Monday Afternoon Meissnervations

Welcome to Monday. Here's what's happening....

************************************************

Today is June 6th, the 157th day of 2011. There are 208 days left in the year.

************************************************





Canucks look ahead after another dramatic win.

Thomas look ahead, not behind, as Game 3 nears.

2011 Stanley Cup Final schedule.

************************************************

Todays Birthdays: Actor Robert Englund (Freddie Krueger) is 64; actor Paul Giamatti (John Adams, The Hangover Part II, Sideways, Cinderella Man) is 44; TV journalist Natalie Morales (NBC's Today Show) is 39; singer Uncle Kracker is 37.

************************************************

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Hockey will host its 2011 Annual Congress from Wednesday, June 8, through Saturday, June 11, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo. The four-day event provides USA Hockey's various councils, committees and affiliates the opportunity to conduct the organization's business and celebrate the year's accomplishments. In addition, two dinners will be staged to honor those who have contributed to the great success of USA Hockey.

USA Hockey 2011 Annual Congress
"A Night of Tribute"
Awards Dinner Honorees
Wed., June 8, 2011

Adult Ironman of the Year,
presented by Labatt Blue
Mark "Mugsy" DePuydt (Eagle River, Wis.)

Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year
Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.)

Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year
Blake Coleman (Plano, Texas)

Dave Peterson Goalie of the Year,
presented by Bauer Hockey
John Gibson (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

College Player of the Year,
presented by Bauer Hockey
Andy Miele (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.)

Disabled Athlete of the Year
Alex Knapp (Shelby Township, Mich.)

President's Awards Dinner Honorees
Fri., June 10, 2011

Excellence in Safety Award,
presented by Shock Doctor
Aynsley Smith, Ph.D. (Rochester, Minn.)

Chet Stewart Award
Bob Keltie, Sr. (Boca Raton, Fla.)

Bob Johnson Award
Ron Rolston (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

Walter Yaciuk Award
Val Belmonte (Arlington Heights, Ill.)

Adult Member of the Year,
presented by Labatt Blue
Keith Kenitzer (Louisville, Ky.)

Distinguished Achievement Award
Dennis LaRue (Spokane, Wash.)

Builders Award
Ken Johannson (Rochester, Minn.)

Wm. Thayer Tutt Award
Don Korth (Salt Lake City, Utah)

USA Hockey will honor its service award recipients and players of the year on June 8 at an awards dinner tabbed "A Night of Tribute."

The award recipients include Adult Ironman of the Year Mark "Mugsy" DePuydt (Eagle River, Wis.), Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.), Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Blake Coleman (Plano, Texas), Dave Peterson Goalie of the Year John Gibson (Pittsburgh, Pa.), College Player of the Year Andy Miele (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) and Disabled Athlete of the Year Alex Knapp (Shelby Township, Mich.).

The President's Awards Dinner will take place on June 10. Honorees will include Excellence in Safety Award recipient Dr. Aynsley Smith (Rochester, Minn.), Chet Stewart Award winner Bob Keltie, Sr. (Boca Raton, Fla.), Bob Johnson Award honoree Ron Rolston (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Walter Yaciuk Award recipient Val Belmonte (Arlington Heights, Ill.), Adult Member of the Year Keith Kenitzer (Louisville, Ky.), Distinguished Achievement Award winner Dennis LaRue (Spokane, Wash.), Builders Award honoree Ken Johannson (Rochester, Minn.) and Wm. Thayer Tutt Award recipient Don Korth (Salt Lake City, Utah).

Media are invited to attend both awards dinners. Please contact Alex Clark (alexc@usahockey.org or 719-538-1176 ) in USA Hockey's communications department by June 7 for accreditation and seating. Athletes, coaches and dignitaries will be made available for interviews upon request.

"A NIGHT OF TRIBUTE" AWARD WINNERS

Mark "Mugsy" DePuydt
Adult Ironman of the Year, presented by Labatt Blue

A local icon in Eagle River, Wis., Mark “Mugsy” DePuydt attended his fifth consecutive Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey National Championships this year on his hometown's Dollar Lake. "Mugsy" was introduced to hockey at the age of four, continued playing through his years at Western Michigan University and Michigan Tech University in the early 1970s and was a mainstay with the Eagle River Falcons of the Great Lakes Hockey League. The longtime goalie won the 21 & Older Bronze Division title at the Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey National Championships with his team in 2009 and was recently featured during NBC's "Hockey Day in America" broadcast.

