Monday, March 03, 2008
Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays
Hey, everybody, whaat's happening?
Let's recap last night's game against the Blue Jackets:
• Oilers win.
• Oilers win in overtime. Again.
• Oilers win seventh straight at home.
• Oilers move above .500 on the season (31-30-5).
• Oilers stay out of draft lottery territory (6th worst record in the NHL).
That's a gold star performance, boys and girls! Huzzah!
Reading Dave's post on Covered in Oil yesterday put a bunch of questions in my head, which made me ask Mirtle where I could find some official info on the NHL Entry Draft (I couldn't find anything myself on the NHL webpage). Not only did Mirtle find the information for me, he wrote a post on it. He also pointed me towards a section on NHLSCAP devoted to the Entry Draft. Then NHLSCAP led me to a fantastic site on Draft Transactions, which then led me to exact information on the Oilers future draft picks (Flames info here). After all that forwarding, I understand the lottery system much better. I'm also terribly worried about the game in hand the Blues hold over us. This is what my life as an Oilers fan has come down to: cheering for the Blues to tank the season.
Note to Oilers brass: don't ever hold a skills competition on the same day as the Edmonton Motorshow again. Ever. If I was ruler of the universe, someone at Northlands or the Oilers would be getting an atomic wedgie for that one. What a bloody gong-show. I also had a good chuckle at the "Evolution 09" project signs around Northlands. Translated from PR Gobbledygook to English, "Evolution 09" means a $146 million upgrade to the Northlands site. Frankly, I don't know how it will survive without the anchor support of a world-class, iconic, and dangerous Greenwich Village Generator, but crazier things have happened. Evolve away, Northlands!
The skills competition itself was a pleasurable experience. No Ales Hemsky, unfortunately, but plenty of neat goals, plays and saves were to be seen. There's a ton of video up on the Oilers site, so I'll just redirect people there rather than summarizing it all myself. I will say these three things, though: the 3-on-3 competition didn't really work as an event, I saw Marty Reasoner good, and Dwayne Roloson was a delight. I also want to hump Fernando Pisani, but we all knew that already.
The University of Alberta Golden Bears swept the Manitoba Bisons this past weekend, securing themselves a place in the Canada West Finals as well as the CIS National Championships. I was at Saturday's game, which went into double overtime, and to say it was a different experience is a gross understatement. I've never been to a hockey game where the Bears were down by three goals at any point, let alone 14:36 of the first period. Kudos, then, to the Bears for restoring the order of things by coming back to tie the game, and winning it in overtime. I would have been thrown into an existential and nihilistic tailspin otherwise.
Two National Championship slots are available to Canada West this year, which means that both the Bears and their Canada West Finals opponents the Saskatchewan Huskies will advance to Moncton. The Canada West Finals games will be played at Clare Drake Arena this upcoming weekend (Friday & Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 7:00 p.m. if necessary). I'll be there. You should be to.
Oh, and congrats to the Golden Bears volleyball team, which won its fifth National Championship this past weekend in Quebec City. That's the seventh straight year the team has made it to the CIS Finals.
Let's recap last night's game against the Blue Jackets:
• Oilers win.
• Oilers win in overtime. Again.
• Oilers win seventh straight at home.
• Oilers move above .500 on the season (31-30-5).
• Oilers stay out of draft lottery territory (6th worst record in the NHL).
That's a gold star performance, boys and girls! Huzzah!
Reading Dave's post on Covered in Oil yesterday put a bunch of questions in my head, which made me ask Mirtle where I could find some official info on the NHL Entry Draft (I couldn't find anything myself on the NHL webpage). Not only did Mirtle find the information for me, he wrote a post on it. He also pointed me towards a section on NHLSCAP devoted to the Entry Draft. Then NHLSCAP led me to a fantastic site on Draft Transactions, which then led me to exact information on the Oilers future draft picks (Flames info here). After all that forwarding, I understand the lottery system much better. I'm also terribly worried about the game in hand the Blues hold over us. This is what my life as an Oilers fan has come down to: cheering for the Blues to tank the season.
