PR - Wheat Kings

OFF-SEASON BEGINS FOR CHAMPS WITH TWO DEALS

Following their cinderella run to the cup, Trade Ty went at it again, pulling off two significant deals.

In the first, the Kings sent the Bobcats 1st rounder (22nd overall), a 5th in TFHL20, Sandis Ozolinsh, Dan Snyder, and Mark Bell to the Pontiacs in return for Patrick Dwyer, Ben Ulmer and a 3rd. The Wheaties then swapped Ulmer, the 3rd along with Brian Willsie and Matt Ellison to the Misconduct for Rostislav Olesz, Dan Bertram, Cam Barker and Roberto Luongo.

"These deals, I think, help significantly to round-out our team for both the near and long-term future" GM Tyler Young said. "We get a collection of good young supporting players in Dwyer, Olesz, Bertram and Barker, all of whom are in the general range of our core."

Some might criticize the moves for disrupting a group of players which gelled on their way to the Cup.

"I don't really think it will hurt team chemistry," Mr. Young responded. "Matt and Sandis were certainly key components of our run. But although Sandis was playing phenomenal, you could see he was losing a step. I didn't think he would continue to be so effective over the course of another full season. Matt played well for us at times, but he was never entirely reliable. He's got top 6 skills, but by the end of the playoffs he was unseated by Steve Weiss and Mike Frolik and religated to the 3rd line. For his salary, 3rd line wasn't good enough - and with Dwyer we didn't even need Matt there. It will probably do him good to go to the Misconduct, we wish him well."

The deals also serve to fill out the team, which is expected to lose unrestricted free agents Craig Conroy, Glenn Murray, and Scott Niedermayer.

The Kings have over $20 million dollars in cap space and when asked what he plans to use the money on, the GM was tentative:

"With these deals we really don't need anything, so we'll see. We do have a lot of RFAs, and that space gives us the luxury not to be held by the balls at any point - so that's good. We'll see, we might try adding one player if the price is right, but we're good either way."

The deal with the Misconduct brought back three one-time Wheaties in Dan Bertram, Cam Barker, and a former great, Roberto Luongo. This is the fourth time the Kings have acquired Luongo, though this time he comes to Saskatoon as back-up to Jimmy Howard.

"Jimmy is the man," Young declared, "there is no doubt about that. However, Roberto gives us a good back up in net, which is important. It's also good for the team to have Luggie back. He's got three years more on his contract and it might be nice for him to play out his career here."

PR - Wheat Kings

WHEAT KINGS CROWNED CHAMPIONS

Put simply they rode a hot goalie and scored by commitee, but for the Saskatchewan Wheat Kings their first league championship in their 10 year history was more than it seemed.

"This is incredible!" Captin Josh Hennessy exclaimed amidst the dressing room clamour, "this just came together, this team! This is just a great championship, all these years. And you know what, we should be around a few more!"

Ironically the Kings nearly missed the playoffs this season. Indeed many of the deals which brought this team together were made out of desperation just to make the playoffs.

"I knew if we made the playoffs, we had a shot," Coach-GM Tyler Young said, "so I made a couple deals to bring in more scoring - as it turned out those are the deals that made this cup run possible."

The additions of Stephen Weiss and Kristian Huselius at the deadline will likely stand-out as the 'deal which did it' in the minds of Wheat-watchers. Weiss and Huselius provided consistent support scoring throughout the playoffs, which was especially needed during the various injuries suffered against the Ice and when Steve Bernier went down in Game 1 of the Conference finals.

Huselius potted the Cup winning goal as the Kings staged a remarkable early 3rd period surge in yesterday's seventh game, scoring three goals in 1:29 to take a 5-3 lead, as the Kings powered back to win the final two games of the series.

"We were exausted, worn out," Conn Smythe winner Jimmy Howard said, "we were playing on pure adrenaline a lot of the time. But after Game Six, when we were down 4-2, we just sat down in our room and said, we didn't make it this far, fight this hard to lose now."

Along with Huselius and Weiss, the Kings had timely support from veterans like Craig Conroy, Glenn Murray, Scott Niedermayer and Sandis Ozolinsh. However, perhaps the key to the Kings' entire run was the play of their group of young players groomed by the system: Peter Mueller, Byron Bitz, John Adams, and Mike Frolik all played key roles in the run. Nik Bergfors, who lead the team in scoring, Howard, and Frolik all especially came into his own over the course of the run. Stalwarts Dimitri Kazionov and Josh Hennessy were their reliable selfs.

"I'm very proud of my boys," Tyler Young said amidst tears, "they played their hearts out, fought for every loose puck, along the boards, in front of the net; they just played with grit and determination and a love of the game. It was a pleasure to watch. My thanks also to our competitors, the Hurricanes, who gave us a heck of a championship series. I though this was a great playoffs!"

PR - Hurricanes

CALGARY HURRICANES MAKE THE TFHL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL FOR THE 3RD TIME IN
FRANCHISE HISTORY
Markus Naslund leads the way once again; Leads the league with 30 points
in the playoffs

CALGARY, AB - It was only a few years ago that the dominant tandem of
Markus Naslund, Bill Guerin, and Shawn Bates led the league in scoring,
points,
and well anything else you could think of. They were flanked by a great
goaltender in Sean Burke and had a stable defensive core including Chris
Pronger.

TFHL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

Hurricanes Versus Roadrunners (Loss - 7 Games)
The hurricanes were once led by John LeClaire when they went all the way
to the finals to lose in 7 games against the Roadrunners in TFHL10.

Hurricanes Versus Blackhawks (Win - 7 Games)
The Hurricanes were led by the high flying line of Markus Naslund - Bill
Guerin - Shawn Bates. The Hurricanes went down to the wire to beat the
Blackhawks in 7 games.

Hurricanes Versus Wheat Kings (??)

BREAK DOWN

Offense
Edge: Hurricanes

The Calgary Hurricanes have scored 67 games in 18 games versus the Wheat
Kings' 54 goals in 16 games. The Wheat Kings have managed a total of
391 shots which is low in comparison to the Hurricanes shot outburst of
539. The Wheat Kings are not as heavy in scoring as the Hurricanes but
still could pose a challenge if defensive break downs occur.

Defense
Edge: Wheat Kings

The Wheat Kings have allowed only 40 goals versus the 55 goals let in by
the Hurricanes. The Wheat Kings may not have the scoring prowness that
the Hurricanes do, but they certainly have shown to shut down the
Eastern conference teams.

Goaltending:
Edge: Wheat Kings

Brian Boucher has a .889 save percentage and a 2.92 goals against
average in 17 games. James Howard has a stellar .920 save percentage
and a 2.35 goals against average. The edge for goaltending is certainly
in favour of the Wheat Kings. If the Hurricanes manage to fire many
shots at Howard, they could have a chance, but they may need to keep
scoring goals to ensure a win.


The championship series kicks off tomorrow in the mighty province of
Saskatchewan.



Calgary Sun

PR - Wheat Kings

WHEAT KINGS SWEET ACHAEANS; FACE 'CANES IN FINALS

The Saskatchewan Wheat Kings who were sitting out of the playoffs until the last few games of the year are now about to challenge for the league championship.

The Kings swept a competitive but suprisingly short series against the favourite Achaeans.

"The series with the Acheaeans was an enjoyable one," coach-GM Tyler Young said, "I thought it was good hockey, it was really much closer than the results indicate. Each game and indeed the series could have swung the other way at any moment. I'm glad though we won in four, it gave us some much needed time to recoup."

The Kings emerged from the Western Conference finals a little worse for wear. Nearly every on of the grissled men of the plains suffers from sort of undisclosed aches, bruises, sprains and breaks. Jimmy Howard was in definite need of a rest after 16 games in net and Matt Ellison after he re-agitated an injury he had suffered in the second round, missing the two final games of the series.

Although the Kings emerged victorious from the Western championship, they did not have a sense of triumph. One of their stars Steve Bernier tore an ACL on a freak colision with Achaean Vladimir Nedorost. He requires surgery and will be lucky to return in time for training camp next year.

"Yeah, Bernie took that bad, just a freak accident, they got crossed up on a line change, each looking the either way. It hurts a lot to lose a guy like Bernie, but it also gives our guys some incentive to step up to fill his place."

The Kings found-out today that they will face off against the Calgary Hurricanes. Never having met in the playoffs, there is no history for this poor scribe to impart.

"Should be a great series, very excited," Mr. Young stated, "we aren't as familiar with the Canes as with the Ice, Flames, or Achaeans, but we do know they have a great team and they also have a heckuva guy in Naslund. I remember back when Marcus used to be dominant like that, then he quieted down and we haven't heard from him in a few years. But skill like that never leaves. If they win this series it would be a sure testament to a great player."

PR - Young Guns

YOUNG GUNS LOSE; TRAIL 3-2

For many teams being down 3-2 would be a time when desperation creeps in, however for this team, they strive when they're backs are against the wall. "We love the pressure... we've been doing it all year now we need to use that experience and get two more wins," said coach Bobby Hull. This team was in a dogfight at the end of the season, jockeying for playoff position and found themselves down 3-1 to the Rednexs- both times the team stepped up to the challenge and exceeded expectations. "Alot of the guys in this dressing room are in the playoffs for the first time and having been playing with a no-lose attitude since game 1," said veteran RW Ryan Smyth. Despite a solid performance in Game 4, G Jose Theodore was yanked late in Game 5 Friday night and was not available for comment following the team practice Thursday. "We just wanted to get him out and keep him fresh for tomorrow night... by that time we were long out of it," said coach Bobby Hull.

