It's Saturday

It's Saturday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is January 21st, the 21st day of 2012. There are 345 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Coaching assignments for NHL All-Star game.

Ken Morrow’s game-worn Team USA ‘Miracle on Ice’ hockey jersey up for auction.

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

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Today is the start of Bald Eagle Appreciation Days, as well as World Leprosy Week.

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Dallas, TX. -- Mathieu Garon gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a chance to win. Teddy Purcell made sure they did.

Garon made 27 saves, and Purcell scored twice, including the game-winner, to help snap a six-game road losing streak and lift the Lightning to a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on Friday night.

With the win, Tampa Bay recorded victories in consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 29-31, when it capped a sweep of a three-game home stand. It defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins, 5-3, on Tuesday night.

Read the rest here.

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Today is National Hugging Day, AFRMA Fancy Rat and Mouse Day and Squirrel Appreciation Day (Linky Link).

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Player Safety and Development Central Focus of USA Hockey's Winter Meeting

Ashare, Butera, MacMillan Receive President's Awards

Colorado Springs, Colorado -- Player safety and development were central topics of discussion at USA Hockey’s Winter Meetings last weekend in Orlando, Fla.

USA Hockey President Ron DeGregorio appointed a special task force to evaluate the organization’s safety and oversight initiatives, with Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey, serving as chair.

“We can be proud of the leadership role we’ve taken in regard to player safety through the years,” said DeGregorio, “but we need to continue to be vigilant.”

Ogrean noted that USA Hockey has long been a leader in ensuring the safety of its participants and highlighted some of the past initiatives at the USA Hockey Board of Directors meeting Sunday (Jan. 15), including:

1) USA Hockey provided the impetus for establishing the Hockey Equipment Certification Council in 1978 to seek out, evaluate and select standards and testing procedures for hockey equipment.
2 ) USA Hockey took a lead role in the youth sports community in requiring background checks for adults dealing with children beginning in 1993.
3) USA Hockey established the Heads Up Hockey! program nationally in 1996 to help influence reduction of spinal cord and other similar injuries.
4) USA Hockey instituted a locker room monitoring policy in 2010.
5)USA Hockey implemented the Progressive Checking Skill Development Program in 2011, which included moving the checking age in games from the Pee Wee (11-12 year-old children) to the Bantam (13-14 year-old children) level.
6)The USA Hockey Foundation has provided grants to various concussion studies and last year supported the Ice Hockey Summit: Action on Concussion at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
7)USA Hockey regularly distributes educational materials to rinks, parents, coaches, officials and players.
“There are so many benefits of being a member of USA Hockey, many of them that I don’t think our players, parents, coaches and officials fully consider,” said DeGregorio. “The participant safety initiatives we’ve led through the years is just one important example and USA Hockey is at the forefront among amateur sports organizations in almost every case.”

DeGregorio also noted he was pleased with intended legislation from the organization’s Junior Council which would impose far stricter penalties for fighting.

“I applaud our Junior Council for recognizing the critical need to help influence the elimination of fighting in our programs,” said DeGregorio. “While it is not a rules change year for USA Hockey, they intend to utilize the avenue for emergency legislation to have the full Board vote on the matter at USA Hockey’s Annual Congress in June so the new rule can be implemented for the 2012-13 season. From my understanding, they’ll likely propose something similar to the college hockey model that includes progressive games missed for fighting.”

In other news:

John Vanbiesbrouck, a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, was a unanimous selection by the Board to serve as Vice President of USA Hockey, its Junior Council chair and a member of its executive committee. He is the first former National Hockey League player to ever serve as an officer of the organization.

DeGregorio presented President’s Awards to three individuals that have been long-standing contributors to the betterment of USA Hockey and always maintained a focus on player safety: Dr. Alan Ashare, chair of USA Hockey’s Safety and Protective Equipment Committee; Rich Butera, chair of USA Hockey's Risk Management Committee; and Mike MacMillan, USA Hockey’s National Coach-in-Chief.

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W.H. Brown's "Power of Sympathy" was published on this date in 1789. It was the first American novel to be published. The novel is also known as the "Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth".

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Eskimos announce 2012 coaching staff.

VANSTONE: Ryan Dinwiddie was in a no-win situation.

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

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The first issue of the "Daily News," edited by Charles Dickens, was published on this date in 1846.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Conference Finals Week schedule:

Conference Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 22nd

Baltimore at New England 3:00pm
New York Giants at San Francisco 6:30pm

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Dr. Russell L. Hawes patented the envelope folding machine on this date in 1853.

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Playing in the dirt makes a guy thirsty.

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The future president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis of Mississippi, resigned from the U.S. Senate on this date in 1861. Four other Southerners also resigned.

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Today in Elvis History:

1956 - "Record Mirror" became the first to print a picture of Elvis Presley in the U.K.

1957 - Filming began on Elvis Presley's second movie, "Loving You."

1965 - Production began on the film Elvis Presley film "Fun in Acupulco" with soundtrack recording.

1997 - Col. Tom Parker died from complications from a stroke. He was the promoter that guided Elvis Presley to stardom.

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The Sullivan Ordinance was passed on this date in 1908 in New York City, making smoking by women illegal. The measure was vetoed by Mayor George B. McClellan Jr.

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Today in Beatles History:

1966 - George Harrison and Patricia Anne Boyd were married. Patty eventually left Harrison for Eric Clapton.

2002 - George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" hit number one on the British pop charts 31 years after its first release. The song was re-released after the death of Harrison.

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The first Kiwanis club was formed in Detroit, Michigan on this date in 1915.

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Today in Sports History:

1911 - The first Monte Carlo motor rally took place.

1973 - The AFC beat the NFC 35-31 in the NFL Pro Bowl in Dallas. The game had been played in Los Angeles since 1942.

1979 - The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII. The Steelers became the first team to win three Super Bowls.

1985 - Dennis Potvin tied Bobby Orr's career record of 270 NHL goals. Potvin ended up with 310 career goals.

1986 - Former major-league player, Randy Bass, became the highest-paid baseball player in Japanese history. Bass signed a three-year contract for $3.25 million. He played for the Hanshin Tigers.

1989 - Wayne Gretzky passed Marcel Dionne to become the NHL's second all time scorer.

1990 - John McEnroe was disqualified and expelled for throwing a tantrum and using abusive language at an official while leading Mikael Pernfors in the Australian Open. He was the first person to be thrown out of a Grand Slam in 27 years. He was fined $6,500 and kicked out of the tournament.

1995 - John Stockton became the NBA's all-time career assist leader when he got his 9,922nd.

1997 - Don Mattingly (New York Yankees) officially announced his retirement.

1997 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) scored 51 points against the New York Knicks.

2002 - Michael Jordan (Washington Wizards) played his first game in Chicago as a visiting player. The Wizards beat the Bulls 77-69.

2010 - Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) became the 15th player in NBA history to reach 25,000 career points and the youngest to hit the milestone. He did it 35 days faster than Wilt Chamberlain.

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The first opera broadcast over a national radio network was presented in Chicago, Illinois on this date in 1927. The opera was "Faust."

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 5:15pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 8:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Phoenix Coyotes 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 11:30pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 2:15pm EST

Monday --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 5:00pm EST

Sunday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 11:15am EST

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 1:30pm EST

NHL Hockey -- All Star Game at Kanata, Ontario 4:00pm EST

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