couple of points. Then they went on a 6 game winning streak, and they've been one of the hottest teams in the league since. They currently sit at 5th place in the Western Conference, tied in points with the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks. We've got to give them credit for turning things around. Of course, with the clown car that is the Western Conference playoff race this season, we never know who will be getting out of it, and there's still plenty of time for several teams to push their way in. Should be interesting for the Flames going down the stretch. If the playoffs started today, they'd draw the Blackhawks. Tonight they play the Coyotes in Phoenix.

Speaking of the Blackhawks, they're scheduled to meet the President at the White House tomorrow (3/11/2011) at 3:00 pm ET. Unfortunately, not all members of their Stanley Cup winning team will be available (half the team was traded or not re-signed over the summer), but they do have a few guys coming back from other teams to be honored. Following a brief ceremony, they'll be conducting a youth clinic on the south lawn with the Washington Capitals. Sounds like a security risk to us... We'd love to see the Secret Service send someone to the penalty box though.

Hockey Outside the Grizzlies Box - 2/22/2011

A quick trip around the world of hockey...

AHL

The Abbotsford Heat are still stuck at 5th place in their division with 62 points. The good news is they're only 4 points behind the division leading Hamilton Bulldogs. And the Manitoba Moose. And the Lake Eerie Monsters. We guess the standings are tight in every league right now. The Heat have won 6 of their last 10, but were only able to get one point out of last weekend, when they played two games against Oklahoma City. The Heat have a week to think about that and get some good practice in before Providence comes to town on Friday and Saturday. Maybe John Rheault can liven things up for them.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins currently lead the AHL, despite having several of their top scorers called up to the NHL to fill in for the ailing Pittsburgh Penguins. In fact, they've won their last 3 games, and just continue to plug along. You can read here about some of the thoughts they have about playing in the NHL and trying to make it stick. Just for the record, the WBS Penguins are 22 points ahead of the Abbotsford Heat. Whew...

NHL

The Calgary Flames take on the Boston Bruins tonight. Calgary is coming off of an inspiring win in the Heritage Classic, where they shut out the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. (We think maybe Carey Price's ugly mask was cursed.) The Flames had troubles earlier in the season but have since snuck into the #6 playoff spot in the Western Conference. They've won 7 of their last 10, and are showing no signs of slowing down. That's good for them, considering 9 teams in the west are within 5 points of each other, including 3 teams that are currently out of playoff position. Those teams would be the Los Angeles Kings, the Anaheim Ducks, and last year's Stanley Cup winning Chicago Blackhawks. That's some stiff competition.

The trade deadline for the NHL is next Monday, February 28th and that means deals, steals, and rumors. It's a little different for the players. In the most recent blockbuster trade between Pittsburgh (maybe they can give WBS some of its players back) and Dallas, Alex Goligoski (going to Dallas) talked a little about his feelings on the trade. James Neal and Matt Niskanen (going to Pittsburgh) got rerouted through New Jersey because of a snowstorm. Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma said, "they hopefully didn't think they got traded to the Devils." We as fans have mixed feelings about trades at every level. On one hand, we're sorry to see players go. Yet we're interested to see how the new guys fit in, and what they can do for the team. But imagine being one of the players. Former Grizzly Justin Bourne has a couple of columns here and here about what it's like to be traded. Seems like mixed feelings all the way around.

OTHER

Today (February 22nd) is the anniversary of the 1980 Olympic Miracle on Ice. This is an event that influenced not only hockey in the United States, but all over the world. It was largely viewed as one of the most important sports moments of all time. For plenty of cool links and remembrances of this event, check out USA Hockey's Miracle on Ice page. Then go home and watch Miracle.

Hockey Outside the Grizzlies Box - 2/8/2011

Just so we're keeping ourselves updated on other hockey-related items...


AHL



The Abbotsford Heat are currently in the middle of a 7-game-in-9-days gauntlet in which only two of those games are at home. Our guess is that they'll be switching up goaltenders a few times just to keep them fresh, so JP Lamoureux should be seeing a game or two. He's played 4 of their last 10 with a record of 1 win, 2 losses, and a shootout loss. No word as to whether or not he'll be in tonight against Hamilton. The Heat are currently 5th in the Northern Division of the AHL. That's 5th out of 7. We don't know the system in the AHL, so we're not sure where that puts them as far as the playoff picture right now, but we do know a few more wins wouldn't hurt. Maybe Ales Kotalik can get things going for them while he's in the AHL.



Elsewhere in the AHL, they're getting ready for the Whalers Hockey Fest in Conneticut. It sounds like there are going to be a lot of fun activities planned, including a few outdoor games. They've run into a little snag trying to get the outdoor rink ready in Rentschler Field though. Darn weather...



