It's Thursday

It's Thursday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is January 20th, the 20th day of 2011. There are 345 days left in the year.

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Gaborik scores 4 as Rangers crush Leafs.

Blue Jackets rally, beat Panthers in OT.

Wild's Backstrom returns from injury, blanks Flames.

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Just another day in Paradise here, hanging out with Jimmy and watching Flintstones. Can't get much better than that!

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The Tampa Bay Juniors won 2-of-3 games this past weekend at the MJHL Charlotte Showcase at Indian Trail, North Carolina.

On Saturday, January 15th, goals by Doug Thomas, Richard Hill and Dustin Disbro weren't enough, as the East Coast Eagles skated to a 5-3 win. Evan Weiss made 23 saves for Tampa Bay.

The Juniors rebounded on Sunday, January 16th, Doug Thomas tallied 2 goals and added 2 assists, to lead Tampa Bay to a 5-4 win over the Palm Beach Hawks. Chase Andreson, Dustin Disbro and Paul Lochner added goals, while Braxton Schulz stopped 24 shots.

Doug Thomas scored twice and added an assist, and single goals by Chase Anderson and Paul Lochner, plus 39 saves by Evan Weiss, propelled Tampa Bay to a 4-3 win over the Space Coast Hurricanes.

The Tampa Bay Juniors MJHL team is now 15-15-0-1 for 31 points, while the SEJHL Tampa Bay Juniors sit at 6-16-0-0 for 12 points. Both teams are in 4th place in their respective leagues.

The first-place Atlanta Knights provide the opposition in a pair of doubleheaders this weekend at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex. The SEJHL teams meet at 5:15pm Saturday and 9:30am Sunday, while the MJHL teams play at 8:00pm Saturday and 12:15pm Sunday. All games can be seen online at fasthockey.com.

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In the upcoming Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises, Catwoman will be played by Anne Hathaway.


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Riders at Mid-point of season.

USHL update: Week #16.

Indiana Ice's "Russian Rocket" wins award.

USHL Honors - Week #16.

On the Wey to success.

Midway through season, Lincoln Stars in tight conference race.

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Today's Birthdays: Former astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin (second person to step on the moon) is 81; director David Lynch is 65; rocker Paul Stanley (Kiss) is 59; comedian/talk show host Bill Maher is 55; actor James Denton (Desperate Housewives) is 48; actor Rainn Wilson (The Office) is 45; TV personality Melissa Rivers is 43.

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Green snags three-year extension with Als.

Stamps, Als trade for Labinjo voided.

Expansion draft plan approved.

Eskimos bring Bowman aboard.

Donate to the Tony Proudfoot Fund.

Visit the league's official website, cfl.ca.

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Today is National Cheese Lover's Day.

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USA Hockey Selects Burlington, Vt., to Host 2012 IIHF World Women's Championship

Event Tentatively Set for April 7-14, 2012

BURLINGTON, Vt. - The University of Vermont and the city of Burlington, Vt., have been selected to host the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship, as announced today by USA Hockey at a press conference at the Waterman Building on the campus of UVM.

Gutterson Fieldhouse - home to the UVM men's and women's NCAA Division I ice hockey programs - will serve as the primary venue and will host all U.S. and Canada games, as well as the playoff and medal rounds. Meanwhile, Cairns Arena, also located in Burlington, will serve as the secondary facility for the event. The eight-nation tournament, which will tentatively run from April 7-14, 2012, includes 22 games and features the top female hockey players in the world.

"We're fully confident that the eagerness and commitment shown by the University of Vermont and city of Burlington to host the IIHF World Women's Championship will translate into an exceptional experience for the players and fans from around the world," said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. "It will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those in the New England region to see the best women's players in the world up-close and in person."

"We are thrilled to be serving as the host site for the IIHF World Women's Championship and look forward with enthusiasm and excitement to working with USA Hockey, the greater Burlington community and the state of Vermont in preparing for this very special and world-wide celebration of women's hockey," said Robert Corran, associate vice president and director of athletics for UVM.

