It's Sunday

It's Sunday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is April 1st, the 92nd day of 2012. There are 274 days left in the year.

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Stirling-Rawdon crowned Kraft Hockeyville.

Bruins' depth gets them back in, sets up repeat bid.

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

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April is: Atlanta Food & Wine Month, ASPCA Month, Alcohol Awareness Month, Amateur Radio Month, Autism Awareness Month, Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage Month, Cancer Control Month, Car Care Month, Celebrate Diversity Month, Child Abuse Awareness Month, (International) Cesarean Awareness Month, Confederate History Month, Couple Appreciation Month, Cranberries and Gooseberries Month, Defeat Diabetes Month and Emotional Overeating Awareness Month.

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Tampa, FL. -- Add yet another NHL record to the books for Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos.

The Bolts’ superstar center took all of 45 seconds to beat Ondrej Pavelec from the right circle to claim an NHL single-season record fifth overtime game-winning goal and propel the Lightning to a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Saturday night.

Ryan Malone also had two goals, and Sebastien Caron stopped 26 shots for Tampa Bay, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

Read the rest here.

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This is: The APAWS Pooper Scooper Week, Golden Rule Week, Holy Week, International Pooper Scooper Week, Laugh At Work Week, National Blue Ribbon Week, National Public Health Week, National Week of the Ocean, National Window Safety Week and Medication Safety Week.

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

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Today is: April Fool's Day, Boomer Bonus Days, International Tatting Day, International Tongue Twister Day, Library Snap Shot Day, National Fun Day, Palm Sunday, Poetry & The Creative Mind Day, Reading Is Fun Day, Sorry Charlie Day, St. Stupid Day and U.S. Air Force Academy Day.

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Jimmy is a true joy to us every day.

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On this date in 1621, the Plymouth, MA, colonists created the first treaty with Native Americans.

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Today in Elvis History

1955 - Elvis Presley released "Baby, Let's Play House." The b-side was "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone."

1956 - Elvis Presley filmed his first Hollywood screen test for Hal Wallis.

1959 - Elvis Presley rented a piano while in Germany.

1960 - Elvis Presley taped Frank Sinatra's Timex TV special in Miami.

1977 - Elvis Presley was admitted to a Memphis hospital due to fatigue and intestinal flu. He stayed in the hospital for six days.

1981 - The album "The Million Dollar Quartet" was released for the first time on Sun in the U.K.

1993 - Michael Jackson tried to buy the remains of Elvis' twin brother, Jesse.

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On this date in 1748, the ruins of Pompeii were found.

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Today in Beatles History:

1961 - The Beatles began a 92 night stop in Hamburg, West Germany, at the Top Ten club.

1964 - John Lennon was reunited with his father, Fred Lennon, after 17 years.

1967 - The Beatles recorded "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" at Studio Two, Abbey Road.

1970 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono announced that they were going to have dual sex-change operations.

1970 - Ringo Starr layed down the drum tracks for the overhauled "Let It Be" sessions.

1973 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono announced that they were creating a new country called Nutopia. The country would have no laws, no boundaries and the the national anthem was silence.

1976 - Paul McCartney and Wings released the song "Silly Love Songs."

2003 - The 5-DVD set "The Beatles Anthology" was released.

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On this date in 1789, the U.S. House of Representatives held its first full meeting in New York City. Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania was elected the first House Speaker.

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Today in Sports History:

1876 - The first official National League (NL) baseball game took place. Boston beat Philadelphia 6-5.

1919 - The final game of the 1919 Stanley Cup was canceled due to the worldwide epidemic of influenza. No winner was declared in the series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Seattle Metropolitans.

1930 - Leo Hartnett of the Chicago Cubs broke the altitude record for a catch by catching a baseball dropped from the Goodyear blimp 800 feet over Los Angeles, CA.

1931 - Jackie Mitchell became the first female in professional baseball when she signed with the Chattanooga Baseball Club.

1972 - The Major League Baseball Players Association went on strike. The strike lasted 12 days and canceled 86 games.

1978 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) became the first NHL rookie to score 50 goals in a season.

1983 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) became the first National Hockey League (NHL) player to score 60 goals in 3 consecutive seasons.

1992 - Players began the first strike in the 75-year history of the National Hockey League (NHL).

