Practice Notes & Other Thoughts 1/8/13

Kale Kerbashian

Alex Penner

 - Alex Penner and Kale Kerbashian were at practice this morning for the game day skate however neither one of them will play in the game tonight.

- I confirmed that Liam Huculak has indeed retired from hockey and is not in consideration for a position with the Americans.

- So far today five more ECHL players for a total of 30 have been recalled by AHL teams.

- Two additional CHL players have been recalled by AHL teams for a total of seven.

- Something to keep in mind is that each NHL team will have more players in camp than will end up on their roster. While training camps will be much smaller than normal because of the short duration there is going to be a recoil of players being sent back down to the AHL, ECHL, & CHL at the end of the NHL training camps. So this week we see lots of ECHL/CHL players being recalled to the AHL. In about ten days you will see some of them coming back.

- In my post this morning I reported Jordie Benn would go to training camp with the Dallas Stars and had a good chance of making the team. I have seen two other articles about projected training camp rosters and both predict he won't even be at camp. Guess we will have to wait and see.

- One of the drawbacks of the upcoming short training camp for the Dallas Stars – and all other NHL teams – will be the lack of exhibition games. Dallas Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk and his staff are looking for an alternative, and they think the Texas Stars can help.
The plan Nieuwendyk is considering is to bring the Texas Stars to Dallas after they wrap up their three games this weekend.  Texas plays in Cedar Park on Friday and Saturday and then in Oklahoma City on Sunday. After that, they don’t play again until Wednesday in Chicago.
“The one thing we are thinking about doing, and I think it will happen, is instead of them going onto Chicago, we’ll bring them into Dallas so we’ll have both teams there for a (joint) practice for one or two days,” Nieuwendyk said.
That would put the Texas Stars in Dallas on Monday and Tuesday, and set up the possibility for some scrimmage situations that would help offset the lack of exhibition games heading into the regular season.

- Is it just me or does it seem like having two Class AA hockey leagues makes things difficult for minor league hockey. At least they used to have an agreement not to steal each others players. They can't even agree on that at this point. I was hopeful the Americans would be joining the ECHL next year but I wonder if anything will happen. I have heard that if the CHL gets down to eight teams it would allow teams to switch to other leagues without violating the terms of their agreements with the CHL.  If I remember correctly the Americans signed a 10 year agreement with the CHL and we are only in our fourth year. Seems like everyone agrees the best thing for hockey would be to have only one Class AA league so I hope it happens.

NHL Impact & Other Observations

Thought I would take a look at ECHL & CHL transactions to see how much movement has already taken place to restock AHL teams that are losing players now that the NHL is back in business. I looked at the number of players recalled by AHL teams.

- In the last two days there have been 25 ECHL players recalled by AHL teams with Toledo having the most with five. Several teams have had no movement so I would assume there will be more recalls announced  today.

- The CHL has had six players (including Tyler Ludwig) recalled to AHL teams since the lock out ended.

- The Texas Stars have affiliations with the Americans as well as the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL. They have recalled three from Idaho and none from the Americans.

Other observations:

- I read where former Allen American Jordie Benn is expected to be at camp with the Dallas Stars and has a shot at making the team.

- Former American Justin DaCosta who plays for former coach Dwight Mullins was activated from reserve yesterday.

- Former American  Liam Huculak, who scored a goal in two of the last three games, announced his intention to retire from hockey yesterday. Huculak says he is going to pursue other career opportunities. Liam was playing for the Bakersfield Condors who are in last place in the ECHL having 10 fewer points than the next worst team. Any chance he might be headed back to Allen?

- Maybe the NHL getting back into action will help Colton Yellow Horn get a spot on the ECHL All Star team. Colton, who leads the league in goals, was surprisingly left off the team. With the game scheduled for January 23 in Denver several of those selected for the team will be playing in the AHL. Colton deserves to be on the team.

I plan on attending practice today and will put up another post this afternoon if I learn anything of interest.

Post Game Comments - Martinson, Martinez & Deitsch 1/5/13

Photo by Chip Grail chlphotos.com

Photo by www.ScenebyKimberly.com

The Americans extended their winning streak to six games last night with an exciting 5-4 come from behind victory over the Rapid City Rush scoring three unanswered goals in the third period. Our do an interview score a goal streak continues as Jamie Schaafsma scored the game winning goal last night on a great pass from Brian McMillin. Jamie had three goals, two assists, and was a +3 for the weekend. Just as a reminder, the interview we did just prior to Jamie was with Booter Bootland who had four goals and two assists including a hat trick the weekend we did his story. If there are any Americans that want a boost in scoring production give us a call.