Meghan Duggan
Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year

Meghan Duggan achieved the top prize at each level of the sport during the 2010-11 campaign, her senior season at the University of Wisconsin. The forward was named the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient as the top player in women's college hockey, led the Badgers as team captain to the NCAA championship and earned a gold medal with the U.S. Women's National Team at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship. With Wisconsin, Duggan set a school single-season record with an NCAA-best 87 points, while her 48 assists were tied for the most in the nation and her 39 goals ranked second overall. She completed her four-year career at Wisconsin as the school’s all-time leader in career points with 238, which rank fifth most in NCAA history. At the IIHF World Women's Championship in April, Duggan tied for second on the team with four goals and tied for third with seven points in five games, as Team USA won its third consecutive world title.

Blake Coleman
Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year

The first-ever member of the Indiana Ice to be named the United States Hockey League Player of the Year, forward Blake Coleman emerged this year as the league's top offensive threat. He amassed 92 points - 17 more than any other player - to become the first USHL player to eclipse the 90-point mark in a single season since Buffalo Sabres forward Thomas Vanek accomplished the feat in 2001-02. He tallied a USHL-high 58 assists and closed out the regular season with points in 10 of his final 11 outings and posted a plus-19 rating during that span. Overall, Coleman totaled 29 multiple-point games and recorded a league-best plus-52 rating, the highest rating since the USHL became Tier I in 2002. He finished the season with a league-high 30 power-play points and fired the fourth-most shots on goal of any USHL player with 213.

John Gibson
Dave Peterson Goalie of the Year, presented by Bauer Hockey

John Gibson’s stellar 2010-11 season included helping USA Hockey's National Team Development Program to its first-ever United States Hockey League playoff appearance, winning a gold medal at the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men’s U18 Championship, and finishing the season ranked as the top North American goaltending prospect by NHL Central Scouting. With the NTDP, Gibson posted a 17-10-3-1 record (W-L-OTL-SOL) against NCAA and USHL teams, as well as international foes. His 32 games played overall, 2.64 goals-against average and .918 save percentage were best on Team USA, while his 2.25 GAA and .930 save percentage in four games against international opponents also led the squad. At the world championship in April, where the U.S. won its third straight world title, Gibson was selected as the tournament's top goaltender by the IIHF directorate after posting an undefeated 4-2-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record, 2.34 GAA and .926 save percentage.

Andy Miele
College Player of the Year, presented by Bauer Hockey

In 2010-11, Andy Miele helped lead Miami University as a team captain to its first-ever Central Collegiate Hockey Association championship, while becoming the first RedHawk to capture the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the nation's top collegiate player. Miele outpaced the college hockey field in both assists (47) and points (71) and led the nation with 1.82 points-per-game. His 71 points in just 39 games were 11 more than his next closest competitor and the most by a collegiate player since 2002-03. The senior won the CCHA’s Player of the Year award after leading the league with 55 points in 28 league games, the most in 19 years of CCHA conference play. His 40 league assists were more than the number of points accumulated by the league’s second-highest scorer, a first in CCHA history. Over the course of Miele’s four-year career at Miami, the RedHawks won 108 games, reached the NCAA tournament four times and advanced to the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four twice.

Alex Knapp
Disabled Athlete of the Year

Alex Knapp was a warrior in the truest sense of the word both on and off the ice. After graduating from Eisenhower High School in Shelby Township, Mich., Knapp attended Michigan State University for two years before enlisting in the United States Army. On March 14, 2008, he and four other soldiers were severely injured when an improvised explosive device detonated on a road near Baghdad. Following multiple setbacks and rehabilitation, Knapp decided to join his local sled hockey team, the Michigan Sled Dogs, despite never having played organized hockey. After quickly becoming one of the fastest skaters, he was invited to a tryout for the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. He was then placed on the U.S. National Developmental Sled Hockey Team, where he participated in a camp with the squad in September 2010. The next month, Knapp began to experience chest pains during an exhibition practice with the Sled Dogs and, tragically, he passed away shortly thereafter from a heart attack. After sacrificing his legs in service of his country, Knapp ultimately lost his life playing the sport he had eagerly adopted as his own.



