School Wrap Sunday

Here is what the USCHO.com/CBS Sports poll sat at heading into the weekend's games.

1 Notre Dame
2 Boston University
3 Minnesota
4 Northeastern
5 Denver
6 Miami
7 Princeton
8 Cornell
9 Boston College
10 Colorado College
10 Michigan
12 Vermont
13 New Hampshire
14 Air Force
15 Dartmouth
16 Ohio State
17 Wisconsin
18 Nebraska-Omaha
19 Alaska
20 Minnesota-Duluth

One key series featured #9 Boston College taking on #12 Vermont where the Catamounts came away with 3 of 4 possible points against their Hockey East rivals. They two teams skated to a 3-3 tie on Friday but Vermont came back from a two goal deficit to win 4-2.

Also in Hockey East, the #2 ranked Terriers of Boston University extended their unbeaten streak to 8 games with a 4-1 win over Maine. The Terriers will take on Providence on Tuesday night. BU has rattled off 5 consecutive wins including a big one on the road a week ago against the Denver Pioneers.

Unfortunatly for BU fans their hot streak won't push them to the #1 ranking because the Fighting Irish continue to play fantastic hockey. #1 ranked Notre Dame welcomed #19 Alaska (Fairbanks) to town and promptly shut them out in back-to-back games by 2-0 and 3-0 scores. Irish netminder Jordan Pearce stopped a combined 38 shots from the Nanooks.

In a series that was available for viewing in Canada, Michigan trounced the Miami Redhawks 5-1 on Saturday. Their Friday night tilt was postponed until Sunday due to "structural damage" at Yost but it didn't get any better for Miami as they were blanked 4-0.

The Wolverines story as of late is how sophomore Bryan Hogan has usurped senior Billy Sauer of the starting job for the Maize and Blue. Hogan is 13-1 this year with a .925 sv%, 1.75 GAA and now 3 shutouts. The undrafted Hogan just turned 20-years-old over the Christmas holidays.

In the biggest "upset" of the weekend, unranked North Dakota spanked the Golden Gophers of Minnesota by 6-3 and 6-1 scores. The fighting Sioux have been underachieving for much of the year but as we've seen from them over the last few years, they play much better in the second half of the schedule and seem to be repeating that again this season. Two reasons why UND is rolling is the improved production of freshmen Jason Gregoire and Brad Eidsness. Gregoire was a USHL standout and is enjoying a 4-game streak where he has 6 points. Eidsness has been victorious in 8 of his last 10 starts allowing more than 3 goals only once in that span. Expect the Sioux to get back into the top 20 when the new rankings come out on Tuesday.

The Wisconsin Badgers completed their season sweep of the Alaska-Anchorange Sea Wolves. Denver's 2-game sweep of Michigan Tech should be enough to bump them ahead of the Gophers in the ranking.

Another team who should be inching up the rankings is Cornell who swept Niagara in a non-conference series. The Big Red are getting stellar goaltending from Ben Scrivens, the 22-year-old who hails from Spruce Grove. He's also undrafted but has to be getting consideration with the way he's compiling impressive win, one after another. Some will argue that he's not seeing tough competition and there is some truth to that but consider this: he's allowed more than 2 goals only once this season yet has faced 25 or more shots nine times including a pair of +40 shot games early on.

Another reason that Cornell should move up is because of Princeton's shocking home losses to Union (3-2) and R.P.I. (5-1). The Tigers have dropped 3 of 4 in 2009 after going 14-2 from the start of the year to the Dec 30th. They are still in top spot in the ECAC standings but Cornell has 4 games in hand on the Tigers.

No Deal!

The WHL trade deadline has come and gone and while there were a smattering of deals today, the Edmonton Oil Kings opted to stand pat and not get involved with the transactions list.

I had an email exchange last night with a prominent WHL media person who suggested to me that he'd heard of one potential deal that was being talked about. I won't mention his name here just in case he'd prefer I didn't, but he'd heard rumors that the Oil Kings and Saskatoon were kicking tires in a trade that would have involed 20-year-old forward Brenden Dowd heading to the Blades in exchange for 18-year-old Travis Toomey.

