- Mental Floss has this great article on things that hockey fans have thrown on the ice. I'm a little confused about the whole throwing Alberta beef thing.
- I'm so ordering this crocheted helmet! The have adult sizes, yay!
(Since I'm putting this post up so late tonight Friday Links will be up sometime after noon)
It looks like the Blades decided the best way to handle being dumped by the Panthers was to buddy up with their cross state rivals. You may remember (from my awesome spreadsheet) that the Tampa Bay Lightning were sending their prospects from the Norfolk Admirals to a CHL team. Apparently, the new regime in Tampa is smarter than that, and opted to go with an ECHL affiliate instead. If you're interested,you can check out some info on their prospects in Norfolk here.
In a (kind of) weird coincidence. The Norfolk area used to have an ECHL team named the Hampton Roads Admirals. I happen to have a jersey from their junior team. Of course, I also have jerseys from the short lived Russian Penguins and the Greenville Grrowl too. Maybe I need to stay away from ebay.
There were two other affiliation announcements made recently. The Jackals announced an agreement with the Anaheim Ducks, and the Kalamazoo Wings announced an agreement with the New York Islanders.
There are two ECHL teams who have no affiliate, Greenville and Bakersfield. I would put good money on The Wild signing an agreement with Bakersfield. The Rangers, Panthers and Flyers don't have too many options if they want an affiliate in the East. If you take a look at the ECHL location map and compare it to the aaffiliation chart. You'll see the only real options available (this doesn't include Trenton and Wheeling as their owned by their parent clubs and seem to be kept on a short leash) in the East are Greenville and South Carolina.
The teams could decide to use the CHL. They could also arrange to send players to an ECHL team without an affiliation agreement (if they do this, won't be able to call-up players that have an ECHL contract), the team could also tough it out until next year, and hope a good option for them becomes available. As always, we won't know until it happens. Until then, I guess I have to check out our new affiliates schedule to see when I'll be heading up North.
Shea Guthrie has signed on to return for another year. I was a little apprehensive that he might pull an Osman and return to the Grizzlies, but he didn't! I really can't wait to see him play under Poss. I think he's really going to fit into the system well.
Also, how awesome are forwards that like to park in the crease?
(I swear, almost every picture of Guthrie I have looks like this)
I'm glad the Blades are finally announcing signings. It seems like all the other teams in the ECHL have half their roster announced. We seriously need to keep up.
- Blades of Funny is awesome as usual (and has some more links to keep you can check out). Straight dudes might not enjoy the magnificent enforcer hockey butt as much as I did.
(I'm going to put the Friday links post up a little later than usual to give this post some more time at the top of the page)
There's some bad news for Everblades fans tonight. The Florida Panthers have decided not to renew their affiliation (scroll to the bottom) with the Blades. It's a little sad, the blades have had a relationship with the Panthers for quite a few years. If you look at the new, updated, affiliation chart it looks like several teams are available for an affiliation.
The Flyers, Rangers, Ducks, and Wild are all NHL teams that have lost their ECHL affiliate this season. You may remember that there was some talk about the Rangers showing some interest in the Everblades. I have to admit it didn't seem realistic at the time, but now it's starting to sound possible. As usual, we won't know until it happens. Hopefully, it happens soon.
(I have no idea how I managed to confuse the Rochester Institute of Technology with the Rhode Island Institure of Technology [I'm not sure it even exhists]. I think it's either too many Family Guy re-runs, or the biggest blond moment ever. It's fixed now, and I appologize for such a huge error. I also want to thank the wonderful reader that e-mailed me)
Just when I'm about to start complaining about the lack of signings the Everblades finally announced the first signing for next season. Bobby Raymond, a defenseman, is the first signing of the Poss era. According to the press release he's a two-way defenseman who played in France last year, and the Rochester Institute of Technology before that. By the way, how sweet is this goal?
I've taken the liberty of embedding his stats below (much better than sending you over to a site that bombards you with pop-up ads)...
