I MEAN, WE GOT GUYS...

Game Day @ Red Deer

2012-01-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

There's a game tonight. It's on tv (Root Sports). Feser brothers playing against each other. I will be drinking copious amounts of gin and stuffing my face with pizza. It's been one of those ~~days~~ weeks.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=50440e5dd4" &amp;gt;AMS @ Red Deer&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Late update

2012-01-26T17:50:00.000-08:00

What a game against Edmonton, eh? Wowza. Turns out, one of the goals was credited to Feser, not Shinnimin, so no overtime hattrick to win it, but still a hawt goal with 32 seconds left to seal it. And a win's a win.

Hard to say it was a battle of goaltenders with nine goals being scored, but it was as shots were 44-46 in favor of the Oil Kings. Offensive battle as well. Just a damn good battle is really what it was.

No. 2 star: Ty Rimmer, Tri-City Americans (WHL)
The much anticipated Americans-Edmonton Oil Kings tilt was everything one could have asked for, with Tri-City taking the bonus point when Brendan Shinnimin snapped home the decider for a 5-4 overtime win. The game likely never would gone into extra time without Rimmer, who made at least a half-dozen dial 911 worthy saves among his 46 saves as he got the most out of his only scheduled game in his hometown of Edmonton. On one third-period save, Oil Kings snipers Tyler Maxwell and Michael St. Croix were 2-on-0 against Rimmer and somehow he came up with the stop. He also robbed Maxwell, in Oil Kings play-by-play man Corey Graham's estimable opinion, of at least other two goals. (Picture Maxwell afterward thinking that he was done facing Rimmer after he was traded out of the U.S. Division.) Rimmer also assisted on the Americans' first goal by Montreal Canadiens prospect Patrick Holland.

It was a terrific game and perhaps it was a sneak peek at what a best-of-7 league final between the two might be like. Oil Kings star defenceman Griffin Reinhart had two goals in his return from an injury that kept him out for two weeks. (Buzzing the Net)
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The 2 clubs combined for 90 shots, 9 goals and almost 65 minters of excellent hockey. According to Corey Graham who calls the games on the TEAM 1260, there was talk it was the best game at Rexall Place since the Stanley Cup run of 2006. I'm not sure about that, but it was the best game I've seen this year at Rexall Place and a lot of the scouts I spoke with agreed.

Tri City started hard but once the Kings held them off for a bit the tide started turning. Edmonton outshot the Americans 19-8 and led 1-0 after T.J. Foster notched his 19th on the season and closed to within 2 points of his career high of 54. Edmonton should have been up more but Tri City tender Ty Rimmer was sensational making a couple of stops he had no right to. (Coming Down the Pipe!)

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What no one wants to hear/see:

The Americans learned Tuesday that captain Mason Wilgosh will miss an undetermined amount of time with a lower-body injury. (Herald)

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From the Red Deer Rebels whom the Americans face tomorrow night:

Rebels call up Scott Feser from AAA Optimist Rebels to play tomorrow against his older brother Justin, and the Tri-City Americans. (Twitter)

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Expect a late post tomorrow too, busy life is busy

Read more here: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/01/26/1801811/americans-beat-edmonton-in-overtime.html#storylink=cpy

Game Day @ Edmonton

2012-01-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

First some tidbits from around.

A Tuesday afternoon tweet from TSN hockey analyst Bob McKenzie: “No decision req'd until trade deadline but my sense is TBL more inclined to keep Brett Connoly in NHL than return him to Tri City (WHL).”
McKenzie, Part 2: “If Connolly finishes NHL season with TBL, and Bolts miss playoffs (as expected), he can be assigned to Norfolk for AHL playoffs.” (Taking Note)

There's more from Tampa:

Connolly has done less and less. He has no points in his past 14 games, and in eight games since winning a bronze medal with Canada at the world junior championship, the right wing has played more than 10 minutes only once, has nine shots and was demoted to a fourth line.

More to the point, Connolly, 19, has struggled defensively, which Boucher said is the primary reason for the loss of ice time.

But instead of sending Connolly back to juniors, Tampa Bay decided to continue his development in the NHL with what Boucher called "tough love."

"We said as a staff that if we're going to take him back after Team Canada, that he'd fit wherever he deserved to fit at that moment," Boucher said. "He's not a young kid anymore. He's part of the team and subject to the same positive or constructive criticism as the other guys who have been in the league for 10 years.

"We've taken a lot of time with him, probably more than any other guy. It's a question, now, of his willingness to focus on the small details to become a complete professional."

Quite a change from the feel-good story in which Connolly surprised even the Lightning by earning a job out of training camp, getting power-play time and playing on a line with Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis.

"With the puck he's fine," Boucher said of Connolly, who has four goals and eight points in 36 games. "But he's got to improve without the puck. He gets surprised defensively."

That is "normal for a 19-year-old," Boucher said, but added, "He has a lot to learn."

"Be hard on the walls," Connolly said. "Make sure you have your guy in the slot. Little things, little things that go a long way."

Steven Stamkos, who at 18 struggled through the first half of his rookie season, knows what his teammate is going through, so he offered perspective.

"It's a tough situation," Stamkos said. "You're used to being the go-to guy all the time, and you're used to playing all situations. … You know you have the capabilities, but sometimes you have to take a step back and realize you are at that age and it's a learning process and it's not going to happen overnight." (Tampa Bay Times via Red Light District)

So there you have it. It doesn't sound like he'll be coming to Tri. Obviously, that could still change, but I'm not holding my breath.

From the WHL discipline department:

01/21/12 Campbell Elynuik Prince George Four games for one man fight at Calgary on January 20
01/21/12 Campbell Elynuik Prince George One game for receiving third game misconduct of season at Calgary on January 20

So...let me get this straight. Walter gets six games for his one-man fight in Kelowna, but Elynuik only gets 4? And no explanation? Apparently the league felt the circumstances were different, but they have posted no explanation like they did on the discipline page when Walter was suspended. Don't get me wrong, I think a one-man fight has got to be one of the dumbest things ever, and both players pretty much deserve the suspension, but it just is yet another reflection of the inconsistency of the league. How frustrating.

In the Things That Must Matter to Some People department there's this:

1. Tri-City Americans, WHL (.565 RPI, —) — What's better heading into a showdown of conference leaders, to be on a win streak or have been tested by top teams? Tri-City no doubt hopes it's the latter, since they had tough outings against two of our ranked clubs, Kamloops and Spokane, last week. One could give the Ams a partial pass on those results. The losses to the Chiefs and Blazers came in their ninth and 10th games in an 18-day stretch. That's almost too much hockey. One bonus for Jim Hiller's team is they do not play back-to-back during a three-game Alberta swing this week. (Buzzing the Net)

I have to agree with BTN here, that was a lot of hockey.

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Some are calling it the 'game of the year' at Rexall Place. Tonight the Edmonton Oil Kings play host to the Tri City Americans. Edmonton leads the Eastern Conference while The Americans are 2 points back of top running Kamloops in the Western Conference.

When you look into the match up statistically it's even more intriguing. Edmonton is the highest scoring team in the league with 208 goals through 48 games while Tri City is #1 defensively with just 112 goals against this season.

While they are tied for points with 69 which is just 2 back of Kamloops, the Americans are clicking at a .750 win percentage and have 2 games in hand on the Oil Kings.(Coming Down the Pipe!)

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Call it the Dub Bowl.

It’s not an indisputable, conclusive championship title. Like the NCAA football Bowl setup, it will just add further debate as to who’s the best.

But the real beauty of it is that nobody knows how the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Tri-City Americans stack up next to each other. Until the buzzer blows.

