1. I think it’s great to hear the WHL scheduling meetings are next week. It’s always a challenge for the WHL to make their schedules fit around the NHL schedules in Calgary & Edmonton. This year the ICE will visit the B.C. Division teams and will have the U.S. teams visit the Rec-Plex. The only exception is the ICE playing Spokane 5 times (3 times in Cranbrook and twice in Spokane).
2. I think it was great to see Dean Arsene win his 2nd AHL championship with Hershey but of course tough to see Jason Jaffray and Manitoba lose in the final. Why weren’t these games on T.V. for everyone to see?
3. I think it’s hard to believe it was 10 years ago that we were getting ready for the final ICE season in the Memorial Arena. It was also 10 years ago the ICE were getting ready for the 99-00 season in which they won the WHL Championship.
4. I think you really notice that time is flying when a guy like Shaun Sutter is named the Regina Pats Assistant Coach. He is 29 years old but it seems like yesterday he was playing in the WHL.
5. I think it’s interesting to see the playoff system is being discussed today at the WHL BOG meetings. I’m sure the fact the ICE played Brandon in the 1st round (14 hours of travel) has worried a few teams about the current system. But the 2 teams involved weren’t concerned so I’m don’t think the current system will be changed. There isn’t a perfect system but the current method makes the most sense. The best teams make the playoffs and the 1st round rewards having a strong regular season. In the old divisional system there were too many instances where we the #2 and #5 rated teams in the conference meet in the 1st round because they were #2 and #3 in their division.
6. I think I have always enjoyed watching the NHL Draft, even before it got the coverage it deserved. Now with the NHL Network they cover rounds 2-7 live on Saturday plus the internet has updates pick by pick.
7. I think it’s exciting to know that the NHL Draft is the week after the NHL Draft.
8. I think the biggest rumour out of Lethbridge is Perry Pearn being their new GM and Michael Dyck returning as coach.
9. I think Brent Sutter will coach Red Deer this season. I have no inside information, just making a guess.
10. I think these are my non-hockey thoughts.
a) I think Dan Patrick has the best sports talk show. Plus his weekly articles in SI are always a gem. Bob McCown is always great, let's make him #1A.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/
b) I think Rick Reilly has almost been an after thought after moving to ESPN. I would always read his column 1st every week in SI.
c) I think it would be great to have the MLB Network available in Canada. Who makes these decisions to not allow certain channels to be available in Canada? Get a clue.
d) I think Artie Lange was very funny on Joe Buck Live. It’s a show on HBO, which is sort of available in Canada. There is HBO Canada but doesn’t have all the same shows as the HBO USA.
e) I think I always look forward to watching the PGA grand slam events. The U.S. Open is this weekend and it’s at Bethpage Black in New York. Have to love their sign “The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.” It’s public course in which people line up overnight to get a tee time.