It's Thursday

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

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Today is January 26th, the 26th day of 2012. There are 340 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.) In the process of publishing today's blog entry, I inadvertantly erased yesterdays. Sorry gang.

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Don Fehr’s union sounds ready to take on NHL.

Flu ends Wings D Lidstrom’s games played streak.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actor Scott Glenn (Backdraft, The Bourne Ultimatum) is 71; Rocker Eddie Van Halen is 57; Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is 54; Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky is 51; the Suleman octuplets (Octomom's kids) are 3.

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Tampa, FL. -- In a case of viral video and cloak-and-dagger intrigue, ThunderBug has been fired.

The final offense? Inappropriate use of Silly String.

The Tampa Bay Lightning mascot sprayed a Boston Bruins fan at a Jan. 17 hockey game. The fan took offense and pushed ThunderBug down. Thousands saw it on YouTube.

The team did not condone ThunderBug's actions.

Read the rest here.

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Yesterday was my 57th birthday. Jimmy went to Gramma and Grampa's house and Kim and I went to dinner at BD's Mongolian Grill.

Like my birthday hat? After dinner, we went to the movies. We saw Red Tails, the movie about the Tuskegee Airmen and some of the action they saw in WWII. We give it 4 enthusiastic thumbs up. It's a definite must see. And when we went back to Gramma and Grampa's house to get Jimmy, there were birthday cupcakes and ice cream. It is a definite a must see.

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Massive Team USA Jersey on Tour to Engage Fans Leading Up
to the 2012 IIHF Women's World Championship

Fans Have Opportunity to Sign Jersey at Several Locations Across the U.S.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- USA Hockey announced today that a giant Team USA jersey, spanning 20 feet by 20 feet, will be touring several key locations en route to the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship in Burlington, Vt., this April.

The tour stops currently include Burlington, Vt., for the Winter Festival; St. Paul, Minn., in conjunction with Hockey Weekend Across America, presented by Reebok; and Lake Placid, N.Y., for Team USA's pre-tournament camp.

The jersey -- complete with well wishes from those signing the jersey during the tour -- will hang in the rafters of the Gutterson Fieldhouse during the upcoming 2012 IIHF World Women's Championship, which will be hosted by USA Hockey April 7-14.

Details with specifics related to each stop on the "jersey tour" as well as ticket information for the 2012 IIHF Women's World Championship can be found at Burlington2012.com.

NOTES: Team USA has won the last three world championships (2008 2009, 2011) ... The event will mark the third time the IIHF Women's World Championship has been held in the United States. Lake Placid, N.Y., played host in 1994, while Minneapolis was the site in 2001. Team USA earned the silver medal in Lake Placid and Minneapolis ... Media accreditation information will be released at a future date ... Katey Stone, head women's ice hockey coach at Harvard University, will serve as head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team for 2011-12 ... For more information on the 2012 IIHF Women's World Championship, click here.

IIHF Women's World Championship Game Schedule
April 7-14 - Burlington, Vt.

Date Match-up Time (EDT) Group Arena
Apr. 7 Slovakia vs. Sweden 1 p.m. B Cairns
Finland vs. Russia 3 p.m. A Gutterson
Switzerland vs. Germany 5 p.m. B Cairns
USA vs. Canada 7 p.m. A Gutterson
Apr. 8 Sweden vs. Germany 1 p.m. B Cairns
Canada vs. Finland 3 p.m. A Gutterson
Switzerland vs. Slovakia 5 p.m. B Cairns
USA vs. Russia 7 p.m. A Gutterson
Apr. 10 Sweden vs. Switzerland 1 p.m. B Cairns
Canada vs. Russia 3 p.m. A Gutterson
Germany vs. Slovakia 5 p.m. B Cairns
Finland vs. USA 7 p.m. A Gutterson
Apr. 11 A4 - B1 3 p.m. Quarterfinal #1 Gutterson
B3 - B4 5 p.m. Relegation Cairns
A3 - B2 7 p.m. Quarterfinal #2 Gutterson
Apr. 13 B4 - B3 1 p.m. Relegation Cairns
A2 - 3A/2B 3 p.m. Semifinal #1 Gutterson
L (Q1) - L (Q2) 5 p.m. 5th/6th Place Game Cairns
A1 - 4A/1B 7 p.m. Semifinal #2 Gutterson
Apr. 14 B3 - B4 # 1 p.m. Relegation Cairns
L (S1) - L (S2) 3 p.m. Bronze-Medal Game Gutterson
W (S1) - W (S2) 7 p.m. Gold-Medal Game Gutterson