PRESIDENT'S AWARDS WINNERS

Aynsley Smith, Ph.D.
Excellence in Safety Award, presented by Shock Doctor

A co-chair of the Minnesota Hockey Education Program and a member of its development task force, Aynsley Smith, R.N., Ph.D., is one of the foremost experts on both sports psychology and head protection in hockey in the United States. As a sport psychology consultant and research director in the Sports Medicine Center at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Smith has published numerous articles on the epidemiology of ice hockey injuries; psychology of injury; and the relationship between psychologic, physiologic and situational variables and the performance of athletes such as ice hockey goalies. The author of Power Play: Mental Toughness for Hockey and Beyond, Dr. Smith recently spoke at the 2010 Mayo Clinic Ice Hockey Summit about reducing aggression in youth hockey. She also co-authored a paper on head and facial protection in ice hockey that earned the Hughston Award from the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine.

Bob Keltie, Sr.
Chet Stewart Award

While his hockey background extends back to his days as a youth player and includes a collegiate career at Colby College as one of the nation's top scorers, Bob Keltie, Sr., is best known for his impact on officiating in Texas and Florida. A USA Hockey official since 1974, he assumed leadership of Houston's officiating program in 1976 and organized the first-ever officials certification seminar in Houston. Ten years later, Keltie relocated to South Florida, where he became the only certified official in the area at the time and built the region's officiating program from the ground up. He has also served as an off-ice official for the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers since the team’s inception in 1993 and as the assistant state supervisor of officials for Southeast Florida since 2007. To this day, Keltie organizes, travels to and is an instructor at officials' seminars in all corners of Florida.

Ron Rolston
Bob Johnson Award

The longest-tenured and most decorated coach in the history of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, Ron Rolston guided U.S. squads to championships in three international tournaments in 2010-11, including a gold-medal performance at the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men’s U18 Championship. Rolston, who had previously led the U.S. Men's National Under-18 team to a gold medal in the 2005 and 2009 IIHF World Men's U18 Championship and a silver medal at the 2007 event, helped Team USA collect its third straight world title in 2010-11. In addition, Rolston’s U.S. National Under-18 Team posted a 12-9-1-2 (W-L-OTL-SOL) record in United States Hockey League play, helping the NTDP reach the USHL postseason for the first time. Among the players Rolston coached this season were goalie John Gibson, the top ranked goaltending prospect in North America heading into the 2011 NHL Entry Draft; Rocco Grimaldi, who led Team USA with 39 goals and 73 points in 48 games; and Tyler Biggs, J.T. Miller and Connor Murphy, who are all ranked by NHL Central Scouting as top-25 North American prospects.

Val Belmonte
Walter Yaciuk Award

As a coach at almost every level of hockey, an administrator and a sports consultant, Val Belmonte has played an integral role in the growth of the game over the last five decades. He began his coaching career at the high-school level and then moved to the college level, serving as an assistant coach at the University of North Dakota, the University of Illinois at Chicago and Harvard University, before becoming the head coach at UIC and leading his alma mater to six CCHA playoff appearances. In addition, Belmonte served as USA Hockey's director of coaching education from 1991-2000, during which time he authored or edited 15 coaching education manuals and five instructional videos, and served as team leader for the 1998 U.S. Men’s National Team. He also spent eight years on the United States Olympic Committee’s Coaching Committee and served as a consultant on high performance planning to several National Governing Bodies. He has spoken at IIHF symposiums and has served on the International Ice Hockey Federation Partnership for Progress Committee, which created educational curricula for emerging hockey nations.

Keith Kenitzer
Adult Member of the Year, presented by Labatt Blue

Having never played the sport competitively in his youth or in college, Keith Kenitzer has been participating in a recreational hockey pickup league in Owensboro, Ky., for more than 15 years. A devoted adult hockey player who picked up the sport in his 30s, Kenitzer's current team - the Owensboro Pylons - has competed in Adult Classics for the past several years. As he has gotten older, his passion for the game and the camaraderie it fosters have grown, and now his son competes alongside him on the squad. In addition to his on-ice play, Kenitzer has assisted USA Hockey as a district registrar for the Mid-American District and as a member of the Adult Council for more than a decade.

