It's Thursday

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

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Today is December 8th, the 342nd day of 2011. There are 23 days left in the year.

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Penguins' Crosby to miss two games.

Canucks: Booth to miss 4-6 weeks.

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

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Eli Whitney was born in Westboro, MA on this date in 1765. Whitney invented the cotton gin and developed the concept of mass-production of interchangeable parts.

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New York, N.Y. -- Lightning forward Martin St. Louis left practice Thursday morning after taking a puck in the face from a teammate at Madison Square Garden.

St. Louis, who has played 499 consecutive games, was bleeding as he was helped from the ice by a trainer. St. Louis was circling behind the net during a drill when a teammate backhanded a shot high and wide and hit St. Louis.

The Lightning, who are looking to snap a five-game losing streak, take on the Rangers tonight. A preview of the game is right here.

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On this date in 1776, George Washington's retreating army in the American Revolution crossed the Delaware River from New Jersey to Pennsylvania.

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National Team Development Program Weekly Update

Under-18 Team Defeats Chicago, Faces Three Games in Three Days this Weekend;
Under-17 Team Successful in USHL Road Trip, Home Versus Omaha Friday

U17 TEAM RETURNS HOME VERSUS OMAHA: The U.S. National Under-17 Team returns home for a tilt against the Omaha Lancers on Friday (Dec. 9) at 7:00 p.m. ET. It marks the only time the Lancers will visit the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Ice Cube this season.

U18 TEAM FACES THREE GAMES IN THREE DAYS: Three games in three days await the U.S. National Under-18 Team this weekend. The road trip begins at the Urban Plains Center in Fargo, N.D. as Team USA takes on the Fargo Force at 8:35 p.m. ET. The following night (Dec. 10), the U.S. battles the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Stampede at Sioux Falls Arena. Puck drop is slated for 8:05 p.m. ET. The trip concludes on Sunday (Dec. 11) with a 6:00 p.m. ET match-up against the Sioux City (Iowa) Musketeers. The game will be held at Gateway Arena.

U17 TEAM COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL USHL ROAD TRIP: Team USA faced its first three-game United States Hockey League road trip and came away with five of six possible points last weekend. J.T. Compher (Northbrook, Ill.) and Tyler Motte (St. Clair, Mich.) each recorded one goal and one assist, as the U.S. National Under-17 Team defeated Waterloo, 4-3, in a shootout at Young Arena on Friday (Dec. 9). The following night (Dec. 10) in Des Moines, Motte scored one goal to extend his USHL point streak to five games, but the U.S. National Under-17 Team fell to Des Moines, 3-2, in overtime at Buccaneer Arena. With the overtime loss, Team USA earned one point in the league standings. The road trip concluded with John Hayden (Greenwich, Conn.) scoring the game-winning goal midway through the second period, as the U.S. National Under-17 Team clipped the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2-1, on Sunday (Dec. 12) at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

U18 TEAM DEFEATS CHICAGO: Forward Miles Koules (Los Angeles, Calif.) registered two assists and Collin Olson (Apple Valley, Minn.) stopped 10 of 11 shots, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team defeated Chicago, 4-1, at The Edge Ice Arena on Saturday (Dec. 3). Defenseman Seth Jones (Plano, Texas) notched the eventual game-winning goal at 6:32 of the second period.

UNDER-17 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Forward Tyler Motte extended his National Team Development Program best six-game USHL point streak this weekend with two goals and two assists in three games. During that span, which dates back to Oct. 22, Motte has nine total points (6-3) ... Forward John Hayden tallied his second game-winning goal on Dec. 12, which is the most on the U.S. National Under-17 Team to date ... Netminder Hunter Miska (North Branch, Minn.) has now won three of his last four starts in the USHL ... Forward Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) had a three-game USHL assist streak snapped on Sunday (Dec. 4) ... J.T. Compher's streak of two-point games came to an end at three on Saturday (Dec. 5). In the three games dating back to Oct. 28, the forward tallied two goals and collected four assists in USHL action.