NHL



Speaking of outdoor games, the Calgary Flames are getting ready for the Heritage Classic on February 20th in which they'll play the Montreal Canadiens. We think this is sort of the Canadian version of the Winter Classic which was on New Year's Day, so it should be cool. (Pun intended.) They've called in Dan Craig, the NHL ice guru and work has begun. The Flames haven't had as strong a season as they'd have liked so far, but last night's win against the Chicago Blackhawks finally bumped them up into a playoff position. In the NHL's Western Conference, that could change on any given night, but at least for now, they're in. If they playoffs started today, they'd draw the league-leading Vancouver Canucks. Ah, fun times...



The big topic of discussion around the NHL these days (and in fact, the whole hockey world) is concussions. Commissioner Bettman announced at the GM meetings recently that concussions among players are up this season. It's had a lot of attention with Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby being out for an extended period of time due to a concussion, and Boston's Marc Savard announcing that he'll be out for the rest of the season after getting his second serious concussion in about a year. This injury is serious because it not only affects a player's season, but it could affect their career or their entire life. Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine who was forced to retire due to post-concussion syndrome gives his perspective here, and former Grizzly Justin Bourne talks about what it's like to have a concussion here. We don't know much, but we think it might be a good idea for some hockey people and some health experts sat down in a room together and tried to determine how best to handle the situation. We love seeing the hard hits as much as the next fan, but we wouldn't want any of these guys ruining the rest of their lives for our entertainment.



OTHER


And just in case you wanted a reason to celebrate, the hockey puck turned 135 years old on Monday. You can check out a video on that here. Happy birthday, hockey puck!

Wall-E and some milk

The Grizzlies split their recent games with Idaho. Half isn't bad--the glass is half full, there is still more to drink! Or to dunk cookies in, whichever floats your boat. Here is a quote that compliments the team (courtesy idahosteelheads.com)

In the third period, we saw a prime example of why the Utah Grizzlies are the top team in the Western Conference at the moment. Idaho's Tyler Ludwig lined up for a slap shot from the blue line, and Brett Parnham, a 5'9" goal scorer who once tallied over 50 in an OHL season, dropped to the ice and put his body on the line to block Ludwig's shot. Parnham was successful in his attempt, and the puck bounced out of the Utah zone in into neutral ice on a play that demonstrates why Utah, who lacks the offensive firepower they've had in previous years, is atop the division and conference.

Well here's an interesting theme night: Robotics Night. Yes, you read that right, robotics. A robot will doing a ceremonial puck drop. I think it would be interesting to go to that, since robotics teams are going to be on the concourse displaying their robots. Unfortunately, South Carolina is a little far away to drive to by tomorrow.

Abbotsford released JD Watt (F) from his contract yesterday. He decided he "was no longer interested in pursuing his career with the Calgary Flames organization."

News from all sorts of places

I'm not sure if we have linked up to this yet, but here are the dates for the free family skate nights at the Maverik Center. We've watched a few of these, and everyone always seems to have a good time. And watching the little tiny tots on skates is really cute!

The AHL posted an article about our affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat. They're playing non-divisional games this weekend in the east, their first time playing in Pennsylvania. Okay, the article is mostly about the Wilkes-Barre Penguins, but it does mention that their captain is from Abbotsford.

The Calgary Flames skaters are doing a bunch of feel good things this week. It is nice to see this around Christmas time, but I think it would be awesome if more things like these happened throughout the year. Of course, who has the time?

This has nothing to do with our Grizzlies, but a local news channel had a cool article about sled hockey for wounded soldiers and their families. The National Ability Center has adapted many sports to fit the disabled population, and they teamed up with the U.S. paralympics to host these families. It's a feel good article, at a good time of year. I really liked when one of the soldiers said, "Negative." They actually say that. (Photo courtesy of KSL.com)

One last article to fill up your spare time with reading. Washington Capitals' coach Boudreau got a call from him mommy about his bad language on last night's episode of 24/7. Maybe he needs to find some new words to yell at his players.

Home games, Bachman in the NHL, and chatting on the B2

The Grizzlies are back home this week and start off Wednesday with $5 student tickets and $2 hotdogs, fries, and drinks. More about the upcoming games on the Utah Grizzlies site.

Former Idaho Steelhead Richard Bachman made it to the NHL on Saturday. Are we surprised? Not really because we remember cursing his name when he was playing for Idaho. And he just received a Goaltender of the Week award in the AHL. Bachman stopped all 4 shots he saw in the Dallas Stars loss to Phoenix, which isn't a bad way to kick off a shot in the big leagues. Another fun fact that we've somehow missed out on all of these years - Bachman's birthplace is SLC, UT. Doh to us.

image from ECHL.com

The B2 has added a chatting feature for those of us watching the away games online (or for those of you not able to attend the home games, i.e. Canadians in Canada). We plan on using it.

And finally from Abbotsford, Coach Jim Playfair is looking forward to his team recovering from injuries and callups: “Nice to have good players coming back – I don’t want bodies, I want good players.” Obviously . . . but if you're sitting at 3-2 in your last 5 (which isn't great, but) it's not like you've had a zombie jamboree out there all season.