I had talked earlier in the week to Edmonton Assistant GM Randy Hansch and he suggested that the team was open to possibilities that would make the team better in the present and in the long term. He was pretty insistent that the team wasn't going to move any youth though just for the sake of getting a deal done.

Moving an overager like Dowd would have made sense, even though it would have been a blow to their offence. He can't come back... the team isn't a contender this year... getting something for Dowd at this point does make some sense. However, Dowd does share the team lead in goals this year (15) and is currently fourth in scoring. If the Oil Kings want to make a serious run to simply make the playoffs (forget beyond that) then you probably can't move that player.

I can understand the attraction that Travis Toomey would of had for Bob Green and his staff. Toomey hails from the Edmonton bedroom community of Leduc making him a hometwon product. He's also a gargantuan 6'5 and 200 lbs and if there is one thing the Oil Kings lack it's size - especially up front.

Toomey's only played 21 games this year after missing all of November and December due to injury (I don't recall what the injury was... I'm sure someone can leave it in the comments). He's back playing now though.

In the end, neither Edmonton nor Saskatoon made a deal before the deadline.

The Kootenay Ice made an interesting move today by basically pulling the chute on their season. They dealt their top defenceman in John Negrin (CGY) and a decent forward in Michael Stickland to Swift Current. The Broncos made a bucket load of trades as they try to imprive for the stretch drive.

I'm a bit suprised about what the Ice did simply because they're currently tied for 6th place. Now, I just finished saying that I'd have given a thumbs up to Edmonton moving Dowd but I'm still surprised that Negrin was deemed expendable by Kootenay during the playoff stretch. Perhaps they're simply looking at the top teams in the Conference and deciding that this isn't going to be this year so better to start reloading now. There is some logic in that too but the Ice haven't missed the playoffs since moving to Kootenay and that seems like a harder streak to keep going without Negrin that with.

That might just be me.

The dash to the playoffs can now begin in full force now. It looks like 5 teams vying for 3 spots in the Eastern Conference to me. How about you?

UPDATE: I spoke with GM Bob Green a couple of hours ago. He did confirm that he'd talked to several teams ove rthe last few days but that those discussions didn't progress much at all. When asked about the trade scenario I outlined above he literally laughed. I aksed him he'd had discussions with Saskatoon in regards to Dowd and Toomey and he replied by saying "No... but that's a good one!"

The Oil Kings have loaned netminder Dalyn Flette to the Camrose Kodiaks. The 19-year-old will get the opportunity to play for Boris Rybalka's club as it tries to solidy a playoff spot in the AJHL's Southern Conference.

St. Croix's WHL Debut a Success

The Edmonton Oil Kings were only too happy to finally get 2008 1st round pick Michael St. Croix into his first Major Junior contest and the new kid responded in a style by potting his first career WHL goal.

T.J. Foster and Shayne Neigum picked up the assists on the goal which came at the 6:15 mark of the 3rd period giving the Oil Kings a 3-1 lead. That goal proved to be the backbreaker for Moose Jaw who had spotted the visitors a 2-0 led in the opening frame.

Even though he's missed a whack of action from his club team, St. Croix still leads the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League by a wide margin; he has 76 points in 29 games (no... that's not a misprint).

St. Croix will play again tomorrow as the bus heads East to Brandon, Manitoba - a fine prairie city aside from being the birthplace of one Dean Millard.

The 15-year-old St. Croix recently played in the World U17 Hockey Challenge in Port Alberni B.C. where he was the youngest player on his team (the only '93 birthdate). He collected 7 points in 6 games and was a key figure on Team West and their 4th place finish.

Another member of Team West was Dylan Wruck, another Oil King prospect. Wruck had 4 points in the tournament but leads the Saskatchewan AAA Midget League with 57 points in 26 games. Wruck's club, Beardy's Blackhawks from Duck Lake, SK are third in league standings.

Both St. Croix and Wruck are expected to be rookies with the Oil Kings next year.