1996 - U.S. President Bill Clinton threw out the first ball preceding a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Baltimore Orioles.

1996 - Baseball umpire John McSherry died after collapsing during a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos.

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Cincinnati became the first U.S. city to pay fire fighters a regular salary on this date in 1853.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway 12:30pm EDT

IZOD Indy Car Series -- Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park 2:00pm EDT

Monday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals 7:00pm EDT

Tuesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Wednesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm EDT

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs 7:00pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 3:10pm EDT (Regular season opener)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 7:10pm EDT

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Winnipeg Jets 7:00pm EDT (Final game of regular season)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 7:10pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:10pm EDT

Monday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies 4:10pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Detroit Tigers 1:05pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Detroit Tigers 1:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies 8:40pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Detroit Tigers 1:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies 3:10pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 2:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Pittsburgh Pirates 4:35pm EDT

Nascar Nationwide Series -- O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway 8:30pm EDT

Saturday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 4:05pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway 7:00pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Pittsburgh Pirates 9:05pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 1:35pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Pittsburgh Pirates 4:05pm EDT

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

It's Saturday

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

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Today is March 31st, the 91st day of 2012. There are 275 days left in the year.

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'Mr. Hockey' turns 84, still revered in Wings' room.

Stunning Numbers: Stamkos’ shooting success; Toronto’s home woes.

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

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Today is: Bunsen Burner Day, Earth Hour, National "She's Funny That Way" Day, National Love Our Children Day and Terri's Day.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are on home ice tonight against the Winnipeg Jets.

Read the preview right here.

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Quebec and Montreal were incorporated as cities on this date in 1831.

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Poblah ready to take on larger role with Bombers.

Esks sign pair of cornerbacks, one linebacker.

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

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On this date in 1870 in Perth Amboy, NJ, Thomas P. Munday became the first black to vote in the U.S.

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I'm watching Sesame Street.

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On this date in 1880, Wabash, IN, became the first town to be completely illuminated with electric light.

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Today in Elvis History

1966 - The movie "Frankie and Johnny," starring Elvis Presley and Donna Douglas, premiered in Baton Rouge, LA.

1977 - An Elvis Presley concert in Baton Rouge, LA, was postponed after Elvis did not return from the intermission.

1986 - Elvis Presley's "Crying In The Chapel" was certified gold by the RIAA.

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On this date in 1889 in Paris, the Eiffel Tower officially opened.

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Today in Beatles History:

1964 - The Beatles single "Can't Buy Me Love" was certified gold by the RIAA.

1969 - George Harrison and Patti Harrison, appeared in court charged with possession of cannabis. They were fined 250 pounds.

1969 - In Amsterdam John Lennon and Yoko Ono ended their "Bed-In" so they could premiere Ono's new film "Rape" in Vienna.

1972 - The Official Beatles Fan Club closed.

1984 - The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" hit #53 in the U.K.

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On this date in 1900, the W.E. Roach Company was the first automobile company to put an advertisement in a national magazine. The magazine was the "Saturday Evening Post".

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Today in Sports History:

1906 - The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States was founded to set rules in amateur sports. The organization became the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1910.

1923 - King Clancy (Ottawa Senators) played all six positions in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. He played goalie for 2 minutes while Clint Benedict served a penalty.

1931 - Knute Rockne died in a plane crash.

1968 - Seattle chose the nickname Pilots for their new AL franchise.

1972 - The Major League Baseball Players Association voted to go on strike on April 1.

1973 - Muhammad Ali wore a $10000 robe with "The Peoples Champion" inscribed on it. Ali lost the fight to Ken Norton. Elvis Presley had given the robe to Ali on January 2, 1971.

1990 - Joe Sakic became the youngest person in NHL history to score 100 points in a season. He was also the first to do so with a last-place team.

1991 - Brett Hull (St. Louis Blues) recorded his 86th goal of the season. It was the third best total in NHL history.

1992 - Cotton Fitzsimmons (Phoenix Suns) became the sixth coach in NBA history to get 800 career wins.

1997 - Martina Hingis, 16 years old, became the youngest women's tennis player to reach the world number-one mark.

1998 - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Arizona Diamondbacks debuted in the major league.

1998 - Pokey Reese (Cincinnati Reds) tied a major league record when he had four errors on opening day.