UNDER-18 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Defensemen Seth Jones and Jacob Trouba (Rochester, Mich.) were named to the preliminary roster for the 2012 U.S. National Junior Team. The group will gather for a camp in Camrose, Alta., on Dec. 17, with the final 22-player U.S. National Junior Team roster expected to be named Dec. 22 ... Miles Koules is on a four-game point streak in the USHL. The forward has one goal and four assists in the five game span dating back to Oct. 22 ... Frankie Vatrano (East Longmeadow, Mass.) has scored one goal in back-to-back contests ... Stefan Matteau (Chicago, Ill.) continues to pace the Under-18 Team in scoring with 18 points (8-10). Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif./10-5--15) is second while Riley Barber (Livonia, Mich./8-6--14) is third ... In goal, Collin Olson and Jared Rutledge (Chicago, Ill.) split time in net for Team USA. Olson is 6-5-0 with a 2.59 goals-against-average and an 88.6 save percentage. Rutledge is 6-4-1 with a 2.96 GAA and an 89.6 save percentage.

NTDP ALUMNI UPDATE: Eric Nystrom (Syosset, N.Y./1999-01) has scored at least one goal in four of his last five games, including the game winner on Dec. 1 in the Dallas Stars' 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators ... Ryan Kesler (Livonia, Mich./2000-02) tallied three assists on Sunday (Dec. 4) to help lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-1 win over the Calgary Flames ... Phil Kessel (Madison, Wis./2003-05) still leads the National Hockey League in points (17-18--35) after registering a pair of assists on Monday (Dec. 5) as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New York Rangers, 2-1. Kessel followed up that success with a one goal performance against New Jersey on Tuesday (Dec. 6) ... Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y./2004-06) leads the NHL in assists with a current total of 22. Kane has earned six assists in his past four games and added one goal during that span. Kane is sixth in the NHL in points with 30 (8-22) ... Jimmy Howard (Odgensburg, N.Y./2001-02) has a league-high 15 wins to date this season. His 1.83 goals-against-average is also good for fourth best in the NHL ... Jamie McBain (Faribault, Minn./2004-06) scored both goals, his firsts of the 2011-2012 season, for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 3-2 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 3.

For the complete weekly update, click here.

ABOUT THE NTDP: In 1996, USA Hockey launched a revolutionary new initiative called the National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Celebrating its 15th season of play in 2011-12, the goal of this full-time development program is to prepare student-athletes under the age of 18 for participation on U.S. National Teams and success in their future hockey careers. Its efforts focus not only on high-caliber participation on the ice, but creating well-rounded individuals off the ice.

THE USHL AND FASTHOCKEY: Catch all of Team USA's USHL action on FASTHockey.com, the premier online destination for ice hockey fanatics from around the world. Visitors can choose from an incredible array of games from national governing bodies, conferences, leagues, teams, tournaments, and other events.

Pat Kelleher Promoted to Assistant Executive Director, Development

Kelleher to Add USA Hockey Foundation to Responsibilities

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Pat Kelleher has been promoted to assistant executive director for development it was announced today by USA Hockey.

Kelleher, who since 2008 has served as assistant executive director for membership development at USA Hockey, will add duties leading the fundraising efforts of The USA Hockey Foundation to his responsibilities.

"With Pat's leadership, and through the help of our Foundation Board of Directors and others, I'm excited about the future of The USA Hockey Foundation and the positive impact it can have for all those involved in our great sport," said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey and The USA Hockey Foundation. "Pat's passion for the game is contagious and his focus and drive will be of great benefit to the Foundation."

Kelleher, a native of Belmont, Mass., was tabbed in 2008 to lead USA Hockey's new membership development department, with a primary focus of increasing the number of players in the 8 & under age category. In 2010-11, the organization reached a record 105,394 players under the age of 9, a 14.5% increase from the 2008-09 campaign.