NHL news: Trades, suspensions

Hmm..which news is bigger? Our NHL affiliate trading a player or the Grizzlies rolling out a concessions loyalty program?

Waking Brett Sutter up in jail after being hung over and punching a cab driver apparently makes him really cranky. He has been charged with alleged assault for the punching incident in Phoenix.

"I have set the wrong example not only for children who love the Flames and hockey but also for my brother who has been such a great example for me. I want to thank everyone for their support and wisdom over the past few days. It has been especially difficult because of the type of person I really am and will continue to be. "

Gee, you think? Yes, everyone make mistakes, but punching something for nothing?

Meanwhile, yesterday the Flames announced they traded Sutter (LW) and Ian White (D) to Carolina for Anton Babchuck (D) and Tom Kostopoulos (RW). The GM of the Flames is Darryl Sutter, Brett's father. Is this like a super-major time-out or grounding? Nope. All news from the Flames camp says they'd been talking about this trade since October, before the face-punching incident. I don't know much about these players, but they traded 2 common last names for 2 uncommon.

More Flames news: Olli Jokinen was suspended for cross-checking Wojtek Wolski yesterday. He'll miss the next three games against Chicago, Detroit, and the New York Rangers.

Hugo Carpentier (F) was recalled by Abbotsford today.

Have you been in agony long enough? The customer loyalty plan works like this: You have to attend a Grizz games (no kidding...) When you buy your first meal ($6 or more) you'll be given a punch card. Buy 11 more such meals and the next will be free (lucky #13). The Center Ice Boar's Head, and Angelina's stands are participating and will have rotating specials for home games.

Start your card this weekend with two home games! Friday night is $5 ticket night with a Maverick receipt, and Saturday is Military Night. The best seats have been sold for Friday! Way to go fans!



Statements by Sutter, Iginla, and the Flames
Trade news||Brett Sutter traded to Carolina
Vancouver Sun|| Article about the incident
NHL.com|| Jokinen suspended

Top of the Mountain

The Grizzlies finally return home from a successful 8 game road trip this week. They went 5-2-1 and now sit at the top of the Mountain Division. Not bad at all, boys. Look out though - here comes Alaska...

Don't forget - Friday the 19th is Maverik night. That means all seats are just $5 with a receipt from Maverik. So hop on over and get a pack of gum, ask for a receipt, and buy your seats already, because according to the Grizzlies' website, they're going fast.

Forward Riley Armstrong was suspended by the Grizzlies as of 11/13/2010. We haven't figured out what's going on with that situation yet. You can bet we'll keep our eye on it though. Our top guesses are 1) he's going overseas to play and the Grizzlies wanted to retain his rights, or 2) he let the air out of Colley's tires in the parking lot. (Hey, they're just guesses. We never said they were good ones.)

The Grizzlies' former NHL affiliate, the New York Islanders, fired head coach Scott Gordon today, and put Bridgeport head coach Jack Capuano at the helm. Former Grizzly and Sound Tiger Justin Bourne wrote about playing for "Cappy" in USA Today. We don't know much about coaching or anything, but man, check out the hair in that picture.

A couple of moves by Abbotsford: it looks like JP Lamoureux will soon be back in a Grizzlies jersey. Also, Brett Sutter is back with the Heat. Couldn't possibly have anything to do with him getting arrested in Phoenix, could it?

And just because we love an underdog, check out this guy in Reading - Ben Scrivens. He's beating the odds and doing it with a great attitude.

Home game in 5 days!

Weekend Preview - Utah Grizzlies vs Idaho Steelheads

If you were here last season, you'll remember the Steelheads were the team that caused us to go home and eat cupcakes after the playoffs. Those were some good cupcakes. We're over that now though, and even though this is a pre-season game, we're glad to see the Grizzlies get back at it against an opponent other than themselves.

We know the team isn't finalized yet, and we could still see plenty of change, but these pre-season games are all about getting the guys working together and figuring out who has the ever-popular "chemistry" on the ice. With new guys trickling in every day, these games can be pretty important.

The five players Abbotsford has assigned so far (see here and here) have made it to Utah and should at least be around for the weekend games. No word yet as to who will be in the lineup, but considering ECHL.com lists only 20 players on the current Grizzlies roster, we guess there won't be many guys riding the pine. Two thumbs up for that. We're hoping they can get a team together early and stick with it through most of the season.

We are hoping to make it to the game in Logan to check out the team and see what's what. They're not selling tickets to the one in Idaho, so we guess crashing would be the method of operation for that one. We don't know how well that would work though, so we're not going to try it. That's a long drive just to get tossed out by old guys in Event Staff shirts.

Regular season starts next week.