2003 - Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the season opener between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

2004 - NFL owners adopted a 15-yard penalty for excessive celebrations. The penalty was added to the fines previously in place for choreographed and multiplayer celebrations. Also, if the infraction was flagrant the player would be ejected. The previous day the owners had instituted a modified instant replay system for five years.

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ABC-TV aired the 200th episode of "The Love Boat" on this date in 1985.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Winnipeg Jets 7:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway 12:30pm EDT

IZOD Indy Car Series -- Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park 2:00pm EDT

Monday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals 7:00pm EDT

Tuesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Wednesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm EDT

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs 7:00pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 3:10pm EDT (Regular season opener)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 7:10pm EDT

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Winnipeg Jets 7:00pm EDT (Final game of regular season)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 7:10pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:10pm EDT

Monday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies 4:10pm EDT

Tuesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Detroit Tigers 1:05pm EDT

Wednesday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Detroit Tigers 1:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies 8:40pm EDT

Thursday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Detroit Tigers 1:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies 3:10pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 2:05pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Pittsburgh Pirates 4:35pm EDT

Nascar Nationwide Series -- O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway 8:30pm EDT

Saturday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 4:05pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway 7:00pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Pittsburgh Pirates 9:05pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox 1:35pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Pittsburgh Pirates 4:05pm EDT

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

It's Friday

It's Friday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is March 30th, the 90th day of 2012. There are 276 days left in the year.

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Canadiens' GM Gauthier relieved of his duties.

Players try to rally EA Sports NHL '13 cover support.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Rocker Eric Clapton is 67; Actor Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies) is 62; Rapper MC Hammer (real name Stanley Kirk Burrell) is 50; Singer Celine Dion is 44; Singer Norah Jones is 33.

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Newark, NJ. -- Ryan Malone apparently felt right at home in front of the net on Thursday night.

Unfortunately for him and the Tampa Bay Lightning, so did the New Jersey Devils.

Malone scored three times to record his fourth career hat trick, and Victor Hedman added two assists, but neither could prevent New Jersey from earning its second consecutive victory in a 6-4 win over the Lightning at the Prudential Center.

Read the rest here.

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Today is Doctors Day, Grass Is Always Browner On The Other Side Of The Fence Day and Pencil Day.

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U.S. National Sled Hockey Team Defeats Canada, 2-1, to Advance to the
Gold-Medal Game of the 2012 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship

Chace Tallies a Goal and an Assist; Cash Makes 15 Saves

HAMAR, Norway - Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.) scored a goal and recorded an assist and Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.) made 15 saves to help the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team defeat Canada, 2-1, in the semifinals of the International Paralympic Committee Sledge Hockey World Championship tonight at the Olympic Amphitheatre.

With the victory, Team USA advances to the gold-medal game on Sunday (April 1) where it will face Korea at 10 a.m. EDT.

"Our guys really stuck to the game plan tonight," said Jeff Sauer, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. "We played really strong defensively, especially in the last five minutes of the game. It was our goal to play for a gold medal and now that's what we're doing."

Chace opened the scoring with a wrist shot from the top of the slot that found the back of the net at 9:48 of the first period. Taylor Lipsett (Richardson, Texas) banged home a rebound with 10 seconds remaining in the period to open a two-goal lead for Team USA. Chace and Alexi Salamone (Grand Island, N.Y.) collected assists on the goal.

Cash made several outstanding saves near the end of the second period to keep the score 2-0 in favor of the U.S. heading into the second intermission.

Canada made it a one-goal game at 8:51 of the third period, but the U.S. was able to hold its lead to earn a spot in the gold-medal game on Sunday.

NOTES: Steve Cash was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... For a complete 2011-12 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team roster, including bios, click here ... All games from the 2012 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championships are streamed live here, while live scoring can be found here ... Taylor Chace is serving as a captain for the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team, while Taylor Lipsett is the alternate captain ... Team USA is the defending champion of the event ... The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team has participated in two previous competitions this season. Team USA captured second place in the World Sled Hockey Challenge in Calgary, Alta., (Nov. 27-Dec. 3) and posted a 1-0-0-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record against Canada in an exhibition series in Williamsville, N.Y., (Feb. 23-25).