As we look ahead to Game 6-

1. The Young Guns will need to focus on limiting shots
-Hurricanes have had 30+ shots in every game except game 1

2. Keep the PK rolling
-currently running at 86% (Hurricane PP 4/28)

-Ottawa Free Press

PR - Young Guns

YOUNG GUNS CATCH FIRE; ADVANCE TO EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

The cinderella story continues for the young explosive team out of Ottawa. Down three games to one in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, the Young Guns rallied to win 3 straight (2 on the road) to advance to the Conference Finals Monday. "We know we're a streaky bunch in here," said RW Rick Nash, "we can get hot at any time." And hot they were, with 15 goals in three games, the offense was there and, although the defense was somewhat lackluster, they got the job done in the end. "I didn't play the way I wanted to in the series, but as team we came together and really played well," said goaltender Jose Theodore at a media conference Monday.

There hasn't been one single player that has been a standout during their playoff run, however consistency and depth are perhaps more valuable. Sidney Crosby is currently leading the team in scoring with 16 points, followed by linemate Nikolai Zherdev with 15. But more significant are the contributions from their veterans. Ryan Smyth is having a great playoff run with 11 points and Shane Doan has 3 goals, 2 of which are game winners. Both players relish their chance to be on a cup contender, "it's nice to get a chance to win a championship in the latter part of your career.. makes it more special," said Ryan Smyth.

As the Young Guns look ahead, they seem to be in store for quite an explosive series with the Calgary Hurricanes. Containing current scoring leader Markus Naslund will be a key, but the team is focused on playing more team defense as a whole. "We need to be better in our own end, limit scoring chances and start collapsing down to the net as a 5 man unit," said coach Bobby Hull following the teams optional skate Monday afternoon. As always, specialty teams will be a big factor- if the Young Guns can stay hot on the Power Play the Hurricane winds won't be blowing for long.

-Ottawa Free Press

PR - Hurricanes

CALGARY IS OFF TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THEIR
TFHL CHAMPIONSHIP IN TFHL12


Calgary, AB - The Calgary Hurricanes knocked out the Aces in 6 games in
what is now turning into an interesting story of the under dog in the
TFHL playoffs.


HOW 'SWEDE' IT IS AGAIN
The unlikely hero is none other than Markus Naslund. Markus slumped the
entire TFHL season but has seem to become rejuvenated and taken the TFHL
playoffs by storm with an amazing
22 points. The next highest scorer on the Hurricanes is Alexander
Svitov with 12 points. "I am coming to the end of my career and this
just might be the last chance I have. We have a great young team
that I think can go all the way." said Markus Naslund.

The Hurricanes goaltending has been sub-par but the outstanding playing
of Markus Naslund and other players like Jason King, Alexander
Sundstrom, and Alexander Svitov has ensured that more goals are scored
than allowed.

Defensively the Hurricanes seem to be doing great both offensive and
defensively. Veteran Wade Redden leads the way with a +\- of 4 and has
accumluated 9 points in the 12 game playoff stretch.

The three Bri(y)an's including : Mccabe, Leetch, and Campbell are all
contributed offensively to the team in search of its 2nd TFHL Championship.

Next up: Young Guns

The Hurricanes have home ice advantage after just squeaking into the
playoffs once again. A break down so far for both teams:

OFFENSE:
Edge: Young Guns

There's no doubt that Markus Naslund has regained his form. In the last
12 games he has amassed 22 points including 15 assists and 7 goals. The
Hurricanes have a steady group of players that can take the pass from
Naslund to score while the Young Guns have a scoring by comittee system
in place.

DEFENSE:
Edge: Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have allowed only 24 goals while the Young Guns have let
in 40 goals. The Hurricanes also possess high scoring defensemen like
Bryan Mccabe and Wade Redden.

GOALTENDING:
Edge: Even

Alright. Both goaltenders on both teams are quite poor. Brian Boucher
of the Hurricanes has a 3.01 goals against average while Jose Theodore
has a 3.14 goals against. It's going to come down to goal scoring.



Good luck to the "Final Four".


Calgary Sun

PR - Wheat Kings

THE ICEMAN MELTETH: WHEAT KINGS ADVANCE TO CONFERENCE FINAL

The Saskatchewan Wheat Kings dispatched their cross-town rivals on Sunday, sending the goon-squad Ice to the frozen prairie links.

"I hope the blizzard drifts aren't too much of a hazard," a livid coach-GM Tyler Young quipped after game five. "Good riddance after the cheap minor league hockey they played this series. I was just glad to see the refs do things right this last game after the Ice ran amock for games three and four."

The Wheat Kings put on something of a clinic - good, clean, skilled hockey - which saw them take a 3-0 series lead. After that the Ice went Charlestown Chiefs on the Wheaties, intentionally injuring one of the Kings leading scorers, Matt Ellison, their top +/- d-man, Mike Rathje, and their #1 d-man, Mark Stuart. They also went after rookies Jimmy Howard and Nik Bergfors, who had a phenomenal series.

"It's as if if when they realized they couldn't win cleanly, that moron (Ice head coach) Bob Hartley told them to go out and play like animals. When they had gorillas like (David) Liffiton or (Daniel) Fernholm on the ice, at times I was seriously afraid for my guys. But then Hartley's known for that kind of thing. They got one win out of it I guess, but really, a shameful display, bad sportsmanship."

"But let's focus on the positive: our guys played a great series, we had some timely efforts and great performances. Nik was a monster out there tonight, he won that game. Last series Jimmy's effort got the clincher, this series it was Nik. That's what we need, timely play from our guys, especially those young core guys. And now with the next series we have a very exciting opponent, it should be a great finals."

The Wheat Kings will meet the Achaeans in the Western final. The last time these two teams met in the playoffs, the Achaeans won in six and waltzed-on to win the TFHL Cup.

PR - Blackhawks

The western 8th seed has knocked off one of the favorties for the TFHL 17 championship. In a suprisingly close series, the Hawks dropped the Renegades in six games. With four of the six games being decided by only one goal it is apparent that this series could have went either way. Coach Denis Savard though was quick to defend his troops in a press conference following the final victory.

"We were one of the elite teams all season. It wasn't til late in the season that a large losing slump knocked us down to the 8th spot. The goal all year was to make the playoffs. We might not have the talent that some of these other teams have but we have heart. All 21 of these guys have checked the egos at the door and are here to win. We can play with the best and have proved it".

The Hawks now move forward to face the 4th seeded Acheans. The division rivals met in the playoffs once before way back in TFHL 12. The Hawks snatched the 8th seed back then as well and upset the Acheans in first round play en route to their first finals appearance and a 7th game loss to the Hurricanes.

Rookie Lukas Krajicek and sophomore Colby Armstrong share the MVP duties for the first round with the Hawks. Krajicek has been outstanding in his own end and offensively as well chipping in 9 points while being promoted to the first line and quaterbacking the power play. Armstrong has picked up where he left off in the regular season by chipping in 5 goals in the opening series and has really found his grove playing alongside Derek Brassard and Anson Carter.

As round two starts today it should be interesting to see how the Hawks compete against the Acheans. If history repeats itself the Blackhawks could be on their way to another cinderella finish. Many factors will need to be considered and both teams have a great shot of the conference finals. Who will step up and be the next hero? Only time will tell.

The Blackhawk Reporter - Conference Semi Finals.

PR - Aces

Aces Upset Bobcats
By I.P. Freely, Guelph Mercury

Fans of the Guelph Aces took to the streets last night to celebrate their upset victory of the heavily favoured defending Cup champs, the Brantford Bobcats in round one of the TFHL playoffs. The Aces managed to stumble into the last playoff spot with a win on the final day of the season for the right to face the Eastern Conference champs in the first round. Despite the differences in regular season success, the Aces seemed to be up to the post-season challenge.

After dropping game 1 and a shaky game 2 win, the Aces benched goalie Barry Brust in favour of veteran netminder, Tomas Vokoun. Experience between the pipes proved to be the difference as the Aces went on to beat their Highway 24 rivals in 6.

"We expected an uphill battle", said captain Mike Modano, "but we were up for the challenge". Seeing contributions from all four lines, the Aces really did seem to come together. After a disappointing regular season, it was obvious they were on a mission to prove something in the post season.

"We feel a bit sorry for the Bobcats", said Alexandre Picard after his 3 point night, "...but it passes quickly".

Bring on round 2....

PR - Wheat Kings

WHEAT KINGS UPSET POWERHOUSE FLAMES

The Kings have emerged triumphant from a thrilling and close series with the Flames. The series was marked by alternating victories, with only one game having greater than a 2 goal differential.

"We went into this series thinking we could compete with the Flames, but believing they had the upper-hand," GM-Coach Tyler Young commented after Game Seven. "With all due respect to the Renegades and Bobcats, in our mind the Flames are the best team on paper in the league. But we hunkered down, worked hard, played a team game, and came out victorious."

The Kings had some solid performances from Matt Ellison and Nik Bergfors, along with Josh Hennessy and Dimitri Kazionov. But the hero of the series was Jimmy Howard, who continued his fine rookie campaign, stealing at least a couple games from the Flames while facing a lot of rubber.

During their 10 seasons the Wheaties have only advanced to the semi-finals once before. Coincidently, that last and only time (in TFHL14) they also met the Ice, who promply dispatched the Kings in five games.

PR - Ignite

Ignite Win Game #1

The Indianapolis Ignite head into the playoffs as the 4th seed in the East
and are looking to turn their recent 4 game losing skid into a few in the
win column. Facing the well-matched Hurricanes, their task will not be an
easy one and none of the Ignite players are taking their opponents lightly.
After game one of the series in which Indianapolis won 5-1, GM Adam Harrison
spoke with reporters. "These guys were 4th in regular season PP and second
overall with a man down. With our lousy play toward the end of the season I
gave the guys a real talking to and I think they all got the message- We
need to win!"