The press conference last night was attended by Coach Martinson, Jason Deitsch, & Alec Martinez. Here are a few of their comments:

Coach Martinson:

- After the second period I said to the guys we have had five guys go toe to toe and fought their hearts out with tough fights with some tough guys. Let's not let that effort go to waste.

- We didn't have everybody competing hard enough the first two periods

- What an entertaining third period. Some great goals, some pretty plays. What I liked was the determination.

- We gave up way too many breakaways which is rare for us. We need to use these breakdowns as a learning opportunity. We will review the video, look at exactly what happened and then discuss with the players and make sure this gets fixed.. It looked like we were giving the player carrying the puck out of the zone way too much time so he could find a seam up the middle and then we let a player get behind us.

- A fan suggested the team won the game for the girls scouts as there were 300-400 of them in attendance. Coach kidded how he had plenty of money with him but couldn't believe you could have 400 girl scouts and not a single cookie.

- He also shared the story about when his kids are selling stuff as fundraisers for their youth hockey teams he tells his players, if you are on the power play you better buy something and if you want to get on the power play you better buy something. Some of the players say I'm not buying because you wouldn't put me on the power play anyway.

- Coach again talked about Kale Kerbashian, the 6' 200 pound center that will be here tomorrow. He feels Kale may be a diamond in the rough and can bring some play making skills and creativity similar to Anthony Maiani. Coach didn't mention how we found Kerbashian but whenever I see a player from Thunder Bay, ONT. I always think Bill McDonald, who hails from there, had something to do with it.

- At this point Martinez & Deitsch came into the room  and  Martinson got up to leave so the questions would go to the players. As he was leaving he shared a story that I think is indicative of how loose the locker room is right now and how the coaches are making things fun. Martinson said, "To tell you the kind of guy Matvichuk is, he came up to Alec Martinez after the game and said good job, you got four points. Alec said no I only got three points. Matty said, no you got four points, three for us and you got one assist for Rapid City."

Alec Martinez & Jason Deitsch:

- Jason was asked about the two goals he scored on Friday & Saturday and which was better. He said they were both the same and it is great to score a goal anywhere, anyhow, anytime. He had never scored a 5 on 3 shorthanded goal as a pro but does remember doing it in junior with the Texas Tornado.

-  Alec talked about the injury he had in Europe which kept him off the ice for a couple of months. He took a slap shot to the face and had to have surgery and have a couple of plates put in his face.

- He lives here in the off season, had played with some of the guys during the summer, went to college with Nino Musitelli so he did have some connections to the team.  It has been great to start skating again. The guys and coaching staff have been very welcoming to him.

- Alec talked about the NHL lockout and how even though the whole thing sucks it is the business side of hockey. You can't just think about now and the 750 players in the league but the impact on the thousands of players coming into the league in the future. As of this morning (Sunday) it appears as if the lockout is over and the framework for a new collective bargaining agreement is in place. Time frames are uncertain depending on whether they go with a 48 or 50 game schedule but the games could start as soon as January 15th.  We may have seen the last of Alec Martinez in an Americans uniform.

- Alec talked about  playing in Europe and the Olympic sized rinks. It changes your angles and takes some getting used to.

- As for the comparison between the CHL & NHL the big difference is the NHL game is more controlled and there is less time when players are out of position. There is more running around in the CHL. Jason Deitsch agreed that players are in the right spot more consistently in the AHL & NHL and also said the pace is quicker as you move up in leagues.

- Alec was also asked about scoring his first goal with the Americans. He agreed with what Deitsch had said earlier. I don't care if I am in my basement shooting the pucks, playing men's league hockey in the summer, or in the NHL, a goal is always fun.

- When asked about his role on the team Jason acknowledged it has changed and he will do what ever it takes to win. He hasn't seen as much power play time this year. He said I have to do whatever I can  to keep the other team from scoring and also win important face offs.

- When someone pointed out to Jason he seemed more feisty this year he said when you have Grantham & Brennan on your line you can do whatever you want and you won't get touched.

I just noticed Tyler Ludwig has been called up by the Houston Aeros. The changes are going to pick up this week.