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 2- 0- 0- 2
CAN 0- 0- 1- 1

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Chace (unassisted), 9:48; 2, USA, Lipsett (Chace, Salamone), 14:50. Penalties: CAN, Bowen (delay of game), 7:28; USA, McKee (holding), 11:23.

Second Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: CAN, Rempel (too many men), 1:26; USA, Lipsett (interference), 2:34; CAN, Murray (butt-ending, double minor/misconduct), 8:37; USA, Chace (interference), 15:00.

Third Period - Scoring: 3, CAN, Dixon (Bridges), 8:51. Penalties: CAN, Dixon (interference), 6:38; USA, McCoy (delay of game), 10:25.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
USA 3 3 0 6
CAN 5 4 7 16

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Cash, 45:00 5/5 4/4 7/6 16/15
CAN, Watson, 45:00 3/1 3/3 0/0 6/4

Power Play: USA 0-5; CAN 0-4
Penalties: USA 4-8; CAN 5-20

Team USA 2012 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship Schedule
Hamar, Norway

Date Opponent Time (Local/EDT)
Sun., March 25 Estonia W, 2-1 (SO)
Mon., March 26 Czech Republic L, 1-2 (SO)
Wed., March 28 Japan W, 5-0
Thur., March 29 Canada (Semifinals) W, 2-1
Sun., April 1 Korea (Gold-Medal Game) 4 p.m./10 a.m.

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Ashton Kutcher is expected to return for an expected 10th season of Two and a Half Men -- and sources say the current offer being discussed is about $1 million per episode. Ashton currently reportedly makes $700,000 per episode, while Charlie Sheen raked in $1.25 million in his final season.

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Five more years: Hufnagel extends with Stamps.

Flames increase ownership stake in Stampeders.

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

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The NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four games will be played Saturday night.

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What a handsome little guy, eh?

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President Obama will take his 600th flights on both Air Force One and Marine One today (Friday).

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Today in Elvis History

1961 - In Hawaii, a resolution was passed "expressing gratitude and appreciation to Elvis Presley and Col. Tom Parker" for helping to raise funds for the USS Arizona.

1967 - Elvis Presley's "Guitar Man" hit #19 in the U.K.

2004 - The album "Maximum Elvis" was released. It contained the songs "The King Of Western Bop", "A White Man Who Could Sing The Blues", "Let's Get Real, Real Gone For A Change", "The Snowman", "This Unspeakably Untallnted, Vulgar Young Entertainer", "At The Movies", "A Nice Lad When You Get To Know Him", "The Hippie Element", "Death" and "Resurrection?".

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Best Buy is closing 50 stores. [That's just great! Now where am I supposed to watch free cable?]

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Today in Beatles History:

1967 - The cover of the Beatles' "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was staged and photographed.

1996 - The Beatles' "Anthology 2" hit #1 on the U.S. album chart.

2007 - A man was arrested after trying to force his way into Paul McCartney's mansion in Sussex.

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Beer and chocolate eggs, together at last--and just in time for Easter! Brazilian beer Skol has infused its brew into the creamy middle of some Cadbury-like Easter eggs for a confection that should prove irresistible to chocoholics with a taste for beer. And the best part? Anyone interested in tasting the boozy Easter treats need only fan Skol on Facebook in order to be eligible for a free six-pack. Here's video of the eggs being made.

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Today in Sports History:

1925 - The Victoria Cougars of the WCHL became the last non-NHL team to win the Stanley Cup.

1946 - Maurice "The Rocket" Richard scored his first of three overtime goals in the Stanley Cup Finals.

1980 - George Gervin (San Antonio) became the fifth NBA player to win at least three consecutive scoring titles.

1993 - The Ottawa Senators lost their 37th consecutive road game to tie the NHL record that had been set in 1975.

1997 - Golfer John Daly checked into the Betty Ford Clinic after a drinking binge a few days earlier.

2002 - The Dallas Stars lost 3-1 to the Edmonton Oilers. The game ended the Stars' streak of 50 straight wins when leading after 2 periods.

2004 - NFL owners approved a modified version of the instant replay system for five years. They added a third coaches' challenge if the first two were successful.