It’s also a game all eyes concerned with the WHL will be looking to see what happens.

Two teams from different conferences playing their only game of the season against each other.

Because the hot-damn Kamloops Blazers used their game-in-hand (with a 9-1 run) to slip ahead of the Americans, this won’t be a showdown between first-place East and West.

But it will be a showdown. (Edmonton Sun)

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Remember earlier game time tonight because of time zones, pre-game starts at 5:45. Bring the funny.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=771b450825" &amp;gt;AMS @ Edmonton&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

"Tough to swallow"

2012-01-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

"A great game between two of the top teams," said Tri-City forward Brendan Shinnimin, who had a goal and an assist. "I thought we had a chance to win. We had a lot of opportunities in the third. Their goalie stood on his head, and they beat us in the shootout.

"It hurts. This is tough to swallow."

"They played terrific," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said of the Blazers. "It was a good game -- the best we've played in three months. I'm disappointed because we fought so hard to come back and not get two points. They fought as hard as they have in months, and I thought Zach Yuen had his best game of the year."

"It's not like we have been playing bad hockey. It's been one or two bad plays that cost us games," Shinnimin said. "It's not a lack of effort. We won 13 in a row. It will take a little something to get us going again." (Herald)

At the halfway point of the game the Americans only had 9 shots on goal. That's not going to win any games. Full props they pushed harder the 2nd half of the game, got 20 more shots and mostly controlled the play in the third. But to me, passing looked sloppy and Kamloops is too good a team to be sloppy against.

I don't know what it is, but to me it seems like Rimmer has lost some of his swagger. I can haz swagger back plz? kthxbai.

I thought Mason Wilgosh played his ass off last night, not like that is any surprise, but still. Lil' Messier's tenacity was missed last night. Dallman got a few shifts, Hamonic played some with Grist still out.

Did you know that January is National Ice Skating month? I didn't either until I saw this:

Improvement in Skates, 01/22/1867

In 1867, Robert E. Ellerbeck applied for a patent for improved ice skates. He states in his application that straps are no longer needed because his improvement allows the skate to be attached securely to the shoe using clips. (Today's Document from the National Archives)

Game day vs. Kamloops

2012-01-21T11:57:00.001-08:00

Ok, I am going to try blogging via iPhone, we'll see how this goes, just don't expect much.

As far as last night, meh. I kinda thought Spokane looked hungrier, Spokant disagreed, and the more I thought about it, it wasn't hunger that was missing (not completely anyway), it was mental sharpness, mistakes were made and the Chiefs were insanely opportunistic. They jumped on those errors like hungry wolves on a rabbit. Or whatever hungry wolves eat.

Comments by coach and Wilgosh in the Herald seem to each that, you'll have to read it on your own, I don't see where or how to insert links.

So tonight they're back to work against the red hot Kamloops Blazers who, with their win last night, have taken over the top spot in the league.

Alright, I think that is sufficient enough a post for today, I prefer my computer though.

Game Day vs Spokane

2012-01-20T09:31:00.000-08:00

Brett Connolly reporting to the Tri City Americans may not be completely out of the question. With conditional picks moved, Tri stands to lose only a 5th-round pick should Connolly stick it out with Tampa Bay. If Steve Yzerman is inclined to send Connolly back, it has to be by NHL trade deadline or he no longer is eligible, so keep your eye on Feb. 27.

I have a sneaking suspicion he will end up with Tri City, and here’s my thought process.

With the NHL having gotten so much younger, there remains a loophole in the underage player rule. If the Lightning fail to make the playoffs and Connolly’s season comes to an end on April 7, he will still be 19-years-old and according to the CHL/NHL agreement, he will not be eligible for play in the AHL.

If the Americans are still playing, Connolly would also be ineligible as he was not loaned back by the NHL trade deadline. So, ultimately we could have a 19-year-old player with no where to further his development, sitting at home on April 8th, while quite possibly both of his AHL and CHL teams are still playing. That just doesn’t make sense to me.

Somebody needs to come up with a rule or a threshold of games that deems a player in Connolly’s situation a full-time NHL’er. If things remain the same, Connolly is on pace to play 71 NHL games, but since returning from the World Juniors, his ice-time is slightly less than nine minutes per game.

I think a 19-year-old player should be extended every opportunity to continue to develop. He should be eligible to play in either the CHL or the AHL if Tampa’s season comes to an end on April 7. And in the case he may be returned to Tri, keep in mind Connolly has just five games of playoff experience. (Sportsnet)

This is good to know. I wasn't previously aware about the part where he couldn't be returned to junior after the NHL trade deadline. NHL trade deadline is February 27th.

Some good quotes from today's Herald:

"Anytime we play Spokane, it's hard to say it's just another game," Hiller said. "There is a lot of emotion in those games.

"(Today) is job one. Saturday seems a long way away when you are staring at Spokane on Friday. Saturday means nothing if we don't win (today)."

"We are a confident team in our own building, in front of our fans," said Hiller, whose team is 19-2-0-0 at Toyota Center. "There's a strong sense that someone will get it done."

"The losses to Spokane and Portland (last week) -- physically, we were fine. Mentally, we were sluggish," Hiller said. "Against good teams, you have to be sharp or they will beat you. We broke down too many times."

"From the outside looking in, they all look like big games," Hiller said. "We've put ourselves in a position to play big games in January and February, and that's a positive."

"The guys are willing to sacrifice anything," said Rimmer, who leads the league with five shutouts, a 2.10 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. "I have seen (Mason) Wilgosh numerous times dive behind me to knock a puck out, or a stick. That's what it takes to be successful." (Herald)

Mason "Sacrifice the Body" Wilgosh. I love this team. It is a big weekend with Spokane and Kamloops. They'll be on Root Sports tonight, hopefully it will go as well for the Ams as it did the last time they were on Root.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate so we can fill the barn tonight, be safe and cautious out there!

Snow Day

2012-01-19T16:37:00.000-08:00

It's not fit for man or beast out there. In my neighborhood, it's more like an ice day than a snow day but I'll take it.

When I was a kid we didn't get a lot of snow (west side of Oregon). We also lived in a little valley so school got canceled when there was a lot of snow in the hills since it was a rural area, buses couldn't get to the kids who lived higher up. It was tradition in our house that a snow day meant making doughnuts from scratch--letting the dough rise for a while by the wood stove...mmmm those were good doughnuts. We would also go into town and rent a VCR (I'm really dating myself here) and a couple movies--I distinctly remember eating doughnuts and watching Pretty in Pink and War Games. I need to get War Games on dvd.

I suppose I should talk hockey. Full props to Calvin Pickard the other night, he was outstanding. Sadly, he didn't throw any major hissy fits, those are so fun to watch. I did notice brand new nets so the odds of yet another puck going through the nets against Seattle were diminished.

First game at home for the newest American Jesse Mychan. He did not disappoint. Kid can skate well, especially for a big guy. He handles the puck well, handles himself well, and notched another goal. Good pick up Bob.

The boys didn't look as tired as I expected them to on game 5 in 7 nights, but thankfully Coach was able to get the young guys a lot of ice time--Dallman played a lot, Lil' Mess and B-Dubs. Good for them. Justin Hamonic filled in for Sam Grist who took warmies but didn't play. Hamonic made a few errors, but overall played well and that's to be expected with his inexperience.

Comrie was good enough, he didn't have a lot of work, Seattle only fired 16 shots on him the whole night. RL and I had a little discussion about it and she said, and I'm paraphrasing, "There's no other 16-year-old goalie in the entire league that I'd rather have in net, but he's 16. There's still a learning curve there." That sums it up. But the kid got a shutout, 16 shots or not, still a shutout. And that will help his confidence, not that I think he has an issue with confidence.