National Team Development Program Weekly Update

U18 Team Earns Five of Six Points in USHL Standings, Sets Sights on College Schedule;
U17 Team Splits with Muskegon, Hosts Two USHL Opponents Over Weekend

U17 TEAM HOSTS TWO USHL OPPONENTS: The U.S. National Under-17 Team returns home for the first time since Dec. 17 when it hosts the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Friday (Jan. 27) and Dubuque Fighting Saints on Saturday (Jan. 28). Both contests are scheduled for 7 p.m. EST at the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Ice Cube. Team USA and Muskegon split the season series thus far, with both games contested at L.C. Walker Arena (Jan. 20-21). This will be the Under-17 Team's first meeting against defending United States Hockey League champion, Dubuque, this season.

U18 TEAM SETS SIGHTS TOWARDS COLLEGE SCHEDULE: The U.S. National Under-18 Team has a break this weekend before turning its sights toward collegiate action. Team USA next faces Lake Superior State University on Feb. 3 at 7:05 p.m. EST. The game will be held in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. at the Taffy Abel Arena. The U.S. holds a 2-1-3 (W-L-T) all-time record against the Lakers. Team USA last defeated LSSU, 3-1, on Dec. 16, 2006. The Under-18 Team is 5-7-2 against collegiate opponents this season.

U17'S SPLIT SERIES WITH MUSKEGON: Evan Allen (Sterling Heights, Mich.) scored once and added an assist, but the U.S. National Under-17 Team fell to the Lumberjacks, 4-3, at L.C. Walker Arena on Jan. 20. The following night (Jan. 21), Andrew Copp (Ann Arbor, Mich.) notched one goal and added two assists, as Team USA won the rematch against Muskegon, 5-4, at L.C. Walker Arena.

U18'S EARN FIVE OF SIX POINTS IN USHL: Ryan Hartman (West Dundee, Ill.) recorded the game-winning goal in overtime, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team bested the Dubuque Fighting Saints, 3-2, at the Mystique Ice Center on Jan. 19. Collin Olson (Apple Valley, Minn.) made 23 stops in the victory for Team USA. In the Under-18 Team's next game (Jan. 20), Quentin Shore (Denver, Colo.) tallied the eventual game-winning goal in the second period, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team clipped the Green Bay Gamblers, 3-2, in the first of back-to-back contests at the Resch Center. Jared Rutledge (Chicago, Ill.) turned aside 31 shots in the win for the U.S. In the final game of the road trip on Jan. 21, Hartman and Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif.) netted one goal and collected one assist each, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team fell in overtime to the Green Bay Gamblers, 5-4. Team USA earned one point and took five of six points over the weekend in USHL action.

UNDER-17 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Blueliner Gage Ausmus (East Grand Forks, Minn.) tallied his first goal of the season in a 5-4 win over Muskegon (Jan. 21) ... Forward Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) is riding a five-game point (3-3) streak dating back to Dec. 17 ... Evan Allen and Anthony Louis (Winfield, Ill.) are both in the midst of three-game point streaks. Allen has two goals and three assists in that span, while Louis has scored one goal and added four assists dating back to Jan. 21 ... Forward Andrew Copp joined the U.S. National Under-17 Team and recorded four points (2-2) and a plus-3 rating in two games played (Jan. 20-21).

UNDER-18 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Frankie Vatrano (East Longmeadow, Mass.) is on a four-game point streak dating back to Jan. 14. The forward has potted three goals, collected two assists and registered a plus-4 rating in that stretch ... Jared Rutledge has now won his last four USHL starts dating back to Dec. 11. The netminder has posted a .943 save percentage and 1.50 goals-against-average in those games ... Jacob Trouba (Rochester, Mich.) has recorded eight points (3-5) in his last five contests dating back to Jan. 13. The defenseman is plus-5 in those games ... Forward Ryan Hartman has four points (2-2) in his last three games played dating back to Jan. 19 ... Nicolas Kerdiles is averaging one point per game in his last five outings. The forward netted one goal and had a hand in four others dating back to Jan. 13.