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The Canadian government announced on Thursday that it plans to pull the penny from circulation at the end of 2012, saying the copper-coated currency is more expensive for the Royal Canadian Mint to produce than its actual currency value.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Winnipeg Jets 7:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway 12:30pm EDT

IZOD Indy Car Series -- Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park 2:00pm EDT

Monday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals 7:00pm EDT

Tuesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Wednesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm EDT

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs 7:00pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 3:10pm EDT (Regular season opener)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 7:10pm EDT

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Winnipeg Jets 7:00pm EDT (Final game of regular season)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 7:10pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:10pm EDT

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

It's Thursday

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

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Today is March 29th, the 89th day of 2012. There are 277 days left in the year.

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No shortage of deserving candidates for Masterton.

If the playoffs started today.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Comedian/actor Eric Idle (Shrek the Third, Monty Python films) is 69; Comedian Amy Sedaris (Strangers With Candy) is 51; Model Elle Macpherson is 48; Actress Annabella Sciorra (The Sopranos) is 52.

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Newark, NJ. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the road tonight to face the New Jersey Devils.

Read the preview right here.

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Today is Knights of Columbus Founders Day, National Mom and Pop Business Owner's Day, Niagra Falls Runs Dry Day and Texas Loves the Children Day. It's also the beginning of Mule Day, a celebration that runs through April 1st. (Linky Link)

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National Team Development Program Weekly Update

U18's Split Last Weekend in USHL, Focus Turns to World U18 Championship;
U17's Dropped by Chicago Last Weekend, Head on the Road for Two Tilts

U17'S HEAD ON ROAD FOR TWO TILTS: The U.S. National Under-17 Team heads on the road in an attempt to secure a playoff bid within the United States Hockey League's Eastern Conference. The U17's first visit the Dubuque (Iowa) Fighting Saints on Saturday (March 31) at the Mystique Ice Center. Puck drop is slated for 8:05 p.m. EDT. The following day (April 1), the U.S. visits the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) RoughRiders for a 4:05 p.m. EDT matinee. The game will be held at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

U18'S FOCUS TURNS TO WORLD U18 CHAMPIONSHIP: Having closed out the USHL portion of its schedule last weekend, the U.S. National Under-18 Team turns its focus to the 2012 Men's World Under-18 Championship in Brno and Znojmo, Czech Republic. Team USA will enjoy a weekend off before preparing for the tournament that runs from April 12-22. A full roster and schedule will be released next week.

U17'S DROPPED BY STEEL: Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) tallied three goals and John Hayden (Greenwich, Conn.) earned two assists, but the U.S. National Under-17 Team was dropped by the Chicago Steel, 6-4, at The Edge Ice Arena on March 24.

U18'S SPLIT WEEKEND IN USHL ACTION: Andrew Copp (Ann Arbor, Mich.) registered three points (1-2) and Cameron Darcy (South Boston, Mass.) netted two goals, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team toppled the Muskegon Lumberjacks, 6-1, at L.C. Walker Arena on March 23. Collin Olson (Apple Valley, Minn.) stopped 18 shots in the victory for Team USA. Back at the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Ice Cube on March 25, forwards J.T. Compher (Northbrook, Ill.) and Frankie Vatrano (East Longmeadow, Mass.) recorded one goal and one assist each, but the U.S. National Under-18 Team fell to the Indiana Ice, 5-4, in a shootout.

UNDER-17 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Forward Anthony Louis (Winfield, Ill.) has at least one goal in back-to-back contests and three overall dating back to March 17 ... Forward Miles Koules (Los Angeles, Calif.) collected one assist in each of his past two games dating back to March 17 ... After missing more than a month due to injury, defenseman Trevor Hamilton (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.) registered an assist on March 24, his first point since Jan. 27 ... John Hayden had two assists on March 24 against Chicago, the forward's second multi-point outing in the USHL this season ... Forward Tyler Kelleher notched the first hat trick of the 2011-12 USHL season by a member of the National Team Development Program on March 24 against Chicago ... Heading into the weekend, Team USA holds the sixth and final playoff position in the USHL's Eastern Conference. With a record of 25-25-5 (W-L-OTL), the U.S. leads seventh place Chicago by 12 points. The Under-17 Team needs just one point to clinch the final spot.