Dennis LaRue
Distinguished Achievement Award

Arguably the greatest American hockey referee in National Hockey League history, Dennis LaRue is a legend among officials on the professional and international stage. He began his officiating career in the Kootenay International League – a Junior B league based in British Columbia – before working his way into the Western Hockey League, Western Collegiate Hockey Association, American Hockey League and International Hockey League. After being selected by USA Hockey to represent the U.S. as an official at the 1986 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men's Championship in Moscow and the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, LaRue's exposure led to an officiating career in the National Hockey League that has spanned two decades. He has worked more NHL games than any other American referee on record, passing Paul Stewart's previous record of 1,010 on the final day of the 2010-11 regular season. In 2009, LaRue became only the second-ever American referee to work a Stanley Cup Finals, joining Hockey Hall of Famer Bill Chadwick. In 2010, he became only the third referee ever to work four Olympic Winter Games (1988, 2002, 2006, 2010).

Ken Johannson
Builders Award

Along with his contributions to USA Hockey as a player and administrator for multiple U.S. national teams, Ken Johannson's impact on coaching practices and youth policies in the U.S. over the course of his career make him one of the organization's most influential figures. Off the ice, he was instrumental in the implementation of USA Hockey's Coaching Education Program in the late 1960s, organizing demonstrations of the program that included appointing district coaching directors, conducting coaching seminars and producing the first-ever coaches manual. He has also served on multiple USA Hockey task forces assigned to consider age change and body-checking rules and, in 1993, he received USA Hockey's Walter Yaciuk Award, significant of outstanding contributions in the education and development of USA Hockey coaches.

Don Korth
Wm. Thayer Tutt Award

Don Korth has spent countless hours volunteering as a coach, referee, recruiter and administrator, to help grow hockey in his home state of Utah. After taking his first coaching job as an assistant coach for his son's Squirt team, Korth had multiple coaching stints at high schools in Utah with both boys' and girls' teams. Involved in other levels of hockey as well, the USA Hockey Level 5 Certified Coach served as head coach of the Salt Lake Junior C team from 1988-93 and launched a successful bid to host a USA Hockey National Championship. He has also served as a coach and general manager for Korth's Rebels in a Salt Lake adult checking league, the Black Diamond women's team, and currently coaches the Utah Grizzlies Special Needs Hockey. As Utah's Coaching Education Program director since 2003, Korth's other contributions to the Rocky Mountain District include directing the Centre Ice Hockey School in Utah, serving as an instructor at the Lakeland Supercamps and serving as a recruitment supervisor for Weber State University's men's ice hockey team.

************************************************

This day on June 6th, 1944, Allied forces began the greatest and most important invasion in the history of the World. Read all about D-Day right here and never forget the sacrifices made that day so the world could be free.

************************************************

Roughrider training camp: Day 1 report.

Durant ready to lead the Riders to the Grey Cup.

Jyles plays the waiting game at camp.

2011 CFL Schedule is here.

Donate to the Tony Proudfoot Fund.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

************************************************

               

I'd like some food now please.

************************************************

This is National Nirses Day and the start of National Nurses Week.


************************************************

SEATTLE -- Sunday at Safeco Field turned out to be a second guesser's delight.

Seattle manager Eric Wedge had set himself up to get skewered for his decision to pitch to Evan Longoria in the eighth, only to have Joe Maddon rescue him from the hot seat. Everything the Tampa Bay manager tried in the bottom of the eighth backfired in a 9-6 Tampa Bay loss in front of a crowd of 28,947.

In defeat, the Rays (30-29) lost the weekend series to the Mariners 3-1. They remain in a tie with Toronto for third place in the American League East.

Read the rest here.

************************************************

This is National Fishing Week.

************************************************

SAN FRANCISCO --  Manager Bruce Bochy and the Giants are running out of different ways to describe Ryan Vogelsong's value, how dominant he has appeared on the mound and how surprising all of this has been.

After a three-year stint in Japan and a journey that kept him out of the Major Leagues and out of a starting job since 2004, Vogelsong has not only emerged as an unexpected, much-needed shot in the arm for the Giants and a seamless addition to their star-studded rotation, he's pitching like one of the best in the league.

Vogelsong added another chapter to his stunning comeback Sunday afternoon in AT&T Park, throwing eight dominant innings, striking out seven and adding a key sacrifice bunt in the go-ahead eighth inning as he picked up his fourth win in a 2-1 decision over the Rockies. The 33-year-old lowered his ERA to 1.68, the second-lowest mark in the Major Leagues, and that number stands at 0.69 in his past six outings.

Read the rest here.

