Thanksgiving Weekend!

Good Day!
Thank God the long weekend is here. I need three days off badly! I haven't been able to shake the feeling of being tired all the time. Hopefully the kids and dogs let me sleep in this weekend. Although, sleeping in for me is usually about 0730.

As of now, the boys don't have hockey this weekend but that could change as we'll find out what teams they will be playing for today or tomorrow.
My oldest, Isaac, had his last try-out last night. He is still in the running for Atom Tier II but most likely will be playing Atom House, which is fine because he is all about having fun and just hopes there are friends on the team.
My other boy, Jackson, is going into his first year of Novice and his first full season as a goalie (just like Dad). He will be playing Novice Tier II. Now, going into the Novice try-outs, we were leaning towards just telling Prairie Storm that we didn't want Jackson to play Tier I because we thought he could take this year and get his feet wet and see how playing goal is for him. That changed after we saw him play. For a 7 year old, he is way ahead of where i thought he would be as far as understanding the little things and the nuances that come with playing goal. He had three sessions and in my opinion, was the best or one of the top two goalies, at worst. There is two Tier I teams so i thought (and so did about 10 other parents that came up to me) Jackson was a shoe-in for one of the two spots. Well, that didn't happen and i must say i was a little disappointed. It doesn't change anything for Jackson though, as he just "wants to play" but it makes you wonder what these "independent evaluators" are looking at. I have a lot of other things i would like to say about the way things are done behind the scenes but i won't. Not on here anyways.
I'm done with that rant!

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The Riders will be entertaining Toronto on Saturday night and it looks like it will be a less than an ideal night for football. By the time kick off rolls around, it will be below zero with a bit of a windchill. I don't believe it will be a factor though as i think the Riders will be rolling tomorrow night.

There is just something about the Riders, that after last weeks stinker, they will come back with a chip on their shoulders and lay a beating on the CFL's worst team.

There has been alot of talk (nothing good) about the performances of Wes Cates and Darian Durant this past week. Well, i have no doubt that both of them come back and have one of their best games of the year. We will win by at least three TD's and the defence will keep Toronto's offence under 10 points. Take it to the bank.

Go get em' boys!

Later

Bad Case of the Mondays......

Well another week begins and so does hockey season for my boys. Evaluations for Novice, Jackson (he's a goalie), started tonight and Atom, Isaac, starts Wednesday. It will be a minimum of five nights a week in a rink, right until the end of March. It's a long hall but everyone seems to love it! I'm semi-retired as i told my Adult Safe Hockey team to find another goalie because this body can't do it anymore. I imagine i'll still get called to play about a 5-10 games this winter. And no, i won't miss it.

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Did anyone see the shootout in the game between Vancouver and Calgary on Saturday night? Olli Jokinen came in on Roberto Loungo and fired a slap-shot, from the hash marks, right into Loungo's chest. Yes, i believe it was on purpose. So what does Vancouver do? They send Alex Edler to shoot and he comes in on Mikka Kiprusoff and does the exact same thing. A taser right to the chest! Love it. That is going to be one hell of a rivalry this season as both teams battle for the Northwest Division crown.

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It's nice to see my brother, assistant coach with the Bonnyville Pontiacs, having a successful start to the 09/10 season as the Pontiacs are off to a 5-1-0 record. It looks like the Pontiacs are keeping the puck out of their own net which is a big reason for the hot start.

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I am going to try to find time to update this blog more often. I just have to fit it into my schedule. Right now the family is in bed so maybe i'll become a late night blogger.

Later

Leafs aquire Kessel..........

Well it took awile to happen but Brian Burke, and the Leafs, got their man. Burke traded two first round picks (2010 & 2011) and a second rounder (2010) to get the 21 year old goal scorer. Time will tell if the Leafs paid too much and it will be interesting to see how Kessel does without a Marc Savard dishing him the puck. One other thing is Kessel won't be available until at least mid-November because of shoulder surgery a few months back.

Later

Heatley to the Sharks.....

Dany Heatley and a fifth round draft pick have been traded to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a second round pick.

I don't know if my brother will be happy about this trade or not. He is a Sharks fan and would always welcome a 50 goal scorer but he doesn't like Heatley. What do you think bro?

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There has been a rumour floating around these parts that former N.D. Hound brothers, Jaden and Ryland Schwartz, will join the Brandon Wheat Kings sometime mid-season, and solidify a powerhouse of a team as Brandon gets set to host the Memorial Cup. Jaden is starting in the USHL this season while Ryland starts his College Career at Colorado. The Wheat Kings would have to acquire Jaden's rights from Tri-City in a trade. Who knows if it will happen but it wouldn't suprise me!

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The Bonnyville Pontiacs home opener is tonight. My brother, Ryan, begins his third season as assistant coach to Chad Mercier. Bonnyville is expecting big things from Balgonie native and second year Pontiac, Tyler Henry.

Lets Go Pontiacs!

Banjo Bowl

The Riders travel to Winnipeg for the second half of a home and home and hope to sweep the series after a 29 - 14 victory on Labour Day. The Riders will get a boost with the returns of Andy Fantuz and Neil Hughes but it's at the expense of Jason Clermont who won't dress for this game. I no a lot of fans are upset that Clermont isn't dressing but the reality is he's not what he used to be. He's the sixth receiver on the riders depth chart and he is probably the slowest out of all the Riders receivers. I do believe he will find his way back on the roster though, as his experience and big-game savvy will be helpful down the stretch.

The Riders also re-signed Kitwana Jones, after he was released by Edmonton, to help with special teams and provide depth at the linebacker position. He won't dress this weekend as he is still learning the playbook.

Riders win a close one!

Later

Labour Day Game Finally Here!

It's been a long week but it's finally here. The Bombers and Riders once again.

Michael Bishop returns as the Bombers QB against his old team. The Bombers will throw a heavy dose of the CFL's leading rusher, Fred Reid, at the Riders who have struggled with their run defence. Darian Durant looks to take another step forward in his first LDC start.

After better judgment, the Bombers didn't end up signing Adam "Pacman" Jones.

With a high of 30 degrees, the only thing cold will be the Molson products and Rider Nation's reception for coach Mike Kelly and the Bombers! Have fun!

Later

Labour Day Circus!

The Labour Day Classic just got a whole lot more interesting. Adam "Pacman" Jones, kicked out of the NFL for numorous run-ins with the law, has signed with the Bombers and will be in uniform this Sunday. Coach Mike "wing-nut" Kelly, the return of Micheal Bishop, and now "Pacman"! This is going to be one crazy game. The east side fans will have no shortage of material to work with, when they start harassing the Bombers bench. Fun stuff!

Later