Some Thoughts About All-Star Weekend

It was fun watching all of the hockey world's elite come out to celebrate the game as well as the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens franchise at the All Star Game this weekend.

Every year, it seems like fewer and fewer people are actually interested in the All-Star Game itself, and more are interested in the Skills Competition the night before. I know that is what interests me. It's always nice to see new records set - Al Iafrate's cannon-like shot has been the mark to be for years, and this year Zdeno Chara broke the 16-year old record for hardest shot with a blazing 105.4 MPH blast. Quite the shot from the point there - something the Stars have been missing with Sergei Zubov out of the lineup, even if his hardest probably comes in 4-6 MPH slower...

As I said, normally the Skills Competition is what interests me most...and when they debuted the "Breakaway Challenge" last year, I was excited. It most readily equates to the "Slam Dunk Competition" the NBA has, and gives players a chance to go out and have some fun with their shots. And, even though he didn't make it, Alexander Ovechkin's shot last year was a jaw-dropper...just the creativity alone made it a winner. But after seeing AO's "winning" shot this year, I am ready to be done with it if fans are going to vote the winner. The pandering, goofy, half-hearted attempt Ovechkin submitted and fans endorsed was pathetic. Seriously? THAT is what qualifies as the best shot? Gimme a break...

In the "Big Game" itself, Modano and Robidas were pretty quiet. Modano did have the primary assist on the third-period opening goal by Shane Doan, but was held off the scoresheet otherwise. Robidas had a shot on goal, and not much else. Both players were near the bottom of the pile in minutes played. But, the game was fast-moving and quick-paced, and neither Star was lost in the motion.

Eagles Soar Above CHL All-Stars

Loveland, Colorado – The 2009 CHL All-Star Game took on a unique format on Wednesday night at the Budweiser Events Center in Northern Colorado with the host team, the Colorado Eagles, taking on a team of CHL All-Stars. The game featured an “Old Time Hockey” theme and the players on the ice brought that slogan into the world of reality with a highly-competitive, intense game in front of a sellout crowd of 5,219.

For complete All-Star Game Box Score visit
http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=920150&seasonid=3654

The Eagles lit up the crowd with a five-goal third period en route to an 8-4 victory.

The star of the night was Konrad Reeder as the first-year Eagle earned the game’s Most Valuable Player Award with four goals and an assist. Laredo’s Darryl Smith Earned the MVP Award for the CHL All-Stars scoring a goal with an assist.

In the game, it took 72 seconds for teamwork to show its value as the Eagles rushed the puck into the offensive zone making three passes that culminated with a Konrad Reeder one-timer from the left circle. Kevin Ulanski and Ed McGrane earned the assists with Ulanski’s cross-ice pass setting up the Reeder blast at 1:12 of the first period. It was the sixth point in all-star play for Reeder and the first of five points on the night (he notched a goal and four assists in last year’s contest for the Southern Conference).

Some intricacies of the game showed later in the period, ones that you don’t usually see in an all-star game as Eagles defenseman Tom Reimann went to a knee to block a Russ Moyer blast and the first hit of the game came from who else, Fraser Filipic, who knocked New Mexico defenseman Aaron MacInnis to the ice with a hard check to the left of the all-star’s net.

The Eagles extended their lead at the 8:41 mark with a history-making goal from Greg Pankewicz who turned and beat all-star goaltender Andy Franck for his ninth career all-star goal setting the all-time CHL record for goals in all-star play. Erik Adams and Reeder earned the assists. Pankewicz is also the all-star leader with 18 points.

The first penalty in an all-star game since 2006 was called at the 14:55 mark on Colorado’s Steve Haddon for hooking. The all-stars were unable to convert on the power play.

A majority of the remainder of the period belonged to Eagles goaltender Andrew Penner (19-1-1 on the season) who stopped 17 straight shots to begin the game before being beat by Rio Grande Valley rookie defenseman Nicolas Dumoulin who pinched in on the left wing and took a laser pass from Amarillo defenseman Sam Ftorek and pushed it past Penner at the 19:15 mark.

The score was 2-1 after one period with the CHL All-Stars outshooting the Eagles 18-9.

The CHL All-Stars needed just 23 seconds to tie the score in the second period with Laredo rookie Darryl Smith taking a pass that was banked off the wall by Odessa’s Dominic Leveille and quickly snapping it over the shoulder of Penner.

Laredo goaltender Sebastien Centomo began the period in net ending the night Franck who finished with seven saves on nine shots.