The team also included the usual "quote" from him about how excited he is to be playing the Everblades, Yay! can't wait to play for Greg Poss, and the ECHL feeds to the AHL stuff they always make sure to include. I don't know about my fellow fans, but I'd love to have some hint at his personality. It would maybe get us excited and want the eighty something days until the start of the season bearable. Either way, it's the first of many signings, and now I'm getting a little excited.
In sad news, my Barry Brust comes to play with us pipe dream is dead. He's signed with the Binghamton Senators of the AHL. It's good for him, an AHL job is a no-brainer. It's kind of funny that he's taking the spot opened up by Chris Holts' bolt to the KHL (I couldn't help myself). You remember him right? The boys ruined his (short) playoff stint in the ECHL last season.
(Fun Fact: Goal is цель in Russian)
I also find it amusing that if he does get sent down to the ECHL, he'll be playing for the Elmira Jackals and their new coach. Whats his name... Oh yeah, Malcolm Cameron. I don't know if this coincidence was on purpose or by accident, but it's a little weird.
In some more sad news, the Everblades lost their last red-head (I'm seriously sad about this). Dominic Osman has signed with Toledo. You may remember he was acquired from Toledo for Jordan Morrison. He wasn't a high scorer or anything. He was always moving, and always seemed to be playing his heart out, so I'll miss him.
I'm glad the team is finally announcing some signings, there are only so many cat pictures and hockey fight videos on the Internet.
I'm sure you guys remember what a great year Brandon Buck had playing for the Everblades. He netted 18 goals, 21 assists, and his first professional hat trick during the regular season with the Everblades. Seriously, how awesome was Buck last season?
I don't think I ever hid the fact he was one of my favorites. I'm sure you can imagine how happy I was when he was invited to the Minnesota Wild's development camp. When he went on to score in both scrimmages they held, I was really proud. If you're interested you can check out the re-caps of day one and two. It's sad to think he will more than likely spend next season exclusively in the AHL (and thus where we can't watch him play), but how awesome is it that he may finally be on the Wild's radar?
Some of you may remember that at one time (long ago) this was supposed to be a regular post. Well... I kind of forgot. Luckily, I found the original when I was digging through the blogs old posts, and since I hate having a long pause between the Friday and Tuesday posts I'm bringing it back.
This Sunday is all about the funny...
- Blades of Funny has a great "letter" from Gary Bettman to Dan Gilbert. Read it. It's all sorts of funny.
- Down Goes Brown was kind enough to break down the difference between free agency in the NHL and NBA.
- View From My Seats has 10 things the NHL could learn from the trouble BP's in.
- The Willful Caboose has the five things she'll miss about the World Cup. I'll miss the thighs too, sigh.
- This older post from Ms. Conduct, but her posts are always so great I couldn't resist. 50 years of the 69th draft pick. Click it, your inner 13 year old will not be disappointed.
If you run across a good hockey blog post in your travels around the Internet be sure to send them my way, SwampHockey@gmail.com. If you want credit tell me!
Another Friday, another load of links to get you through the day.
- These hockeycakes make me wish my birthday was sooner.
- You Wikipedia hockey page- "Fantasy Hockey." I don't get it and never will, but to each his own I guess.
- This story on hockey in Asia, and the struggles of the players, is very interesting.
- How cute is this Blackhawks themed hat is super cute.
- I've linked to this before, but I'll link to it again. The new team in Chicago is looking for name ideas. I guess they can't do worse than Road Warriors.
- Yay! Anton Khudobin will be in the states for another year. Not to wish anything bad on a goalie, but I hope he gets some more NHL time this season.
I want to thank everyone for all the comments and wonderful emails about the Blogs anniversary. You guys are so awesome! I consider myself very lucky to have such awesome readers.
I love when I find a gem buried in YouTube. How awesome is this video of Mitch McColm fighting a Jackals player? I might be biased, but he totally won this fight...
Since Zanon is obviously not coming back I'm thinking McColm will be my new favorite defenceman. Good choice right?
I can't believe it, but today is the one year anniversary of this blogs first post! I really never thought the blog would hit this landmark. I'm not going to get all weepy and sentimental, but I am going to say thank you. I wouldn't keep this up if it weren't for all of you.