The United States has earned gold medals in three of the last four world championships (2005, 2008, 2009), while capturing silver in the remaining nine years (1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007). The title game has featured the U.S. and Canada every year of the tournament dating back to its inception in 1990.

Coming off back-to-back gold medals at the most recent world championships in 2008 and 2009 (the IIHF World Women's Championship was not held in 2010 due to the Olympic Winter Games), the U.S. will play for a third straight title at the 2011 IIHF World Women's Championship from April 16-25 in Zurich and Winterthur, Switzerland. The United States' finish in that tournament will determine its seeding for the event in Burlington.

A schedule and ticket packages for the 2012 IIHF World Women's Championship will be available in May. For more information, visit USAHockey.com.

NOTES: Burlington, Vt., was selected from a pool of finalists that also included Minneapolis; Rochester, N.Y.; and Hartford, Conn. ... In 2012, the IIHF World Women's Championship will be held in the U.S. for the third time in its 12-year history. Previously, Lake Placid, N.Y., put on the World Women's Championship in 1994, followed by Minneapolis in 2001. The United States will be looking to secure its first IIHF Women's World Championship title on home soil ... IIHF World Women's Championships have not been held in Olympic years (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010) ... In May 2007, the IIHF granted USA Hockey the rights to host three world championships, including the 2009 IIHF World Men's U18 Championship (Fargo, N.D. and Moorhead, Minn.), the 2011 World Junior Championship (Buffalo, N.Y.) and the 2012 World Women's Championship. Since then, USA Hockey was awarded the right to host the 2010 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship (Chicago), the 2015 IIHF World Men's U18 Championship (site TBA), the 2017 IIHF World Women's Championship (site TBA), the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship (site TBA) and the 2021 IIHF World Women's Championship (site TBA) ... U.S. teams have earned medals in each of the last three IIHF World Championships that have taken place in the United States (2009 IIHF World Men's U18 Championship-gold, 2010 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship-silver, 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship-bronze) ... Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey and a member of the IIHF Council, oversees all aspects of international competition for USA Hockey.

Fourth Annual Hockey Weekend Across America One Month Away

Event Feb. 18-20 to Celebrate, Promote Hockey Across the Nation

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The fourth annual Hockey Weekend Across America, presented by Reebok, is just one month away. The three-day celebration of the sport of hockey will take place Feb. 18-20 nationwide.

Each of the three days associated with Hockey Weekend Across America has a theme, including Wear Your Favorite Hockey Jersey, sponsored by ShopUSAHockey.com on Friday; Bring A Friend to the Rink, sponsored by the NHL on Saturday and Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes, sponsored by Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports on Sunday.

“Hockey Weekend Across America has been a success because of the vast participation of the hockey community — from those in our grassroots programs across the country to the National Hockey League and its teams,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. “We encourage everyone to get engaged in the celebration in some fashion and share with us what you’re doing through the Hockey Weekend Across America website.”

HockeyWeekendAcrossAmerica.com is the information hub for the event, with highlights of activities planned in conjunction with Hockey Weekend Across America from around the country, giveaway contests and downloadable promotional materials available. Associations or fans celebrating Hockey Weekend Across America are encouraged to submit their event plans to USA Hockey at the site.

On Friday, Feb. 18, USA Hockey will direct fans to its Facebook page to submit photos of themselves, their friends and colleagues donning their favorite team's jersey at work or at school during "Wear Your Favorite Hockey Jersey" day.

On Saturday, Feb. 19, over 200 rinks across the nation will host Try Hockey for Free Clinics, exposing over 4,000 young kids to hockey for the very first time. A list of currently scheduled clinics as well as information on how local associations or rinks can host their own event can be found here.

In honor of "Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes" day on Sunday, Feb. 20, USA Hockey is asking its fans to post stories, photos or videos of their hockey heroes to USA Hockey's Facebook wall now to share with the world.

Finally, USA Hockey and Reebok Hockey are teaming up to provide free head-to-toe equipment packages to three lucky winners with the Hockey Weekend Across America "Get Your Gear On Sweepstakes." For official rules and to enter, click here.