NTDP ALUMNI UPDATE: Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard (Ogdensburg, N.Y./2001-02) won his National Hockey League-best 30th game on Jan. 23 against the St. Louis Blues. Howard turned aside 21 saves in the 3-1 victory ... Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel (Madison, Wis./2003-05) notched a goal in a 3-0 shutout of the New York Islanders on Jan. 23. Kessel's 26 tallies are tied for fourth most in the NHL ... Predators defenseman Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis./2001-03) recorded two assists on Jan. 23 as Nashvhille defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-1 ... Kings blueliner Jack Johnson (Faribault, Minn./2003-05) scored one goal as Los Angeles topped the Ottawa Senators, 4-1, on Jan. 23 ... Predators forward Colin Wilson (Greenwich, Conn./2005-07) had two points (1-1), including the eventual game-winning goal in a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 21 ... Canucks forward David Booth (Washington, Mich./2001-02) recorded a two-point (1-1) night in a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 21 ... Avalanche forward Peter Mueller (Bloomington, Minn./2003-05) tallied the game-winning goal in a 3-1 win over Los Angeles on Jan. 21. Two nights earlier (Jan. 19), Mueller had two goals and one assist in 4-3 win over Florida.

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.

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Today is Military Spouses Day, to recognize and honor the real backbone of the military... the spouses of our soldiers. It's also Lotus 1-2-3 Day, National Peanut Brittle Day (Linky Link) and Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement.

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CFL.ca's Top 10 Running Plays of 2011.

Glenn, Stamps agree to restructured deal.

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

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President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech scored at an eight-grade readability level, according to the University of Minnesota. His three State of the Unions all rank among the six lowest scoring ones ever and are, on average, "more than two grades lower than the 10.7 grade average for the other 67 addresses written by his 12 predecessors."

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

Super Bowl XLVI

All times Eastern

February 5th

New England Patriots vs New York Giants 6:30pm

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According to a new survey (Zagat), 44% of couples intend on dining out this Valentine's Day. The average expected dinner tab comes out to $147 per couple, compared to the regular check for two of around $43.

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Someone's been playing in the dirt.

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Police in Thailand apprehended a thief with more than a thousand pairs of women's underwear in the trunk of his car. They later found more than ten thousand pairs at his home.

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Today in Elvis History

1971 - Elvis Presley began a month-long, 57-show season at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.

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If you're among the 200 richest people in the world you can join the exclusive new social network TopCom. According to Esquire, TopCom is a highly secure private social network, a sort of "combination Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, texting, and Skype" for "the people who run the world."

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Today in Beatles History:

1969 - The Beatles recorded covers of "Shake Rattle And Roll," "Kansas City," "Miss Ann," "Lawdy Miss Clawdy," "Blue Suede Shoes," "You Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Tracks Of My Tears."

1970 - John Lennon wrote and recorded "Instant Karma."

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In case you weren't watching TV or using the Internet in the past week, President of the United States, Barack Obama, caused quite a stir with his rendition of "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green. Now his people have turned a viral YouTube karaoke session into an official ringtone. Yes, you can have Barack Obama singing "Let's Stay Together" every single time you get a phone call. Get the ringtone.

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Today in Sports History:

1924 - Charles Jewtraw of the United States won the 500-meter speed skating. He was the first Gold Medalist at the Winter Olympics.

1985 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) became the first NHL player to score 50 goals in 49 games.

1990 - Steffi Graf won her 48th consecutive match.

1997 - ZZ Top, James Brown and the Blues Brothers performed at the Super Bowl XXXI halftime show. The Green Bay Packers won 35-21 over the New England Patriots. It was the third Super Bowl win for the Packers.

2002 - Jennifer Capriati won Australian Open Tennis Championships in Melbourne.

2003 - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Oakland Raiders 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII. Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden became the youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl. It was the first Super Bowl appearance for the Buccaneers.

2003 - In Berlin, Lindsay Benko broke the 400 freestyle world record. She became the first to go under the four-minute mark (3 minutes, 59.53 seconds).

2003 - In Berlin, Thomas Rupprath set a new world record in the men's 100 medley. He came in at 52.58.

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Seal tells talk show host Tavis Smiley his divorce from Heidi Klum will be handled civilly for the benefit of their kids. "What one has to do in this situation is to remain civil, to retain one's dignity, to be professional, and to understand that we are not the only people on this planet that are going through this."

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Coming up:

Tonight --

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!