It's Friday

Happy Friday to you. Here's what's happening....

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Today is December 2nd, the 336th day of 2011. There are 29 days left in the year.

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Bettman addresses realignment talk on 'NHL Hour'.

B's looked like champs again in amazing November.

Visit the official league website, http://www.nhl.com.

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Today's Birthdays -- Actor Dan Butler (From the Earth to the Moon, Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe on Frasier) is 57; Actress Lucy Liu is 43; Actress Rena Sofer (General Hospital, Melrose Place) is 43; Tennis payer Monica Seles is 38; Singer Britney Spears is 30.

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Tampa, FL. -- Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher has a message for fans who think 20-year old defenseman Victor Hedman will become some kind of dazzling offensive blue-line force someday.

It likely won't happen anytime soon, Boucher said, even though there is some untapped offensive potential in the 6-foot-6, 229-pound Hedman's game.

That eventually will emerge as Hedman matures, but the biggest reason the Lightning signed Hedman to a lucrative five-year contract extension Wednesday -- reportedly worth $4 million a season -- is because they're bullish on his all-round potential.

The Lightning see Hedman, who they chose with the second pick of the 2009 NHL Draft, as more in the mold of towering Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara.

Read the rest here.

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This is National Mutt Day. (Linky Link)

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U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team Roster Named
for 2012 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship

Team USA Looking for Fourth Title in Five Years

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey named today the 22 players that will compete as the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team in the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation U18 Women's World Championship Dec. 31-Jan. 7 in Prerov and Zlin, Czech Republic.

Highlighting the roster are seven returning members of the gold medal-winning 2011 U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team, including Alex Carpenter (North Reading, Mass.) and Haley Skarupa (Rockville, Md.), who will be playing in their third IIHF U18 Women's World Championship. Joining them from the 2011 U.S. squad will be defensemen Courtney Burke (Albany, N.Y.) and Lee Stecklein (Roseville, Minn.), and forwards Sydney Daniels (Southwick, Mass.), Paige Savage (Carrollton, Tex.) and Dana Trivigno (Setauket, N.Y.).

The U.S. team includes 20 members of the U.S. Women's Under-18 Team that competed in the 2011 Under-18 Series, a three-game stint against Canada last August in Rockland, Ont.

Among those who competed in the 2011 Under-18 Series include goaltender Sidney Peters (Geneva, Ill.); defensemen Burke, Jordan Hampton (Exeter, N.H.), Kaliya Johnson (Chandler, Ariz.), Samantha LaShomb (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), Brianna Mastel (Wallingford, Conn.), defenseman Natasha Rachlin (Brookline, Mass.) and Stecklein; and forwards Dani Cameranesi (Plymouth, Minn.), Carpenter, Demi Crossman (Livonia, Mich.), Daniels, Kate Flug (Roseville, Minn.), Molly Illikainen (Grand Rapids, Minn.), MaryAnne Kennedy-Menefee (Lansing, Mich.), Anne Pankowski (Laguna Hills, Calif.), Savage, Kate Schipper (Brooklyn Park, Minn.), Skarupa and Trivigno.

Goaltender Brianna Laing (Marblehead, Mass.) and forward Miye D'Oench (New York, N.Y.) will be making their first appearances with Team USA.

Click here for the full U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team roster.

The U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team will open play against Russia on Dec. 31. A full schedule is below.

NOTES: The IIHF U18 Women's World Championship, being played for the fifth time, includes teams from Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States ... Team USA captured gold in each of the first two years of the tournament (2008, 2009) as well as last season (2011). In 2010, the team took home the silver medal ... Heather Linstad, head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Connecticut, is the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team for the 2011-12 season and will guide the team in the Czech Republic. She will be assisted by Joel Johnson and Hilary Witt ... To follow the team in the Czech Republic, check out the U.S. Women's National Program blog by clicking here.