Hockey Weekend Across America was created by USA Hockey in 2008 to engage the hockey community in celebrating the sport of hockey at all levels and exposing the sport to new audiences.

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The Chicago Bears might have the president rooting for them in Dallas if they can beat the Green Bay Packers Sunday. If Chicago wins the NFC Championship, President Obama promised to travel to Super Bowl 45 to cheer the team on in person.


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I like to go to Publix, 'cause I get a cookie!

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Here's the NFL Wild Card Round schedule:

At Seattle Seahawks 41, New Orleans Saints 36

New York Jets 17 at Indianapolis Colts 16

Baltimore Ravens 30 at Kansas City Chiefs 7

Green Bay Packers 21 at Philadelphia Eagles 16

Here's the NFL Divisional Round Schedule:

At Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Baltimore Ravens 24

Green Bay Packers 48 at Atlanta Falcons 21

At Chicago Bears 35, Seattle Seahawks 24

New York Jets 28 at New England Patriots 21

Here's the NFL Championship Round Schedule:

Sunday, January 23rd 3:00pm Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears

Sunday, January 23rd 6:30pm New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers   

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South African police arrested a bus driver on Wednesday for transporting 116 school children in a vehicle designed for 62 passengers, a spokeswoman said. Traffic authorities saw the vehicle was overloaded and pulled him off the road.

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Today in Elvis History:

1958 - Elvis Presley got his orders to report to duty from the U.S. Army. He was allowed a 60-day deferment so he could finish the film "King Creole".

1960 - Elvis Presley was promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army.

1969 - Elvis Presley recorded "In the Ghetto", "Rubberneckin'" and "Suspicious Minds." It was the first time he had recorded in Memphis since 1956.

2004 - The Elvis Presley 2-CD set "The Gospel Side of Elvis" was released.

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A man in Lexington, North Carolina, was arrested and charged with calling 911 to request a hooker. Records show Lonnie Michael Felts called 911 three times on Sunday. The first time he called, he requested "a hooker and an escort to get boots." After an officer warned Felts about misusing the system, he made two more calls.

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Today in Beatles History:

1964 - The album "Meet the Beatles" was released in the U.S. on Capitol Records. It was their U.S. debut.

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According to a recent survey commissioned by Purell, the hand sanitizer people, 2 in 5 American adults have hesitated to shake hands with someone because they were afraid of germs. And 55 percent of Americans would rather touch a public toilet seat than shake someone's hand after they've coughed or sneezed into it.

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Today in Sports History:

1892 - The first official basketball game was played by students at the Springfield, MA, YMCA Training School.

1937 - Nels Stewart (New York Americans) became the NHL's career leading scorer when he scored his 270th NHL goal.

1949 - Free substitution was adopted for one year in the NFL.

1952 - Patricia McCormick debuted as the first professional woman bullfighter.

1968 - Houston ended UCLA's 47-game winning streak with a 71-69 victory at the Astrodome before 52,693 fans. The game also set a NCAA attendance record.

1985 - The most-watched Super Bowl game in history was seen by an estimated 115.9 million people. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins, 38-16. Super Bowl XIX marked the first time that TV commercials sold for a million dollars a minute. Joe Montana was awarded his third MVP award.

1995 - The NHL season opened with the teams playing a 48-game schedule instead of the usual 84. The season had been shortened due to a players strike.

1999 - ESPN announced the creation of the Great Outdoor Games to be held in Lake Placid, NY, in 2000.

1999 - The NBA lockout officially ended after 204 days.

2002 - Joe Nieuwendyk (Dallas Stars) played in his 1,000th career NHL game.

2003 - Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche) became the first NHL goalie to play in 1,000 games.

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Zenyatta has won Horse of the Year. (Yeah, but wait'll the judges find out she's been hanging out with Lance Armstrong.)


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Coming Up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Atlanta Thrashers 7:00pm EST

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers 7:30pm EST

Saturday --

SEJHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Knights 5:15pm EST

MJHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Knights 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

SEJHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Knights 9:30am EST

MJHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Knights 12:15pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Atlanta Thrashers 5:00pm EST

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That's all for today. See you again tomorrow.