The all-stars had a chance to take the lead with a second power play chance but again failed to convert but instead shortly after the penalty expired fell behind again. The go-ahead goal was scored by Reeder (his third point of the night) assisted by Ed McGrane who made a great pass to the back door for Reeder to finish. McGrane and Reimann earned the assists giving the Eagles a 3-2 lead.

Penner’s night was done leading 3-2 when he was pulled at the 9:04 mark for Morgan Cey. Penner ended his outstanding night with 25 saves on 27 shots.

Cey was welcomed to the game rather quickly facing a flurry of scoring chances from the all-stars and was most noticeable with about six minutes remaining in the period stopping Bossier-Shreveport’s Travis Clayton after Leveille found him with a behind the back pass. Cey followed that up by robbing Ftorek in front of the net in what looked like a sure score.

The all-stars tied the game on a two-man rush up the ice led by Odessa defenseman Russ Moyer who played give-and-go with Mississippi’s Bobby Chaumont and eventually went to the backhand lifting a shot by Cey. Chaumont drew the only assist on the Moyer goal which tied the score at three goals apiece after two periods. The all-stars outshot the Eagles 19-11 in the period and led 37-20 in the game.

Reeder continued his magnificent night early in the final period when he took a pass from Pankewicz and scored his third goal of the night at the 1:12 mark of the period. The hat trick gave the Eagles a 4-3 lead in the game.

Colorado added to their lead by taking advantage of an all-star turnover. McGrane intercepted a pass, was slick with the puck, pulled it away from the opposition and snapped it by Centomo extending the lead to 5-3 at the 4:02 mark.

The Eagles started to pull away later in the period with Riley Nelson banging a one-timer by Centomo on the power play at the 5:13 mark. Scott Polaski and Ryan Tobler earned the helpers pushing the score to 6-3.

Reeder’s storybook night continued with a shorthanded goal giving Colorado a 7-3 lead at the 8:26 mark of the final period. Kevin Ulanski was given the assist.

Jay Birnie got in on the scoring act scoring late in the third period adding to the Eagles lead and giving the club a five-goal third period. Aaron Schneekloth and Tobler assisted on the goal scored at the 15:12 mark of the frame.

The all-star got a late power play and responded with Joel Irving scoring a goal cutting the lead to 8-4 with just over a minute remaining. Smith and MacInnis earned the assists for the all-stars.

The final shots in the game favored the all-stars 47-30. Cey finished the night making 20 saves in just over half of the game and earned the win. Centomo stopped 16 shots taking the loss for the all-stars.

2009 CHL All-Star Team Captains Announced

The Central Hockey League announced today that the Captains for the 2009 CHL All-Star Team will be forward Travis Clayton of the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs and defenseman Tyler Fleck of the Oklahoma City Blazers. The pair will serve as Co-Captains for the CHL All-Star Team that will face-off against the host team Colorado Eagles at the game scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th in Loveland, Colorado at the Budweiser Events Center.

Clayton, playing in his seventh all-star game and 12th CHL season, broke the league’s games played record earlier this season dressing in his 709th career CHL game on November 21st, 2008 in Broomfield, Colorado when the Mudbugs played the Rocky Mountain Rage. Last night (January 8th, 2009) Clayton tied Hardy Sauter for second on the CHL’s all-time assist list with his 527th assist. This season with the Mudbugs, the Paradise Hill, Saskatchewan native has 30 points (11-19=30) in 33 games ranking second on the team.

Fleck, playing in his 10th season with the Blazers, has never dressed for another team during his professional career. The hard-nosed defenseman has played in more than 500 career CHL games and will be appearing in his second all-star game. The Carlyle, Saskatchewan native has served as the Blazers team captain for five straight seasons. This season, he has scored a goal with six assists in 33 games.

The game can be seen LIVE on Altitude Sports and Entertainment (Dish Network channel 410 and DirecTV channel 681) as well as on the CHL Network which will carry the game LIVE (blackout restrictions apply in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah) and also offer all the action on a tape delay in the days following the game.

2009 CHL All-Star Team Adds Two Forwards

The 2009 Central Hockey League All-Star Game is less than a week away scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 in Loveland , Colorado at the Budweiser Events Center. The game features a team of CHL All-Stars facing the host team, the Colorado Eagles.

Today, the CHL announced two additions to the team with Mississippi’s Bobby Chaumont and Wichita’s Chris Greene being named as replacements for two players that will be unable to attend. Chaumont, 24, replaces teammate Louis Dumont on the roster and Greene, 23, replaces teammate Jason Duda. Both Dumont and Duda are unable to attend next week’s game.