I do feel bad about the impromptu blogging vacation. Everything should be back on track starting Tuesday. I'm hoping to introduce a new look for the blog sometime soon. Until then, enjoy one of my favorite Clash songs...
I guess you can scratch two veterans off the list. Both Ryan Lang and Kevin Baker are off to Europe. Kevin Baker will be playing in the top tier of Italian hockey for Sportverein Ritten-Renon, in Ritten. A translation (courtesy of google) from the team website...
"After a few weeks ago with Erwin Kostner has assumed a new coach at the helm Winners and runners-up, now some movement in the transfer activity at the front Rittner player. And like the first new addition comes with a promise to Curriculum's high plateau.
It is at the 31 - year-old goalscorer Kevin Baker. Baker was on 15 June 1979 Born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and began his career with the Belleville Bulls in the Ontarrio Hockey League.
Already there he could do with performance ausseroredentlichen attention to himself and was consistent in 1999, drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round.
Overall, it brings the physically strong (186 cm / 87 kg) and as a cold-blooded enforcer force on 83 missions AHL (36 points) and 249 games in the ECHL, where Kevin Baker outstanding 297 points (141 goals / 156 Assist) won in his account could.
Peak of his career is certainly the 2008/09 season, where he was reached by 102 points for the top scorer at 57 goals and thus to the MVP, so the best players throughout the ECHL, was elected. A Einbrufung was the first ECHL All Star Team of the result."
Ryan Lang is off to play in the Netherlands for Eindhoven Kemphanen in the top tier of the Dutch hockey league, in Eindhoven. A translation from a dutch hockey website...
"Travis Banga long after the second new addition this week for the ambitious team from Eindhoven. Long begins his seventh season and was previously elected to the all-star team of the ECHL. Last season, the center sixteen goals and eighteen assists in 56 games with 59 penalty minutes. That was the number six on the score list of the team.
Lang is from Regina in Canada as a junior and chose the route through an American university. Four seasons, the 1.78 big forward from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He was several years including a teammate of former Trapper Aaron Grosul. After graduating, he moved to the ECHL, the league where he spent most of his career has played.In between came a call a few times looking for different teams in the ECHL, and he made a trip to Italy, where he came Alleghe. His most successful season in 2006-07 when he had it for the Augusta Lynx in 61 games 25 goals and 48 assists to his name released. He was the top scorer of the team.The new Ruff is known as a very fast attacker. "Ryan will be a revelation to the Dutch skating rinks. His tremendous speed and focus are a scourge to our opponents, "said Tommie Hartogs behalf Eindhoven."
I'm really sad to see both guys go (and maybe really really sad to see Lang go). This, tied with the list of player given qualifying offers, seems to hint at the team going for a younger look. As exciting as that is, I'm definitely going to miss these two veterans.
The Everblades announced the players they extended qualifying offer to. Here's the list...
- Matt Caria
- Shea Guthrie
- Eric Lampe
- Scott Hotham
- Tim Maxwell (stats here)
- Mitch McColm
- Phil Paquet
- Adrien Lemay
The players have until August 1 to accept or decline. Their status as a veteran or non veteran comes in to play. For non-veterans (every single one of these players), the team can then sign them to whatever salary they choose, or pass. If a veteran declines they become a restricted free agent. Meaning they can receive offers from other teams. It then becomes up to the team that holds that players rights to match it or let it pass. If the veteran doesn't sign an offer sheet or contract by August 31, the player becomes an unrestricted free agent, opening them up to any offer.
The team did not have to make any offer to a player that had signed a contract by the 1st of July. This means that some players may already be locked in for next near.
Personally, I'm really happy to see Eric Lampe, Shea Guthrie, Mitch McColm, and Phil Paquet on this list. I'm still not sure how I feel about Lemay, one game is not enough to tell how good or bad he is. Tim Maxwell played for the Utah Grizzlies last season, and was the player whose rights we received recently to finalize our trade with Utah.
You might also want to check back in a few hours, the Everblades are supposed to make an announcement about which players they are extending qualifying offers to around lunchtime (according to Woody). I hope it ends up being good news.