Game Day vs. Seattle

2012-01-17T09:33:00.000-08:00

Game five in seven nights. Well, at least they're back home, that might help. Seattle is coming off a 3-2 win over the Chiefs yesterday afternoon.

I asked Champ if she wanted to a guest post since she was at the game yesterday. She said no, but did send a few tidbits:

The Hawks were good, the Ams looked tired and the 3rd and 4th lines actually played
The Hawks played as a team beautifully, comfortably. Scary.
My stars are Dow, Ryckman, and Holly.

The Winterhawks are no slouches, that's for sure. I'm glad to see the deeper lines getting some playing time. Playoffs have a similar condensed schedule so as I've mentioned before, getting guys like Dallman and Nickles experience now will pay off when there's fatigue later on.

You don’t get suspended for an accumulation of charging penalties or high-sticking penalties or tripping penalties or interference penalties. But you get suspended for too many embellishment penalties? What is wrong with this picture? (Taking Note)

So the target on Shinny's back gets even bigger since the next embellishment penalty will get him TWO games (according to Westie on the broadcast yesterday). Awesome.

I got in touch with Cassie McClellan over at Raw Charge to get some insight on the question of Brett Connolly. She's a champ and got back to me, and had this to say:

DS: The Tri-City Americans just got the rights to Brett Connolly should the Lightning decide to send him back to juniors. I wanted your (and any of your colleagues there at Raw Charge) opinion as to the odds of him being sent to juniors. Any insight you could provide would be most helpful.

CM: Brett Connolly, from the start, impressed Tampa Bay Lightning fans with his poise and his abilities. There was little question from the outset of training camp as to whether he'd be staying or leaving for Prince George, at the time. Thankfully, the coaching staff and GM Steve Yzerman agreed with the fans' assessment of him.

He's very quick, not afraid to be physical. He's not at all intimidated on NHL ice, which can only bode well for the Tri-City Americans, should be be released by to Junior. He played extremely well, scoring with five goals and one assist in six games for Team Canada at the 2012 World Junior Championships.

He's seen limited ice time with the Lightning, particularly since December, so it wasn't a surprise when the Lightning released him to Team Canada. In 33 NHL games, he has four goals and four assists. The limited ice time trend has continued since his return, and with the Lightning's chances for playoffs dwindling, he could be returned to Junior around the end of the NHL season.

DS: Any indication from the limited ice time that the lightning would send him earlier to play more and get playoff experience, even if it's at the junior level?

CM: Right now, it's hard to tell. The Lightning are so far out out of things that it'd take a miracle for them to make playoffs. Yzerman allowing him to go play for WJC's suggests that he might be willing to let him go sooner. But with Yzerman, you just never really know until he does something. I believe that Connolly's unable to be sent down to the AHL this season, so if he goes anywhere, it'll be to the Americans.

So there you have it. If they keep him until the end of the NHL season, at this rate for the Lightning, that would be April.

Game Day @ Portland--Matinee style UPDATED

2012-01-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

Three o'clock game in Portland today. And I've got a serious case of writer's block.

I'll have liveblog up today, but not sure what kind of turnout I'll get with the early time. If you're around, come on in and join the party.

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Hours later, writer's block is still here, but there's a couple of newsworthy things that have popped up.

01/16/12 Brendan Shinnimin Tri-City One game for accumulation of embellishment penalties in 2011-12 season (WHL discipline)

So there's that.

Over at Puck Daddy, there's an update on former American Ladislav Scurko:

After spending two and a half years in prison, Scurko was released last month with a new trial pending. While out of prison, he signed to play with his hometown club, HK Slovan Gelnica, a third division team in Slovakia. In six games, Scurko scored 11 times and finished with 12 points before moving on to HK Trebisov of the Slovak 1 Liga.

Scurko originally confessed to the crime after claiming that Liptaj had moved into his home and later lied about having cancer. The 2004 sixth round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, who also spent three years in the Western Hockey League with Seattle and Tri-City, tried to get Liptaj move out upon learning the cancer story was lie, but a dispute during a drive ended with Scurko allegedly stabbing him 19 times with a kitchen knife.

This past July, Scurko recanted his statement and claimed duplicity by local police forced him to confess and that he was intoxicated as his club at the time, HC Kosice, had just won the league championship. (Puck Daddy)

Such a strange story from start to finish.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=8ce1c87cf1" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;AMS @ Portland&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Game Day @ Spokane

2012-01-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

I feared I was going to have to flip tables, but I'll give some credit where some credit is due, Buzzing the Net DID recognize Justin Feser as one of the stars from last night's CHL action:

No. 3 star: Justin Feser, Tri-City Americans (WHL)
Feser made Friday the 13th especially unlucky for the Vancouver Giants, scoring a hat trick in Tri-City's bounce-back 11-4 win. The Americans were two nights removed from having a (that number again) 13-game win streak snapped. Apparently, they're out to start another, judging by how they put up 11 goals in the last two periods of the game. Feser got the Ams rolling with his first of the night 29 seconds into the middle stanza and scored again three minutes later.
To add injuries to insult, the Giants saw captain Brendan Gallagher and centre Dalton Sward each leave the game after getting hurt. While that's too bad for Gallagher, at least one of his fellow Montreal Canadiens prospects had a decent night. Tri-City's Patrick Holland, a throw-in in the Michael Cammalleri trade, set up two of Feser's goals. (BTN)

Eleven to four. ELEVEN. In a hockey game. Hat trick for Justin, 2 goals for Hughesman and Big Mess. Jordan Messier is playing so great right now, I'm so happy to see it. Goals also from Williams, MacMaster, Shinnimin, and Mychan. Welcome to the Americans Bitchin Mychan (it rhymes the way his name is pronounced).

Can they keep it rolling? We'll find out as they're in Spokane to face the Chiefs tonight. Always a good battle between the two teams. There will be more liveblogging awesomeness tonight as well, so bring the funny. No really, funny is a pre-requisite.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=a8c9652077" &amp;gt;AMS @ Spokane&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Game Day @ Vancouver

2012-01-13T08:13:00.000-08:00

Obviously the big news is that Patrick Holland got traded. No, not traded away from the Americans, but from the Calgary Flames who drafted him to the Montreal Canadiens. Twitter blew up with the news, partly because the trade was announced in the middle of the Habs' game, what a weird time to do it, but also because people were wondering who this Patrick Holland kid is. He's the shizz, that's who he is.

Lyle Richardson, over at Spector's Hockey is always good with the breaking news AND he's a Canadiens fan so I tweeted to him about Holly, saying what a great player is and how I hoped that translated into awesomeness at the NHL level.

Now I'm no expert on the Montreal Canadiens, but they are making some really odd moves. From what I've read they are some real head-scratchers (but I still love you Tomas Kaberle!). The general consensus is they are pretty sucky right now and this moves are not heading the team into winning ways. One comment I saw last night during all the hub-bub is wonder what Carey Price is thinking? He'll be a restricted free agent this summer.

With the way Holland has been playing I'd say the odds are less than 10% that he'll be back in Tri as a 20. Which is sad for us fans, he's so great to watch when he's on a tear, but awesome for Patrick.