UNDER-18 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Forward J.T. Compher has four points (3-1) in his last four games dating back to March 16. He is plus-2 overall in those contests ... Matt Grzelcyk (Charlestown, Mass.) finished his USHL season with one assist in four straight games dating back to March 16. The blueliner also recorded a plus-4 rating over that span ... Forward Frankie Vatrano has five points (2-3) in his last four contests dating back to March 16. He is plus-3 overall in those games ... Forward Riley Barber (Livonia, Mich.) has three assists and is plus-2 in his last three games dating back to March 17 ... Brady Skjei (Lakeville, Minn.) has three points (2-1) in his last five games dating back to March 15. One of the defenseman's two goals was the game-winning tally against Indiana (March 17) ... Collin Olson has won his last three starts dating back to March 11. The goaltender posted a 1.65 goals-against average and .932 save percentage in those victories ... The U.S. National Under-18 Team finished March with a 6-2-1 (W-L-OTL) record against the USHL. Overall the Under-18 team compiled a 17-7-4 record against USHL opponents in the 2011-12 season.

NTDP ALUMNI UPDATE: Edmonton defenseman Ryan Whitney (Scituate, Mass./2000-01) earned two assists and was plus-2 in a 6-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 25 ... St. Louis blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk (New Rochelle, N.Y./2005-07) registered three assists in a 4-0 shutout victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on March 25 ... Three former NTDP players earned points in the New York shootout win over Toronto on March 24. Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel (Madison, Wis./2003-05) collected one assist and added to his season total of 77 points (36-41), which is sixth most in the National Hockey League. Teammate and fellow forward Joey Crabb (Anchorage, Alaska/1999-2001) contributed with one goal and one assist, while David Steckel (West Bend, Wis. 1998-2000) registered two assists ... Ottawa Senators forward Nick Foligno (Hummelstown, Pa./2003-04) had a hand in three goals and recorded a plus-3 rating in a 8-4 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 24 ... Philadelphia defenseman Matt Carle (Anchorage, Alaska/2000-02) earned two assists as the Flyers defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 4-1, on March 24 ... A total of 19 former NTDP skaters were on the combined rosters of the 16 schools that qualified for the 2012 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament.

NTDP ANNOUNCES SIX COMMITMENTS FOR 2012-13 SEASON: Forwards Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.), Jared Fiegl (Parker, Colo.), Dylan Larkin (Waterford, Mich.) and Ryan MacInnis (St. Louis, Mo.), along with defensemen Ryan Bliss (Bedford, N.H.) and Jack Glover (Golden Valley, Minn.) have committed to join USA Hockey's NTDP for the 2012-13 season, it was announced earlier this week. The players, all from the 1996 birth year, will compete as members of the U.S. National Under-17 Team.

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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The projected Mega Millions jackpot for Friday night, originally estimated at $476 million, has now been boosted to a whopping $500 million. The top prize will be the biggest Mega Millions jackpot in the multi-state lottery's history and also the biggest lottery in U.S. history. No lottery players in any state have matched all six numbers since January 24.

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Mosaic makeover leads to training camp moves for Riders.

Poblah, Watson expected to anchor Bombers' offence.

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

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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is a space nut. Now he's located the engines used on mankind's first trip to the moon. They're stuck on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, and he wants to bring them up to the surface. and get them into a museum. He notes that the project will be privately funded.

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Let's see....What should I do next?

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A regular news service began between New York and London on Marconi's wireless on this date in 1903.

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Today in Elvis History

1958 - Elvis Presley's "Don't" hit #2 in the U.K.

1972 - Elvis Presley recorded the song "Always On My Mind."

1976 - In Memphis, Bruce Springsteen jumped a fence at Graceland in an attempt to see his idol, Elvis Presley.

2004 - The Vermont Teddy Bear Company released a limited edition Elvis Bear 2. The bears were to be offered from March 29-April 24, 2004, at more than 750 Kroger stores free of charge with a minimum purchase.

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POTUS IS SEXY AND HE KNOWS IT - Obama singing Sexy and I Know It.

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Today in Beatles History:

1970 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono announced that Yoko was pregnant.

1986 - It became legal in Russia to buy a Beatles album.

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A Brinks truck hauling anywhere between $3 million and $9 million in Canadian coins was part of a chain-reaction collision involving another truck Wednesday morning that caused the armored transport to spill its heavy load on an Ontario highway. Oh, and one of the other truck was carrying candy.

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Today in Sports History:

1929 - The first NHL Stanley Cup Final between two U.S.-based teams took place. The Boston Bruins beat the New York Rangers to get their first Stanley Cup title.

