Yep, I was the dude having the massive party at the Holiday Inn that kept Burgee up. The short, balding old dude was already there! Other observations:
* Alan is correct about the roster turnover from the beginning of the season, except Al Sims prefers to stick with what he's got it at all possible. In his perfect world, he'd take 22 players and make them all better by the end of the season.
* For those of you worried about Flint, you shouldn't be. The Komets didn't get started in 1990 until July 10. Flint will match or beat that and have a stronger management team in place than the Generals had before.
* Why is Burgee turning into the Dennis Miller of the Blog? I have to spend valuable time trying to figure out who and what he is talking about all the time.
* CHL is in danger of losing their key corridor like the old IHL did when Fort Wayne, Kalamazoo and Indianapolis left the league. ECHL has to worry about that, too, if Wheeling and Johnstown continue to struggle. According to the Fort Collins Daily Coloradan, Colorado has only one opponent within 500 miles and three within 800.
* Steve, I don't eat or go anywhere near fish, especially those from FW's rivers. Have been known to walk the RiverGreenway, however.
* Rookie is 60 games or less; Veteran is 300 games or more. Goalies are vets after 18,000 minutes.
* Quad City has a cool logo.
* New KomVince Laise sat out last season. Wonder if he'll have similar results to Rick Varone?
Comments
Ed pinkley thought that was you at the holiday inn express. He drives a ford and is known to hang with roy mercer who happens to be a tulsa oilers fan.
Wasn't he one of Martin Short's characters on SCTV?
roy mercer is a stand-up comedian if i recall correctly. isn't ed pinkley a used-car salesman? famous for the pinkley taurus?? heard its a big seller...
Apparently Toledo has announced their "home" pre-season schedule. On October 10th they will play Cincinnati but on October 11th they will play Port Huron. I know that this makes sense from a logistics point of view but as I think about it more I am kind of disturbed by it. I feel that the ECHL has "invaded" the IHL territory with the Kalamazoo addition. (Before anyone points out that Dayton is joining the "I" remember that the Dayton Bombers folded thus opening up the territory for another league). I believe that both leagues are really in a "war" for the remaining viable cities in the mid-west. Co-operating with the other league in any form is disturbing to me and I don't think it is a good idea. I probably have not expressed my thoughts perfectly but I have a bad feeling about this. Each league should pay attention to its own franchises and not get mixed together in any form right now. Am I right or am I taking this too seriously?
Alan--Interesting point, but in a league with an odd number of teams there's going to be some unique scheduling. I'd guess that PH received permission to schedule this preseason game so that each IHL team can get three preseason games in. Those glorified scrimmages are fairly important in determining rosters--seeing players skate at game speed.
I'd be more concerned if this was during the season with the teams trying to fill an "off" Saturday date.
You had a party? And you didn't invite me? :( Fine. I see how you are.
Careful, Alan. Blake already got on my case for calling it a "war". I can see what you mean, though. Still, an exhibition game like that could be good. Maybe it would finally put to rest the "ECHL is so much better than the IHL" argument. Eh... Not really. If those people cared about reason and facts, it would have died a long time ago.
This is only to the benefit of the IHL, actually. As Wendy points out, it can help level the perceptions, but it can also show to some teams how they can have rivalries and potential close opponents if they decide to possibly consider other options. It also gets the fans fired up for a preseason game. Remember FW and Indy from a few years ago?
Maybe Snowball will beat-up there tuff guy./Kevin Hanson-Tulsa Oilers jersey-#20-white./I thought Ray Mercer = boxer
crap! i'm thinking rOy mercer... such a great mind going at such a young age... really is a shame.
alan: i kind of look at this like Blake does. maybe they are doing this to weigh their options of a different league choice for the future? if they really thought theirs was vastly superior, i doubt they'd book the lousy competition and risk their players.
Personally, I like the idea of a cross-league game...
IHL All-Stars vs. ECHL All-Stars would be interesting....
That would be the only kind of all-star game I'd have any interest in. The traditional format is a colossal bore and waste of time. Everybody leaves after the second period and I'm stuck there through another period of snooze.
I wish my job was only boring 1/3 of the time once a year... I knew I should've become a fighter pilot!
Thanks for weighing in everyone. I've had a little more time to think about it and I think my first reaction was the correct one. To Salvucci, I'm not so sure that the IHL gave permission to do this and I don't buy the argument that it is being done to provide at least three exhibition games for everyone. I certainly understand the need for game like conditions so the coaching staffs can make intelligent decisions on whom to keep and whom to cut. To Blake and Wendy. Toledo should be smart enough to realize that opponents close in proximity make for better rivals than those far away. I don't buy the reasoning that this benefits the IHL at all. This won't do anything to level the perception of the two leagues because if Toledo wins the ECHL fans will say, "see we told you our league was better." If Port Huron wins the ECHL fans will say, "it is just an exhibition game." The climate of "AA" hockey is a little different today than it has been in the past. The ECHL is not just another "AA" league but a rival which would like nothing else than to put the IHL out of business. This is not the time for the IHL to take part in any manner with the ECHL. Let Kalamazoo play Toledo. Everyone has their own opinions and I certainly respect each and every one of yours. I just don't agree with you on this.
Time is an investment, spend it wisely crayfish. Having said that I hope. PH knocks there teeth out in the exhibition game.