F Patrick Holland of the Tri-City Americans got through the WHL trade deadline without having to pack up and move. But two days later he was involved in an NHL trade. On Thursday night, the Calgary Flames dealt Holland, F Rene Bourque and a 2013 second-round draft pick to the Montreal Canadiens for F Mike Cammalleri, G Karri Ramo and a 2012 fifth-round draft pick. . . . A seventh-round selection by the Flames in the NHL’s 2010 draft, Holland has 56 points in 39 games with the Americans this season. He is ninth in the WHL scoring race. Holland, 19, has yet to sign an NHL contract. . . . Later in the evening, Holland tweeted: “Guess it's time to thank my parents for putting me in 9 years of french immersion. Hoping I can please the @CanadiensMTL fans someday.” (Taking Note)

The boys are in Vancouver tonight and the game will be shown on Root Sports. It should be a good matchup, Vancouver is always a challenge. A lot of the BC boys will have friends and family in attendance, that is a good morale boost as well.

Live blog will be up and running, bring the funny and I'll bring the pompous arrogance. And gin.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=93049f1fd5" &amp;gt;AMS @ Vancouver&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Move on

2012-01-12T07:36:00.000-08:00

Hey, can't win 'em all, the streak was bound to end. There is no need to panic, it was one game against a really good team. Guys can look at the tape and learn from it.

"Over the last 13 games, we had some pretty good bounces. Tonight, we didn't get those bounces and Kamloops did," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller, whose team remained atop the CHL poll for the second consecutive week. "They worked for them. It's one of those nights it could have gone either way. I thought we started slow and got better. I thought we generated enough chances to win, but they are a good team. They were ready for us. You don't get to win all the games because you play hard."

"We just have to keep going," Hiller said. "We played a great stretch of hockey, and we played well enough to make it 14. This is the toughest month of the year for us. We tuck this one away and move on. We start again Friday (at Vancouver)." (Herald--emphasis mine)

And work hard they did, the Ams outshot the Blazers 32-28 and managed to get it to a one-goal differential. Cheveldave is a great goalie, he robbed guys a couple of times. At least that's what it sounded like, honestly I was so tired last night I was just fighting to stay awake.

This was a game with zip and pace and speed and great transition games. It didn't have the intensity of a playoff game when emotion has had time to build, but it still was pretty darn good. (Taking Note )

First goal as an American for Jesse Mychan, also a helper on the 2nd goal so he's off to a good start, hope he keeps it up (TWSS).
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I mean, we got guys who have 500 wins under their belt. Congrats to Don Nachbaur on #500, even though he's coach for the Chiefs now. He did a lot for this organization and deserves a ton of credit. Five hundred isn't anything to scoff at, that's for sure.
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As you know, I really don't like Buzzing the Net. I don't like how they portray my team. And I have repeatedly had issues with their ranking system for their weekly "Dynamic Dozen". I'm not the only one either, Friend of the Blog, Riss, has put a whole lot of work into a ranking system that while it sortof makes my brain hurt, it's thorough and a whole lot more comprehensive than what BTN does.

The Riss Ranking System
- all data was pulled from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL official websites on Monday 09 January 2012.
- max score is 1, min score is 0.017 (got the minimum score in each category, not 0)
- the Riss Ranking System does NOT use a recency factor as I can't figure one out that doesn't overly benefit/penalize win/loss streaks
- the ranking system is based on what *I* want to see during a game, hence the Ams using their fists too frequently knocked them out of first. 6 statistics are considered:

PCT (win percentage)
PP% (power play percentage)
PK% (penalty kill percentage)
GF/game (goals for per game, i.e. the number of times the team scored divided by the number of games played)
GA/game (goals against per game, i.e. the number of times the away team scored divided by number of games played)
PIM/game (penalties in minutes per game, i.e. the average time per game a team spends in the box)
- the next version (this is 2.0) will probably include something about how even the home/away win percentages are. I want a team that win, regardless of the barn they're in
- there are 59 teams in the CHL (22 WHL, 17 QMJHL, and 20 OHL)

Top 10:
- for the week of 09 Jan 2012, the WHL boasts 6 of the 10 ten teams! 3 QMJHL teams. 1 OHL team
Top 20:
- for the week of 09 Jan 2012, the WHL has 7 of the top 20 teams; 6 QMJHL teams; 7 OHL teams

Week of 09 Jan 2012
1. 0.924 Quebec Ramparts
2. 0.893 Tri-City Americans (too many fights boys, too many fights)
3. 0.827 Edmonton Oil Kings
4. 0.792 Shawinigan Cataractes
5. 0.789 Portland Winterhawks
6. 0.783 Kamploops Blazers
7. 0.771 London Knights (see the note to the Ams about fights? stay out of the box!)
8. 0.741 Kootenay Ice
9. 0.720 Saint John Sea Dogs
10. 0.701 Vancouver Giants

You can check out the whole kit and caboodle here, seriously, it's worth a look. DO IT. If for no other reason than she put a crapton of work into it.

Game Day @Kamloops

2012-01-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

Both teams sitting at the tops of their divisions, should be a good game.

Ams still sitting in the #1 spot overall in the BMO CHL Top Ten Rankings, Kamloops at #7.

Michal Plutnar ranked #84 overall in the Mid-Season Rankings from the Central Scouting Report.

"It's about as tough a week as we could have," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. "It's a great test for us. We've only had the one road game in a few weeks. It's time to get out and do the dirty work on the road."

The Americans head into Kamloops on a 13-game win streak, and are 14-5-0-0 on the road. Leading scorer Adam Hughesman said having a string of wins gives them confidence going into the road trip.

"We are excited for the challenge," Hughesman said. "To be on a winning note going into Kamloops helps. It will be a good measuring stick for us. Our team chemistry is great. We support each other 100 percent out there and it shows in our record." (Herald)

There will be a liveblog tonight but you've been warned right now I'm Senorita Crankypants today. Just a heads up (as if you couldn't tell from this less-than-mediocre post).

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=a167b6c8b0" &amp;gt;AMS @ Kamloops&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

oh FFS

2012-01-10T16:20:00.000-08:00

God, Buzzing the Net, you're killing me. It's not even Friesen this time either.

1. Tri-City Americans, WHL (.574 RPI, +1) — Their 13-game roll goes on the line Wednesday against a streaking Kamloops team. It would almost be nice if Tri-City could drop a game or two, because otherwise you can just yadda-yadda through any discussion of the Western league leaders. Ty Rimmer tops the Dub in goals-against average and save percentage, yadda-yadda-yadda, Zach Yuen's first in plus/minus, and so on. (BTN)

Apparently the folks at BTN are bored by our little no-name team. It would almost be nice if you could shut the hell up.

You want to know what boring is? Try watching your team only win 20 games in a season. That's how the Americans were doing when I moved here and started watching them. That was boring. That was a whole lot of yadda-yadda-yadda.

You know what is most definitely NOT boring?? Sold-out crowds. A thirteen-game win streak. Hottest goalie in the league--in net and in face--who is also goalie of the week for the entire Canadian Hockey League. Team chemistry. And all that chemistry on a team with only two NHL drafted players. Draft schmaft I say, look at what my boys can do.

Also not boring? A GM who kicks ass. Coaching staff that are coaching the shit out of those boys. Ever watch the guys during warmies?? They've got that look of determination on their faces and the glimmer of excitement in their eyes. They are playing to win AND to have a damn good time doing it.

Why do I care what Buzzing the Net has to say at this point anyway? I care because people who aren't as familiar with the Ams as some of us are look to them as a resource for information about junior hockey. Most of the time they do a decent job, I like the link roundup they do everyday, that's helpful to get quick tidbits from around the whole CHL.

But they are portraying my team as boring.

Meanwhile they keep fellating Portland, I guess because they're tied for 2nd in the league and have so many drafted players? Again, draft schmaft. Yes, Portland is good. Yes, they have a lot of talented players who have been drafted by NHL teams. I have to assume that's their hard-on over there at BTN. But stop dismissing my team because guys haven't been drafted.