Hitmen Pick Off Broda

Another big deal just being announced in the WHL... Joel Broda is now a member of the Calgary Hitmen.

Here's the Calgary release with details of the trade.

The trade breaks down thusly:

To Calgary: Joel Broda + Tomas Karpov
To Moose Jaw: Brendan Rowinski + 2nd and 7th round picks in 2009

My initial reaction is that Calgary, already ranked as the top team in the CHL, just got that much better. Broda currently leads the WHL in goal scoring with 36 lamp lighters and will be surrounded by even better players in Cowtown.

Not to be lost in the mix is Karpov who, although not a standout with the Warriors, has talent. Both are 19 years old but I believe Broda could come back for another season since he's a late '89 birthday. The Washington Capitals drafted Broda last year in the 5th round but with over 60 goals in the last couple of seasons (and still going) he's a guy who could have a shot sooner rather than later. He'd be too young to play in the AHL though so I'm thinking he's back next year.

And that would make this a major win for Calgary. Dean Millard argues though that right ow the Hitmen paid a lot to get the services of Broda and should the sniper not return, it's a tilt towards the Moose Jaw Warriors.

In Rowinski the Warriors are getting Calgary's 1st round pick from 2005. He's a point-per-game player with 31 points in 33 games this year plus he's still only 18-years-old (he actually turns 19 tomorrow though). The picks are obviously something of use to a team in an obvious rebuild like the Warriors are.

Is this the last of the big names in the WHL? Something tells me that with a day and a half to go that it won't be.

Huge Names Dealt at CHL Deadline

The trade deadline in the CHL is January 10th, except for the Q which does it's own thing and set today as the big day. In all leagues there has been significant movement already and more is expected before Saturday. Here's a few of the bigger deals:

In the OHL the marquee trade centers around John Tavares who has been shipped from Oshawa to the London Knights (no surprise there). The Knights and Windsor were the two teams competing for Tavares with the Hunters coming out on top. What's interesting to me is that London doesn't just get Tavares but defenceman Michael Del Zotto as well, a 1st round pick in 2008 of the New York Rangers.

To London: (F) John Tavares + (D) Michael Del Zotto + (G) Daryl Borden
To Oshawa: (4) 2nd round draft picks + (2) 3rd round draft picks + (F) Christian Thomas + (D) Scott Valentine (G) Michael Zador

That's a lot of future to give up for Tavares (and Del Zotto) but the Hunters have always been uber-aggressive when it comes to acquiring top talent. This should make them the top dogs in the OHL although Windsor is still mighty tough... and the deadline is still a couple days away.

In the QMJHL the biggest name to move was Chris Didomenico who was dealt by Saint John to Drummondville the day after he'd helped Canada win gold at the 2009 WJC in Ottawa. That swap breaks down like this:

To Saint John: Mathieu Gingras + Simon Giroux + a 1st in '09 and a 2nd in '10
To Drummondville: Chris Didomenico (TOR '07)

The Sea Dogs also traded off defenceman Alex Grant and a 5th rounder to Shawinigan in exchange for Danick Gauthier and a 2nd in ('09) and a 1st ('10). Grant was a 4th round pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007.

The WHL deals began in earnest yesterday with the Kyle Beach to Lethbridge news (see Dean's blog entry below). Today the names kept rolling...

To Spokane: Brady Calla (FLA '07)
To Kamloops: Seth Compton + 3rd Rd ('10)

To Kelowna: Ryley Grantham (CGY '07) + 5th ('11)
To Moose Jaw: Dylan Hood

To Kamloops: Curtis Kulchar + 3rd and 4th ('09) + 2nd ('10)
To Vancouver: Nick Ross (PHX '07) + Alex Rodgers

Spokane does well adding experience, grit and leadership in Calla. Moose Jaw does well getting Hood, he's a decent player and at the same time the rockets got a bunch tougher by adding the always ready to rumble Ryley Grantham to their mix. I'm not a big Nick Ross guy but at the junior level he's decent enough. There's a reason he's on his 3rd team in just over a year though.