Team USA 2012 Women's World Under-18 Championship Schedule
Prerov and Zlin, Czech Republic

Date Opponent Time (Local/EST) Result
Sat., Dec. 31 Russia 5 p.m./11 a.m. Game Blog
Sun., Jan. 1 Sweden 7 p.m./1 p.m. Game Blog
Tues., Jan. 3 Czech Republic 7 p.m./1 p.m. Game Blog
Wed., Jan. 4 Quarterfinal 1 3 p.m./9 a.m. Game Blog
Quarterfinal 2 7 p.m./1 p.m. Game Blog
Fri., Jan. 6 Semifinal 1 3 p.m./9 a.m. Game Blog
Semifinal 2 7 p.m./1 p.m. Game Blog
Sat., Jan. 7 Bronze-Medal Game 3 p.m./9 a.m. Game Blog
Gold-Medal Game 7 p.m./1 p.m. Game Blog

U.S. National Sled Hockey Team Advances to World Sledge Hockey Challenge Championship Game with a 7-2 win over Norway

Pauls Scores a Hat Trick in the Semifinal Victory


CALGARY, Alta. -- Josh Pauls (South Plainfield, N.J.) recorded three goals and goaltender Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.) made 13 saves, as the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team defeated Norway, 7-2, in the semifinal round of the 2011 World Sledge Hockey Challege this afternoon at the WinSport Canada Ice Complex.

With the win, Team USA improved to 3-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) overall and will play the winner of the second semifinal game between Canada and Japan in the championship game.

"I'm really pleased with the way that we've improved every game," said Jeff Sauer, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. "I thought we came out playing really well today and we will try to keep that going into the championship game on Saturday."

Taylor Lipsett (Richardson, Texas) scored the lone goal of the first period at 5:01 when he camped out in front of the net and buried a pass from Nikko Landeros (Berthoud, Colo.).

Norway tied the game at 4:52 of the second period with a power-play goal, but Team USA went on to rattle off three straight goals before the end of the frame. Pauls tallied his first goal of the game at 9:34. Less than four minutes later, Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.) scored with a hard shot from the bottom of the right circle. Daniel McCoy (Cheswick, Pa.) capped off the scoring in the period with an unassisted marker at 14:53 to give Team USA a 4-1 lead.

Pauls scored his second goal of the game at 5:22 of the third period to extend the U.S. lead to four goals. Following a Norway tally, Ricco Roman (Portland, Ore.) potted his first career goal with a hard wrist shot from the right faceoff dot to make the score 6-2. Pauls netted his third goal with a shot from the blueline at 18:16 to secure the victory for Team USA.

The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team will continue tournament play on Saturday (Dec. 3) in the championship game. A full schedule is below.

NOTES: Josh Pauls was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... Both teams went 1-for-3 on the power play... Follow @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. Scores will be designated with #WSHC. For the full U.S. National Sled Hockey Team roster, click here ... Team USA finished third at last year's World Sledge Hockey Challenge, which took place in April 2011 in London, Ont. ... The IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championship will take place this spring in Hamar, Norway ... Jeff Sauer, longtime men's collegiate head coach at the University of Wisconsin and Colorado College, is serving as head coach of Team USA, while Guy Gosselin, regional manager of USA Hockey's American Development Model, is taking on the role of assistant coach. The 2011 World Sledge Hockey Challege features teams from the Canada, Japan, Norway and the United States.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 1- 3- 3- 7
NOR 0- 1- 1- 2

First Period – Scoring: 1, USA, Lipsett (Salamone, Landeros), 5:01. Penalties: NOR, Pedersen (elbowing), 14:06.

Second Period – Scoring: 2, NOR, Bogle (Svee), 4:52 (pp); 3, USA, Pauls (Salamone, Chace), 9:34; 4, USA Chace (McKee), 13:17; 5, USA, McCoy (unassisted), 14:53. Penalties: USA, Salamone (roughing), 4:45; USA, McCoy (interference), 9:57; USA, Landeros (teeing), 16:40.

Third Period - Scoring: 6, USA, Pauls (Emmerson, Page), 5:22; 7, NOR, Hagen (unassisted), 6:12; 8, USA, Roman (Sweeney, Shaw), 14:06; 9, USA, Pauls (Shaw), 18:16 (pp). Penalties: NOR, Hamre (interference), 8:59; NOR, Pederson (roughing), 16:18.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
USA 11 7 3 21
NOR 6 5 5 16

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Cash, 55:20 6/6 7/6 4/3 15/13
USA, Lee, 4:40 0/0 0/0 1/1 1/1
NOR, Johansen, 60:00 11/10 7/4 3/0 21/14

Power Play: USA 1-3; NOR 1-3
Penalties: USA 3-6; NOR 3-6

Team USA 2011 World Sledge Hockey Challenge Schedule
Nov. 27 - Dec. 3 • Calgary, Alta. • WinSport Canada Ice Complex

Date Opponent Time (EST)/Result
Sun., Nov. 27 Norway W, 5-1
Mon., Nov. 28 Japan W, 6-2
Wed., Nov. 30 Canada L, 1-3
Thurs., Dec. 1 Norway (Semifinal) W, 7-2
Sat., Dec. 3 First-Place Game 6 p.m.