Game one of the series looked even in the shots department with both teams
ripping off 28 shots a piece however the outcome was not so even. In the
first period the Ignite took a two goal lead when the power play unit found
some life and notched 2. The Hurricanes came back in the 2nd and scored a
PPG of their own only to allow 2 more PPGs in the third and an even strength
tally by Mark Parrish. "4 for 6 on the Powerplay is more like it", Parrish,
the often overlooked right winger said. "If the boys are clicking like that
then we should have a good chance to win some games this round. It's only
one game but it gets the ball rolling and I'll take it".

With only one game in the bag and a hungry Hurricane team looking to prove
their worth, the series should be a tight one. Look for a high scoring
affair when game two kicks off in Indy on Friday.


Adam Harrison
Indianapolis Ignite GM

PR - Young Guns

Playoff Round #1
Young Guns(7) vs Spirit(2)

TEAM COMPARISON
PP% PK% PIM/G GF/G GA/G SF/G SA/G
Spirit 16.5(7th) 86.4(4th) 15.7(10th) 3.55(2nd) 3.07(8th) 27.5(10th) 27.3(14th)

Young 11.5(24th) 79.1(24th) 19.2(18th) 3.30(7th) 3.51(23rd) 27.9(7th) 28.3(21st)

Guns

On paper this series appears to be quite the mismatch. Ranked in the top half of nearly ever major statistical category, the Spirit seem poised to roll the competition in the opening round of the TFHL playoffs... but don't tell that to the Young Guns. With leading scorer Nikolai Zherdev returning from injury and stud rear-guard Ivan Koltsov back from suspension, the Young Guns are getting a big lift going into the series."With some of our key guys out during the stretch, we struggled but we're in," said GM Jeremy Kirk, "getting these guys back will help to get us back to the level we were at during that winning streak." With Zherdev out recently acquired LW Ryan Smyth has chipped in lately and is currently on a 4 game goal scoring streak. Smyth has fit in well with this lineup and is enjoying his expanded role on the Young Guns. "It's nice to get a fresh start and playing with some many young guys, it takes me back to my early days."

With what should be an offensive showdown, goaltending could turn out to be the key in this series. Immediatley upon acquiring Theodore, the Young Guns leaned on their net minder all the way into the playoffs, and with that goal achieved, the team will once again rely on Theodore to get the job done. "Jose has given has everything we asked of him and more," said coach Bobby Hull at a press conference Wednesday. "We knew exactly what we were getting we we traded for him... this is only the beginning."

KEYS TO VICTORY

1. Solve Spirit PK
In order to reach round 2, the Ottawa Young Guns will need to solve their PP woes and start converting with a man up. In the playoffs you need to capitalize on every opportunity.

2. Penalty Trouble = Playoff Exit
With one of the leagues' most potent Power Plays, the Ottawa Young Guns will really need to clamp down defensively with a man short, perhaps not taking penalties in general would be the best solution.

3. Get to Patrick Lalime early and often
Patrick Lalime in the playoffs... need I say more

PR - Wheat Kings

KINGS CLINCH PLAYOFFS

With their 4-3 victory over the Pontiacs yesterday and the Apocalypse's losses to the Marauders and Spirit, the Wheat Kings clinched a playoff seed for the fourth year in a row in the merciless confines of the Western Conference.

"Man, that was close!" exclaimed a relieved Tyler Young, "I thought we were done there... as well as we played since the deadline, the ApocalPublishypse were on a rampage - we had our eyes on the Raiders, never really thought to check behind us until the four horsemen were riding alongside."

At the deadline, the Kings made a couple deals to improve their scoring in order to push their way past the Raiders, who at the time were 3 points ahead. The Apocalypse were 5 points behind the Kings. The deals proved a good move for the Kings who finished the last 20 games playing solid .600 hockey. The Apocalypse though went on an .800 tear. Going into last night's game the Kings had a 1 point lead with the Apocalypse having a game in hand. Making matters worse, the Kings' leading scorer Steve Bernier was out with a hip flexor.

"I though about calling up Peter Mueller, Mike Frolik and Byron Bitz from the farm to give us some help," Mr. Young continued, "but then thought against. The Mini-Wheats are fighting for their life aswell, and it wouldn't do to have them miss and us. So I figured, what the heck, we got those guys at the deadline to make a difference, let them prove their worth now. I put Juice (Kristian Huselius), Steve Weiss and Matty Ellison on a line together, and as it turned out, they proved themselves."

The three combined for 3 goals (five points) in the victory. Jimmy Howard also had perhaps one of his best outings in the most important game of his young career, turning aside 37 of 40 shots.

PR - Young Guns

Young Guns Streaky Play Continues

January 18, 2007

To call this team a streaky club would be an understatement. After reeling off 11 straight victories, and moving from 11th to 6th in the Eastern Conference, the Ottawa Young Guns have hit a skid and lost 5 in a row. "We're losing games at the wrong time now," said coach Bobby Hull, "everything that could go wrong is right now." With the teams' leading scorer, Nikolai Zherdev out, every line must now focus on team defence which will take the pressure off Jose Theodore. Speciality teams has also been an area of concern lately for the club- the team is ranked dead last in both Power Play and Penalty Killing percentage. "When we were winning games we were putting the puck in the net with a man up and keeping the puck out when a man down, now it seems the exact opposite is happening," said exhausted team captain Adrian Aucoin after a two hour long "bag-skate" type practice. As the trade deadline came and went, the Young Guns addressed the lack of leadership issues in their lineup- the additions of Ryan Smyth and Radek Bonk (along with Shane Doan ealier in the season) will help to guide this young lineup and teach them the ways of winning. Assuming the Young Guns can lock down a playoff spot as the seasons' end draws near, they have to be considered a threat for the same reason they are being crticized right now- an 11 game win streak in the playoffs puts the team one win away from being a conference champion.

Ottawa Free Press

PR - Blackhawks

January 11, 2007 - FALL FROM GRACE -

As the Blackhawks enter the final stretch of the season they are yet again trapped in the middle of the pack of the unfriendly confines in the Western Conference.

Despite unpredictable success all season long, a recent winless streak has the Hawks currently wrapped up in a 3-way tie for 4th place in the west. The once explosive offense and stingy defense have been mediocre at best, which isn't good enough in this conference. Teams are starting to get really hot and the Hawks are quickly falling off the radar. Coach Savard credits his teams recent performance to complacency and lack of passion. "Our leaders aren't being our leaders and we're relying far too much on some of the youth which just isn't ready to carry a team on their backs".

He hopes the recent waiver acquistion of Sergei Zubov will help bolster the powerplay and add some leadership for the playoffs. This is Zubov's second stint with the Hawks and is excited to be back with the direction the team is going. "I have tough year but feel happiness to be back in Chicago! I want to help the team be good again and win many games. I will work my best to win at any cost".

Some bright spots for the Hawks are the solid play of some of the youngsters on the team. Last years first round pick Derek Brassard is leading all rookies in scoring and has solidified his spot as the #1 centre. The Hawks actually have 3 of the top 10 in rookie scoring. 1st line sniper Colby Armstrong was leading the league all year in goals until recently when Spezza took over. Spezza has played 6 more games though and Armstrong is only 2 back of the lead for the scoring title. He also leads the league in PP goals which should improve with the recent acquistion of Zubov.

The Hawks remain to be a team to watch in the playoffs. If they catch fire again and get back to their winning ways they will be a force in the post season. It should be interesting to see how the matchups shape up and who will play who but don't count out these young inexperienced Blackhawks yet. Their best hockey of the season might be yet to come!

The Blackhawk Reporter

PR - Wheat Kings

WHEAT KINGS PREPARE FOR FINAL STRETCH

With the deadline having come and gone, the Wheat Kings must now grit their teeth and hope for the best. Following the mega-deal with the Aces, the Kings made two small trades leading up to the deadline. The most significant of these saw the Kings trade their 1st rounder and disappointing prospect defenceman Cam Barker to the Misconduct for Stephen Weiss, Kristian Huselius, and the Bobcats 1st.

"To miss the playoffs is simply unacceptable to us," a rather irrate Mr. Young commented, "I don't care how competitive the conference is - it's always tough - this team must make the playoffs. We did that last deal out of some desperation, I admit. Sure Barker will play great for the Misconduct, inevitable All-Star and all that, we've gotten used to that... he played like s**t for us. If we make the playoffs, moving down a few picks will be a small price - if we still miss the playoffs, then we no longer have any consolation. Time to get Spartan about this: die or win."

While the team-defence has been relatively solid this season, the Kings have had troubles scoring.

"We are only on track to 250 goals for this season, that to me is a failure. Our goals against is where we want it, but our offence has been a brutal disappointment. Our top guys should be at a point per game, which they're not. Our secondary scorers should be consistent, which they're not."

In order to give the team a late season boost, Mr. Young picked up a couple mid-range scorers in Huselius and Weiss. So far the results have been mixed.

"Huselius has played well with Matt Ellison, those two have some good chemistry," the GM commented, "but Weiss has been a total waste, if he doesn't get it together soon I might just start benching him."

The Wheat Kings currently sit tied with the Raiders for the 8th seed but are losing the tie breaker, which is goals for (despite having the better goal differential).

TFHL POWER RANKINGS - Trade Deadline Edition

TFHL Power Rankings - Trade Deadline Edition

Welcome to the TFHL Power Rankings - Trade Deadline Edition. There's been a lot of jockeying for position since the last rankings in October, but it seems, for the most part, the teams have held relatively steady. The Flames and the Sioux have been the biggest movers in this survey, proving that things don't always remain static in the world of FHL Sim hockey So, here we go:

* October Ranking Shown in Brackets

1 (4) – Renegades – Despite a recent 11 game loosing streak, we're still giving the Renegades the nod as the TFHL's best team this time around. Any team that can lose 11 in a row and still be in first place must be doing something right. We'll have to wait and see if the Renegades are the real deal in the final stretch - they definitely have the defense, whether or not they can get their goal scoring up is another question.