Chaumont is playing in his second CHL season and his first with the RiverKings. The Sudbury, Ontario native was an all-star previously during the 2006-07 season while a member of the Laredo Bucks. This season in Mississippi, the 6-0, 200-pound forward leads his team with 19 goals and ranks second to Dumont with 31 points. Chaumont has eight power play goals and is tied for second in the CHL with four game winning goals.

Greene is playing in his third CHL season and is in his second season with the Thunder after being acquired in a trade with Arizona last season. The Massena, New York native has four goals and 13 assists in 30 games played with the Thunder this season. His energy and hard-work on the ice has led the charge for the young Wichita team that has won four of their last six games.

The game can be seen LIVE on Altitude Sports and Entertainment (Dish Network channel 410 and DirecTV channel 681) as well as on the CHL Network which will carry the game LIVE (blackout restrictions apply in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah) and also offer all the action on a tape delay in the days following the game.

2009 CHL All-Star Game On-Ice Officials Announced

The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today the men that will keep order during the 2009 CHL All-Star Game scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colorado. The referee for the game will be Mark Lemelin and he will be joined by linesmen Jordan Crowell and Pat Smith.

“These officials have worked very hard over recent years and have earned the chance to work in the All-Star Game,” said Wayne Bonney, CHL Officiating Supervisor. “I remember very fondly the 14 NHL All-Star Games I was fortunate enough to participate in and I am confident that participating in this game for these three gentlemen will create similar great memories.”

Lemelin, 27, is in his third season in the CHL and also works in the American Hockey League (AHL) occasionally. Last season, the Albuquerque, New Mexico native worked the President’s Cup Finals. Before joining the CHL, Lemelin worked full time in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and was rewarded with the appointment of the 2006 USHL Finals and 2006 USHL All-Star Game.

Crowell, 26, is in his second season in the CHL after going through the Junior Officiating Development Program from 2005-07. The Overland Park, Kansas native worked game’s three and four of the President’s Cup Finals last season.

Smith, 26, is in his second season in the CHL after working four seasons in the Ottawa District Hockey Association. Last season, the Bainsville, Ontario native worked the President’s Cup Finals and also worked the lines during Game Seven of the Northern Conference Finals and Game Seven of the Southern Conference Finals.

Typical all-star games seem to lack the need for officials with very few stoppages and almost no penalties. This year’s contest could be different as the format of the game has changed to feature the host Colorado Eagles battling a team of CHL All-Stars.

The 2009 CHL All-Star Game will be available on Altitude Sports and Entertainment and on-line via the CHL Network (some broadcast restrictions apply).

Stars Winning Despite Further Injuries

Well, finally I get a chance to sit down and get a few thoughts in about the Stars and other hockey matters. So sorry for the delay in this post - I expected to have it up yesterday.

The Stars finished December strongly, and have looked great as of late. They went 8-4-1 in December and are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. While that might not turn heads around the league yet, it certainly is an improvement over October and November. The top performers continue to be the top performers - great, reliable play from Mike Modano, Mike Ribeiro and Brad Richards has helped on a regular basis, and strong contributions from young players James Neal & Loui Erikkson has helped. The Stars will play Detroit twice in the next week, so they are hoping their strong play of late can carry on into those matches, at least.

Speaking of Neal, the youngster has pulled into a tie for the league lead in goals by rookies this season. We'll almost certainly see Neal at the end of this month in Montreal for the "Young Stars Game" on January 24th, the night before the All Star Game. I knew Neal had a bright future with the club, just from seeing him skate at the last couple of camps, but it was great to see him seize the opportunity he got this season and run with it.

The Stars have been successful recently, even though they continue to be a banged-up bunch. Landon Wilson is the latest addition to the scratch list. Wilson sustained a rib injury in the game against Edmonton on Saturday, and is currently listed as day-to-day. The Stars hope to get more information about his injury tomorrow. Fabian Brunnstrom has a high-ankle sprain, and will be out for at least the next couple of games. The team hopes he'll be ready in about 7-10 days, but because that kind of injury can be hard to diagnose and even harder to mend, it could be longer. There is good news in that Joel Lundqvist is skating again, and may be back as early as Thursday against the Red Wings. This should limit any call-ups the Stars may need to make this week.

As banged up as they've been this season, and as much as they've struggled, do you think there will be pressure for the Stars to make a deal before the trade deadline this season? Or will the problems assimilating Sean Avery into the group this year still be too strong in everyone's mind for management to make a trade?

