Schedule

I wouldnt say that he is a target. I think everyone hopes that he does well. at least for the sake of the Ks vs. Dayton rivalry, i hope that they have a good team, they should have went after mac and hukalo.

CJK sadly I think there are some around here that hope he and Dayton fails just so they can point fingers, blame the Franke family and use it in an attempt to push their doom and gloom agenda for anything associated with the IHL/CHL.

They could not have signed either of them.

No, actually Mr. Sesame Street, I want Dayton to do well. I just don't see how they will do well playing the Komets 14 times and how can they get the Dayton Fan base re-energized without bringing in someoone who knows how to market and generate excitement in that town, at the AA level.

I think that is alot for Mr. Gratz to do.

And if he doesn't generate excitement with that team, then I am afraid the people in Dayton will once again have an excuse as to why they didn't support that team......they will say, look at the coach and players you gave us, oh and they will complain about Hara Arena of course.

I just happen to think that the only way you create a splash in Dayton, is you have to get into a better arena situation, bring in a high profile coach that is familiar to that market, and bring in a style of team the fans will love.

Martinson should have been the target there. I am sorry if he refused to come there.

Maybe we need to change the subject a bit.

Blake, I have read somewhere that CHL teams are only allowed a set number of contracts signed. Maybe a limit of 30 players allowed to attend training camps. These limits, if true, are kind of foreign to me and I wonder if you might be able to compare the IHL and CHL in this regard. What about trades? Trading deadline? Can players be brought in during the entire year or are there constraints? When does the playoff roster need to be set? Does the league review the salary cap weekly? What about signing players from Europe?

Mightbite, where is this player you have been telling us about? Young, aggressive, size, talented, but no name. I have no doubt at all that you know what is going on, but I wish you would've kept it to yourself a little while longer than you did if you can't reveal any more information.

Offensive minded forwards departed: Shafranov, Chaulk, Syro, Hukalo, Hodgman.

Offensive minded forwards added: Curadeau, Petrosso, Naurato.

I think we need one more pretty good forward added to the roster before we start celebrating.

I understand that some of the kids may fill that role, but the fact is that we "lost" five and have "gained" three.

Gotta get going for the evening. I'll check back tomorrow if anyone has any help for me on my questions.

Indy ks fan....I'm sorry to be dense, but I must admit that I don't get why you think we will see a drop in the caliber of play when we have signed so many of the same players to our team....do you mean to tell me that these guys are going to have forgotten how to play the game of hockey simply because their team's owner signed a business agreement placing the team in another league? I must have missed something in my "Hockey for Dummies" book, because I don't get that logic....please explain....

And thank you, Steve...I always appreciate when someone gets my humor! ;)

Dschebig: I hope Gratz does a great job in Dayton. His season will come down to how well he recruits this offseason. He could be the best coaching prospect since Scotty Bowman; but if you cant recruit at the AA level, you wont have any success during the season. From what everyone is saying, there are alot of good hockey players looking for jobs this summer, so hopefully he can make a couple splashes soon with contract annoumcements. The best way to start energizing the Dayton hockey community is to start giving them some names they can get excited about.

I agree with the comments that you have to get your start somewhere, and this is Brians first big chance; but also agree that Dayton might have been better served getting a known name to take over this year and get the fans a lil more fired up.

Good luck to Gratz this season!

Really Hit... I think you can come up with a better name... right Miss Nobody? Are we going to reduce this to that?

"Really Hit

Komets123 I was trying to illustrate the nonsense. Clearly you missed the point and you and your friends would rather turn each thread into a situation to attempt to call me out. It is much the same way you turn every press release and event into a negative. Since I could care less about what a bunch of fellow anons on a blog think of "me" I would like to think that direct name calling would be a lesson in futility. But I could of course be wrong.

no i didn't miss your point. thanks for your concern on my radar abilities though. Also, i don't have a friend on here, and certainly have taken no opportunities to "gang" up on you.

Clearly you missed my point. By illustrating your "point" you played right into the "nonsense" you speak so ill of.. to each his own. Do not misunderstand me,. Hit is neither friend nor foe of mine. I was not defending him. Simply giving food for thought. take it how you wish.

Boring....
Goodnight.

Snuff the way you 'defend' the Frankes or the blog does more damage than good, IMO....

Its like spanking your child in punishment for hitting his friend...

2 wrongs dont make a right.....

Subject change: The USHL (with the might of USA hockey behind them) have formally thrown thier hat into the new Evansville Arena lease ring.... Wont be a 'cake walk' for the CIHL and the Icemen to get the lease on the new building. From what I'm hearing the ECHL will be, or already have, thrown thier's in as well...

http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=179975

hmmm.. interesting read JM. Thanks. I was worried about Evansville capability of supporting a team in "our" league(whatever it may be CHL/IHL).. if USHL enters the picture i would think a CHL/IHL/FHL team would be out.. hope i have had a rough night and am looking at it all wrong.

Baaaahahaha!!!! Just like the little Chinese guy in The Hangover... ::yawn:: "Boring. Get tired. Take nap now."

I just hope that Evansville will have a leg up on the others since they have been operating a hockey franchise in that community for a couple years now... This season is vital for them, IMO, when it comes to thier chances for winning the lease battle there. If they can have a strong season and form a good waiting list showing a strong STH base for the lease negotiations there should be no reason for the city to go with anyone else.

i wish the best for Evansville too. Am a bit pessimistic to be honest though.. in my nature from time to time.

Another quick hit from the other day...

http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=178595

This is worded alot better and hints at what the USHL has backing it up...

gotta give the USHL one thing.. they sell themselves fairly well. interesting to see where this leads..

JR, why are you being so negative?

Komets123 is my best friend.

Sorry for calling you Mr. Sesame Street. I can't spell Snufflelufugusus very well.

I can't wait for the puck to drop.

awww. thanks hit. i will cherish this moment for a long time to come.

wait a minute.. i just had a thought.. you might be being sarcastic.. hmm... i withdraw my statement of cherishing the moment.

BLB: The caliber of the teams they play does make a difference. Even if the Komets are wiping the ice with the other team, I don't find that to be a particularly exciting game. But there is also the tendency to "play down" to opponents, especially early in the season.

And sure, one can hope that Evansville will have their act together, but what with them getting a late start, this being their first year, and not even having a proper arena yet, everything would seem to be dead set against them.

"The USHL is the equivalent of Canada's Ontario Hockey League." That's a bit bold don't you think?

The talent level between those two leagues is not even close.

Its getting alot closer than most think....

Steve, It is a bold remark; but they are also marketing thier product to alot of people who have never seen an OHL game so comparing it to the premier juniors league on the continent will turn some heads... Hockey people know that the OHL is still King of the Mountain; but thier tightening of thier foreign player rule is pushing more American born players to the USHL....

Its like the CHL and IHL dubbing thier 'endeavour' the "super league" (or whatever it was they called it)... Or 'Clash of the Titans' to describe the K's and Rush opening night game here in the Fort... We all know better, its just marketing maneuvering...IMO

Update: new "tough guy" is trying to get into an AHL camp.Played there before :)

B-line Babe, the caliber of play in the CHL is terrible. The league is made up of guys who could not make it in the ECHL, so they tried the IHL. When the IHL cut them, they made their way to the CHL. The league is full of players who couldn't play in the old IHL. I look for the Ks to do very well in this poor excuse of a league, but the games against the CHL teams will be boring because to be brutally honest, they suck.