Martinson Post Game Comments - 1/4/13

                                     Photo Courtesy of  www.ScenebyKimberly.com


Another impressive win by the Americans last night. After giving up a power play goal early in the first period the Americans scored five unanswered goals on the way to a 6-2 victory over the Tulsa Oilers. Lots of great performances including Drew Daniels first professional goal, a rare 5 on 3 shorthanded goal by Jason Deitsch in his 500th game as a professional and Jarret Lukin's first fight in memory. However, special recognition goes to Jamie Schaafsma for keeping the streak alive of having great games after doing a "player profile" interview with this blog. Jamie had 2 goals and an assist and was +2 for the night. Our congrats to him and if you haven't had a chance to read his player profile take a look as he has an interesting story.

A great post game press conference with Coach Martinson. If you haven't had the opportunity to hear him speak I would encourage you to do so. He is open, honest, humorous, analytical, and introspective. Here is some of what he had to say after the game:

- The games have been a little more entertaining lately with all of the goals, fights and good hits.

- Our penalty kill was great (1-7) as the Oilers have great scorers on the penalty play unit even though their power  play percentage is low (14%)

- Silverthorn had some good saves and when they got it by him the post was there.

- Daniels goal was a good example of the type of hockey Martinson likes. McMillin and Grantham used their body strength to work the puck down low, were patient, fought it out, and weren't in a hurry to center the puck to someone that wasn't there. Daniels was also patient when he got the puck and waited for the opening to shoot.

- Skinner was great in his first game back. His first goal was typical Skinner as he sees the play and takes it. He has only been skating a week since the injury so he still is not all the way back.

- Good things happen when we have guys in front of the net. Think about it, our two best guys at being in front of the net are Howes and Bootland and they have the most goals.

- Garrett Clarke will be out on Saturday with an automatic one game suspension for the fighting instigator penalty he took late in the third period.

- Clarke and Daniels can both play forward and did a good job in the game. Clarke needs to shoot the puck and not always try to make one more play. We are working on having him get the puck on the net and go for rebounds and screens.

- With Clarke out of the lineup  on Saturday the team will be playing short a player.

- On the disallowed score when Deitsch  was in the goal Coach explained he was talking to the referee about the fact that Jason was pushed into the goal. The referee explained Deitsch did not make an effort to get out of the goal. Even though Coach told the referee he was wrong he admits the ref "might have made the right call." He will review the tape and if he sees Deitsch was slow in getting out of the net he will go back to the referee and acknowledge the call was correct.

- There is a new center coming in on Monday, Kale Kerbashian,  who was a 82 point guy one year as a junior and played in the ECHL (Greenville) last year. He should play a little bit like Maiani, help provide more offensive play and creativity without disrupting anything. He is 6' and 200 pounds, gritty, with good speed.

- Coach is concerned about loosing players when the lock out ends. He is working the phones and trying to be prepared. We have several defensemen that have AHL experience that we might loose and the coach knows of two AHL teams that are about to loose their heavyweights. So be ready for some changes, not in the style of play but there will be guys moving in and out. Coach didn't mention any names but sounds like Brennan maybe moving up.

- If the NHL locks out  the players for the entire year we might have some more NHL guys that want to play. Coach kidded that the NHL players are willing to play for less money than he is paying some of the other players but then again that is easy to do when you are a millionaire.

- There will be a trade announced tomorrow. Coach asked that we not share the name until it is formally announced at noon on Saturday. The trade will give the player the opportunity to do what he does best.

-  When asked about the Lukin fight Coach said he was going to tease him as he is in the gym all of the time and has a good build but is more concerned about how he looks than how strong he is. However, Jarret plays hard and hits. "I would rather have a player the hits and doesn't fight than a player that fights and doesn't hit."

Other comments:

- Great video package on the game last night.  Check it out.  http://fb.me/2HFf87QLg

- Heard something from Tommy Daniels on the radio broadcast last night that I thought was interesting. Owner Doug Miller has a standing offer for the team. For every game the Americans score seven goals or more they get dinner at Bob's Chop House which is one of the best steak houses in the Metroplex.

Thanks to Tommy Daniels for inviting me up to the broadcast booth last night and to Maurice Fitzgerald for the between periods interview so I could talk about the blog. 

Jamie Schaafsma - Player Profile

Jamie & Nicole were married in May 2010

Jamie has played in four World Championships for the Netherlands

                                                                                                                                                                                                              
Jamie Schaafsma #22
Birthdate: February 11, 1983
Birthplace: Chatham, ONT.
Hometown: Blenheim, ONT.
6' 2" 185 lbs.