2 (3) – Spirit – In stark contrast to the Renegades, the Spirit are currently the league's second highest scoring team. They've managed a respectable goals against tally thus far as well, earning them this week's #2 spot on the Power Rankings. A Spirit/Renegades cup final could be fascinating - defense VS offense, however there are 22 other teams that will have something to say about that finals match up prediction.

3 (11) – Flames – An impressive goals total and an anemic goals against tally has allowed the Flames to shoot up 8 spots from our last survey. There's not much separating the top 5 teams in this ranking, and the Flames could easily end the season in first place should the Renegades continue to stumble.

4 (1) – Bobcats – The reigning TFHL champs have slid out of first place since the last ranking at the quarter season mark, but remain an impressive squad nonetheless. The GM was active at the trade deadline, managing to eek out some deals that should help to solidify their position as a team to beat heading toward the post season.

5 (2) – Blackhawks - The Blackhawks have been posting some solid scoring totals which has kept them hanging around the top of the Western Conference standings. There is a lot of competition in the middle of the Western Conference pack however, so they still have their work cut out for them if they hope to capture the #3 playoff seed.

6 (5) – Pain – One of the league's most consistent teams, the Pain hold their ground in the rankings, falling just one spot. They remain the league's highest scoring team, and their defensive numbers although not the class of the league, can certainly be considered above average. If J-S Giguere can stay healthy down the stretch, I don't think any team is safe having to be paired against this club in Round One.

7 (8) – Saints – With a healthy Chris Higgins all season, the Saints could just as easily be flirting with the lead in the East. They've climbed a modest 1 spot to 7th in this ranking, and should be contending for the cup once all is said and done. Scoring is no problem for the Saints, but if they can put forth an effort at their own end of the ice, look out.

8 (12) – Achaeans - Despite his skeptics, Milan Hnilicka has turned out to be the real deal between the pipes for the Achaeans. He better stay healthy though, cause there are a lot of low cards in the Achaean goalie deck otherwise. Look for the Achaeans to finish middle-of-the pack, but come playoffs, who knows?

9 (7) – Ice – Although they remain one of the league's best defensive teams, the Ice are at the same time one of the leagues poorest offensive threats. The Ice could be living dangerously, but as we mentioned in the quarter-season rankings, a good offense could very well be simply a great defense. They're dealing with some injury problems at the moment as well which certainly can't help matters.

10 (10) – Clubbers – I described the Clubbers in the last survey as 'the vanilla ice cream' of the TFHL – not going to surprise you, but you know what to expect every time. Well, things have changed a bit, and although they stand firm in the #10 spot, they are sporting a disturbing net goals against tally at current.

11 (9) – Rednex – The Rednex could be a sleeper team this year. They're neither dismal nor spectacular, but seem to thrive on just being average. Brent Johnson has been ordinary this season, but a pleasant surprise has been rookie net minder Alexandre Vincent's 2.49 GAA serving in his backup roll. He may not have the experience or stamina to lead the Rednex to playoff glory, but he good be a nice option should the stalwart Johnson show any sign of falter.

12 (21) - Sioux – In the quarter-season rankings, I questioned how this team, with all their potential fire power could possibly be performing so badly. Apparently someone woke up the Sioux offense, because they've been on a tear since then, making the biggest leap of all teams in the rankings as they shoot up 9 spots to #12.

13 (6) – Raiders – The Raiders have fallen in the rankings and the standings since the quarter season report, but I'm not so sure they've changed that much - it just seems their luck may have run out. With the Wheat Kings and Blades showing some late season life, the Raiders could find themselves fighting for that final playoff birth in the West.

14 (17) – Young Guns (formerly the Patriots) – They are currently the leauge's hottest steam. Coming off a big 10 game win streak, the Young Guns have managed to muscle themselves into a playoff spot, maybe even warranting them a higher ranking at the moment than #14. Perhaps a new owner was just what the doctor ordered for this formerly sleepy hockey club, but will it translate into playoff success? We'll have to wait and see.

15 (16) – Hurricanes – The Canes continue to hold their own, and will be battling the Young Guns down the stretch for the 6th place playoff seed. Some help would be welcome on defense if they hope to contend. Like the Young Guns, we'll just have to wait and see how the final weeks of the season unfold.

16 (15) – Wheat Kings – I mused in the last rankings report that the Wheat Kings were a better team than the standings suggest. Sliding a spot to #16, now I'm not so sure. Perhaps the Wheat Kings belong in this position for the time being, but with some deadline trades completed, maybe, just maybe, some of the holes have been plugged in order to launch a playoff run.

17 (14) – Mauraders – It's been the Maurader's defensive play that they've relied on, but goal production remains a problem. They are tied for the league's lowest goal production with the lowly Reservoir Dogs, which can't be good with the surging Aces and Pontiacs nipping at their heals for that 8th Eastern playoff spot. The run up to the end of the season should prove interesting.

18 (22) – Aces – Some recent trades have positioned the Aces for a serious run to make the playoffs. The acquisition of Thomas Vokun and his impressive play has given this team a slight ray of hope. Adding veteran Mike Modano at the trade deadline to compliment this young roster should help fill the leadership void the Aces have been suffering all season. They've also attempted to plug some of their defensive holes by making deals for Artem Chubarov, Lance Ward and Mike Van Ryn.

19 (13) – Apocalypse – The Apocalypse have had some problems putting wins on the board, but they aren't as bad a team as the standing suggest. A few streaks of luck during the season could have this squad contending for a spot in the post season, but perhaps they'll have to be content this year with a good draft pick.

20 (20) – Blades – The Blades look to be about the mirror image of the Aces - can score some goals, but have trouble keeping the puck out of their own net. The Blades are in the tougher Western Conference however, and making the playoffs at this point of the season seems a remote possibility at best.

21 (19) – Pontiacs (formerly Colt 45) – The Pontiacs haven't had a great season by anyone's estimation, but taking advantage of the fact they are in the Eastern Conference, they are still in contention for a playoff spot. Whether they can pull off that feat or not is yet to be seen, but stranger things have happened.

22 (18) – Misconducts – The Misconducts were forced to deal with some key injuries this season, and never quite got it going. Rather than attempt to contend, the Misconducts were wisely active at the trade deadline, unloading some dead wood with expiring contracts for some prospects and draft picks. This team will be scary good in the seasons to come. And, being an Eastern team, they still strangely enough have an outside chance of the playoffs should they be able to go on a run.

23 (23) – Owls – There is a two word solution for the Owl's problems - de-fense! The Owls have the dubious distinction of being the worst defensive team in the league, and that problem has kept them down all season. As predicted last time around, the Owls will be dusting off the golf clubs early this year.

24 (24) – Reservoir Dogs (formerly the Canucks) – Despite a recent 7-2-1 run, the Reservoir Dogs are still stuck with the title of the TFHL's worst team. However there seems to be life breathed into this squad by it's new GM, and with a 1st rounder in their future, things should be much more optimistic next season.

PR - Flames

The Atlanta Flames made 3 substantial trades this week. The first trade sent shockwaves through the league and the organization. The team sent superstar goalie, Jose Theodore and rookie Ryan Suter out to the Young Guns. This move was done for various reasons. FIrst, as good as Theodore has been in the regular season, he has been average for the Flames in post season. A change was needed. Also, the Flames were able to get a very young defenseman back, Brett Skinner, to compliment their future defense core. Skinner has all the makings to be a top pairing defenseman in the near future.

The second trade sent #6 defenseman Kloucek for Tommy Salo. Klouckek was no longer needed and Salo gave the Flames a legit starting goalie to rent for the rest of the season. Salo gives the Flames insurance if Marc Denis cannot sustain his current level of play.

The last trade sent Marek Chvatal for super star veteran Andy Delmore and rookie Ruggeri. Delmore brinsg that final piece to the backend. The defense was quick young before and Delmore brings a ton of leadership and top notch play. Also, Chvata was overrated by playing on a lethal top Flames line and Grebeschkov made up for lots of his mistakes.

The Flames now have a well balance defese with 3 rookies and 3 solid veterans. Its going to take a bit of time for the team to gell and get rolling but that is why the trades were made this week and not later in the year. It gives the team time to develop together. The Flames defenseman squad is quite stacked. The final reason the trades were made was to ensure the defenseman swuad would remain intact after this season. Before the trades, 4/6 defenseman were due a new contract. Now the trades have balanced out who needs what in the offseason.

PR - Young Guns

PATRIOTS ANNOUNCE NEW GM, NICKNAME TO CHANGE
Dec.5, 2006

Today, finally the search is over. After a 3 year hiatus, the Ottawa Patriots will announce today the have signed Jeremy Kirk to a lucrative 20 year contract, worth a reported $85.7 million dollars.
When asked about the staggering figures, Kirk turned and smiled, "if they can give DiPietro 15 years, I'm worth 20!" Many TFHL GM's will remember Kirk's brief stint in the league, however he will be the first to say his heart wasn't in it the first time around. " I wasn't dedicated to winning a championship, but after some much needed sole searching, I'm back and more energized than ever." And you don't need to look hard to see why Kirk is so excited. With the likes of Crosby, Nash, Zherdev, etc. this is a team loaded with young firepower, and depth at every position. As for the GMs' first order of business, he sent D Brett Skinner, C Nicklas Backstrom and a 2nd round pick to the Flames in exchange for G Jose Theodore and D Ryan Suter. When asked about the deal Kirk said, "Nothing can replace goaltending. Jose was with us on the Capitals, so I know just how dedicated he is. You only get the chance to get a goalie of his calibur once in this business, and I jumped at it." With the Flames, Theodore posted a 26-17-4 record with a 2.65 GAA and 4 shutouts. Not to be forgotten in this deal is Defenceman Ryan Suter. "Ryan is a talented young defenceman that needs some guidance and discipline," said Kirk, "but he can only get better with age." All in all the future looks bright in Ottawa once again, and the sky is limit with Kirk steering the ship.