The 1992 graduate of Brown University launched Serving The American Rinks (STAR), a joint venture of USA Hockey and U.S. Figure Skating, in 2000. During his tenure as chief operating officer, the organization became the premier rink membership association in the United States and leader in providing industry education. In addition, STAR turned the North American RINK Conference and Expo (NARCE) into the U.S. rink industry's largest conference and trade show. STAR also publishes RINK Magazine, the most widely read publication in the industry.

Forty-One Players Set to Attend
2011 USA Hockey Women's Winter Training Camp

Sixteen Olympians to Train in Blaine, Minn., Dec. 26-31

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Forty-one of the nation's top female hockey players will take part in the 2011 USA Hockey Women's Winter Training Camp, from Dec. 26-31 in Blaine, Minn. The six-day camp, which will take place at the National Sports Center's Schwan Super Rink, will serve as an evaluation camp and training session for the U.S. Women's National Team.

Among this year's attendees are 21 of the 22 players who recently captured the 2011 Four Nations Cup championship in Nykoping, Sweden, last month.

A total of 16 Olympians will be on hand in Blaine, including Jenny Potter (Edina, Minn.), who has competed in four Olympic Winter Games (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010), and Julie Chu (Fairfield, Conn.), who has competed in three Olympic Winter Games (2002, 2006, 2010).

NOTES: The players will be divided into Blue and White teams prior to camp.

2011 USA Hockey Women's Winter Training Camp Schedule
Dec. 26-31• Blaine, Minn. • Schwan Super Rink

Date Practice/Scrimmage Rink Time (EST)
Tues., Dec. 27 White Practice 6 3-4:15 p.m.
Blue Practice 6 4:30-5:45 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 28 Blue Practice 6 8-10 a.m.
White Practice 6 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Blue vs. White Game 6 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Thurs., Dec. 29 White Practice 6 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Blue Practice 6 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Blue vs. White Game 6 6:15-8:15 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 30 White Practice 6 8:30-10 a.m.
Blue Practice 6 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 31 Blue vs. White Game 6 8:45-10:45 a.m.

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On this date in 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The theory holds that Mary, mother of Jesus, was free of original sin from the moment she was conceived.

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Here's a capsule look at this past weekend's games in the Empire South and EJHL South.

Saturday, December 3rd:

Empire South --

Tampa Bay Juniors 10, Florida Eels 2

A five-goal first period send the Juniors on their way to the win. Nick Reed tallied 3 goals and 3 assists for Tampa Bay, while Brendan Nicholson had 2 goals and 2 assists, Michael Hirschauer had 2 goals, Dustin Disbro had a goal and 4 assists, David Cross 1 goal and 1 assist, Daniel Fritz 1 goal and Kyle Gertz 19 saves. For the Eels, Scott Perkins had a goal and an assist and Sean Gawel 1 goal, with Dylan Knox and Travus McDonald combining for 50 saves. Tampa Bay was 2 for 7 on the power play and 6-of-6 on the penalty kill.

Florida Junior Blades 9, Palm Beach Hawks 2

The Junior Blades scored 4 times in the first and cruised to the win. D.J. Thomas scored 3 goals in the first period and later picked up an assist, Jonathon Davidson scored 3 times, Ty Lasker had 2 goals and 2 assists and Robert Ruddle scored a goal. Joseph Keyser had 23 saves. Joe LaBonte and Jacob Fairchild scored for Palm Beach, Brad Rocheville and Sean Shriner combined for 40 saves. The Blades were 0-for-4 on the power play with 1 shorthanded goal against. Palm Beach was 1-for-5 on the power play with 2 shorthanded goals against.