Note to Oilers brass: don't ever hold a skills competition on the same day as the Edmonton Motorshow again. Ever. If I was ruler of the universe, someone at Northlands or the Oilers would be getting an atomic wedgie for that one. What a bloody gong-show. I also had a good chuckle at the "Evolution 09" project signs around Northlands. Translated from PR Gobbledygook to English, "Evolution 09" means a $146 million upgrade to the Northlands site. Frankly, I don't know how it will survive without the anchor support of a world-class, iconic, and dangerous Greenwich Village Generator, but crazier things have happened. Evolve away, Northlands!
The skills competition itself was a pleasurable experience. No Ales Hemsky, unfortunately, but plenty of neat goals, plays and saves were to be seen. There's a ton of video up on the Oilers site, so I'll just redirect people there rather than summarizing it all myself. I will say these three things, though: the 3-on-3 competition didn't really work as an event, I saw Marty Reasoner good, and Dwayne Roloson was a delight. I also want to hump Fernando Pisani, but we all knew that already.
The University of Alberta Golden Bears swept the Manitoba Bisons this past weekend, securing themselves a place in the Canada West Finals as well as the CIS National Championships. I was at Saturday's game, which went into double overtime, and to say it was a different experience is a gross understatement. I've never been to a hockey game where the Bears were down by three goals at any point, let alone 14:36 of the first period. Kudos, then, to the Bears for restoring the order of things by coming back to tie the game, and winning it in overtime. I would have been thrown into an existential and nihilistic tailspin otherwise.
Two National Championship slots are available to Canada West this year, which means that both the Bears and their Canada West Finals opponents the Saskatchewan Huskies will advance to Moncton. The Canada West Finals games will be played at Clare Drake Arena this upcoming weekend (Friday & Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 7:00 p.m. if necessary). I'll be there. You should be to.
Oh, and congrats to the Golden Bears volleyball team, which won its fifth National Championship this past weekend in Quebec City. That's the seventh straight year the team has made it to the CIS Finals.
# posted by andy grabia @ 12:58 pm 
Comments:
"The University of Alberta Golden Bears swept the Manitoba Bisons..."
Yeah, keep on pretending that it matters. UNB will crush all comers.
I was at the Bears game Friday night
"Kudos" to the Bisons for making a game of it.
I saw the Bisons just after Christmas and the Bears killed them; 7-1, 8-2 or something.
Should Harlan Anderson get a PTO contract with the Oilers after the Bears win the CIS Championship?
The guy is the best player in Canadian College Hockey - by a mile.
Should Harlan Anderson get a PTO contract with the Oilers after the Bears win the CIS Championship?
It's not a bad suggestion, actually. The guy is pretty damn good.
It's a Monday, so you knew there had to be something ominous... Just saw the TSN ticker that the Stars have put Tobias on re-entry waivers. Uh oh...just when you thought the Oilers had some breathing room under the limit for player contracts, the Stars dangle this "carrot." Great...
Also saw on the ticker that Pouliot has been recalled, so maybe there's a chance the Oil brass will resist the urge to claim Tobias. Then again, we know how much MacT loves Tobias (might be as much as Andy loves San Fernando).
Yep, too much good news for the Oil...so the universe had to correct itself and put fear into the hearts of Oiler fans. Crap.
In other news, from NHL.com, we have this gem:
"Forsberg practices with Vas, still undecided on playing Tuesday"
Who is that Vas guy? He apparently practiced with Sakic and Hejduk, so it's one of them. Yeah, OK, it's a just at typo for Avs, but you're telling me the NHL.com "editors" couldn't catch the deferens?...
BTW, as I write this, it's the ninth headline on the NHL.com scoreboard page, so it's been there a while. Nice work NHL.com. Keeping track of team names sure is difficult.
Oh my...Edmontoby Petersoilers, 2008 edition...it can't happen. No, Rod, I don't believe you. They couldn't sign him. They wouldn't. They've already let him go...no...could they?...why, Rod, why!?!?!?!?!