Hockeyworld! 3/30/2010

AHL
Abbotsford Heat

• Abbotsford head coach Jim Playfair had a meltdown in their March 27th game against the Hamilton Bulldogs. (Seriously, watch the video.) He's since apologized, but the tirade earned him a fine from the AHL.


• Abbotsford is currently in 3rd place in the North Division. They have lost their last five games, including last night to Manitoba, who they play again tonight. They play six more games this season, including tonight.

Bridgeport Sound Tigers

• The Sound Tigers have announced that Pascal Morency is their Man of the Year for 2009-2010.


• Bridgeport is currently in 5th place in the Atlantic Division. They are tied with the Lowell Devils at 82 points, but they have played one more game, so Lowell sits at 4th. One of their last five games is against the Devils - that could be an exciting game.

Our AHL Features

• The top four teams in each division of the AHL will make it into the Calder Cup playoffs. More information on playoff qualifications here. Other interesting facts about the Calder Cup here.



• The AHL is getting ready to hand out individual awards for the 2009-2010 season.



• Affiliations can get confusing from season to season.

NHL

Calgary Flames

• Ian White's moustache has become a legend in Calgary. If you ask us, he's got a way to go before he catches up with the Ducks' George Parros.

• For a team that has been struggling to get into playoff position, the Flames sure looked good against the NHL-leading Washington Capitals last weekend.


• The Flames are currently four points out of a playoff spot behind the Colorado Avalanche. They have six more games left in the season. Their next game is at home against the Phoenix Coyotes, who are currently in 4th place in the Western Conference.

New York Islanders

• The Islanders are recruiting kids to sell tickets for them. Or something.


• The Islanders are currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Yet another year they won't be making the playoffs. They still have seven games left, so keep on cheering. They've won their last two. Their next game is a rivalry match against the probably also not making the playoffs New York Rangers. Can you say "spoiler"?

Our NHL Features

• In an effort to extend their fan base, the Detroit Red Wings have started importing people from Brazil.


• Get to know the Atlanta Thrashers defenseman Zach Bogosian.


• Special Canucks feature for Richard's birthday - Guess who is leading the NHL scoring race? No, not Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin - it's Vancouver's Henrik Sedin. Just for fun, why not get to know Henrik... and twin brother Daniel. Can't have one without the other, right? (And let's throw in Ryan Kesler too, just for the fun of it.) The Canucks are currently 3rd in the Western Conference. They play tonight against 4th place Phoenix. Happy Birthday, Richard!
  
  

MISCELLANEOUS

• Ever wonder what goes into building a state of the art arena? Check out the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh as it gets closer to completion.

Hockeyworld! 3/8/2010

AHL

Abbotsford Heat

• The Heat recently hosted the finals for the Pee Wee Division Light the Lamp Shootout. They also hosted the finals for the Atom Division.


• Heat forward Riley Armstrong was traded to the Detroit Red Wings organization and was assigned to Grand Rapids. Says Armstrong, "It's a big change for me - packing up from out of nowhere, moving all my clothes out in one day right now. It's a lot on the mind, a lot on the body." Those of you who understand our affinity for "Li'l Army" will also understand when we say we don't know how we feel about this.


• The latest Heat Report.


• The Heat's next two games are at home against the Lake Erie Monsters on Friday and Saturday. They are currently third in their division, two spots and two points ahead of Lake Erie.

Bridgeport Sound Tigers

• If you see the Tigers wearing hats off the ice, here's why.

The Sound Tigers have to be ready for anything at short notice.

Trevor Gillies will probably be called up for the Islanders' next game against the Flyers.

Bridgeport's next two games are at Norfolk. They are currently in fifth place in their division and have won 6 of their last 10 games.

Our AHL Features

• Former Grizzly Justin Bourne explains how the money works when players go back and forth from the farm to the "big show".


• You can take the boy out of hockey...

NHL

Calgary Flames

• Greasy goals are on the menu in Calgary. Tasty...


• If you're going to be in Calgary on Thursday, go to a Flames game. You could win the jersey off their backs.


• The Flames are one point out of a playoff spot as of today. The team they're trailing is the Detroit Red Wings, who they play Tuesday in a classic red team battle. We wonder how Li'l Army feels about this.

New York Islanders

• Rookie John Tavares and veteran Doug Weight are best buddies.


• It's official - the Islanders have recalled Trevor Gillies from Bridgeport for Tuesday's game against the Flyers. Not officially an orange team battle, but we do expect this game to have an orange flavor.


• Here's the game preview from the Islanders' official website. The Islanders are... not in last place, but they are 12 points behind Philadelphia in the conference standings. They've lost their last two games.

Our NHL Features

Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks (and the USA Olympic hockey team) will be on the cover of NHL2K11.



• If you can stop 49 shots on goal, plus a few in the shootout, you just might beat the Washington Capitals. "It's not going to be every night that your goalie's going to wear a mask and steal a game for you," Dallas's head coach said. We're not exactly sure what he means by that. Andy Brown might.