I had conversations with a couple people around the Edmonton Oil Kings this week who say the team is really not in either the Buyer or Seller mode. They're willing to do something to make the team better but not if it's going to take away from the future - moving a veteran is possible but don't expect to see top kids being moved from the Oil Kings.

I'm sure that netminder Dalyn Flette could be had for a later round pick but I don't know if there is anyone shopping for a second string netminder. Would the team consider moving 20-year-olds like Brandon Lockerby, Jeff Lee or Brenden Dowd? Tough to imagine that they could and still remain in the playoff hunt.

It should be interesting to see what Bob Green and his team decided to do. They're right in the thick of the playoff hunt but aren't considered contenders... a serious playoff stretch drive and a potential top 8 Conference finish might help at the ticket booth though.

Beach Weather In Lethbridge

The first big domino has toppled when it comes to trades in the WHL, as the Lethbridge Hurricanes picked up power forward Kyle Beach from Everett. The Canes also grabbed 19 year old D-man Mark Alexander in the deal, but gave up a first round pick in next year's bantam draft, as well as former 6th overall selection Alex Theriau whom Lethbridge drafted in 2007. The Silvertips also get 18 year old Dan Iwanski.

This is an interesting trade from a couple of perspectives. As of Tuesday, Everett was in 5th place in the western conference, but obviously they don't think they have the horses to contend with Vancouver, Spokane or Tri City come playoff time. They also don't think Kyle Beach will be back in the WHL next year, or they didn't want the 2008 Chicago Blackhawk 1st rounder back.

Another theory that was brought up on The Pipeline Show Tuesday night was that Beach wanted out of Everett. That was brought to us by PGTV sports director Allan Bristowe. From a Lethbridge angle they get a dominant combination of size and skill, but Kyle Beach does come with baggage. TPS is a fan of his on ice product, but we have spoken to people across the league who say he's a 'buyer beware' type of player.

He taped OHL over the Canadian logo at a Hockey Canada camp a few years ago, in a loud protest over Ontario Hockey League players getting more ice time. He also allegedly ridiculed Milan Lucic, shrugging his shoulders in a hunch backed manor, despite the fact that Lucic has a medical condition which cause his upper back to curve up.

If Beach hits Lethbridge and fits in, the currently tied for 8th place Canes could find themselves movin' on up like George Jefferson. If not it could wreck the room and their playoff chances. Hopefully the 18 year old works out in Lethbridge and it's the start to repairing his damaged reputation. It would also help the Canes if Beach returns next year.

The Kelowna Rockets appear to be a whole lot better without making a move yet. With Michael Backlund set to join the Rockets it give them even more offence to the 4th place club, that has scored the 4th most goals in the west. Backlund was terrific for Sweden in the WJC leading all Sweden forwards in scoring. He was especially good against Slovakia. Backlund was the player that got things going for the Swedes and allowed them to avoid the same fate as the U.S.A one game earlier.

The Flames want their 2007 1st round pick in North America and with his playing time being cut drastically in Sweden it seemed a perfect fit, especially if the Rockets go on a lengthy run. I did read some disgruntled Kelowna fans who were upset their team didn't get in on the Kyle Beach bidding, but they could be getting someone soon in a trade. According to Allan Bristowe on TPS Tuesday, Kelowna is eyeing up St. Albert product Jesse Dudas. The 6'1", 226 pound blueliner is currently with Swift Current, but according to Bristowe didn't report to Speedy Creek and has been told he'll be traded. It will be the Columbus Blue Jacket's 4th WHL team if the deal happens.

Other names being bandied about right now, Defenceman Nick Ross out of Kamloops, a Phoenix Coyotes 1st rounder from 2007. I would be shocked if Joel Broda isn't dealt by Moose Jaw. The Capitals 5th round pick from 2008 has 35 goals in 38 games (as of Tuesday) and in my opinion would look great with Saskatoon. The Blades could use some scoring to compliment their great goaltending and solid blueline. It's been a long time since the Blades made a push at the deadline and this might be the year to do it.


