It looks like junior hockey is going to have its first outdoor game. No, it won’t feature two WHL teams playing in the parking lot at the Crushed Can in Moose Jaw. Rather, it will have the Fairbanks Ice Dogs playing host to the Alaska Avalanche on Feb. 13 — if you are superstitious, that’s a Friday. The North American Hockey League has offered its blessing to the game, which will be played on an outdoor ice surface alongside the Ice Dogs’ home rink, the Big Dipper Arena. . . . According to a press release: “The game will feature four 15-minute periods with a warm-up between the first and second periods and a halftime between the second and third periods. The game will also be furnished with bleachers, an outdoor sound system and a scoreboard. Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. local time.” . . . Attendance is expected to be 2,000-plus.
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Hockey Canada named the roster for the under-18 team that will represent Canada next week in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in Piestany, Slovakia, and Breclav, Czech Republic. Of the 22 players on the roster, 20 are from the CHL — 10 from the WHL, eight from the OHL and two from the QMJHL. . . . The complete roster is right here.
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When satellite radio happened along a year or four back, I was one of those people who said I would never pay it any attention. Well . . . allow me to eat my words.
My XM Radio unit was out of commission for the better of a week and I can’t believe how much I missed it. Gawd, it was like the early 1980s when I quit smoking.
No hockey talk . . . no Major League Baseball play-by-play . . . no Bluesville . . . no Willie’s Place . . . no Bob Dylan on Wednesdays . . . no ESPN radio . . .
Fortunately, things got fixed on Tuesday, just in time to listen to the Cubs and Astros. And if you haven't heard Ron Santo on Cubs' broadcasts, well, you haven't lived.
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Having spent 17 years at the Regina Leader-Post, I am more than a little familiar with football fever in Saskatchewan. For those of you who may not know of what I speak, here’s a snippet from Keen’s Korner, the blog belonging to Jon Keen, the radio voice of the Swift Current Broncos:
“Another Saskatchewan moment Saturday night...
“Camping this weekend, we were all pumped about watching the ’Riders game at the campsite.
“We weren't alone. EVERYONE was watching/listening at Katepwa Lake and that was evident by the loud cheers resonating from the campground every time the ’Riders made a big play.
“A roar came up when the ’Riders stuffed Joffrey Reynolds on that third and one late in the fourth quarter.
“’Rider cheers could be heard all over as the Green and White held on to the 22-20 win to run their record to 6 and 0.”
And you just know it was like that in every campground in the province.