EJHL South --

Hampton Roads Whalers 8, East Coast Eagles 4

A 3-1 margin in both the second and third periods were the difference for Hampton Roads in their win. For the Whalers, Ryan Salkeld had 2 goals and 4 assists, Matthew Zendejas scored twice and added a pair of assists, Paul Hefferin had a goal and 2 assists, Dalton Gilbert, Joesph Francis and Ryan Collins scored 1 apiece for the Whalers, who got a 44 save effort from Dylan Snyder. Brad Mitchell and Paul Centauro scored for East Coast and Drew Weigman made 44 saves. Hampton Roads was 2-for-8 on the power play, the Eagles were 1-for-6.

Tampa Bay Juniors 6, Florida Eels 5

A three goal second period helped propel Tampa Bay to the win. For the Juniors, Chase Anderson had 3 goals and 2 assists, Jacon Holmes scored twice and James Gabrione had a goal and 4 assists. Braxton Schulz made 40 saves. For the Eels, Yevgeniy Lemanskyy and Justin Boyd had a goal and 2 assists each, Cody Peakman had a goal and an assist and Ed Streit and Shea Keller scored once each. Carl Boomhower had 34 saves. Tampa Bay was 3-for-6 on the power play and 6-of-6 on the penalty kill.

Sunday, December 4th:

Empire South --

Tampa Bay Juniors 5, Florida Eels 2

2 goals in both the first and third periods helped Tampa Bay to the win. Dustin Disbro scored twice in the first period and added an assist, Wade Simon had a goal and assist, David Cross and Chad Page scored goals, while Aaron Wise made 30 saves. Nick Cormeier and Joe Clemente scored for the Eels, Jacob Widmer had 38 saves. The Eels were 1-for-4 on the power play and 1-of-1 on the penalty kill.

Florida Junior Blades 11, Palm Beach Hawks 3

4 goals in the first and 5 more in the third spurred the Blades, which saw Blake O'Neill pace the attack with two goals, while nine other players scored one each. Joseph Keyser and Bryan Canter teamed to make 12 saves. Timothy Camden, Justin Andreson and Vince Cook scored goals, while Sean Shriner and Bobbu Dugan combined to make a staggering 101 saves of 112 shots faced. The Junior Blades were 3-for-5 on the power play, Palm Beach 1-for-3.

EJHL South --

Hampton Roads Whalers 8, East Coast Eagles 3

4 goals in the second and 3 more in the third were the difference for the Whalers in their second win of the weekend. For Hampton Roads, Gerald Owen and Ryan Collins had 3 goals and 2 assists each, Dalton Gilbert and Clayton Kanemitsu 1 goal each and Blake Scott 44 saves. For East Coast, Dillion Burkarth had a goal and an assist, Chase Harris and Paul Centauro 1 goal each and Ryan Walsh 39 saves. Hampton Roads was 4 for 9 on the power play and 9-of-9 on the penalty kill.

Coming up:

December 9th:

Empire South:

Space Coast Hrricanes vs Boston Bandits
Florida Eels vs New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs
Florida Eels vs Boston Bandits
Atlanta Jr Knights vs Capital District Selects
Space Coast Hurricanes vs Brewster Bulldogs

EJHL South:

Space Coast Hurricanes vs Capital District
Atlanta Jr. Knights vs NE Wolves
Florida Eels vs Green Mountain

December 10th:

Empire South:

Florida Eels vs NY Apple Core
Atlanta Jr Knights vs Philadelphia Revolution
Florida Eels vs Syracuse Stars
Space Coast Hurricanes vs Salem Ice Dogs
Atlanta Jr Knights vs Green Mountain Glades
Hampton Roads Whalers vs Potomac Patriots
Tampa Bay Juniors at Palm Beach Hawks

EJHL South:

Space Coast Hurricanes vs Rochester
Atlanta Jr Knights vs Valley Jr Warriors
Space Coast Hurricanes vs Phildelphia Revolution
Atlanta Jr Knights vs Springfield
Florida Eels vs Boston Bandits
Tampa Bay Juniors at Palm Beach Hawks

December 11th:

Empire South:

Space Coast Hurricanes vs Bay State Breakers
Hampton Roads Whalers vs Potomac Patriots
Tampa Bay Juniors at Palm Beach Hawks

EJHL South:

Florida Eels vs NE Wolves
Tampa Bay Juniors at Palm Beach Hawks

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On this date in 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln announced his plan for the Reconstruction of the South.