************************************************

Today in Elvis History:

1960 - The album "Elvis Is Back" earned gold certification from the RIAA.

1970 - Elvis Presley recorded the song "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me."

1973 - The movie "Elvis On Tour" opened in the U.S.

************************************************

Nine-year-old Bobby Bradley became the youngest person to fly solo in a balloon Sunday. He took off dawn near Albuquerque, New Mexico, with just 10 gallons of fuel and three other balloons following.

************************************************

Today in Beatles History:

1962 - The Beatles auditioned for producer George Martin of EMI Records. They performed the songs "Besame Mucho" and three of their own songs, "P.S. I Love You," "Ask Me Why" and "Love Me Do."

1964 - The Beatles single "P.S. I Love You" hit #10 in the U.S.

1971 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared on stage for the first time since 1969 when they join Frank Zappa for a show at the Fillmore East.

1993 - Ringo Starr attended the Pediatric AIDS Foundation's fourth annual picnic in Brentwood, CA.

2006 - Billy Preston died at the age of 69. He had been dubbed "the fifth Beatle" after he accompanied the group in the 60's.

************************************************

France has banned the names of Facebook and Twitter from being spoken on radio or television, unless they are part of a news story. The government thinks any other mention of the social media websites is free advertising.

************************************************      

Today in Sports History:

1890 - The United States Polo Association was founded in New York.

1934 - Myril Hoag (New York Yankees) hit six singles in a game against the Boston Red Sox.

1939 - The New York Giants hit five home runs in the fourth inning in a 17-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

1946 - The Basketball Association of America was formed in New York City, NY.

1965 - Tom Tresh (New York Yankees) hit home runs on three consecutive at-bats against the Chicago White Sox.

1989 - Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) won the Hart Trophy for the 9th time. He was the first player in NHL history to win the same award nine times.

1992 - Eddie Murray passed Mickey Mantle on the all-time switch-hitter RBI list. Mantle held the record at 1,509.

1996 - John Valentin became the 14th player in Boston Red Sox history to hit on all at-bats during a game. He hit for the cycle when he went 4-for-4 against the Chicago White Sox.

1996 - Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) scored a first period hat-trick against the Florida Panthers in Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals. He became only the third player in NHL history to score a first-period hat-trick in the Cup Final. He was also the sixth player to score a hat-trick in the Cup Final game.

1996 - Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) tied a Stanley Cup Final record when he assisted on four goals against the Florida Panthers.

1996 - Baseball's executive council told Marge Schott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds, to give up day-to-day operations within a week or face a suspension of more than a year. Schott had caused controversy with comments she made concerning Adolph Hitler in an ESPN interview.

2003 - The Seattle Mariners were defeated by the New York Mets to end their 13-game road winning streak.

************************************************

Airline employees called a hazmat team to examine a substance found on a diaper-changing counter in a Frontier plane. A Milwaukee Fire Department Hazardous Materials Unit showed up and discovered it was baby powder. There were two babies on the just-landed flight.

************************************************

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Stretching his fuel mileage to the maximum, Brad Keselowski coasted across the finish line to win Sunday's STP 400 at Kansas Speedway.

In winning his first Sprint Cup race of the season and the second of his career, Keselowski got 57 green-flag laps out of his last tank of fuel. Keselowski prevented runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr., his old boss at JR Motorsports, from ending a drought that reached 106 races.


Denny Hamlin, who like Earnhardt was conserving fuel, came home third, followed by Jeff Gordon and series points leader Carl Edwards.

Read the rest here.

************************************************

June is Dog Lover's Month. Almost seven out of 10 pet owners talk to their pets on the telephone when they're not home.

************************************************

Coming Up: 

Tonight --

NHL Stanley Cup Finals -- Vancouver Canucks at Boston Bruins 8:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 10:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Washington Nationals 10:15pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 10:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Washington Nationals 10:15pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Washington Nationals 3:45pm EDT

NHL Stanley Cup Finals -- Vancouver Canucks at Boston Bruins 8:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 10:05pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Red 10:15pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

NHL Stanley Cup Finals -- Boston Bruins at Vancouver Canucks 8:00pm EDT (If necessary)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds 10:15pm EDT

Saturday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds 4:10pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 7:05pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series - Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway 1:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles 1:35pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds 8:05pm EDT

************************************************

That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to tell your friends about this blog. See you tomorrow.