I'm also wondering out loud if Kelly McCrimmon tries to get something for 19 year giant blueliner Keith Aulie. He's 6'6", 222 pounds and proved he could keep up with fleet footed stars at the WJC. He would solidify a few team's back end. Does Aulie return for a 20 year old season in Brandon next year? I doubt it. I think the Flames will have him in the AHL with Quad City. While the Wheat Kings are 3rd in the eastern conference right now thanks to a 8-0-1 run lately, you know they'll want to load up for next year when they host the Memorial Cup. And in Regina Brent Parker has to ask himself the same question when it comes to studs Jordan Eberle (Oilers 22nd overall 2008) and Colten Tuebert (Kings 13th overall 2008) will they be back next year, or does he get a ton of young prospects and draft picks in return for them this year?

The WHL's trade deadline is January 10th, and it should be an interesting one, stay tune and feel free to give us your thoughts on upcoming trades or ones that have already happened.

Top 5 Tuesdays: 2009 WJC Moments

There's no question that the now completed World Junior Championships had some amazing moments ranging from goals, saves, controversy, disappointments and utter joy. So many in fact that narrowing it down to 5 might be pretty tough to do but here's a list of memories that will last for me.

5. Jaroslav Janus VS USA

TSN's Pierre McGuire called it "Slovakia's 1980" comparing it to the Miracle on Ice from the Olympics where American college kids beat the juggernaut Soviet Red Army team. I wouldn't go that far, especially since Slovakia does have a World Hockey Championship to their credit, but the upset win over USA in this tournament was definitely memorable.

But let's be honest here; the only reason USA didn't crush the Slovaks was because of the unbelievable performance of netminder Jaroslav Janus. Tomas Tatar was fun to watch (not a big fan of the showboating but the skill is obvious) and Milan Kytnar represented the Oilers well but it was the Janus Show that got Slovakia past USA.


4. Dustin Tokarski VS Colin Wilson

At one point during the epic New Year's Eve match between Canada and USA the teams had scored on half of the shots they'd taken. It wasn't a very good game for either Dustin Tokarski or Thomas McCollum for the first 30 minutes. However, the difference in the contest, and arguably the tournament, is that Tokarski eventually found his game while McCollum never did.

The Spokane Chiefs rode 'Tick' to a WHL championship and a Memorial Cup title last year so the Saskatchewan kid had proven himself in big games. That's why he got the nod against the Americans and when he made this ridiculous steal against Colin Wilson you knew he'd be Pat Quinn's guy the rest of the way.


3. John Tavares VS USA

It was a wildly entertaining game between USA and Canada but it certainly got off to a rocky start for the home fans. Down 3-0 it wasn't looking good for Canada, especially because of how well the Americans had been playing in the tournament up to that point. Canada hadn't faced any adversity coming into the game and I made the prediction on TPS the night before that the Americans would win on New Year's Eve.

When John Tavares scored the first Canadian goal and the fans erupted you had to have gotten the sense that the game was far from over. What makes this next goal clip so key is that not only is the goal and absolute beauty but it came immediately on the heels of last one. Momentum immediately shifted completely in Canada's direction and with the added adrenaline thanks to the melee at the benches, it seemed like just a matter of time before Canada would even the score.


2. Mattias Tedenby VS Slovakia

He's tiny but he's as shifty and skilled as they come. The New Jersey Devils get heaps of praise for their record at the NHL draft, more than I think they deserve, but they had to have been smiling when they saw Tedenby deke his way through the entire Slovak team and the marching band on the field to set up this one. In the running for my Goal of the Tournament:


1. Jordan Eberle VS Russia

I don't think there is any doubt about it but the semi-final game between Canada and Russia will go down in history as one of the most memorable and entertaining ones in WJC history. It's definitely on par with the CAN/USA shootout in 2007 but I'm not sure if history will rank it above or below the CAN/RUS thriller of 1991.

A see-saw battle between traditional hockey rivals, Canada and Russia waged an exciting tug-of-war on ice that seemed to be over when Dmitri Klopov scored to put Russia ahead 5-4 with just over two minutes to play. What ensued was a frantic attempt by Canada to even ths score and a costly error by Russian forward Nikita Klyukin to go for the empty net that set up the last 30 seconds of the game...