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Moffat: AC and his OC see eye to eye year round.

2012 CFL potential free agents list.

Esks sign Charles and Clarke to new deals.

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

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At a convention of union leaders in Columbus, Ohio on this date in 1886, the American Federation of Labor was founded.

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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 38 at Tampa Bay 19
At Pittsburgh 35, Cincinnati 7
At Houston 17, Atlanta 10
NY Jets 34 Washington 19
At New England 31, Indianapolis 24
At Miami 34, Oakland 14
Denver 35 at Minnesota 32
Tennessee 23 at Buffalo 17
Kansas City 10 at Chicago 3
Baltimore 24 at Cleveland 10
At Arizona 19, Dallas 13 (OT)
Green Bay 38 at NY Giants 35
At San Francisco 26, St. Louis 0
At New Orleans 31, Detroit 17

Monday, December 5th

San Diego 38 at Jacksonville 14

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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The United States entered World War II when it declared war against Japan on this date in 1941. The act came one day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Britain and Canada also declared war on Japan.

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Late night snack time.

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On this date in 1952 on the show "I Love Lucy," a pregnancy was acknowledged in a TV show for the first time.

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Today in Elvis History:

1956 - The album "Elvis" hit #1 in the U.S.

1960 - Fabian visited Elvis Presley at Graceland and lent him his pants when Elvis ripped his demonstrating karate.

1968 - In the U.S., the TV special "Elvis" aired on NBC-TV.

1973 - The Elvis Presley single "Raised on Rock" hit #36 in the U.K.

1976 - Elvis Presley announced that "plans are under way now for a visit to London."

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On this date in 1953, Los Angeles became the third largest city in the United States.

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Today in Beatles History:

1980 - In New York City, Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon to death. Earlier in the day, Lennon had autographed an album for Chapman.

1984 - Ringo Starr was a guest on "Saturday Night Live."

2000 - A statue of John Lennon sitting on a park bench was presented in Havana, Cuba. The statue was part of a commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Lennon's assassination in New York City.

2001 - In Belgrade, Yugoslavia, a street was renamed "John Lennon Street" in honor of the late Beatle.

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On this date in 1992, Americans got to see live television coverage of U.S. troops landing on the beaches of Somalia during Operation Restore Hope. (Due to the time difference, it was December 9 in Somalia.)

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Today in Sports History:

1863 - Tom King of England defeated American John Heenan and became the first world heavyweight champion.

1987 - Ron Hextall (Philadelphia Flyers) became the first goalie in NHL history to shoot and score a goal. His empty net goal made him only the second goalie to get credit for a goal in the NHL.

1994 - In Los Angeles, 12 alternate jurors were chosen for the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

2000 - Mario Lemieux announced to the Pittsburgh Penguins that he planned to return to the National Hockey League (NHL) as a player at age 35. He would be the first modern owner-player in U.S. pro sports.

2003 - The Orlando Magic ended their 19-game losing streak by beating the Phoenix Suns 105-98.

2004 - In Michigan, five Indiana Pacers and seven fans were charged for various crimes related to a fight that broke out during a Pacers-Pistons game on November 19.

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Nkem Chukwu and Iyke Louis Udobi's first of eight babies was born on this date in 1998. The other seven were delivered 12 days later.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

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

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

College Football -- Army vs. Navy at Washington, D.C. 2:30pm EST

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Palm Beach Hawks 5:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Philadelphia Flyers 7:00pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Palm Beach Hawks 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Palm Beach Hawks 10:00am EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Palm Beach Hawks 1:00pm EST

NFL Football -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars 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!