1. I think it must be tough to be an WHL General Manager and spend all summer trying to plan your roster and have so many variables out of your control.
(a) over-agers - until they're all returned from pro camps you have no idea what your options are. It would be great to have the summer to make some roster moves but can't until you know for sure who is coming back. Look at Spokane who had defenseman Trevor Glass start the season with the Chiefs and then was invited to an AHL camp. Is he coming back?
(b) Europeans - the Import Draft sees most teams draft players they've never seen in person and are relying on agents, scouts and NHL people for advice. Will they show up? Will they be able to play in the WHL when they do arrive? What do you do if they can't compete at this level? How about Everett who thought they had their 2 Imports returning from last year. They both stayed home and the Silvertips didn't find out until 2 months after the Import Draft in which they made no selections.
(c) NHL - more and more 18 & 19-year-olds are cracking NHL rosters. BUT they could still be sent back. Right now it's affecting Saskatoon (Colton Gillies), Red Deer (Brandon Sutter), Chilliwack (Oscar Moller), Toronto (Luke Schenn), Everett (Kyle Beach), Lethbridge (Luca Sbisa) and Seattle (Thomas Hickey).
2. I think I will continue to not mention the CHL Top 10 rankings. It's a great idea to create a weekly listing of the Junior Leagues but all they appear to do is look at the winning percentages and not strengths of the teams.
3. I think the ICE have some great options as they prepare to announce their Captain and Assistants.
4. I think the host site for the 2010 Memorial Cup is Brandon's to lose. The other bids will be from Everett and Kelowna (who hosted in 2004). The decision will be made in October. The last time it was held in the East Division was 2001 in Regina. The last time a Central team was the host was 1974 in Calgary. Brandon co-hosted with Regina in 1980.
5. I think you should know the ICE attendance is down 10% from last year. Of the 22 teams they are ranked 17th in average attendance.
22. Seattle 0 (yet to have a home game)
21. Prince Albert 2185
20. Swift Current 2267
19. Moose Jaw 2421
18. Portland 2528
17. Kootenay 2646
16. Prince George 3121
15. Medicine Hat 4006
6. I think the some of the best point-producing defenseman in the NHL played in the WHL. Dion Phaneuf, Mike Green, Scott Niedermayer, Cam Barker, Shea Weber, Jay Bouwmeester, Wade Redden, Bryan McCabe, Braydon Coburn, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Zdeno Chara, Alexander Edler, Dan Hamhuis and Derek Morris. Almost all of which have played games in Cranbrook over the years.
7. I think the Central Division looks very good top-to-bottom.
8. I think my pre-season pick for a Cubs-Angels World Series is looking solid. I never get baseball predictions right so I won't bet the house just yet.
9. I think most people are debating Crosby-Ovechkin-Malkin for the 1st overall pick in their upcoming NHL Drafts.
10. I think the NFL standings seem wrong with Buffalo 4-0 & Tennessee 4-0 in 1st place and Indianapolis 1-2 & Seattle 1-2 not in 1st.