When you look at Jamie Schaafsma's hockey resume it reads like a world traveler. His first stop as a professional hockey player was in Geleen, The Netherlands. Over the next eight years he played for teams in Amsterdam, Canazei Italy, Bremerhaven Germany, Bolzano Itlay, & Val Gardena Italy. During this time he also played in four World Hockey Champanionships for The Netherlands national team which took him to China, Austria, Estonia & Poland.

Not bad for a farm boy from the small agricultural town of Blenheim, Ontario, population 4563. Jamie's dad, Stuart, moved to Canada from Holland when he was a youngster and for many years ran a dairy cow operation. Stuart and his wife, Florence have five children. Jamie is the youngest of four boys.  His three older brothers, Rob is 12 years older, Rich 10 years older, and Stu is 5 years older, all played hockey. His sister, Jeanette is one year younger.

When you have three older brothers who all play hockey it is obvious you are going to be spending a lot of time at hockey rinks. Jamie's earliest childhood memories of hockey are not of playing hockey but watching his brothers play. His parents were always struck by how much attention he payed to the game even when he was very young. Jamie started skating when he was two years old and his parents still have his first pair of skates. He started playing organized hockey at the age of four and was a scorer right from the beginning. In order to get him better competition his parents eventually had Jamie play for teams in Chatham, which was a much bigger town (45,000) a short distance from Blenheim.

Jamie's first venture into junior hockey was in Junior C with his home town Blenheim Blades. He then went to Junior B in Orangeville, Ontario. Coincidentally, a  team that Darryl Bootland had played for a few years earlier. It was also his first venture away from home as he was billeted in Orangeville. After spending a little over a year in Orangeville Jamie decided to play closer to home. In 2002-2003 he played for the Petrolia Jets and they won their league playoff. In 2003-2004 he played for the Tecumseh Chiefs where he had 68 points in 53 games. Jamie's goal during these years of playing Junior hockey was to earn a college scholarship. Unfortunately, he wasn't offered any scholarships. One of his regrets in looking back is not being more proactive in contacting colleges about playing hockey. He waited for colleges to contact him rather than reaching out to them.

The one thing that never waivered with Jamie from the time he remembers watching his older brothers play hockey until he was at the end of his Junior career was his absolute passion for hockey. It is all he ever wanted to do. It was pretty much the single focus in his life. His brothers still give him a hard time about being the spoiled little brother that always got out of chores on the farm because of hockey.

Jamie went out of his way to emphasize to me the sacrifices his parents made for him to play hockey. These sacrifices were in both time and money. His parents weren't the drop him off at the rink types. They both came to his games all of the time. They don't travel a lot anymore but Jamie hopes they get to Allen at least once this season.

In 2004 Jamie was contacted by a team in the Netherlands about playing hockey for the Geleen Smoke Eaters who play in the top professional division in the country. Because his dad was born in Holland, Jamie had some advantages including the possibility of becoming a Dutch citizen. He obtained his passport and headed off to play professional hockey in Europe. As he told me, "The money wasn't much, but I was able to continue doing what I love, play hockey." Jamie had two good years with Geleen scoring 79 points in 62 games.

During the summers Jamie would come home and work. For a couple of summers he worked at the Navistar Plant in Chatham where they make International trucks. As he tells the story he noticed this great looking young lady but didn't really get to know her during one summer but during the next summer they worked closer together at the plant and he eventually asked her out and they began dating. The young lady, Nicole Vanuden, would eventually become Mrs. Schaafsma. At the end of the summer (2006) Jamie asked Nicole to come to Europe with him as he had signed to play with the Amsterdam Tigers. They didn't want to have a long distance relationship so off to Europe they went. Nicole's parents were a little reluctant at first but supported the young couple in the end.  It was a great year being in Europe together. By this time Jamie had become a citizen of the Netherlands and played in his first International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship (2007) in Qiqihar, China. As with many cities in China the names aren't familiar but they are big cities. Qiqihar has a population of over 5 million.

In addition to the thrill of playing for the national team one of the other benefits of playing in the World Championships is the exposure to hockey teams and scouts from all over the world. Jamie had a good tournament in China and ended up signing with  Fassa HC of the top Italian League for the 2007-2008 season. After the summer back at home Nicole & Jamie headed off to Canazei, Italy for the hockey season. After another great season (22 goals & 25 assists in 38 games) as well as a good showing at the 2008 World Championship which was held in Innsbruck, Austria, Jamie was interested in continuing to try and move up to higher competition in is hockey career.