-Also sticking with the theme of youth, Ottawa has announced the team nickname has changed from Patriots to Young Guns, complete with new logo and uniforms.

Ottawa Free Press

PR - Wheat Kings

WHEAT KINGS IN TAILSPIN

The Wheat Kings have had a rollercoaster of a season, losing skid, winning streak, .500 doldrums, now another losing skid.

"If we could only play consistently at some level," lamented coach-GM Tyler Young, "then I could at least figure-out how to handle the situation. We have talent, but the talent is on and off, or simply non-existent."

Going into the All-Star break the Kings were middling along in and out of the playoffs, playing well defensively but were impotent offensively. So Mr. Young initiated a series of deals to try and increase his forward corp's scoring, acquiring Mike York and Dan Bertram for Mats Ritola, then shipping Mike York with Eric Fehr for Matt Ellison and Kristian Huslius, the latter of whom was then shipped as part of a blockbuster that brought into the Wheat-fold Paul Kariya, Glen Murray, Lance Ward, Kevin Montgomery, Dan Snyder, and Nik Antropov for Sergei Zubov, Jason Smith, Brian Rolston and Dan Bertram.

"The idea with all these deals was to get scoring and strengthen our team enough to make a solid run into the playofs, but since all these guys were added our offense has gotten even worse. It's almost like we're cursed," GM Young joked, "I've commented on it before, guys that are mediocre for us go to another team and are stars, and stars come to us and are mediocre. And what I don't get is that Kariya and Ellison are getting to play with better players now than they were on their previous clubs."

Point in fact: Ellison and Kariya had a combined 69 points (28g, 36a) in 95 games for the Mauraders and Misconduct, but only 5 points (0g) in 17 games for the Kings.

"If we don't get our act together soon, we will miss the playoffs," said Tyler Young. "I am content to just ride-out the season and lay the groundwork for next year, but still it's frustrating. I think on paper we have improved our team, but we have not improved on the scoresheet."

Asked if there will be any further trades, he replied: "I don't know, it seems the more I do the worse things get. But if we continue to lose and we're out of the playoffs 10 or so games before the deadline, I will try to move some of our veterans, Kariya and Vokoun I think especially would be on the market... heck, they're on the market now!"

TFHL POWER RANKINGS - First Quarter Edition

What can I say - it was a boring afternoon at work today! To fill that boredom, I put together the first addition of the TFHL Power Rankings. If you don't agree with me, feel free to leave a comment :)

1 – Bobcats – It’s hard to argue against the reigning TFHL champs as the number one team at the quarter mark of the season. Currently in the midst of an 8 game winning streak, the Bobcat’s are the team to beat in the East – and the West…

2 – Blackhawks - Despite what the standings show, the Blackhawks are currently the TFHL 2^nd best team, and are the class of the West. Their GF total contrasted with their GA numbers is bested only by the Bobcats.

3 – Spirit – Speaking of GF/GA totals, the Spirit aren’t far behind. Currently the league’s best defensive team, they’ve backed it up with some impressive offensive numbers to justify their #3 ranking.

4 – Renegades – Well, standings have to count for something, and that’s what brings the Renegades in at number 4. It appears there’s been luck on the Renegade’s side thus far this season, and although they are impressive defensively, their offensive numbers are comparable to the bottom dwelling Aces and Blades. It will be for the Renegades to prove that they belong at the top

5 – Pain – The Pain have been the victims of some bad luck thus far, but their 107 goals for are enough proof that this team is better than the middle-of-the-pack team shown in the standings. This team has some potent offence that will keep them rolling once the hockey gods begin to smile on them once again.

6 – Raiders – The Raiders have been holding steady, and are in the midst of a 7-2-1 run in the last 10 games. The concern with this squad however is their near equal GF and GA. Unlike the Pain, the luck could turn the other way for the Raiders if they can’t improve this ratio.

7 – Ice – The Ice are arguably the best defensive team in the TFHL which has paid off for them in the standings, however scoring has been a concern. Is the best offence a good defense? We’ll have to wait and see…

8 – Saints – Taking the opposite approach to the Ice, the Saints subscribe to the theory that the ‘best defense is a great offence’. Their 109 goals is tops in the league, but the Saints are being hurt in the standings by also allowing an embarrassing 100 pucks to hit the back of their own net. Also worth a mention is the long-term injury suffered by superstar centre, Chris Higgins. We’ll have to see how this affects the Saints as the season progresses.

9. – Rednex – The perennial underdogs, the Rednex are off to a relatively good start this season. They benefit from one of the leagues best goaltenders in Brent Johnson, but will it be enough? They may have to acquire some scoring help before the trade deadline if they intend to compete in the playoffs.

10 – Clubbers – The Clubbers are a tough team to evaluate – they’re neither good nor bad – they’re just consistent. They’re the vanilla ice cream of the TFHL – not going to surprise you, but you know what to expect every time. Who knows – they could be this year’s sleeper team to contend for the cup.

11 – Flames – Like the Clubbers, the Flames aren’t that exciting, but they’ve figured out how to win. They are one of the stingiest teams in the league for giving up goals, so if they can keep that up, the Flames could be dangerous down the stretch.

12 – Achaeans – Another middle-of-the pack team that has something to prove. They won it all 2 seasons ago which has to count for something. Free agent addition Milan Hnilicka has been a pleasant surprise in net, but if he begins to falter, the Achaeans could be in big trouble.

13 – Apocalypse – Another unspectacular but steady hockey club in the TFHL. Taking advantage of some solid goaltending, they are kind of in the same boat as the Achaeans – one groin injury away from disaster.

14 – Mauraders – It’s a good thing the Mauraders know how to keep the puck out of their own net, because they sure don’t seem to have a clue how to put it in their opponents. Only the lowly Canucks and Misconducts have scored less goals thus far, but if they can continue their solid defensive play, the Mauraders should be able to stick around.

15 – Wheat Kings – The Wheat Kings are a much better team than the standings suggest. Fully expect the Kings to go on a run sooner than later, and with a very active GM at the helm, I’m sure we’ll see some in-season moves to fill the gaps.

16 – Hurricanes – The Canes are another one of those teams that is better than the standings suggest. A recent spat of injuries has hurt the team – especially to defenseman Brian Campbell whose out for 3 months – we’ll have to see how well their offence can make up for the weakened blue line.

17 – Patriots – The Patriots are on shaky ground, lucky to be holding onto 8^th place in the East. Their 105 goals against is among the worst in the league, and their goal production isn’t exactly stellar either. The Pats need some help in net – if they don’t make some moves, there is no way they will be around for the post season. If they do add a clear number one net minder, this team has a lot of offensive talent that could post a scary amount of points if somebody would wake them up.

18 – Misconducts – The Misconducts have been one of the unluckiest teams this season when it comes to injuries. Currently on the sidelines are Segei Anshakov, Paul Kariya, Dan Snyder, Rossario Ruggeri and Shawn Belle. Fortunately they do have some depth, but it’s hard to ignore the absence of those key players. We’ve got them at 18 on the list only because of the injuries – if this team can get healthy, there’s no reason to think that they can’t go on a mid to late season run.

19 – Colt 45 – This team is one that looks solid on paper, but for whatever reason aren’t getting it done in the wins column. Their defense is respectable, but if they can’t find a way to score some goals, it could be a very long season for this squad. Maybe it’s all that malt liquor shipped over from the sponsors…

20 – Blades – The Blades defense is their downfall, although their scoring isn’t so hot at this point either. There are going to be a bunch of teams fighting for that last playoff spot this season, and without making some improvements, the Blades could have one of the biggest uphill battles in the league.

21 - Sioux – The Sioux have been underperforming thus far, and it’s showing. With guys like Eric Staal and Jaromir Jagr in the line-up, one has to wonder why they aren’t posting any points? They will need to find a way of jump-starting their offence if they hope to see the post season in the tough Western conference.

22 – Aces – The Aces are a mystery. They’ve been hovering around the top of the standings for the last few season, and on paper, improved over the off-season with some key trades and free agent signings. This team was built for offense at the expense of defense, and unfortunately this strategy has resulted in neither. Having one of the best goalies in the league means nothing if your defense has more holes in it than a slice of swiss cheese. Look for the Aces to shake things up with some big trades in the near future.

23 – Owls – Another team that looks good on paper, but unfortunately for them, there are a lot of teams in this league that look good on paper as well. If they can’t close the gap between goals scored and goals allowed, this is another team that will be dusting off the golf clubs early this year.

24 – Canucks – What can you say about the Canucks? They’re just plain bad, and that was before they suffered a barrage of key injuries. At least there’s a number one draft pick in their future…

PR - Wheat Kings

KNOCK ON WOOD: FIRST QUARTER REPORT

After the usual tentative start, the Wheat Kings are starting to play respectable hockey. At game fifteen pre-season expectations had been dashed, but a solid string of games have pulled the Wheaties back to near .500.

Overall the Wheat Kings are performing well to acceptable in most areas. The offence has been solid with the anticipated combination of Steve Bernier and Nik Bergfors giving the Kings their first legitimate second line threat. On the first line, Dimitri Kazionov and Josh Hennessy have been the Kings most consistent players this season - with only a minor injury to Kazionov keeping him out of the point and goal scoring leaders.

With Joel Kwiatkowski out for almost the whole season and Jason Smith missing a two weeks with a minor ACL tear, the Kings defence was seriously overwhelmed throughout much of the first fifteen games. This was further aggrevated by the weak showing of Cam Barker and Karol Rachunek - Barker has been sent to the minors and Rachunek has somewhat improved playing along Mark Stuart. If veterans Slava Suchy and Mike Rathje had not stepped up, the Kings may have had it much worse.