And sure, I should stop picking on them, but again, their drivel isn't what I want forming peoples' opinions about my team. Granted, any dummy can look at the stats on WHL.com and see the numbers etc., but when they write "yadda-yadda-yadda" about my team, I'm going to get pissed.

Homer post is homerish.

----------
Update, did a few seconds of research--it's really not that hard (TWSS) --and found the following:

Yep, one of the BTN writers (again, not of the post of the Ams being boring, but still). And also:

aww, my good buddy Kelly Friesen's stats from hockeydb.com.

I see where the Hawks fellatio comes from then. Got it.

Trade Deadline Day UPDATED

2012-01-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

I hate trade deadline day. I think I may hate it even more this year. I think the last time I was this nervous was when my hockey husband Cole Butterfield was a 20. And then released. I cried, not gonna lie. Also traumatic? When Matt Swaby was traded. I wasn't the only one who thought so, a friend of mine reminded me of this beauty:

Creepy, hilarious, yet adequately gets the point across.

As the day unfolds I'll update this post as needed (and as timely as I can, I do have a real job to attend to).

**UPDATE**
Wow. Just wow.

Tri-City Americans Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced today that the team has acquired the rights to 19-year-old forward Brett Connolly from the Prince George Cougars in exchange for a 5th round pick in the 2013 Bantam Draft, with conditional picks in 2013 and 2014 should Connolly get reassigned to Tri-City from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Connolly, the 6’2 205-pound right winger, was a first-round (6th overall) selection by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2010 NHL Draft and is currently playing with the National Hockey League club. Connolly just returned from serving as an alternate captain with Team Canada at the 2012 World Junior Championship, picking up 5 goals and 6 points in Canada’s Bronze-medal run.

Tory stated that…“this was an opportunity for us to pursue a world class player, and a player who could make a huge impact to our line-up if he was returned to juniors from the NHL.”

This season, the Campbell River, B.C.-native has currently played in 29 games for the Lightning, totaling 4 goals, 8 points and 12 penalty minutes. Before making the jump to the NHL, Connolly had compiled 86 goals and 152 points in 144 WHL games as a member of the Cougars. Last season, Connolly recorded 46 goals and 73 points while serving as the Cougars’ team captain. As a 16-year-old rookie, Connolly also picked up 2008-09 CHL and WHL Rookie of the Year honors after posting an impressive 30-goal, 60-point season. He was originally the Cougars’ 1st round (10th overall) selection in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft.

“We have had discussions with Steve Yzerman (General Manager of the Lightning),” explained Tory. “We trust that, in the end, Steve will make a decision that is in the best interests of Brett’s development and the Lightning’s plans.”

With the 19-year-old Connolly currently playing in the NHL, and with his NHL contract already being enforced, the Lightning now have the options of either keeping Connolly with the club, or reassigning him to Tri-City. The Lightning can take until the NHL Trade Deadline (3:00 p.m. EST, February 27) to return the player to major junior. (Americans)

This is potentially huge. Huge if he comes back from Tampa. Huge if--if returned by Tampa--he can avoid getting injured. Connolly has a history of injuries. If he stays in the NHL, all the Ams lose is a 5th round pick, so not too steep a price, really.

My first thought was "where is there room for another super forward?" Then it came to me, "duh, in between Shinny and Hughey!" If he comes to Tri, HE can be that big body in front of the net making room AND scoring sweet goals. Could be interesting...

Trade

2012-01-09T12:16:00.000-08:00

I should have known better than to go to lunch the day before the trade deadline. The Ams have moved D-man Riley Guenther.

Tri-City Americans Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced today that the team has traded 17-year-old defenseman Riley Guenther (pron. Gun-ther) to the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for a 5th round pick in the 2013 bantam draft.

Guenther, listed at 6’0 and 190 pounds, is in the midst of his first full WHL season, appearing in 10 games this season and collecting 1 assist and 6 penalty minutes. He also played in 6 games last season as an affiliate player call-up. Prior to joining the Americans, Guenther was named Chrysler Division First Team All-Star in 2010-11 while playing for the Calgary Northstars of the Alberta Midget Hockey League. Additionally, Guenther played for and won a gold medal as a member of Team Alberta at the 2009 Western Canada U-16 Challenge Cup. The Calgary, Alberta-native was originally selected by Tri-City in the 3rd Round (63rd overall) of the 2009 Bantam Draft.

“Riley is a quality kid and this move will allow him to play closer to home in front of his family and friends,” explained Tory. “We wish Riley all the best in Prince Albert.” (Americans)

Can't say I'm particularly surprised, with the depth at D it was a matter of time before he or Hamonic were moved. Riley is a good player, he'll certainly help PA (especially in their hotness department).

deterrent

2012-01-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

Tri-City has aspirations for this season, and Mychan is the type of player who will be a valuable deterrent for a team with a lot of smaller forwards. Meanwhile, the fourth-round bantam pick is a pretty good return for a 19-year-old who was plucked off waivers less than a year earlier, and who would have been stretched to make Everett's team as an overager next season. Good luck to Jesse with the Americans, as he seemed like a really friendly guy. (Everett Herald)

Valuable deterrent? Hrm, ok. I suppose I'd rather see this guy doing the deterring than Jordan Messier. Big Mess is on a roll right now, let's keep it that way. I'm not going to comment on Mychan until I see him play in person. Acquiring him puts the Ams at the 25-player limit, with the trade deadline tomorrow.

300

2012-01-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

"You know what? I really liked us tonight," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. "We played a solid game. Every facet of the game -- special teams, goaltending, forechecks -- everything was working." (Herald)

I really liked you too. Hard not to like 13 wins in a row, two shutouts in a row for Rimmer. Three hundred points for Adam Hughesman--that's a big freakin' deal.

I love my team.

Also yesterday the Americans traded some draft picks for Everett's Jesse Mychan. He's big, 6'2", 200 lbs.

(Mychan) had seven points and 106 penalty minutes in 26 games with the Silvertips. His season’s work features three suspensions totalling 14 games, including 10 games for a headshot in a Nov. 13 game against the Prince George Cougars. (Taking Note)

Three suspensions?? Great. Obviously his size is going to be beneficial with the absence of Mack Royer and now with MacMaster out (hopefully not for long!), but the high PIMs and suspensions makes me nervous. We'll see how that unfolds. Also, two more days before the January 10th deadline so more might unfold yet.

En Fuego

2012-01-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

Hottest team in the WHL with a 12 game winning streak. Sometimes you'll hear the phrase "rolling on all cylinders"--that's our team right now. Tonight marks the first game of a 5-game road trip over the next week and a half, will they be able to keep the streak going?

I don't look at all the other stats of all the other players in the Dub, but I'm pretty sure there isn't another player as hot right now as Patrick Holland. I mean, for real. Drinnan has some numbers:

Holland has three straight four-point games. On the season, he has 55 points in 38 games. . . . In fact, in his last six games, he has gone 3, 3, 1, 4, 4, 4. That’s 19 points over six games. . . . Since Dec. 2, Holland has 28 points in 12 games. He has been blanked once, has one oe-point game, three two-pointers and three three-pointers. . . . Interestingly, he went 2-2-0-2-3-0-3-3-1-4-4-4. . . . And we should mention that Holland turns 19 today. . . . Hughesman has 65 points, including 25 goals, in 38 games this season. He has 299 points in 304 career games. (Taking Note)

It should be noted that Holly is turning 20 today, not 19. But still, those are some damn sexy numbers right there. I know Calgary Flames scout (and former Seattle Thunderbirds coach) Rob Sumner was in the building Wednesday night, not sure about last night, but the Flames would be insane not to notice the great work of their prospect lately. With his current play I'd say the chances of Patrick returning to the Ams as a 20 is slim-to-none. Which sucks for the team and us fans, but great for Holly.