For the 2008-2009 Jamie signed with the Fischtown Penquins in the 2nd level German League. After a summer at home Nicole and Jamie's European hockey adventure continued in Bremerhaven, Germany. Things didn't work out in Germany and after 25 games (21 points) Jamie was out of a job. It may have been a blessing in disguise as Jamie was picked up by the Balzano HC of the Italian League. He helped lead Balzano to the Italian League championship scoring 6 goals and 8 assists in the 12 game playoff.

 After winning the Italian Championship Jamie joined the Netherlands national team again and played in the 2009 World Championships which were held in Poland. Even though his team did not do well going 1-4  Jamie received the award for most goals in the tournament (5).

For the 2009-2010 season Jamie & Nicole came home to play hockey. A combination of events happened that led him to sign with the Flint Generals of the International Hockey League. The recession was taking hold in Europe where most hockey money comes from sponsors. It was harder getting contracts and less money was being offered. Jamie was also curious to see how he would do in the North American minor leagues. Nicole and Jamie were living in Windsor so Jamie could commute to Flint and  Nicole could commute to her job as well. It was a great situation as Jamie could play hockey and they could also be around family and friends.

Jamie admits getting used to playing hockey again in North America took some time. Rinks are smaller than in Europe so the pace is slower and there is less room to move. There is a lot more clutching and grabbing. Flint made the playoffs on the last day of the season and proceeded to make it to the finals of the Turner Cup losing to the perennial powerhouse Ft. Wayne Komets.

Jamie had every intention of signing with Flint for 2010-2011 season as both he and Nicole enjoyed  being back home and Jamie liked playing in Flint. They got married in May of 2010.  However, ownership problems led to the demise of the Flint franchise. Jamie ended up taking a job with the Gardena HC which plays at the second level of the Italian League. Jamie readily admits it was not the best move from a "quality of hockey" perspective but the owner of the team really wanted to win a championship and the monetary package he received for the two year contract was the incentive for him to sign.

Jamie had 155 points in 98 games during his two years with Gardena. The team lost in the finals of the league playoff both years. What will always be the best memory of this time in Italy is Nicole became pregnant both years they were there. Must be all of that wine and great Italian food.  Both children were born back home in Canada. First a little girl named Sawyer, born in July of 2011 and then a little boy named Sutter born last October.

So how did Jamie end up in Allen. It wasn't from any connections with the team as the only person Jamie knew from the Americans is Jason Wallace, the trainer, who was the trainer in Flint when Jamie played there. As it turns out Jamie's agent knew Coach Martinson and it is through that contact that things started to happen.

After talking to coach Martinson and learning of the relationship with the former Stars players Jamie made a decision to play in Allen. As with many of the players I have interviewed, Jamie is driven to win another championship. He has played in four consecutive league finals. He won the Italian first division with Bolzano in 2009, lost the International Hockey League final with the Flint Generals in 2010 and lost two straight finals with Gardena in the Italian second division in 2011 and last year.

Jamie is about to turn 30 and he desperately wants to win another championship. He decided to come to Allen because of the commitment  the entire organization has made to win a championship this year. Jamie & Nicole are enjoying their time in Allen with Sawyer & Sutter. When not at the rink Jamie enjoys playing golf but admitted that he has only played twice since arriving in Texas. With two little ones both under 18 months of age, life away from the rink is centered around them. I did see a very cute picture that Nicole posted on Twitter showing Sawyer pretending to play Xbox with dad so video games are his guilty pleasure at home. Jamie mentioned to me he knew what a great mom Nicole would be as he watched her work at as a nanny when they were in Amsterdam and Italy.

As always I tried to find some quotes from Jamie's prior coaches. Here are a few that caught my eye.

- Jamie is a great offensive threat.
- Every time Jamie gets over the blue line there is a chance he is going to score.
- Jamie can put the puck in the net.
- Jamie has a couple of highlight reel goals this year.
- Jamie plays with a little bit of an edge, which is good.

Here are Jamie's answers to the "get to know you" questions:

Roommate On The Road: Jarret Lukin

Nickname: Shazzy or Shifty

Hockey Hero: Doug Gilmore

Favorite Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio

Favorite Actress: Katherine Heigl

Favorite Type Of Music: Varied -  Rock, Rap, Heavy Metal,

Favorite Group; Guns & Roses (got it from my brothers)

If You Could Have Lunch With Anyone Living: Wayne Gretzky

 Where Is The Most Interesting Place You Have Visited: Amsterdam

If You Could Live In Another Country For Two Years Where Would It Be: Thailand

One Thing People Would Be Surprised To Learn About You: I own a motorcycle

If You Could Be Anything Besides a Pro Athlete What Would It Be: Pilot or Firefighter