Goaltending has been suspect, but seems to be stabilizing. Thomas Vokoun started the season shaky, giving way to Byron Dafoe who played so-so for a couple games then wretched for the rest. However, Vokoun started to play well before he was promply injured. Jamie Howard was called up and has played some excellent hockey, acting as a catalyst to the Kings recovery. The Kings will have to make a hard decision soon whether to send Howard back to the farm for his promised season of development, or keep him up, again, on the pro somewhat prematurely.

The following players are on the market:

Player PO HD IT SP ST EN DU DI SK PA PC DF SC EX LD OV Ag Salary Y
Mattias Ritola RW R 70 74 71 78 74 90 73 71 72 72 75 44 48 77 20 600,000 2
Byron Dafoe G L 71 82 77 93 87 51 84 66 83 25 25 69 65 76 36 1,500,000 3
Karel Rachunek D R 80 67 80 72 63 87 71 75 66 69 53 44 34 75 28 281,250 1
Byron Bitz C L 56 70 70 56 50 75 73 78 69 70 77 51 47 75 22* 600,000 1

Bitz would be a little more tricky; looking for either a defenceman or RW with good DF for Ritola (if older, I'd want picks or something to equalize the deal)

PR - Saints

Saints' SuperStar Will Likely Miss Most of the Regular Season

After today's 6-4 win against the Rednexs in which Christopher Higgins moved into a tie for #1 in the TFHL scoring race at 26 pts in 20 games, Higgins was hit from behind into the boards by Petr Vrana. Vrana was ejected immediately as Higgins continued to lay unconscious on the ice. It seems that Higgins suffered a serious concusion but no official reports have been released from the Saints organization. However, it is clear according to GM Geoffrey Young, that Higgins won't be returning for a long time to the Saints active roster ("CD 17"): "Frankly, I'm shocked...when a guy receives a hit like that, your heart stops beating for a second. I am also sickened to hear that Vrana hasn't received a single game suspension for this act. Higgins was not only the star and captain of this franchise but also one of the best scorers in league."

Today Higgins tied first place in the scoring race with the Spirit's Zach Parise. Also, the Saints became the top offensive team in the TFHL when they scored 6 Goals for today and past the Pain. Young: "I don't think our offence will be useless without Higgins this season but it will take a bit of a hit. But we have great depth in scorering with Bouchard (#3 in goals), Sjostrom, Getzlaf, Falardeau, Kobasew, and not to mention the defensive scoring from Blake (#2 in D scoring), Gonchar and Ballard.

It is rumoured that Young will likely bump Arnott up to #1 centre and Roenic to #2 centre and perhaps start veteran Sakic as 3rd line centre. It is official though that while Higgins is out for most of this season, Sakic will be the acting captain once again. Higgins is out "indefinitely" so he will miss at least 3 months so GM Young added that the goal is to get a home playoff spot this year and prepare for Higgins return to lead us to the Cup.

PR - Pain

GM Elliot responds after a morning skate to news teams, on the topic of GM
young's comments. "Well after I had a few chuckles I realized this Hamlet
like response although odd, was indeed one big compliment. He managed to
call us an unstoppable Biblical force, and through sheer envy name called me
a pain in the ass. I would just like to thank Mr. Geoffrey Young, because I
did not know I had such a profound affect on your daily life. Although I do
not underestimate the many sarcastic tones and the blind mockery, I must
thank him for the uplifting speech. I must add I have seen an improvement in
his offence, it was not hard to notice. The question really is, can he keep
his offence together or will he get that itch to trade. We all know he
suffers from the Young gene, the very dangerous trade syndrome. He acts as
though he is worn out, or should I say a worn out donkey, but yet he has
more energy than anyone in the game. He also said that I am Anti-Geoffrey
Young. Have some more faith my friend, I only dislike your brother ;););)
anagram (ALPILE). Well we shall see how good his offence really is on Day
61. I say bring your Boondock Saints, because you will need a lot of fire
power to purify this Leviathan."


www.TSN.ca

PR - Saints

Yes, soon to return is the infamous Saints PRs which, of the last couple seasons, has been increasingly absent from the TFHL scene. But now that the league management has been shuffled, there are rumours that GM young's interest in the blessed Game of l'hockey has increased and once again he see's light at the end of the tunnel. To avoid purgatory and not to relinquish curiousity to a state of limbo, I announce to you - the great and faithful TFHL demos - that I vow to return to the noblesse oblige vocatio of writing great PR's. The first, is but a sample, but here it goes.

Proverbs teaches us, that a great donkey is a great donkey, but more admirable than the former is the donkey who is admirable but yet decrepid...

which leads me to this point. Yes, the Pain is great, and this anti-Geoffrey Young, by a similar name but yet not as splendid and charming, the Geoff Lord of Elliot, has cause for celebration for his great Leviathan the Pain (who I must admit have never succeeded in the TFHL before) are admirably leading many offensive categories.

But this great donkey is not as great as sick donkey. And yes, the Saints are such a sick donkey for at a sub-.500 record, the Saints are rivalring the offence of the Pain in the ass, errrr donkey...sorry, mr.elliots Pain...

So here are the facts, I have heralded the rise of the Saints in the east for many seasons but this year I will do nothing of the sort. Rather, I will just admit that despite being pitifully pathetic defensively, I claim such - that the Saints are superior offensively to any team in the league. To prove this now infallibly and for all future generations to venerate - witness the facts:

despite being sub-.500...the saints:

- Are 2nd in Goals For, closely behind the Pain
- have 4 players in the top 25 of scoring in the TFHL (compared to the Pain's pitiful five in top 30 psssh)
- the Saints, like the Pain, have 9 players with 10 or more points
- and unlike the Pain's Championship management and coaching, the Saints possess a staff which, although never making it past the 2nd round of the playoffs, always impresses the femme fatales with our chivralry and geniune charm

The point of this all, beware the Saints....for as the great boondock saints profess:
And shepherds we shall be for Thee, my Lord, for Thee.

Power hath descended forth from Thy hand.

That our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command.

We will flow a river forth on to Thee,

and teeming with souls shall it ever be.

In nomine Patris, et Filii

et Spiritus Sancti.

To translate to thee laymen - it's Ass kicking time!

PR - Pain

Through 14 games the Michigan Pain have picked up 24 of a possible 28
points. The Pain are having their best start in franchise history and look
to continue early season success through the entire season. We have taken a
look at the most dangerous team in the TFHL and did some statistical work on
the group; check out the numbers.

0.924 - Giguere's leading save percentage
1 - Eric Daze tied for number 1 in goals
2 - Team loses
3 - players in the top 10 of scoring
5 - players in the top 30 of scoring
9 - players with 10 or more points
12 - Team Wins
13 - Paille +/- tied for first
15.1 - Team league leading shooting percentage
16 - Parise's league leading total of assists
23.5 - the number one powerplay percentage
31 - Lowest amount of goals in the league
62 - Most goals in the league

Surely if the Pain keep up the sensational numbers they will be on track for
a record breaking year. But as GM Elliot has told us, the season is long. "I
am very happy with the start we have had. The guys are palying well together
but more importantly they care and work hard every shift. As a GM you hope
that your team can play like this all the time but the fact is we will go
through some cold spells just like everyone else. The difference is how fast
we will recover from those bad stretches. We have to stay focused the whole
season. I am a firm believer that to have playoff success you have to stay
focused the entire regular season. You can not expect to win the TFHL cup if
the players, coaches and GM do not work the whole season; You need to have
your A game going into the playoffs. Tomorrow will be a test for us as a
team. We play the second place Gades; a true test. Tomorrow coach Wilson
will give Giggy a rest and start veteran Trevor Kidd in goal for his second
start of the season. We would love Giggy to play every night but its just
not possible at this high level. He needs a rest now and again." Lundberg
and Meszaros will be game time decisions. On another note the Pain's farm
club cut 5 players and signed 4 new players to one years deals in hopes to
help with the teams struggles.

Michigan Press

PR - Wheat Kings

The TFHL17 WHEAT KINGS

Head Coach: Tyler Young
Associate Coaches: Brent Sutter, Don Hay

Captain: Josh Hennessy
Assistants: Mark Stuart, Sergei Zubov

After an unexpectedly busy off-season, the Wheat Kings are hoping that their revamped defence, deeper offence and a veteran tandem in net will allow them to regain at least some of their tarnished glory.

"Our objectives are quite simple," Coach-GM Tyler Young said, "first, seriously compete for a top four finish in our conference, and second, win a playoff series. To meet the first goal I think we need to score about fifteen more goals this year than last, so break three hundred, and at the same time shave about fifteen from the goals against, so get back down to around two-fifty. I think we've done the changes needed to meet that primary objective, as for the second, we'll see but I think we can do it."

"We still have a relatively young team, especially up front, so we just need to set achievable goals and try to meet them - as long as we continue to improve, we'll be ok. Last year we took a serious step backwards and ultimately resulted in the purging of so-many former elements of our core group."


FORWARDS

The Wheat Kings go into TFHL17 with their deepest nine-man unit since their President Trophy Championship of TFHL14. Unlike that group, this corp is young (ranging in age from 18 to 22) and still has some room to develop.

Dimitri Kazionov, now the bonfide goal-scoring king of the TFHL, joins Steve Bernier and newly minted captain Josh Hennessy to give the Wheat Kings a powerful triumvirate. First rounders Peter Mueller, Mike Frolik and Nik Bergfors will round-out the top two lines. Bergfors found chemistry with Bernier two years ago and it's hoped, with the rambunctious and slick Frolik riding shot-gun, that Bergfors and Bernier will click again and provide the Kings' (finally) with a true secondary threat. Mueller is the highest player the Kings' have ever drafted since the elder days of HS2 with Simon Gamache, the man who would have been king (sigh...).

The third line is expected to provide a tertiary offensive weapon while also being solid checkers. Matty Ritola and Byron Bitz will get full-time jobs this year, after they impressively finished the final quarter of last season at nearly a point-per-game. Eric Fehr will join them and hopefully follow-up last year's break-out 29 goal season with a similar showing. Brian Rolston, Brad Larsen, and Rico Fata all provide depth in case of injury and are solid penalty-killers.