"After being scheduled for release early in the New Year, 630 CHED Sports has learned that the Arena Feasability Report has been delayed once again. The report, being worked on by local business leaders like Lyle Best, is now scheduled to be presented to the parties involved on March 25th. Most recently, the report was scheduled to be put forward on or around March 10th"
—630ched
http://www.630ched.com/Channels/Reg/LocalSports/Story.aspx?ID=1000940
Obviously they are awaiting to make the announcement until after Toby gets comfortable with his new (old) team again.
Seriously though, what's the hold up?
Andy,
Yep, that's the nightmare that vividly flashed through my brain upon reading the text scroll across the ticker. Apparently I wasn't tough enough to handle the pain without spreading it around. You don't have to thank me.
I'm not just the bearer of bad news though. Found this nugget from Mike Heika's post on Toby Petersen on re-entry waivers:
>>The process involving re-entry waivers change after the trade deadline, as a team can claim Petersen for half price and place him on their NHL roster, but they cannot play him in regular season or playoff games for the remainder of the season.<<
Phew. With those types of restrictions, the Oilers wouldn't claim Petersen...would they? I mean, they'd be crazy to put in a claim...oh, wait...
"Seriously though, what's the hold up?"
No doubt, this is going to be a contentious report. They want to release it after the new Alberta government is sworn in to avoid any conflict or backlash. Its called avoiding "The Red Zone" in government speak.
The fact of this release date and the obvious wish to avoid any public backlash around the election hints at some sort of recommendation of public participation. But I'm just putting 2 and 2 together here.
BTW - Mason posted a pretty decent article on C2E the other day. I'm surprised you haven't jumped all over it yet Andy.
Is Aulin still playing for the Dinos ?
Have to imagine he'd be in the running for "best CIS player"...
$147 million for Northlands!
What are they doing over there? Building better cattle ramps for the rodeo? Buying orangier dirt for the tractor pull? Investing in smarter moles for Wack-A-Mole?
I mean, sweet Jeebus, can't any level of government stop spending money. Please.
/end rant
Great vid. Reminds me of Star Trek Outtakes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iGq54CfG-U
Busts me up every time
Is Aulin still playing for the Dinos ? Have to imagine he'd be in the running for "best CIS player"...
Yup, and you are right.
Who is that Vas guy?
Vas Deferens. I think he used to have Semin with him.
Is Aulin still playing for the Dinos?
He is. Haven't seen him play (haven't gone to a Dinos game since November), but he keeps getting good ink.
Around Rexall? I'd say Coliseum Steak and Pizza. If you don't mind being a whopping five minutes away by train, I'd suggest Sherlock Holmes downtown. Then you can walk to the Churchill Station, jump on the LRT, and be at Rexall in two stops. Or you can wait ten years for the Greenwich Village of Western Canada to be finished. Then bars and restaurants run by Bohemian Oompa Loompas and Lollipop Gangs will be everywhere. :)
Thanks for the reminder on Golden Bears CIS West Final. I planned to go to a University game this year, and now have the opportunity
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"The University of Alberta Golden Bears swept the Manitoba Bisons..."
Yeah, keep on pretending that it matters. UNB will crush all comers.
I was at the Bears game Friday night
"Kudos" to the Bisons for making a game of it.
I saw the Bisons just after Christmas and the Bears killed them; 7-1, 8-2 or something.
Should Harlan Anderson get a PTO contract with the Oilers after the Bears win the CIS Championship?
The guy is the best player in Canadian College Hockey - by a mile.
Should Harlan Anderson get a PTO contract with the Oilers after the Bears win the CIS Championship?
It's not a bad suggestion, actually. The guy is pretty damn good.
It's a Monday, so you knew there had to be something ominous... Just saw the TSN ticker that the Stars have put Tobias on re-entry waivers. Uh oh...just when you thought the Oilers had some breathing room under the limit for player contracts, the Stars dangle this "carrot." Great...
Also saw on the ticker that Pouliot has been recalled, so maybe there's a chance the Oil brass will resist the urge to claim Tobias. Then again, we know how much MacT loves Tobias (might be as much as Andy loves San Fernando).
Yep, too much good news for the Oil...so the universe had to correct itself and put fear into the hearts of Oiler fans. Crap.