• The last day of the NHL's regular season is April 11th.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Believe it or not, there is an ice rink in St. George, Utah. We so have to try that someday.

Hockeyworld! 2/24/2010

AHL

Abbotsford Heat

• The Heat meet up with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers tonight.


• Abbotsford is quite confident, even though they're still having injury troubles.


• The Heat are currently in third place in their division. They have won five out of six games on their current road trip. “Its’ almost how its been all year for us – you lose a bunch and then you win a bunch," said defenseman Gord Baldwin of the team's current winning streak. “We got to straighten that out and kind of get more leveled with what we’re doing. Right now we’re winning so I‘d love to stick on that, but obviously we can’t win every game all year so you know we just got to keep going.” (Heat Report 2/18/10)
  

Bridgeport Sound Tigers

• Deja-vu - the Sound Tigers meet up with the Abbotsford Heat tonight.


• Brendan Witt has NOT been hit by a truck in Bridgeport (that we know of). However, he did contribute to their win on Sunday.


• Bridgeport hasn't been on much of a streak lately, unless it's an alternating one. They've won five of their last ten games and lost five.

Our AHL Features

The AHL recently held their first ever Outdoor Classic in Syracuse. They had a record crowd of 21,508 at the New York State Fairgrounds for a great event. Here are some interviews done with Hockey This Morning's Shawn Lavigne and Mike Ross (XM Radio). Sounds like a good time was had by all.

• What happens to hockey players after hockey?

Since the rest of the hockey world is focused on the Olympics in Vancouver right now, so goes Grizzblog...

OLYMPICS

• USA beating Canada on Sunday was kind of a big deal.


• NBCOlympics.com has a feature to help you find out where you can watch Olympic hockey (or other events) on TV - just put in your zip code and cable/tv provider.


• Today is the anniversary of the USA winning the gold medal in 1980. Everyone knows that story. But here's a side of the story you don't hear too often.


• The Russia/Canada game today is kind of a big deal. (Not to mention a couple of their players.)


• You can get your Olympic hockey bracket here.


• Who are the Grizzlies cheering for?


• There are several ECHL ties to the Olympic hockey players.


• Beating Canada wasn't enough for Team USA - they want more. Plus, they're having a lot of fun.

They're not the only ones having fun. Our good friends Richard and Les are Vancouver residents, and have been checking out the action in the Olympic city. Says Richard, "I've never seen the city this alive. There are people out on the streets everywhere; it's crazy! And there are events planned until 4am."

Les was nice enough to send us some pictures she took:

Several businesses have gotten into the spirit of the games:

This appears to be Trevor Linden stabbing an eagle with a hockey stick. Or a surfboard:

The Olympic clock downtown:

This sign offers some suggestions for, uh, keeping the peace... or something:

Bert and Ernie are excited about Canada's hockey team:

Well, at least they planned for a lot of people:

Enjoy the Olympics!

Weekend Preview 2/19/2010 - Utah vs Victoria

Well, the trade carousel seems to have slowed down a big for the Grizzlies. They did get Hugo Carpentier back from Abbotsford on Tuesday, but since we've seen him before and they didn't give anyone up, we're not all that frustrated with this move. In fact, we quite like the guy. Anyway, the Grizzlies seem to be more consistent as of late, and that's in a good way. In fact, six of their last ten games have ended in shootouts. That's pretty consistent. (The Grizz have won five of their last ten.)

Speaking of consistent shootouts, the team finishes up their series against Victoria this weekend. They've played the Fish Dudes (what? Oh, Salmon Kings...) six times this season, including Wednesday night, and five of those games have gone to shootouts. Utah has won two of those shootouts. Victoria has won three. Are we crazy if we predict another shootout? It should be the Grizzlies turn to win this one.

Coach Colley said in his post-game interview after Wednesday's game:

"We had the lead in our rink going into the third period; we can't give that up. It doesn't matter if it's on their power play or whatnot, but we've got to get the job done and not give teams any more points."

The Fish are currently eleven points ahead of the Grizzlies in the standings, so like Colley said, we're hoping they can just swallow that salmon whole this time without giving them any extra points. We do like an exciting close game, especially when it's in front of the home crowd, but we hope they can win in regulation this time.

Before coming to Utah this week, Victoria had won 6 of their last 10, but their longest winning streak was only two games. We're not sure if that means they're hot right now or what. The Grizzlies have won 5 of their last 10 (including Wednesday against Victoria), but again, their biggest streak in that span was only two games.

Eh, odds are it's going to a shootout anyway, so we just hope the guys are practicing their moves.

* * * * *

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING WE TOTALLY MISSED EARLIER...

• If you're one of the first 2,500 people at the rink Friday night, you can get a team calendar. We're so there... especially since we never put up a new one for 2010.