DEFENCE

For the first time in their history the Wheat Kings fell out of the top third in shots against per game and were in the bottom half in goals against last year. The Kings under Mike Keenan always prided themselves on their defensive awareness, an aptitude which allowed them to often make up for some occasional offensive short-comings, but not last year. This year the Kings have made efforts to increase their depth and round-out the group.

In order to correct last season's fiascal, the Kings went in the opposite direction: instead of young, slick, soft d-men, the Kings brought in a group of knarled, tough, veteran monsters. Very little remains from that group: Mark Stuart, who was the one bright light last year, returns. Joel Kwiatkowski was part of a package which saw the talented but mercurial Duncan Keith go to the Aces. Sergei Zubov and Karol Rachunek were picked-up for prospects and Jason Smith was signed through free agency. Cam Barker will be the lone rookie in the group and, in a radical difference from the forward core, the only player besides Mark Stuart under the age of 28. The only other returnees are Mike Rathje and Slava Suchy, who played last season as the team's #3 and #5 d-man but are now sitting seventh and eight on the depth chart.

If this corp has a serious weakness, it's the lack of a truly elite d-man. With Stuart, Smith, Kwiatkowski and Zubov, the Kings instead have a group of four who would be solid 2/3s on most teams.


GOALTENDING

After deciding that rookie g-man Jimmy Howard would be better served by another full-year on the farm, the Wheat Kings added a pair of solid veteran goaltenders in separate deals. Tomas Vokoun was acquired from the Misconduct and Byron Dafoe added from the Blades.

Vokoun played last year briefly with the Kings, but had good numbers playing the majority of it on the Misconducts, finishing the season in the league leaders and he also had a good playoffs. Dafoe took the Blades to the top of the Western Conference in the first half of last year until the team cool-down and Roberto Luongo was brought in, relegating Dafoe to a back-up role.

PR - Hurricanes

THE CALGARY HURRICANES ARE BACK WITH SOME NEW FACES

The Hurricanes lost a lot of leadership when Chris Pronger was traded to
conference rivals, the Owls. GM Derek Major recognized this and brought
into two veteran defensemen in Brian Leetch and Derian Hatcher. The
players 39 and 35 respectively, bring a veteran presence to a blue line
corpse that already bolsters players such as Wade Redden, Bryan Mccabe,
Brian Campbell, and Robert Schnabel. "We felt we needed to bring in
some guys that could stand up in the locker room. Let's face it, these
are not long term guys. All of the defenseman that will play on the
Hurricanes this year will be at the youngest 28 years of age. That's
Brian Campbell, then Schnabel is at 29, then we start climbing into the
30's. All of these guys want a shot at the big show. We're going to
give it to them, and with this aging guys, we have the youngsters
getting ready to slide in to take their place." said GM Major.

Those youngsters he is referring to include Ryan Parent, Andy Rogers,
Badass Jack, and Frank Redliker. It's expected the Hurricanes will keep
these players in Prince George for the next season but it is also
expected that any 4 of them will start challenging for a spot with the
big club as soon as the TFHL18 season.

Up front the Hurricanes haven't changed too drastically. The top line
is getting a revamp that will continue to feature Markus Naslund and
Alexandre Svitov, but a new "Alex the Great" is ready to step in as the
team's number one centre. The 20-year-old Alexandre Sundstrom will make
his debut with the Hurricanes this season after spending 2 seasons
playing for the farm team Prince George Baracudas. The second line is
still mixed, however it is assured that both Afinogenov and Jason King
will play together again after a great season together. The team will
likely wait to see whether Matthew Lombardi or Shawn Bates will gel
better with the two snipers.

On the third line it is expected that one of the two centres just
mentioned will be running the show along with wingers Justin Williams
and Martin Cibak. The Hurricanes have developed incredible depth and
either Steve Kariya and Brendan Morrison will be able to slip into the
3rd\4th line roles as needed.

On the farm team the Hurricanes continue to develop a wealth of talent.
Down the middle, Martin Karsums might have played for the pro team if it
were not for the incredible depth they have. Although the depth down
the middle on the pro is great, the farm team still needs work.

On the wings, the Hurricanes are looking great. This years draftees
included 1st round pick and right winger Kenneth McArdle, left wingers
Michael Grabner and Jesse Joensuu.

In goal the Hurricanes are still solid. Brian Boucher will lead the
Hurricanes for the 3rd season since coming over in a trade that included
youngster Pascal Leclaire going the other way. His back remains to be
seen as both Peter Budaj (rookie) and Frederic Cassivi will fight for
the right. Although Budaj is challenging for a back up position, he is
listed 4th on the depth chart and Cassivi is 3rd. Cory Schneider
remains the goalie of the future for the Hurricanes, and with Boucher
expected to play most games, Schneider will be expected to take in as
many games as possible on the farm.

The season is looking great and exciting. Good luck to every one.


Calgary Sun

PR - Bobcats

After winning the franchises first TFHL cup in only its 3rd year under
GM of the year Glenn Merkir, the Brantford Bobcats seem to be ready and
willing in what is turning out to be a very well rounded TFHL this coming
year. With only 1 major move in the offseason, the signing of perennial
sniper Ziggy Palffy, the core of the Bobcats that took the team all the way
are still intact. GM Glenn Merkir felt it was the out most importance to
allow this team to grow together as a team and build the chemistry required
to compete in a league that is becoming the most competitive league
around.......

Bobcats Preview...

Forwards:
With having only 1 major decision in this years offseason, to try to
resign or to let go allstar RW Jaromir Jagr. GM Glenn Merkir felt that to
keep the team competitive on the ice and financially responsible it was
neccesary to let Jags go to the highest bidder and try to replace him with
another dynamic player in his own rights. With the first day of FA underway
the Bobcats jump in head first with a 1 year deal worth 10 million dollars
to Zigmund Palffy. "We knew we were never going to replace what Jags
brought to this team, but Ziggy will bring a different dimension to the
team. With arguably 1 of the best top lines in all of the TFHL, with team
captain Simon Gagne at center and allstar LW Sergei Samsonov. Zigmund
Palffy on the right side of these two will be a lethal combination again
this year. Keeping the second line of Marjamaki,Legwand and Cole together
for another year will give us a solid 1-2 punch offensively. With the
imergence of rookie Blair Jones on the third line with the veteran
leadership of Mikey Peca and steadiness of Nikky Hagman gives the team a
very well rounded line offensively and defensively. Rounding out the rest
of the forwards may be forth liners but GM Glenn Merkir knows the importance
of the role of these players to be just as important as any other players.
Known as the teams energy line Karlsson, Tenkrat and Willis will be the
thorn in every opponents side for the entire season....

Defence:
With everyone of the 6 defenceman still under contract GM Glenn Merkir
saw no reason to make any changes to a defence core that is matched by no
other.With the combinations of Delmore and Skoula, Klepis and Jones, Shultz
and Boyton there are no weakness to be seen in this armour!!!!!!

Goaltending:
Silencing all the critics Marty Biron proved to everyone the caliber of
goalie he really is. Not only taking the Bobcats to their first ever cup,
but its the way he did it. Series after series Marty proved his value was
well worth the price tag it cost the team dealing rookie sensation Tobias
Stephan to the Ice. "If I have anything to say about it, Marty will be a
Bobcat until hes ready to retire" replied GM Glenn Merkir.

Conclusion:
With every team making significant moves in this years off-season, if
it was through FA or via trades, the defending champs will find it harder
than ever to stay at the top with so many teams nipping at our heels but "I
will do everything possible to keep this team at the top!!!"

PR - Apocalypse

The Coquitlam Apocalypse have had an unusually busy offseason when you
compare it with past years. It seems that GM James Sykes is taking a much
more agressive aproach in trying to improve his team. We'll have to wait
until the start of the season to see if this new tactic pays off but the
fans are already excited.

The first sign of GM Sykes' new attitude was his bold and, some say,
over-priced bid on restricted free agent Eric Brewer of the Atlanta Flames.
"We feel that Eric is well worth the price we put on him. He's a strong,
physical guy who can play a ton of minutes," Sykes said at a meet and greet
for season ticket holders yesterday. "Pat [Amantea, Flames GM] obviously
didn't but I think that that is our gain."

The Apocalypse ended up signing Brewer for a 2 year contract believed to be
a little more than $3M a year. The team also gave up a 2nd round pick in
next year's draft and backup goalie Wade Dubielewicz who became expendable
with the emergence of young Devan Dubnyk and the fact that the Apocalypse
drafted another goaltending prospect in this past draft. "Wade served us
well for the past few years but, to tell you the truth, I never could
pronounce his last name."

The Flames' Amantea then made a bid on Apocalypse superstar defenceman Derek
Morris sparking rumours that it was in retaliation to the Brewer signing.
"I don't think that's the case," Sykes replied. "Pat made bids for a lot of
guys. I would have prefered to have been able to work it out within the
organization but sometimes it doesn't work out that way." The Apocalypse
matched the offer which will see Morris under contract for two more years
when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Then Sykes got word that the Misconduct had a talented young playmaker
available in Brian McConnell. He and Misconduct GM Rob Maxwell pounded out
a deal that eventually saw the under-performing centre Sergei Anshakov and
stable defenceman Tomas Kloucek dealt for McConnell and Kris Beech, a
well-rounded player who could yet be a star.

"I couldn't pass up the opportunity to land a toung talent like Brian, who's
not only a brilliant playmaker but can play a ton of minutes, we've been
missing that at centre. I also wanted to add Kris to shore up our top 3
lines, it really worked out perfectly for us."