Despite Pierre McGuire labelling the goal as "Tavares' Magical Play', I agree with my co-host Dean Millard who says that it was Ryan Ellis who deserves way more credit for his job in keeping in the clearing attempt of Nikita Filatov. The shootout would follow with goals by Tavares and Eberle but I'll remember the shootout for one other reason: The inexcusable decision by Russian head coach Sergei Nemchinov to not use his most talented player. We see it in the NHL all the time, coaches like Craig MacTavish waiting until the 3rd shooter to use their best player (Ales Hemsky) and in Nemchinov's case it came back to bite him in the ass.

This picture sums it all up for me as I try to imagine the thoughts going through Filatov's head as he lays on the ice. Is he thinking about his failed clearing attempt with 20 seconds to go? Is he wondering, like Gretzky in 1998, how he doesn't get a chance in the shootout? I wonder....

A fantastic WJC that set a new attendance record and captured the attention of the junior hockey world for 31 games. I'm already looking forward to Saskatoon and Regina next year!

Doubting Dustin...and what's wrong with a dynasty?

As time ticked down World Junior Championship play by play man on the FAN radio network Dan Dunleavy put it as good as I've heard it....

"Turn around and give me 5" Dunleavy shouted across the airwaves heard across Canada including on the TEAM 1260 in Edmonton. It was indeed a round of 5 Alive for every Canadian hockey fan, and here are some observations from a fantastic tournament.

When will that bozo who hosts The Pipeline Show stop doubting Dustin Tokarski? That bozo would be me by the way. I didn't pick Tokarski (pictured courtesy Sportsnet.ca) to make the team, thought he struggled against the U.S.A and Russia and would have started Chet Pickard in the gold medal game. But really this kind of stuff isn't new for the Watson, Saskatchewan netminder. He wasn't drafted by a WHL team, yet has a AAA midget national championship, a Memorial Cup (for which he was named MVP) and now a WJC gold medal to his credit. He's a 5th round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2008 who just signed a contract with the Bolts over the Christmas season and will head back to Spokane of the WHL with a little more jump in his step.

Cody Hodgson and Jordan Eberle were drafted 12 spots apart last June, but both the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers appear to have a lot to look forward to with both players. Hodgson was Canada's best all around player, and seems to have few flaws in his game. Eberle has the nose for the net that the Oilers have been craving for years. The question is will both players be able to continue their brilliance at the next level? I'm betting yes, especially after Hodgson came close to making the Canucks this year.

John Tavares has pulled ahead of Victor Hedman in the race to the podium in Montreal this June, but Hedman was obviously not 100 per cent health wise, and could still edge Tavares as the #1 pick this summer, it all depends who's drafting. The kid I'm really excited about is the other Swede, Magnus Svensson Paajarvi. Speed to burn, a big body (who wears Peter Forsberg's #21) and the confidence to go with it. Jordan Schroeder of the United States, Evander Kane and Ryan Ellis of Canada also upped their draft stock big time with great tournaments. And if any team is in the market for a 19 year old undrafted goaltender who never gives up, Slovakian pipeman Jaroslav Janus is your man. Back to back 46 save outings led to a massive upset of the States and almost beating Sweden in the semi-final. Janus plays for Erie of the OHL and was the Otters MVP last season.

Will James Van Reimsdyk pull a Kyle Okposo and leave the University of New Hampshire for the NHL after this tournement? Okposo said good bye to the Minnesota Golden Gophers after last year's touranment and joined the New York Islanders. The 2nd overall pick from 2007 certainly looks ready to turn pro and after 3 WJC tournaments the Flyers might be tempted to throw them in their line up with all the injury problems they're having right now. He has spent the same amount of time in college that Okposo did before bolting.