• Saturday will be the 4th annual "Pooch on the Pond" night at the E Center. Call us crazy, but we like dogs more than we like Gary Coleman.
  

Hockeyworld! 2/9/2010

AHL

Abbotsford Heat

The Heat have had a lot of injuries lately.

• Head Coach Jim Playfair participated in the Olympic Torch Relay. (photo courtesy of Abbotsford News)


• The Heat most recently split a pair of games with the Chicago Wolves and dropped one to the Toronto Marlies on Monday night. They host the Marlies for one more game before going on the road for the rest of February.

Bridgeport Sound Tigers

• The Sound Tigers have borrowed Ryan Kinasewich from Utah. We're guessing he's filling in for Matt Martin or Jesse Joensuu who were called up by the Islanders on Monday.


• Bridgeport has lost eight of its last ten games, including three in overtime and three shootouts. They play three times next weekend, with games on Friday (in Bridgeport), Saturday (in Hartford) and Sunday (in Bridgeport).

Our AHL Features

• The Syracuse Crunch will be hosting the Binghamton Senators in the first ever outdoor game in AHL history. The Mirabito Outdoor Classic will be held at the New York State Fairgrounds on February 20, 2010 at 1:00 pm.


• AHL players Yannick Weber, Andres Ambuhl and Kaspars Daugavins will be representing their countries in the upcoming Olympics.

NHL

Calgary Flames

• The Flames and Hitmen combined to raise over $100,000 for the relief effort in Haiti.


• Jerome Iginla and Daymond Langkow are what we'd call veterans.


• The Flames play the Ottawa Senators in Ottawa tonight. The Senators recently got shut out 5-0 by the Toronto Maple Leafs. (We don't really get either of those two team names. What - the Leafs flutter into the faces of the Senators who fall off their podiums while giving speeches?)

New York Islanders

• In what has to be one of the oddest promotions we've ever heard of, the New York Islanders are offering free flu shots to anyone attending tonight's game.


• Mark Streit made the day of a Swiss team getting ready to compete in an International PeeWee tournament.


• The Islanders play the Nashville Predators tonight.

Our NHL Features

• Fans voted for their favorite NHL commercials. Click here to see the results.

• The snowstorm along the east coast last weekend caused a lot of travel problems for teams trying to play in Washington DC, including a bus crash involving the Atlanta Thrashers and an oil truck. So much for Bruce Boudreau's comment that a bus ride never hurt anyone. (Thankfully, no one was injured in this particular bus ride.) Maybe they can ship some of the snow to Vancouver for the Olympics.

INTERNATIONAL

• The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver open on Friday, February 12th. NBC has television listings for all sports - just put in your zip code and television provider.


• Click here for the full Olympic rosters for Men's Ice Hockey.

USA HOCKEY

• In addition to the Olympics, the Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey National Championships will begin on Friday.

Hockeyworld! 2/3/2010

AHL



Abbotsford Heat

• The Heat have had some roster changes recently.
• The Houston Aeros and goalie Wade Dubielewicz (who used to play for Bridgeport) put the Heat down under .500 by beating them in their last game. The Heat next play two games against the Chicago Wolves in Abbotsford.

Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Islanders goaltender Martin Biron will join Bridgeport for a conditioning stint this weekend. (He used to play for the Flyers.)

Check out their January highlight reel. Their music is pretty cool, but we recommend watching it with the sound off to other random music. Our favorite was to something that sounded like a piano from the old silent movie days.

• Bridgeport has a five-game losing streak going, although three of those came in shootouts. Their next game is Friday in Springfield.

Our AHL Features

• Because the AHL doesn't take a break for the Olympics like the NHL does, some AHL games will be broadcast on XM radio during February. In addition, NHL Network will be showing some AHL games at the end of February and March as the Calder Cup Playoff race heats up. You can catch Bridgeport on XM radio, and Abbotsford on NHL Network.

NHL

Calgary Flames

• There have been a couple of changes in Calgary in recent days. A little trade with Toronto, and then one with the New York Rangers. 35.8% of the people who answered a poll on the Flames' website think the deal with Toronto was a bad trade. Reactions on the trade with New York are mixed. Opinions in general run rampant. (Frankly, we're just a little tired of discussing trades.)
• The Flames host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. Even though the 'Canes are currently sitting at 29th in the NHL, they have a better record over their last 10 games than Calgary does. Ouch.

New York Islanders

• The Islanders will spend part of their training camp next season in China. That's a long flight. They'd better not complain about their travel schedule next season.
• The Islanders have waived Brendan Witt. They'd better watch their backs - this is the same guy that got hit by a truck in Philadelphia and played that same night.
• The Islanders next meet Tampa Bay on Thursday.

Our NHL Features

• We're not sure why anything Alex Ovechkin's father says is worthy of a news story on NHL.com, let alone this doozy where he compares Alexander Semin to a panther... but whatever.
• The Vancouver Canucks are about to embark on an epic journey.