B-Dubs chipped in 3 helpers for one of his best games of the season. While Williams isn't tearing up the rookie scoring sheet this season, he's developing well and playing a ton of minutes. He's going to be fun to watch in the future, that's for sure.

I'd say if it happens more than once a season, that qualifies as "often". It's happened twice that I can remember from this season, both times against Seattle. The first time prompted a classic full-on hissy fit from Calvin Pickard. Time for new nets, I'd say. I saw Holly celebrate and I kinda felt bad since it wasn't declared a goal right away, that's a bit embarrassing to celebrate a goal that didn't happen. But it DID happen so no embarrassment! It happened way at the other end of the ice from where I sit so I didn't see it, but still awesome.

It's not all sunshine and roses, I will admit I wasn't not overly impressed with Comrie. He did well most of the time, but there were some big rebounds and a couple of not-so-great moments. It's good that the Seattle goal after Holland's through the net was called off or I'd be talking about the bad puck play by Comrie to give the puck right to Honey who planted it behind the young goalie. Hey, it happens.

And I supposed I've been spoiled by watching the stellar play of Goalie of the Month, Ty Rimmer. The coaching staff is stuck in a unique position--Comrie's good and needs to get a lot of starts here in the 2nd half to get him going to be able to take over next season full-time. At the same time, they've got the red-hot Rimmer. I suppose it's a good problem to have. To be clear, Comrie didn't suck, I'm not saying that, I'm saying he's still a very young goalie, still doing some learning and that's ok.

Know who else had a great game? Big Mess. And Malte. Jordan has been playing his ass off and it's paying dividends for him. Malte, I think he liked wearing the yellow jerseys, reminded him of the Team Sweden jerseys and he was playing balls-to-the-wall too.

I'm not entirely sure why Seattle felt the need to leave Cotton in for all 7 goals, I guess they knew the bleeding wouldn't stop, I don't know. But that's gotta shake the poor kid's confidence. Rumor from some people who sit by me is Pickard was or is going to be traded, but until something happens, I try to stay away from trade deadline rumors.

I don’t know who I feel worse for — Calvin who has toiled away on a mediocre team for four years, or his backup Daniel Cotton, who has played in 8 games (296 minutes, which isn’t even five full games) this season and is 0-3-0-0. Calvin has played in 33 of the T-birds 36 games. Goalie always want to play, but even the best of them need a break every now and again.

The WHL is supposed to be a developmental league. Mr. Cotton, with three starts, is not getting the time in net to hone his skills. Practice doesn’t count. Cotton hasn’t played since getting a little garbage time against Portland on Dec. 3. He has not seen one second in net in the 10 games since.

Seattle might as well just bring in an affiliate player every week to back up Pickard and turn Cotton loose to play on a team that will let him develop his skills. If Mr. Cotton isn’t good enough to play in the league, then get someone who is. (Red Light District)

I didn't go back through all my archived posts, but I'm pretty sure I made a similar argument when Chet Pickard was in net here, especially since there were TWO backup goalies here. Oh well, those days are over, I just found that tidbit interesting.

The boys are in Everett tonight. The Silvertips are better than their 7-23-1-7 record indicates. Ok, not better, but they work hard and make teams work hard against them. Goalie Kent Simpson is no slouch either, he has stymied Ams for years and I'm sure tonight will be no different (unless the backup plays).

My dad and sister are visiting this weekend but I've made it clear that I have to run liveblog so I'll be here, hope you are too--bring the funny! No seriously, bring the funny or the booze or something because games against Everett tend to be boring as hell.

Read more here: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/01/06/1777406/game-day-seattle-at-tri-city.html#storylink=cpy

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=a01c5a758b" &amp;gt;AMS @ Everett&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Nuclear Night vs. Seattle

2012-01-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

It's Nuclear Night--that snuck up on me. The jerseys are...unique. Annie Fowler reports:

This game brings out-of-this-world colors to the game, starting with the Americans’ nuclear-inspired jerseys. They have been green in the past, but this year they are yellow. Not the yellow of your grandma’s house, but the yellow of the highlighter in your desk.The accompanying photo doesn’t do the actual color justice. Brighten the photo 10 times and you will come a bit closer.

Actually, Annie has a nice bit today about defenseman Michal Plutnar:

"I was scared, but my mom had more reservations," said Plutnar, who got a little help with translation from his agent, Robert Splenka. "She said I was too young to be that far away from home all alone."

"When I saw him play at the under-17, he was one of the better players on the Czech team," Tory said. "Our intent was to get a defenseman in the CHL draft and to go younger. He's just 17. He could have a long career here."

"The hockey takes care of itself, but when you don't speak the language, everything is new and uncertain," Tory said. "It's a difficult decision for the family and the player. His parents (Martin and Olga) were able to come over after Christmas. They see that he is playing good hockey and has a good home. It helped put them at ease."

"I like Tri-City," Plutnar said. "It is better hockey than Czech Republic. Better people, nice fans. Back home in junior hockey, there are no fans, just the parents. Here it is sold out. It is a dream world."

"The ice here is smaller," Plutnar said. "In Europe, there's not as much contact in the game -- it's a more skilled game. Here, it is much more physical and harder. I like this style. You have to think quicker."

"At 17, to play defense and come from Europe, and the fact he has done as well as he has, shows he has great hockey sense," Hiller said. "He has a real knowledge of the game. We paired him with Sam real early. We thought they complemented each other. Sam's a bruiser, and Michal is good with the puck."

Plutnar said he tries to learn from the other defensemen at practice and in games, but he's happy to have Grist as his partner."Zach (Yuen) has good hands and good skills," Plutnar said. "Sam plays hard and tough with a lot of hits. I like Sam. He is bigger and stronger, and if I'm in trouble, Sam helps me all the time." (Herald)

Seattle is in town tonight, another day, another challenge. Seattle certainly isn't a great team, but they make the Ams work and Calvin Pickard does some of his best work against the Ams. Maybe the neon yellow jerseys will blind them.

Seattle fan blogger Tyler Hunnex wasn't too impressed with his team after their game against Everett the other night, you can check out his thoughts at Let's Go Birds. From one fan blogger about another, he runs a good site and knows what he's talking about. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to write about a team that isn't very good for so many years. But he sticks with it and does a good job. I wonder if Kelly Friesen would call his a homer blog too?

That was a good Russia-Sweden game, eh? Huge congrats to the Swedes on the victory. And oh man, their excitement as they won--can't beat that. I don't care if you're mad Canada didn't play for gold, you can't help but be happy for those kids when you see how happy they are. Throwing gloves in the air and screaming. I did feel bad for the Russian kids, especially Makarov, he'd been excellent.

2012-01-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

Never said it wasn't, and I'm damn proud of it TYVM.

Recognition

2012-01-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday two big pieces of recognition for the franchise.

1. Ty Rimmer named Vaughn WHL Goaltender of the Month

2. The American were ranked #1 in the BMO CHL Mastercard Top Ten

That's NUMBER FREAKING ONE out of all 59 CHL teams. While I don't generally put a whole lot of stock into rankings, it's still great to see and this poll is one of the more credible ratings systems out there. Certainly beats Buzzing the Net's, but I'll get to them in a minute.