For all those dynasty haters out there who think it would have been better for the tournament if Canada hadn't won a 5th in a row. Give your head a shake. Yes Canada has won 5 straight for a 2nd time in tournament history, but it's not like it's been a cakewalk. 2 years ago they needed a shoot out win just to make the gold medal game, last year it was a golden goal from Matt Halischuk in overtime against Sweden, and of course we would be wrapping up this year's tournament very differently had Jordan Eberle waited 5.4 seconds before tying things against Russia in the semi-final this year. Let's not forget about the 7 year gold medal drought that Canada went through from 1998-2004.

Lastly, just a tip of the cap to Peter Loubardias of Rogers Sportsnet for making back to back impressive predictions. Last year the voice of the Flames on Sportsnet told TPS that Matt Halischuk would score a big goal for Canada. This year when pressed for another gaze into the future, Peter told us that Cody Hodgson would lead Canada in scoring. With Hodgson's empty net goal against Sweden, he ended up leading the entire Tournament in scoring. You can hear both predictions at our website here.

2 Outdoor Game Guarantees

Yesterday the NHL enjoyed another successful venture outside as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4 in front of 40,000 people at legendary Wrigley Field. It was the third time the NHL held a regular season game in a football/baseball stadium and by all acounts we should expect the trend to continue and become an annual event.

There are two other things I think we should expect to see every year, at least if history really means anything.

First - the home team will lose, or, at least not win. Edmonton, Buffalo and now Chicago have all hosted the big showcase game and all three came out on the short end of the score.

Back in October of 2001 the Michigan State Spartans hosted their arch-rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, in front of 74,000 but that affair ended in a 3-3 tie. It was billed as 'The Cold War' and it was the inspiration for what woould occur at the NHL level just two years later. It's also interesting to watch the highlights of that NCAA tilt as their are plenty of familiar NHL names to be heard like Mike Cammalleri, Adam Hall and Ryan Miller.



So if next year the Winter Classic is held at Fenway Park between the Bruins and say, the New York Rangers or the Philadelphia Flyers... expect Boston to lose!

The other thing I think we should expect to see is that Ty Conklin will be in net for one of the two teams. He was the keeper in goal for Edmonton when they lost 4-3 to the Montreal Canadiens at Commonwealth Stadium in the Alberta Capital back in 2003. There were just over 57,000 brave souls in the stands that day despite the -25 Celcius temperatures... myself included. (yes in the stands and not as working media that day).

Last year Conklin wore baby blue with the Pittsburgh Penguins as they stole a 2-1 shootout win from the Buffalo Sabres. Ralph Wilson Stadium housed just over 71,000 people on January 1st, 2008 and those fans didn't freeze their butts off like we did in Edmonton but they did have a steady snowfall during the game. To me, the photos from the game in Buffalo are fantastic because of the snowflakes...

Yesterday Conklin was back in the outdoor game, this time with the Detroit Red Wings. The 6-4 win gives 'Conks' a 2-1 lifetime record in the NHL showcase event, reason enough for the Bruins or their opponent to pick him up this off season???? (OK, maybe not).

Speaking of next year, I've thrown out Boston as the location of my choice but I would like to hear your thoughts as to the site and match up you would like to see. For me the Bruins taking on another original six team like the Rangers or a classic '70's retro match of tough teams with the Broadstreet Bullies get me interested.

How about you?

Fantasy Prospect Pick Up Of The Week

This week I'm looking a bit longer into the future, but I think he'll be a solid NHLer. Jonathan Blum has dealt with more personal adversity than most young kids should. His twin sister died in a house fire in 2004, a year later his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Some pretty heavy stuff for a teenager. The fact that he was named captain of the Vancouver Giants and team USA at the WJC this year, tells you what kind of character he is.

As for his on ice work, it's been spectacular. Last year he notched 18 goals, already this year he has 14. Blum became the first ever Californian to be drafted in the first round of the NHL. He's smart and makes great choices with and without the puck. He does need to get bigger and stronger, but that will come when he's no longer a teenager.

He also knows how to win, as he was a member of Vancouver's Memorial Cup championship on home ice in 2007.

If you have room on your roster for a long term prospect, Jonathan Blum is a great choice, and that's why he's my choice as fantasy prospect pick of the week.