• It's unanimous - Ryan Getzlaf has a nice car.

INTERNATIONAL

• Canada's Olympic hockey team are just regular guys.
• Nine days until the Vancouver Winter Olympics start.

Hockeyworld! 1/19/2010

AHL

Abbotsford Heat


The Heat will finish up an eight game home stand after the AHL All-Star break. So far they've split it with three losses and three wins, including a big comeback win against the Lake Erie Monsters. (We don't know why, but we really like the Monsters' logo.) The Heat's next two games will be against the Houston Aeros.


Bridgeport Sound Tigers

• With Mark Katic injured, Sound Tigers defenseman Dustin Kohn is representing Bridgeport at the AHL All-Star Game.
• Even though Katic will be staying behind, here's a little bit of info about him. (We had to look up Steve Prefontaine. Scott Niedermayer we know.)
• After the break, the Sound Tigers will try to snap a four game losing streak in Albany against the River Rats.

Our AHL Features

• The AHL All-Star Game in Portland is tonight (1/19/2010), and there are several options if you want to tune in. Several TV stations are broadcasting it this year, so check your listings and see if any are available for you.
• The All-Star Skills Competition was yesterday, and you can check out the highlights here. Team Canada beat Planet USA 18-12.
• The AHL inducted four new Hall of Famers today. Congratulations!

NHL

Calgary Flames

• In case you haven't heard, the Flames got put out in the Shark Tank last night. *fizzle* They've now lost five in a row.
• The Calgary Hitmen will not only host the Lethbridge Hurricanes, but also the Olympic torch on its way to Vancouver. Maybe they'll shoot off the playoff flames to welcome it.

New York Islanders

• The Flames may have been bad last night, but the Islanders shut out the Atlantic Division-leading New Jersey Devils to the tune of 4-0. Could Rick DiPietro finally be healthy?
• Matt Moulsen has found his niche in Long Island.
• The Islanders play tonight (1/19/2010) against the reigning champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Kris Letang thinks that stinks. Or something...

Our NHL Features

• Where is your favorite NHL team in the standings?
• The LA Kings have super socks.


• Six out of ten games had goalies pulled last night (1/18/2010).
• This is how you put an opponent down... and keep him down. (Safely, of course.)

INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY

• Only 24 days to go until the Olympics in Vancouver, BC.

USA HOCKEY

• Hockey Weekend Across America is coming up (January 29-31, 2010). Reebok Hockey is having a contest where kids can win equipment for their videos about Why Hockey Rocks. Check out the videos, and vote for your favorites.

Hockeyworld! 1/5/2010

AHL

Abbotsford Heat

• Right wing Jason Jaffray was recalled by the Calgary Flames on Monday, January 4. Jaffray leads the Heat in practically everything. He was recently announced as an AHL All-Star. We're assuming that means he'll be back in time for the All-Star game.


• The Heat won their last game against the Houston Aeros in overtime. It's the first overtime win ever for the Heat (since moving to Abbotsford this season). Abbotsford's record is currently 18-16-2-3. Their next game is at home on Friday against the Texas Stars.

Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Goaltender Rick DiPietro, who had been rehabbing in Bridgeport, was finally recalled to the Islanders and is practicing with the team. His save percentage in four games with Bridgeport was .883. Considering Bridgeport regulars Scott Munroe and former Grizzly Nathan "The Beast" Lawson have save percentages of .926 and .929 respectively, we're thinking Bridgeport will be happy to get them back in the net.

• Speaking of Bridgeport's goalies, the AHL had nice things to say about them.


• Get to know former Grizzly and Bridgeport defenseman Jon Gleed. We'd like to see those commercials.


• Bridgeport's current record is 19-16-1-2. They've lost their last three games. Their next two are back to back against Springfield this weekend.

Our AHL Features

• The Hershey Bears are currently on a 10 game winning streak. Is it just us, or does this article make you hungry?

NHL

Calgary Flames

• The Flames had a fun time getting through airport security this morning on their way to Nashville. (Anyone see the dog in the picture?)


• The news this weekend was all Olympics, and the Flames have four representatives going - Jerome Iginla will play for Team Canada, Miikka Kiprusoff and Olli Jokinen will play for Team Finland, and Peter Maher, the voice of the Flames, will call the games for Rogers Radio Network.


• The Flames' record is currently 25-12-5, and their next game is against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

New York Islanders

• We know the Islanders got goaltender Rick DiPietro back, but when will he play again?


• Islanders defenseman Mark Streit will be playing for Team Switzerland in the Olympics.


• Could the Islanders be in the 2011 Winter Classic?

Our NHL Features

• All six Canadian teams are playing in the NHL tonight.


• Check out Erik Christensen's one-handed goal for the New York Rangers last night.