In other news, from NHL.com, we have this gem:
"Forsberg practices with Vas, still undecided on playing Tuesday"
Who is that Vas guy? He apparently practiced with Sakic and Hejduk, so it's one of them. Yeah, OK, it's a just at typo for Avs, but you're telling me the NHL.com "editors" couldn't catch the deferens?...
BTW, as I write this, it's the ninth headline on the NHL.com scoreboard page, so it's been there a while. Nice work NHL.com. Keeping track of team names sure is difficult.
# posted by 
: March 03, 2008 5:35 pm
: March 03, 2008 5:35 pm Oh my...Edmontoby Petersoilers, 2008 edition...it can't happen. No, Rod, I don't believe you. They couldn't sign him. They wouldn't. They've already let him go...no...could they?...why, Rod, why!?!?!?!?!
"After being scheduled for release early in the New Year, 630 CHED Sports has learned that the Arena Feasability Report has been delayed once again. The report, being worked on by local business leaders like Lyle Best, is now scheduled to be presented to the parties involved on March 25th. Most recently, the report was scheduled to be put forward on or around March 10th"
—630ched
http://www.630ched.com/Channels/Reg/LocalSports/Story.aspx?ID=1000940
Obviously they are awaiting to make the announcement until after Toby gets comfortable with his new (old) team again.
Seriously though, what's the hold up?
# posted by : March 03, 2008 6:25 pm
: March 03, 2008 6:25 pm Andy,
Yep, that's the nightmare that vividly flashed through my brain upon reading the text scroll across the ticker. Apparently I wasn't tough enough to handle the pain without spreading it around. You don't have to thank me.
I'm not just the bearer of bad news though. Found this nugget from Mike Heika's post on Toby Petersen on re-entry waivers:
>>The process involving re-entry waivers change after the trade deadline, as a team can claim Petersen for half price and place him on their NHL roster, but they cannot play him in regular season or playoff games for the remainder of the season.<<
Phew. With those types of restrictions, the Oilers wouldn't claim Petersen...would they? I mean, they'd be crazy to put in a claim...oh, wait...
# posted by : March 03, 2008 6:53 pm
: March 03, 2008 6:53 pm "Seriously though, what's the hold up?"
No doubt, this is going to be a contentious report. They want to release it after the new Alberta government is sworn in to avoid any conflict or backlash. Its called avoiding "The Red Zone" in government speak.
The fact of this release date and the obvious wish to avoid any public backlash around the election hints at some sort of recommendation of public participation. But I'm just putting 2 and 2 together here.
BTW - Mason posted a pretty decent article on C2E the other day. I'm surprised you haven't jumped all over it yet Andy.
# posted by : March 03, 2008 8:18 pm
: March 03, 2008 8:18 pm Is Aulin still playing for the Dinos ?
Have to imagine he'd be in the running for "best CIS player"...
$147 million for Northlands!
What are they doing over there? Building better cattle ramps for the rodeo? Buying orangier dirt for the tractor pull? Investing in smarter moles for Wack-A-Mole?
I mean, sweet Jeebus, can't any level of government stop spending money. Please.
/end rant
Great vid. Reminds me of Star Trek Outtakes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iGq54CfG-U
Busts me up every time
Is Aulin still playing for the Dinos ? Have to imagine he'd be in the running for "best CIS player"...
Yup, and you are right.
Who is that Vas guy?
Vas Deferens. I think he used to have Semin with him.
Is Aulin still playing for the Dinos?
He is. Haven't seen him play (haven't gone to a Dinos game since November), but he keeps getting good ink.
Around Rexall? I'd say Coliseum Steak and Pizza. If you don't mind being a whopping five minutes away by train, I'd suggest Sherlock Holmes downtown. Then you can walk to the Churchill Station, jump on the LRT, and be at Rexall in two stops. Or you can wait ten years for the Greenwich Village of Western Canada to be finished. Then bars and restaurants run by Bohemian Oompa Loompas and Lollipop Gangs will be everywhere. :)
Thanks for the reminder on Golden Bears CIS West Final. I planned to go to a University game this year, and now have the opportunity
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