- So Raffi Torres of the Vancouver Canucks has officially been suspended for 4 games by the NHL for his hit on Jordan Eberle on Tuesday night. My thoughts? Four games is too much. Way too much. Two at the very most. But I had a feeling that it would be more than that, just because of the time and the location of the hit. In this day and age in the NHL, you should expect to be suspended by the show if you darn well shoot a puck at a guys head by accident. Any and EVERY head shot will be examined. And there is nothing wrong with that. Torres got Eberle in the corner with his head down. Eberle must have been looking for a loose contact lens. Ya, Torres did put his shoulder up a bit, but I don't think he was trying to hit his head. It's nowhere near a Matt Cooke hit. If it was open ice, then I would say 4 wouldn't be enough. But the Canucks were down 1-0 late in the game, and the hit put him out for 5 and his team gave up a powerplay goal to the Oilers. That's punishment enough!!!!! 2 games. Not 4. But, again, wrong location and wrong time. If that was a high stick, I would say he wouldn't have even been suspended. But a hit to the head.......you are toast.
- The Wolverines banquet and alumni game is good to go this weekend. I chatted with VP Joey Bouchard this morning and he is excited to see some old faces take over the rink. Elias Lachance has officially been added to the alumni roster. Elias played in the capital league this year, and sounds like he cannot wait for the opportunity to play with the old boys. Tickets are still available at Scott Safety for the banquet.
- The Fort McMurray Oil Barons have been selected to travel to Russia and play in the World Junior Club Cup from August 30th to September 4th. 8 teams from Canada, USA, Russia, Finland, Switzerland and Sweden will compete. The event is put on by the IIHF. What a big year for Fort Mac, who also hosted the "northern classic" against the Drayton Valley Thunder on November 26th. They played in front of an outdoor crowd of 5,726. Also a big year for play by play man Kenny Trenton, who is a former employee of our company, Fabmar Communications Inc.
- I have been catching up with emails, email requests for audio, play by play clips, interviews and all other requests this week. So if you have sent one to me over the last few months and I wasn't able to get back to it, that is what I will be doing this week. A little bit of housekeeping now that the season is over with. I am pretty sure I have replied to all of them, but I know there is definitely one I missed.
Comments? email me at dave@xm105.com