With the addition of McConnell the Apocalypse can boast two of the best
young playmaking centres in the game to help distribute the puck to snipers
like Sundin and Bondra. And we haven't even mentioned last year's team MVP
Michael Tessier who was having a break-through season until he fractured a
vertabrae in his neck in a game against the Flames. So it seems the fans
have much to be excited about.

PR - Flames

The Atlanta Flames roll into the new season boasting a top 6 that commands elite respect in the TFHL. An organization that was once rated as one of the worst in the league, now boasts a TFHL team that sits near the top in the league, followed by a very strong farm team as well. Last season, the Flames managed to finish 1st overall in the league but once again, fell victim to the Achaeans in the post season.

Instead of remaining content with their team, GM Patrick Amantea decided to take matter into his own hands. "I have managed to improve the top 6 of the team and be financially responsible for the future". The Flames boast arguably the best 1-2 punch at center. Going into the new season they have newly acquired, super star Erik Christensen from the Blackhawks and previous Flames #1 center Milan Michalek. Both players are lethal playmakers, can control the puck with the best of them and score. On the wings, the team has Gaborik, Calder, Ryznar and Kolanos.

This offseason was tough for the Flames, where they had to make a few tough decisions. Eric Brewer was let go, who Patrick felt was overrated and the price was way too much for his services. Also, they let future #1 goalie Pascal Leclaire go due to salary constraints as well. Leclaire with the right development can be lethal but as it sits right now, his OV is bloated and he isn't very well rounded. To fill the backup gap, the Flames acquired Marc Denis from the Maurders. The Flames also boast some top end picks for next seasons draft.

Possibly the biggest threat will come from the blueline. The Flames look to have one of the best top 5 bluelines in the league, lead by Denis Grebeshkov. His development has skyrocketed and he looks to be an early candidate for a Norris. His supporting cast will contain Brad Stuart, Tomas Kaberle, Marek Chvatal and Erik Johnson. The #1 goalie will of course be Jose Theodore.

Rumors floating around is that the Flames may be looking for a physical, defensive dman for the #6/7 spot if Kuba cannot perform the job.

Award Winners

Congraluations Tyler, you have an additional 10 TC's.


HART TROPHY (LEAGUE MVP)
Gregory Campbell (Achaeans)


LADY BYNG TROPHY (SPORTSMANSHIP)
Christopher Higgins (Saints)

NORRIS TROPHY (DEFENSEMAN)
Sergei Gonchar (Blackhawks)

CALDER TROPHY (ROOKIE)
Jeff Carter (Raiders)

VEZINA TROPHY (GOALIE)
Roberto Luongo (Blackhawks)

SELKE TROPHY (BEST DEFENSIVE FORWARD)
Gregory Campbell (Achaeans)

EXECUTIVE TROPHY (TOP GM)
Glenn Merkir (Bobcats)

JACK ADAMS (TOP COACH)
Joseph Ratzinger (Saints)


BEST PR:
Wheat Kings

PR - Wheat Kings

WHEAT KINGS FACE REVOLUTION

The off-season for the Kings was nothing short of a revolution, with eleven new faces slated to join the team at the cost of only three regulars from last season.

"In the end we were able to use our cap space better than I expected," GM Tyler Young commented, "we also made some smaller moves, trading away some younger prospects that didn't really have much of a future in the organization in return for tried and tested veterans. We kept our core together, like I said we would, and we managed to add several quality players."

"Our objective going into the offseason was to make changes that would get us about 15 more goals and shave about 15 off our goals against, or at least get us back under 25 shots against per game. Hopefully with all these maneuvres we've done that. I can honestly say that this team is the best one we've iced since TFHL14, and factoring in pure potential it might just be a better group."

In other personnel moves, Head Coach Mike Keenan's contract was not renewed and will join the team in a scouting capacity. Keenan coached the Wheat Kings for five seasons and was a respectable 221-174-45 in that time. But while he managed to lead the team into the playoffs four of five years, the Kings have managed only one playoff round victory. Keenan won the Jack Adams trophy for coach of the year in TFHL14. Tyler Young named himself to the top coaching post and hired Brent Sutter and Don Hay as associate coaches.

"I think as coach-GM my position as GM will be improved - I'll know the players, know the pieces I need, who's really good for this team and who's a problem - and as coach I can shape this group in the image I want. I also wanted some help so I brought in two excellent coaches to head up this team, Brent and Don are great motivators and tacticians, good, smart hockey people, plus they're both good ol' farm boys from Western Canada. For too many years this team hasn't played with a strong enough work ethic and grit, so I wanted to get a strong Western element to make this team a champion."

Besides the coaching staff, several of the new player additions are from the Heartland: Kwiatowski is from Kindersley, near to the boss' hometown of Kerrobert - "yeah, he's from Kindersley," Tyler Young joked, "but we won't hold that too much against him" - Lance Ward is from Lloydminster, Cam Barker is from Winnipeg, Dafoe grew-up on Vancouver Island, plus long time King Eric Fehr is from Winkler and prospect Byron Bitz will play in his hometown of Saskatoon. Bitz and the Young boys grew up on the same street and played street hockey against each other - "I always though Byron's younger brother Joey was the best of the Bitzs, but I guess Byron's the one who made it," Mr. Young commented with a smile.

Overall the Kings are much deeper, younger, and improved. Goaltending remains something of a question mark, but the defensive corp is now (and probably for the first time) a serious strength for the Wheaties.


OUT: Duncan Keith (trade), Craig Conroy (free agency), Mike Rathje (farm)

IN: Peter Mueller (draft), Michael Frolik (draft), Joel Kwiatowski (trade), Jason Smith (free agency), Sergei Zubov (trade), Byron Bitz (farm), Niklas Bergfors (farm), Cam Barker (farm), Karol Rachunek (trade), Lance Ward (trade), Byron Dafoe (trade)

PR - Misconducts

Misconducts Yet To Land Free Agent

Free agency for the Miami Misconducts has been much like a trip to the strip club . . .a lot of flirting, even some with high priced talent, yet at the end of evening you go home without what you came in looking for and with a lot less money than you had to start. The Misconducts have spent a lot of money bringing in free agents including Jason Smith three times and Jaromir Jagr once. However they have been unable to sign a single free agent. Jagr was thought to be the only free agent this team really covetted in the offseason. They viewed him as the perfect replacement for Petr Forsberg. But Jaromir Jagr quickly became out their price range when his asking price to sign went higher than 11 million. When efforts to sign Jagr went sour, the Misconducts turned their attention to suring up their defense and went hard after Jason Smith. But the same thing happened with Smith as did Jagr, he quickly became out the Misconducts price range. Rumors have it that the Misconducts are now looking at bringing back Craig Conroy who signed with the Misconducts this time last year. He has already two trips to South Beach and a third is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon sometime.

The New Face Of Miami

When the free agency market turned cold for Miami, GM Rob Maxwell had to get creative in his offseason moves. He said last month their goals of free agency where to add a solid dman or two and some much needed scoring up front. Since the draft he has reshaped much of this team. The first deal saw starting goalie Martin Brodeur traded for Chris Osgood and Radek Dvorak. Dvorak will be switched to RW during camp this year and looks like a good bet to end up playing on the second. Osgood on the other had was dealt to the Aces in exchange for D Aaron Rome and LW Perttu Lindgren. Also going back to the Aces in this deal where D Joonas Lehtivouri and the Misconducts 2nd round pick next year. Rome was acquired to play on the third line and the top power play unit. He appears to be just another one of those young dmen that GM Maxwell continues to stock pile. Lindgren was acquired to provide some much needed LW depth in Phoenix. Another one of their big moves this offseason was trading for former captain Mike Modano. Many in Miami are very happy to see the former captain return home. The cap space to trade for Modano was openned up when Jagr refused the team's 11 million dollar offer. While Modano was the better PR move, the really gem of the Modano deal was landing first round pick Nigel Williams. The Misconducts tried frantically to move up in the draft to select Williams as they had him ranked the number 3 defenseman coming out. They even had a deal worked out prior to the draft with Blackhawks to move up to pick number 8 so they could take Carey Price and Nigel Williams back to back, however Derek Brassard, the player they covetted, was still available when they picked so the trade fell threw. Williams is expect to play on the first or second line this season and be one of their main penalty killers. They believe with in two years he will be a force in this league. In order to get Modano and Williams the Misconducts parted with leading scorer from last season Jan Hrdina, a future 1st, and a future 3rd. It was a very small price to pay for the Misconducts in order to get the stay at home defenseman they covetted. Another former Misconduct is returning. Former draft pick Kyle Chipchura was acquired for a fifth round pick and veteran defenseman Karel Rachunek. Other new players coming in include Rosario Ruggeri and Stephen Weiss acquired for Daymond Langkow, Jeff Jillson, and three minor league players. The Misconducts also got three future draft picks back in the deal.

Trade Rumor

A rumor floated around right now is that the Misconducts have made yet another move since the draft. Rumor it has the Misconducts and Apocalypse have already agreed upon a trade and our just waiting for league approval before official announcing the deal. The Misconducts would receive muched rumored about defenseman Tomas Kloucek and Sergei Anshakov, who the team plans to switch to LW. The Apocalypse in turn would receive Brian McConnell and Kris Beech. There are also draft picks involved in this deal but they will not be known until the trade is official. This move comes a total shock to everyone in the organization as Kris Beech was viewed as one of the build blocks on this team. Rumor has it that the Misconducts have been very impressed by the development of Eric Nystrom this offseason thus making Beech available. The team was not actively shopping him but when the Apocalypse came dangling Anshakov in front of them they couldn't resist. They plan to move him to right wing and give Nystrom yet another premier passer to team up with. Kloucek was finally brought in after several discussions with the Apocalypse including before and after the draft. He will allow players like Carlo Colaiacovo, Boris Valabik, Mark Fistric, Nathan Guenin, and Rosario Ruggeri more time to develop in the minors this year. He will be team up with recently acquired Aaron Rome on the third lining defensive pairing.