Odessa Jackalopes' Gillis Earns Second Coaching Slot in CHL All-Star Game

The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today that Odessa Jackalopes Head Coach Paul Gillis will represent the Southern Conference as one of two co-coaches for the 2009 CHL All-Star Team. Gillis joins Oklahoma City’s Doug Sauter as the tandem that will lead the CHL All-Star team in the 2009 CHL All-Star Game.

This year’s game features a unique format with the host Colorado Eagles (coached by Kevin McClelland) playing a team of CHL All-Stars. This year’s All-Star Game, presented by Poudre Valley Health System, will be played on Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 at the Budweiser Events Center and will be broadcast LIVE on Altitude Sports and Entertainment.

Gillis, in his second season with the Jackalopes, clinched the berth thanks to the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees 1-0 victory over the Laredo Bucks on Monday night. Thanks to the loss, Gillis’ Jacks squad will finish the pre-Christmas break portion of the schedule with a higher win percentage than Terry Ruskowski and the Bucks. Odessa leads the Southern Conference with a 19-6-2 record and 40 points.

The playing roster for the team will be made up of 18 players (a minimum of one representative from each team) with the starters for the game announced on December 30th and the reserves on December 31st.

OK City Coach Doug Sauter to Coach in CHL All-Star Game

First, the press release:

The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today that Oklahoma City Head Coach Doug Sauter will represent the Northern Conference as one of two co-coaches for the 2009 CHL All-Star Team. The 2009 CHL All-Star Game features a unique format this season with the host Colorado Eagles (coached by Kevin McClelland) welcoming a team of CHL All-Stars. This year’s All-Star Game, presented by Poudre Valley Health System, will be played on Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 at the Budweiser Events Center and will be broadcast LIVE on Altitude Sports and Entertainment.

Sauter is entering his 14th season as the coach of the Blazers and is the CHL’s all-time winningest coach with 522 wins. The Fairlight, Saskatchewan native reached several milestones last season winning his 1200th professional game and becoming the first CHL coach to reach 500 wins. This season, his team is in first place in the Northeast Division with a 17-4-2 record.

The two coaches for the CHL All-Star Team will be comprised of the coaches with the top winning percentage in each conference following the games of December 23rd. Joining Sauter behind the bench will be either Paul Gillis of Odessa (.760 win percentage) or Terry Ruskowski of Laredo (.717 win percentage).

The playing roster for the team will be made up of 18 players (a minimum of one representative from each team) with the starters for the game announced on December 30th and the reserves on December 31st.

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Secondly, even though the Blazers aren't a Texas team, they're close enough that they qualify as a step-cousin or something (along with the Mudbugs). Anyway, Doug Sauter is a man's man. While looking for a photo for him, I came across this very amusing story that happened last fall (2007). Wow!

CHL's Performance of the Week Fan Poll Returns

The Central Hockey League (CHL) announced today the five nominees for the CHL’s Performance of the Week. Fans can vote for the winner of the weekly award at www.centralhockeyleague.com in the CHL Performance of the Week fan poll.

The nominees for the CHL Performance of the Week for week one of the season are as follows:

-Corpus Christi’s Chris Richards scoring seven points (4-3=7) in 12-3 win versus Tulsa on October 18th

-New Mexico’s Jason Wolfe making 25 saves in the Scorps 6-0 shutout win at Amarillo on October 18th

-Rookie Mudbugs goaltender Ryan Mior making 27 saves in 2-1 win at Laredo on October 18th

-Tulsa’s Kevin St. Pierre making 55 saves in 3-2 shootout loss at OKC on October 17th

-Laredo rookie Daryl Smith netting a hat trick in the Bucks 7-1 win over RMR on October 17th

Fans can vote for the winner through Monday, October 27th with the winner being announced on Tuesday, October 28th.


CHL’s Hat Tricks for Kids
The CHL and Infinity Pro Sports have partnered for the 2008-09 season for a new program called Hat Tricks for Kids. Infinity Pro Sports will donate $25.00 for every hat trick scored throughout the CHL regular season. Fans are also able to donate money to the program that will donate all proceeds to The Hoffen Foundation (www.hoffenfoundation.org). To follow the Hat Trick’s Tote Board and see how much money has been donated to date or to donate money yourself visit www.hattricksforkids.org.


CHL All-Star Game on January 14th in Loveland, Colorado
The 2009 CHL All-Star Game is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colorado. The game is hosted by the Colorado Eagles and presented by Poudre Valley Health System. The format for this year’s game features a team of CHL All-Stars taking on the Colorado Eagles. For more information and for all-star updates visit www.centralhockeyleague.com or www.coloradoeagles.com.