How about that game, eh? I won't lie, I was nervous in the 2nd period when the Warriors simply dominated. I don't know that the Ams had possession of the puck for even 5 of the 20 minutes. But they persevered, even when Moose Jaw started losing their shit and gooning it up. Jerks. I'm pretty sure Cody Beach can just go away. Warriors weren't very disciplined it seemed (and Papp, like many of the WHL refs, is an idiot) and the Americans took full advantage. Coach said on the post-game show that he thought they played better than the shot total indicated. I'm not necessarily sure of that, but they were sure opportunistic and made Moose Jaw pay for their trips to the box.

"I thought Rimmer, the PK and the power play were probably the three key difference makers in the game," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. "Moose Jaw played extremely well. The 5-on-3 to try and get them back in the game was the difference. (Justin) Feser, (Mason) Wilgosh and (Zach) Yuen cleaned up most of that mess."

[...]

"There is confidence that comes with playing with the first unit," Messier said of being paired with Shinnimin and Adam Hughesman. "It's nice to get a couple, but it's a tribute to the players around me." (Herald)

Let's talk for a minute about Big Mess's work on the power play. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I like the skill of Rankin (or Stromwall) being on a line with Hughey and Shinny, but he's not as big as Jordan to be parked in front of the net in the face of the goalie. Mess is much more suited to that role, in my opinion, because of his size and sure enough, it's payed dividends for him the last two games where he's gotten 3 goals.

I was also nervous in the 2nd because I though it. I thought about how disappointing it would be if the Warriors spoiled Ty's shutout. Sorry Ty, I didn't mean to think it, I'm glad I didn't jinx it. At one point apparently Westie said Rimmer did everything but sing the anthem last night. That sounds about right. Full props to the defence and the penalty kill who were outstanding clearing the puck out.

My picks for stars were Big Mess, Shinny, and Rimmer. Though I can't object to the selection of Yuen and Holland either. I will say that Patrick Holland is NOT a fighter. Warriors got the upper hand on the three scraps, Ryckman I thought did the best.

Kudos to Shinny for giving a big ol' "EFF YOU" after being asked to remove his necklace. Shinny don't need to stinking necklace to score sick goals.

It was a really good game. Warriors are top in their division and they certainly made the Americans earn the win. With that #1 ranking looming, they are now the hunted. Teams are going to be gunning for them and the chance to knock them off that pedestal. The Seattle Thunderbirds come to town tomorrow and as Westie was saying on the post-game show, they haven't won in the Toyota Center in 3 years so they will be even hungrier.

So then, about Buzzing the Net, which seems to be one of my favorite targets as of late. I have, in the past, been particularly critical of reporter Kelly Friesen who supposedly focuses on the WHL. Last night he tweeted "I'd say the most underestimated team in the Dub is the Tri-City Americans. A lot of attention goes to the Warriors, Winterhawks, Oil Kings". I called him out for a similar statement made on BTN last week. A guy named Greg Simpson relied to Friesen's tweet with "Underestimated? How so, by who? They are ranked #1 in the entire CHL and have been in the top 10 in 12 of 15 weeks." So I'm not the only one who thinks Friesen doesn't know what he's talking about. He responded to Simpson with "They aren't being talked about a lot when it comes to Ed Chenoweth contenders." Oh FFS, now you're just embarrassing yourself Friesen. Simpson replied, "Lots of talk out here (west)+ obviously across the country/countries as they are ranked #1".

Game Day vs. Moose Jaw

2012-01-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

"We have a no-name team, for the most part," Tory said. "People look at the roster on paper and ask 'where did they come from?' No one player is more important than the other, but collectively they are very good. They feed off each other. Part of that is environment. It's not about individual glory, but team success."

Captain Mason Wilgosh and his leadership team are in charge of team chemistry, and what they have brewing is better than any alchemist could have conjured up in a lab.

"I think it's the guys and how they have jelled together," Wilgosh said. "Everyone is really tight right now and we are having fun. Everyone trusts each other. We open our arms and welcome guys who haven't been here. We keep the room loose, and on the ice we lead by example every day and every night."

In the second half, we don't want to change anything. We want to keep playing the way we do."Off the ice, the players keep their competitive spirit with heated games of Ping-Pong and Mario Kart.

"It keeps your mind fresh," Wilgosh said. "It's good to have fun when you aren't playing hockey non-stop. When you come back (to the ice), your mind is clear." (Herald)

I think often times it's underappreciated the role that chemistry does play. Take a look at the Canada-Russia game from last night--wasn't that a doozy? Not that chemistry, or lackthereof, is solely the issue behind Canada's loss. I mean, they did stage quite the comeback. But WJC teams, at least for Canada and the US, are players that are thrown together for a couple of weeks and expected to reign.

Look at our "no-name" team and how some of these guys have played together since they were kids, that goes a long way. You can't tell me that the magic that Shinny and Hughey have hasn't been building for many years. And no, I'm not saying the Ams could have beaten Russia last night, but chemistry is very important. The part where Mason says they welcome guys who haven't been here, also key. Rookie B-Dubs said that when I interviewed him. He said the veterans were way more welcoming than he ever expected and that, my friends, is awesome.

So the Warriors are in town tonight, they are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to Portland last night. The Warriors are sitting atop the Eastern Division with a 24-10-4-1 record. Can the Ams make it 11 in a row? They sure have the momentum. They will be without the services of Sam Grist, who received a one-game suspension for the double-minor check from behind against Spokane the other night. The WHL weekly report also has Connor Rankin still as week-to-week with "upper body" injury.

Did you know Portland Winterhawk Taylor Peter's has a blog? It's nothing groundbreaking, but just a peek into the world of a junior hockey player. Truth be told, after reading several pages of it, it's musings of a teenager who happens to play hockey. Make of that what you will. To me, his most interesting posts are about games and life on the road as a WHLer. So I'm putting the call out now, any Ams ever want to do a guest post (it can be done anonymously) give me a holler, I think it'd be awesome.

Interview with Adam Hughesman

2012-01-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

I realized I'd interviewed the other 20-year-olds but not Adam so thanks to Dan Mulhausen I was able to get the chance to talk to him.

Adam Hughesman: Are you writing this down like Annie Fowler?

Dave Schultz: No, I have a recorder. I want to get it right, y'know?

AH: You wanna go back, you want to replay this

DS: Exactly. Over and over (both of us laughing). The Americans are coming off a red-hot December and the start of a great season, what have you as part of the leadership group been able to do to ensure the success of the team?

AH: I don't know, I think everyone's contributed. Myself, I just try to keep it loose in the room, feel a lot of energy in the room this year which is nice to see. Everyone's excited to play every game, I just try to keep the boys loose and when it's time to get focused for the game everyone kind of gets ready and gets their head in it.

DS: That's great to hear. What goals did you set for yourself this season--personal and teamwise?

AH: We set our team goals pretty high, to be honest. I think every year every team wants to win the Memorial Cup, I don't know how realistic it is for every team. But we thought we could do it and it's a realistic goal and I think we're on our way so that's nice to see.

DS: Oh yes, it is. What do you do to mentally prepare yourselves for games?

AH: Just like to do the same routine, nothing special. I don't have any weird things but I just like to stick to the same routine. Shinny and Wilgs--we some real quirky things we do, we just listen to the same song before the game, nothing crazy.

DS: You played under Don Nachbaur, how are he and Hiller's coaching styles different?

AH: No coach is the same, just like no player's the same. They both are great at a lot of things, I learned a lot from both of them. I think me having both of them really complimented each other and I think it's been great for my hockey career.

DS: How have you improved as a player from a year ago?