• We don't know who the Sarks are, but they have lots of guys going to the Olympics:

INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY

World Junior Championships

• The World Junior Championship gold medal round will be played tonight (Tuesday, January 5) between USA and Canada. If you get the NHL Network, we highly recommend watching it. The Islanders have three prospects in the tournament - Calvin de Haan (Canada), Travis Hamoric (Canada) and Matt Donovan (USA) - although de Haan and Hamoric will be out with injuries (de Haan - head, Hamoric - shoulder). The Flames have center prospect Greg Neimsz playing for Team Canada.
  

MISCELLANEOUS

• We can't tell you how excited we were to find out that there is a team in Germany called Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg. We feel like we should adopt them or something.

Utah Grizzlies vs Idaho Steelheads Post Game 12/5/09

Such a hard loss.

The first overtime loss of the year.

But the boys played well, and from the post game interview, it sounds like Colley was happier with the way they played this weekend than the last. The Grizzlies made some amazing defensive plays as well as doing a terrific job on the offense. And we don't even know where to begin with O'Keefe's killer saves. The boys were on their game for a full 60 minutes against Idaho and got the regulation tie and point.

Hugo Carpentier made his debut tonight with the Grizzlies. Carpentier joined the boys from Abbotsford, the Grizzlies' Calgary AHL affliate. And already, he's picked up an assist in his first game with Utah. Not bad. This is a name we're not going to be able to pronounce for a while yet, so we'll probably just end up calling him Hugo.

After the game, there was a jersey auction to benefit the Angel's Hands Foundation, but we'll cover that in a separate post.

So, for the official post game summary, click here. For the ECHL gamesheet, go here. And our post game summary is below.

PreGame Introductions: Anthem picture.

Ceremonial Angel's Hands Foundation puck drop.

FIRST PERIOD

Some solid play this period.

Vlady, May, and Hugo at work.

Utah opened it up about halfway through the 1st with a power play goal.

Shea gives the Grizzlies the starting lead. 1-0.

Points to Hugo and Parnham on the assists.

Kotsy gets in a fight straight from the faceoff at center ice.

Our initial reaction is to cheer, so sometimes our reflexes with the vids and pics are a bit slow.

However, it was a pretty short fight.

But we'll post what we got of it.

We'll keep checking to see if Idaho posts the full fight on their site.

Later, Gannon gets a penalty for holding.

Faceoff in the Grizzlies' end.

Penalty killed.

Kotsy gets tossed out of the faceoff.

End of first. 1-0, Grizzlies.

First Intermission: Kids play hockey. Adorable.

SECOND PERIOD

We've noticed that the Grizzlies seem to have a bit of a lag at the start of their 2nd periods.

However, they generally pick it up about halfway through.

Utah still dominated this period with SOG.

But the Steelheads were the ones getting the goals.

Grizzlies got the first power play opportunity of the second.

But they can't capitalize.

Idaho ties it. 1-1.

Then Utah gets another power play.

But May negates it with a penalty of his own.

He goes to the box for holding.

Kotsy got slammed in Idaho's zone by two different Steelheads.

Ouch. But no call on it.

Idaho makes the save.

With just over a minute left in the 2nd, Idaho scores.

Boo.

End of second. 2-1, Steelheads.

Second Intermission: There's something about an oversized check . . .

For more on the Angel's Hands Foundation, visit their website here.

THIRD PERIOD

O'Keefe gets warmed up.

Utah gets the first penalty of the 3rd.

Bench minor for Too Many Men, served by Beljo.

But Idaho negates their power play with a tripping penalty.

4-on-4.

Snatch ties it up shortly after the penalties with a sweet shot down the middle.

2-2.

Clark and Perry pick up the assists on that.

Hugo goes to the box for holding.

Killed.

Collision against the boards.

Some great plays by both teams during this period.

O'Keefe minds the net.

But regulation ends in a tie.

End of third. 2-2.

OVERTIME

This was the harshest.

Because the Grizzlies were on the PK.

And it was a beautiful PK.

Hats off to Perry, Maxwell, Gannon, Bartley, Snatch, and Friesen.

Because you all rocked the kasbah.

But 5 seconds after the Grizzlies are back at full strength, Idaho ends it with a quick goal.

Man . . .

Game.

3-2, Steelheads.

Stars of the Game:

2. Kinasewich

3. Guthrie

2 out of 3 is still pretty damn good.

NOTES

We don't know what happened over the last week, but Kinasewich was killer on the defense this weekend. Snatch battled for the puck every time he was on the ice, threw the checks, pressured Idaho incessently, and played awesome PK shifts. This makes us incredibly happy (and we're sure Colley was happy about it, too).

But wait, there's more! Snatch is back as the top scorer in the ECHL today with 33 points in 21 games. Nice. We really couldn't ask for more. You da man, Ryan!

There was an auction after the game to benefit the Angel's Hands Foundation. We'll put the pictures and whatnot up in a separate post.

Go Grizzlies!