Unless Toledo completely blows out PH I can see no harm coming from them playing each other.
Remember when we use to play I think it was Louisville (the AHL version) in pre-season games when we were in the old IHL?
I also remember a couple who were Rochester Americans season ticket holders. They were here on a business trip and the couple who sat behind me brought them to a Komets game (again in the old IHL days). They wanted to see the IHL plus they liked Ian Boyce. Of course they swore up and down that the AHL was a better league even though at that time the two leagues were about as parallel as you could get and still have separate leagues.
My point is the ECHL fans are going to say their league is better and the IHL fans are going to say our league is better unless one team completely blows out the other and there is a very obvious difference in skill.
The bottom line is that it is a pre-season game and the only true gauge for talent is if the roster is completely set in stone and both teams play their best players.....otherwise, How can you make any accurate assumption about the 2 leagues against each other?
It would be cool to see a mid-season tourney were the top 2 teams or 4 in each league, I would say IHL vs. North Division of ECHL on a weekend instead of all-star games....that would be fun. I would bet those games would be a very hard ticket to buy.
Alan... That's why I added "Eh... Not really."
They have permission from the league to do this.
RK, there is absolutely nothing more boring than the last half of an all-star game. The players don't want to play hard and everyone else gets to leave. I'll take a regular old exhibition game any day because players care and are fighting for a job. I'd rather watch the rookies than the stars. Now, if we could get the Russians or Olympic team back or something special like that, I'm all for it.
Blake,
What would you think about either an All Star Team vs. the defending league champion? I think that was the IHL format for an All Star game in the past.
I would not be opposed to seeing a limited form (5 to 8 games) of interleague play...like one sees in MLB, have for example, FW vs. Toledo, etc. have the games count in the standings, but only play teams that are close by to keep the travel issues to a minimum.
Perhaps it would make the different leagues realize that each one of them has to have it's own unique geographical footprint. I realize it will likely never happen, but it was done in the past in the old IHL (1960's)
Want an interesting all star game?
Get sponsors to put up enough $$ for $2000 per player on the winning team. Winner take all.
I know in this economy that won't be easy. But considering that kind of extra money means something to guys at this level, it will make the all star game much much more competitive.
who will be the vets this year?
i agree all star games are horrible, thats not hockey!
also, i hope none of the michigan teams or the komets play kzoo in exhibition games, let them bus to gwinnett (wherever the hell that is) or elmira to play. or maybe they could fly out to play the bakersfield condors.
N.O. to interleague play. There's no need and the only thing it would do would be to drive up expenses. It only means something to the oldtimers which is a limited audience to begin with, myself included.
I also don't like playing the league champions. What if that team is horrible the next year? Why would fans of opposing teams care about the all-star game? The attendance at those games was horrible. All-star games are supposed to bring a league together not push it farther apart. There's also the financial factor. No one wants to give up a weekend date so it will have to be played on a Wednesday which immediately cuts into your crowd.
I'd rather see a skills competition, another Legends game or something unique than another all-star game. It's all hype that never pays off. Maybe paying the players extra would work, but that's an extra $40,000-$50,000 or so expense and no one ever makes money off an all-star game anyway because they have to pay for the travel, uniforms and the luncheon and every other little detail. I really don't blame the players, either. Until you can go league vs. league, it doesn't make any sense, and right now there is no incentive for any league to take part.
Blake: I wasn't disputing that it's boring during those games or periods. I was simply stating that I'd love it if I was only bored that amount of time at my job... Meaning, I'm bored quite often at work and because of the fantastic legislators we have at the federal and state levels, I cannot do more to make things more interesting or to challenge myself. Hence, a more advanced field is in my not so distant future so I can be challenged and not bored. You know, something more fulfilling.
Believe me, I agree, All-Star games are a joke, no matter what level, league, or sport you are watching. The only one that makes it halfway interesting is NASCAR (sorry to say) because they have a $1 million payout to the winner, and nothing for second on back.
Tantardini: I agree, let Kzoo go to Hell to play their competition. Sorry, I'm not big on traitors to the league.
I didn't know Hades had a team. :D
The other side of this coin is that perhaps Toledo is looking to jump ship to the IHL in a year or two and wants to bring in a team from the I to show their fans the caliber of hockey.
The only thing that matters is the red wings got pounded and ended up first loser!!!! First or worst baby!
I had a moment to check in and I see that almost everyone disagrees with me about my reluctance of having the two leagues playing against each other in the exhibition season. I respect the opinion of everyone. I am, personally, very surprised that the IHL gave their permission for Port Huron to do this. I know, and remember, when IHL teams played teams from other leagues in the preseason. The difference between now and then is that back then the other leagues were not looking to place teams in the IHL "area". The game between Toledo and Port Huron is one of convenience-nothing else. I would just hesitate to cooperate with the ECHL in any manner now. If I am wrong I will gladly admit it. Now we need to concentrate on getting Rockford, Peoria, and Indianapolis in the IHL. If that happens we will see Des Moines come in. The league will then be so strong that Kalamazoo, Toledo, and Cincinnati will be very tempted to jump ship. Are you listening IHL Board of Governors?
I was talking with Herm Johnson from st petersburg, can't wait for the everblades to play the wings, he loves them, has them 2 or 3 times a week he says.
If the Everblades are anything close to the caliber team I saw play last season, yes, they WILL eat K-zoo for lunch.