Pregame Ritual: Nicole makes me a Strawberry Smoothie

Who is the Funniest Guy on the Team: Brett Skinner

Who Are your Number One Fans: My parents

What Do You Like To Do To Kill Time On The Bus: Watch TV

Favorite Childhood Toy: Miniature Hockey Stick

Favorite Motto: As a kid there was a poster on my wall that said, "I Play To Win"

If You Could Have Someone As a Mentor Who Would It Be: Doug Gilmore or Wendel Clark

Favorite TV Shows: Sons Of Anarchy, Workaholics, The Office & Modern Family

I told Jamie every time a player does an interview for the blog they have a great weekend so let's keep the streak going and get Jamie some points!!!

Practice Observation- 1/3/13

Spent a few minutes at practice this morning and had a few observations:

- A big crowd was at practice today. Nice job by Tommy Daniels to publicize practice while the kids are out of school. The kids were able to ask the players questions and get autographs. Nice touch!

- Mike Montgomery was skating with the team and participated in most drills. His return is still a ways off but it was good to see him on the ice.

- Brett Skinner looks ready to go and should be in the lineup for at least one game this weekend.

- Based on what I saw at practice looks like Jarret Lukin will get the coveted spot on the Maiani, Bootland line replacing Scotty Howes who has been recalled by the Springfield Falcons of the AHL.

- Rumor has it there might be a couple of announcements later today.

-  A couple of comments the coaches have made the last couple of  days in various forums. Brian McMillin is the best penalty killer on the team & whoever is on the Maiani line seems to score.

- The cold/flu/congestion bug that is prevalent all over has also struck the hockey team. Some guys with low energy by their own admission but everyone will be ready for Tulsa on Friday.

Martinson Post Game Comments - 12/31/12

What a way to bring in the new year with a 4-0 victory . You couldn't write the script much better. Put 5623 fans in the seats including lots of first time attendees, have your rookie goalie (Aaron Dell) record his first professional shutout, have other then your top line (Maiani, Bootland, Howes) score all of the goals (McMillin, Lukin, Grantham, Brennan), have the second place team loose (Wichita lost to Ft. Worth 4-2), have a few fights, and do all of this in front of lots of family and friends who are visiting from out of town.

Here is what Coach Martinson had to say at the post game press conference:

-  Alec Martinez looked great given the fact that he has only practiced a couple of times. He broke an orbital bone seven weeks ago while playing in Europe. The plans were to have him play this weekend but he told coach he was ready to go so they played him.

- With things looking better on the NHL lockout we may only have Martinez for a couple of weeks but it will give time for Skinner & Montgomery to get healthy.

- Brett Skinner has been looking good in practice and should be ready to go by Friday, however, he may not play in both games this weekend.

- The defense did a great job of keeping the shots from the outside but Dell did an outstanding job and has stopped everything he sees.

- Montgomery is still out and probably won't be ready for a couple more weeks.

- We still need to work on being more patient  down low, we need to support the puck and ride it out, not go for "hope" plays. The longer you have possession in the teams zone, the more mistakes they are going to make and the more penalties they will take. The team will have the day off on Tuesday and then have a couple of good practices on Wednesday & Thursday.

- Coach Martinson purposely tried to sign players that would be here all year to minimize the impact if the NHL lockout is lifted.

- It looks like Howes may be getting an AHL contract this week and Coach Martinson has already made a couple of offers to players to fill out the roster.

- Coach mentioned he does check scores of other CHL games during the periods as he was aware Wichita had lost to Ft. Worth.

- When asked about Garrett Clarke the coach was complimentary about his progress as a young player. He is taking fewer high risk plays and moving the puck well. Martinson called him one of the toughest defensemen in the league at 200 pounds. Coach did admit some of the players tease him about Clarke being another of his sons.

Other Thoughts:

- With his shutout Aaron Dell leads the league in both goals against average (1.82) and save percentage (93.6%)

- The Americans have four players in the top eight in the league in shooting percentage as Howes is second at 28%, McMillin fourth at 23%, and Bootland & Maiani are tied for eigth at 19%

- Had a chance to talk to McMillin's dad (Harley) who is in town for a visit and to watch Brian play. It was nice to see Brian have such a great game with a goal and two assists as well as being named the second star. I think we all play harder when dad is in the crowd. Harley and I share a passion for hunting and fishing so there was very little hockey talk. He is heading back home to Roseau, MN today.