AH: Obviously my knack has been my skating, I think I get to the right place. I think it's improved, but everything can improve. I really like to focus on that but I can improve on everything so I leave nothing on the table and try to improve my all-around game every summer.

DS: Do you pattern your play after any particular NHL player?

AH: Um, no. I was just watching an NHL game...OH! I went to an NHL game in Winnipeg and I watched Kyle Wellwood play and I see a lot of myself--or I see a lot of what he does in what I do and I really watched him when I was in attendance there and it was great to see. He made it to the NHL so hopefully that can help me, give me the confidence that I can make it there too.

DS: What's the best part of being a member of a team?

AH: Just the moments we have. I don't know, we had that last game before Christmas against Seattle and all my friends back home are studying at the University for exams or on their break or whatever. That's just one moment we've had this year that's been really special and I think I'll remember. Just winning as a team and you just build that trust in each other, knowing someone has your back, it's a pretty special feeling.

DS: What has been your favorite off-ice team building activity?

AH: We did the ropes course this year and I think the boys were pretty tired, but that was probably my favorite activity.

DS: What's been your most memorable moment of your hockey career?

AH: Uh...can I pick two or just one?

DS: You can gimme all that you want to.

AH: (laughs) we're gonna be here all night!

DS: Gimme your top couple then.

AH: Ok, first is winning game 72 against Spokane, just being my first year. Looking back at that now I realize how special that was, at the time I did too, but looking back at that it was a really special moment for the team and the city. Obviously going to the finals against Calgary that year, didn't get the outcome we wanted, but just getting the experience was good for the team and the organization.

DS: What has been your most embarrassing hockey moment?

AH: I don't know if I've had one, maybe some of the guys in the room would know, but off the top of my head I have no idea. I'm a boring guy, I'm sorry.

DS: No, you're not at all, don't be sorry. Who has influenced you the most in your hockey career?

AH: Other than my dad, which is probably the go-to answer, Neil Chow. A coach in the Winnipeg Minor hockey program. He coached me, Shinny, and Wilgosh for three years. We won two championships with him and he really improved my skill game and awareness on the ice. Believe it or not, we did the same practice for three years. There's different ways you can do drills but we did the same practice for three years. And in those three years I made the most improvement, kind of what made me today. So I thank him a lot for what I've accomplished today.

DS: What is your favorite and least favorite rinks to play at?

AH: My least favorite would be Spokane, their fans are pretty rowdy. My favorite is here, but if I had to pick a road rink I like to play in Kamloops and Vancouver. Both very nice rinks and fun to play in those type atmospheres.

DS: Best advice you ever got and from whom?

AH: I don't know, I think probably from Jim, probably the most recent one was just believe in yourself and some hockey things, keep both hands on your stick and stuff like that.

DS: What hobbies or activities do you have away from the rink?

AH: I like to go to the movies. In Tri-Cities there's so much to do, I like to spend my time in the movie theaters. Usually play some XBox with my roommate, Eric Comrie.

DS: I hear you beat him a lot.

AH: Yeah, I like to post and brag about it on Twitter. I like to go on Twitter, Shinny and Wilgs say I'm the best tweeter on the team so I just like to keep that title.

DS: I'd agree with that assessment.

AH: Oh thank you.

DS: What song are you embarrassed to have on your ipod?

AH: Oh, I should probably get prepared before I call you, I knew this question was coming. Most embarrassing is "Call Me Maybe", I think it's by Jessie J. Probably the most embarrassing, but me and Holland have the best taste in music, me and him both like it. (I Googled "Call Me Maybe" and the Google says it's this one by Carly Rae Jepson)

DS: Good to know. What actor would you like to play you in a movie about your life?

AH: Bradley Cooper. He has the best flow of any actor I know right now. I think he may even be Canadian, I'm not sure about that. (I looked it up for Adam, he was born in Philadelphia, sorry)

DS: Ok last question, waffles or pancakes?

AH: I'll take waffles please (I guess I'm a waitress now? :P )

DS: Good choice.

At this point in the interview I usually thank the player for taking the time to talk with me, but Adam started asking me questions. Why? Because he's a freakin' nice kid, that's why!

AH: Did you have a good holiday, a good New Years?

DS: I did, I had a great new years.

AH: That's awesome, what'd you do?

DS: Well the game obviously, which was pretty awesome, then we had quite the party at the Red Lion.

AH: Ooohh hotel, that's nice

DS: Then we don't have to worry about who is going to be the designated driver or worry about being on the roads.

AH: That's perfect, so everyone just crashed there?

DS: Yep, had a great time.

AH: And then back to see the kids tomorrow? (Today by the time I post this--vacation over!)

DS: Yep, back to work tomorrow

AH: Gotta make that money

DS: not much money, I'm a teacher

AH: I actually want to be a teacher, I think I might go to school to be a teacher.

DS: And what would you teach?

AH: I think I'd actually like to do Special Ed.

DS: Oh my..God bless you, it takes someone special

AH: thank you but it's not written in stone yet, but I definitely don't think teachers get paid enough fro what they do. In Canada it's a bit better, Manitoba isn't great for pay. I just know that I'd enjoy it and that's one thing. You have priorities in your life and I think one of mine, since I've been living away, I kinda want to have a family and such good holidays, I'd be a great career going forward.

DS: It takes a special kind and you have to want to do it, that's for sure. I've seen you with kids around the rink and stuff, I think you could totally do it.

AH: I think so too, it'd be tough. We'll see, got a few more months to decide. I'll be giving you a call for some advice.

DS: Oh I would love that, you can get ahold of me anytime.

AH: Thanks for picking me, it's a real honor.

DS: Thanks for taking the time, I don't know that it's really an honor, but I do appreciate it!

Numbers

2012-01-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

10: Games in a row that the Ams have won, tying a franchise record from 1991.

29: Overall wins, best in the league.

.806: Win %, that's one fine sexy number right there.

85%: Penalty kill percent, leading the league

.932: Ty Rimmer's save %, leading the league

3: Number of shutouts for Rimmer, tying Calvin Pickard, Drew Owsley, and Tyler Bunz. That's some good company to be in.

26: Zachary Yuen's +/- rating, leading the team, tied for first in the league.

9: Goals by Patrick Holland in December (10 games). He's getting hot.

10: Power play goals by Adam Hughesman. For a power play that started out in the mud, it's now at4 a quite respectable 9th in the league.

way too many: The number of hours I've spent trying to figure out who I thought Derek Ryckman looks like. It finally came to me in the middle of the NYE game, he looks like Mike Fourtner, deckhand on the Time Bandit on The Deadliest Catch.

4: Number of Americans players in the top 20 list of WHL scoring leaders, more than any other team (Portland with 3). It's scoring by committee around here.

4: Number of shorthanded goals by Shinnimin

4: Number of shorthanded assists by Mason Wilgosh

0: Number of Ams players in the top 20 penalty minutes leaders, playing quite disciplined.

0: Days left of my vacation :(

8: Days before the Jan 10 trade deadline

I MEAN, WE GOT GUYS...

Game Day @ Red Deer

Late update

Game Day @ Edmonton

"Tough to swallow"

Game day vs. Kamloops

Game Day vs Spokane

Snow Day

Game Day vs. Seattle

Game Day @ Portland--Matinee style **UPDATED**

Game Day @ Spokane

Game Day @ Vancouver

Move on

Game Day @Kamloops

oh FFS

Trade Deadline Day **UPDATED**

Trade

deterrent

300

En Fuego

Nuclear Night vs. Seattle

Recognition

Game Day vs. Moose Jaw

Interview with Adam Hughesman

Numbers

Game Day @ Portland--Matinee style UPDATED

Trade Deadline Day UPDATED