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Today is Special Education Day.

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Argonauts name Scott Milanovich Head Coach.

Lions RB Robertson announces retirement.

In Buck we trust: Pierce should start in 2012.

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

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Wordy and long-winded Facebook users can rejoice. The social networking site has increased its limit in status updates to more than 60,000 characters -- 63,206 characters to be exact. Over the summer Facebook pumped up the limit to 5,000 from 500 characters. Back in the olden days of Facebook the limit was 160 characters. But Facebook doesn't let you go on as long as Google+, where the limit appears to be 100,000 characters.

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The 2011 NFL season is underway. Here's the week thirteen results:

Week 13

All Times Eastern

Thursday, December 1st

At Seattle 31, Philadelphia 14

Sunday, December 4th

Carolina at Tampa Bay 1:00 PM
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh 1:00 PM
Atlanta at Houston 1:00 PM
NY Jets at Washington 1:00 PM
Indianapolis at New England 1:00 PM
Oakland at Miami 1:00 PM
Denver at Minnesota 1:00 PM
Tennessee at Buffalo 1:00 PM
Kansas City at Chicago 1:00 PM
Baltimore at Cleveland 4:05 PM
Dallas at Arizona 4:15 PM
Green Bay at NY Giants 4:15 PM
St. Louis at San Francisco 4:15 PM
Detroit at New Orleans 8:20 PM

Monday, December 5th

San Diego at Jacksonville

Week 14
All times Eastern

Thursday, Dec 8

Cleveland at Pittsburgh 8:20 PM

Sunday, December 11

Kansas City at NY Jets 1:00 PM
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville 1:00 PM
New England at Washington 1:00 PM
Atlanta at Carolina 1:00 PM
Indianapolis at Baltimore 1:00 PM
Philadelphia at Miami 1:00 PM
Minnesota at Detroit 1:00 PM
New Orleans at Tennessee 1:00 PM
Houston at Cincinnati 1:00 PM
Chicago at Denver 4:05 PM
San Francisco at Arizona 4:05 PM
Buffalo at San Diego 4:15 PM
Oakland at Green Bay 4:15 PM
NY Giants at Dallas 8:20 PM

Monday, December 12

St. Louis at Seattle 8:30 PM

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Two adults and a minor were arrested for a shoplifting spree that took them through New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania where they stole $35,00 worth of toys. (Including the new Fingerprint Me Elmo.)

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Jimmy and Mommy watch TV.

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The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the end is near for the white Coca-Cola can. The can was supposed to stick around through February but it's turned out to be a brand nightmare for the soda giant. Some consumers complain the white Coke can looks confusingly similar to Diet Coke's silver cans. Others feel that regular Coke tastes different in the white cans.

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Today in Elvis History:

1975 - Elvis Presley began a string of 17 shows at the Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas.

1978 - The album "Elvis - A Canadian Tribute" hit #86 in the U.S.

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In Florida a woman went to her apartment early Wednesday and found a man sleeping on her living room floor. When he wouldn't wake up, she called authorities. Before falling asleep, the man had helped himself to alcoholic beverages, went through the woman's drawers for cash and medications and tried to pry a flat-screen television from its mount. Turns out the man thought he was inside the apartment of his ex-girlfriend. Somehow he ended up in the apartment next door.

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Today in Beatles History:

1964 - Ringo Starr entered a London hospital to get his tonsils removed.

1969 - George Harrison joined Delaney & Bonnie to perform with them in Brisol, England. Harrison toured Britain with the ensemble.

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December is National Write a Business Plan Month.

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Today in Sports History:

1963 - The Major League Rules Committee banned the use of oversized catcher's mitts. The rule went into effect in 1965.

1984 - Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins) threw his 40th touchdown pass of the season.

1987 - "The Grabowski Shuffle" video by Mike Ditka and The Grabowskis was certified Gold and Platinum by the RIAA.

1988 - ESPN aired its 10,000th Sports Center, making it the most televised cable program in history.

1996 - Clyde Drexler (Houston Rockets) became the fourth NBA player to reach 2,000 career steals.

1997 - Latrell Sprewell's $32 million contract was terminated by the Golden State Warriors. The termination came one day after Sprewell assaulted head coach P.J. Carlesimo.

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December is Rising Star Month.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 3:30pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 6:15pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers 7:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey - Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Eels 12:15pm EST

NFL Football -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers 1:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so again tomorrow. Thanks again!