1970 - Tony Esposito (Chicago Black Hawks) recorded his 15th shutout. It was an NHL record for rookie goalies and the most shut outs in the modern era.

1973 - Bobby Clarke (Philadelphia Flyers) became the first NHL player from a post-'67 expansion team to score 100 points in a season.

1987 - Hulk Hogan took 11 minutes, 43 seconds to pin Andre the Giant in front of 93,136 fans at Wrestlemania III at the Silverdome in Pontiac, MI.

1998 - Tennessee won the woman's college basketball championship over Louisiana State. Tennessee had set a NCAA record with regular season record of 39-0.

1999 - Wayne Gretzky (New York Rangers) scored his 1,072nd professional goal (WHA and NHL combined) passing Gordie Howe who had scored 1,071.

2004 - Steve Moore (Colorado Avalanche) spoke to the media for the first time since Todd Bertuzzi (Vancouver Canucks) sucker-punched him during a game on March 9.

2004 - The NHL approved the sale of the Atlanta Thrashers from Time Warner.

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First Lady Michelle Obama will guest star in a two-part Biggest Loser makeover that whisks the contestants away to the White House to reunite with their loved ones. The episode will air as two, one-hour episodes on Tuesday, April 3 and Tuesday, April 10.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils 7:00pm EDT

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Winnipeg Jets 7:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway 12:30pm EDT

IZOD Indy Car Series -- Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park 2:00pm EDT

Monday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals 7:00pm EDT

Tuesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Wednesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm EDT

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs 7:00pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 3:10pm EDT (Regular season opener)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 7:10pm EDT

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Winnipeg Jets 7:00pm EDT (Final game of regular season)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 7:10pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:10pm EDT

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

It's Wednesday

It's Wednesday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is March 28th, the 88th day of 2012. There are 278 days left in the year.

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Fracture in foot sidelines Bryzgalov.

Hall elects to have season-ending shoulder surgery.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Singer and actress Reba McEntire is 58; Actor and comedian Vince Vaughn (The Break-Up, Dodgeball, Wedding Crashers) is 42; Reality TV personality Kate Gosselin is 37; Singer Lady Gaga is 26.

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Boston, MA. -- In all situations, win or lose, Steven Stamkos just can’t help adding to his league-leading goal total.

Stamkos scored twice more Tuesday night, including once at even strength and an additional time on the power play, but in a 5-2 loss as the Tampa Bay Lightning fell to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.

Read the rest here.

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Today is Barnum and Bailey Day and Weed Appreciation Day.

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U.S. National Sled Hockey Team Blanks Japan, 5-0,
in 2012 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship

Salamone Records a Goal and Two Assists

HAMAR, Norway - Alexi Salamone (Grand Island, N.Y.) scored a goal and recorded two assists, as the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team shutout Japan, 5-0, in its final preliminary-round game of the International Paralympic Committee Sledge Hockey World Championship this afternoon at the Olympic Amphitheatre.

With the victory, Team USA improves to 1-1-1-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) and finishes preliminary-round play in second place in Pool A. The U.S. will play Canada in the semifinals on Thursday (March 29) at 12 p.m. EDT.

"We played a solid game today and had a great effort from everyone," said Jeff Sauer, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. "I like our momentum going into the medal round."

Nikko Landeros (Berthoud, Colo.) opened the scoring at 5:59 of the first period with a power-play marker. Salamone collected an assist on the goal and followed suit with a power-play tally of his own at 8:29. Taylor Lipsett (Richardson, Texas) recorded the only assist on the play. At 9:21, Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.) received a pass from Greg Shaw (Park City, Utah) and lit the lamp to open a three-goal lead for the U.S. heading into the first intermission.

Chace tallied his second goal of the game at 2:03 of the middle stanza on the power play, before Lipsett concluded the scoring in the game just over five minutes later. Salamone earned an assist on Lipsett's goal, while Kevin McKee (Davenport, Iowa) had assists on both second period goals.

Team USA goaltender Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.) made six saves to earn the shutout, while Mitsuru Nagase recorded 17 saves for Japan in the loss.

NOTES: Taylor Lipsett was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... The U.S. was three-for-three on the power play in today's game, while holding Japan scoreless in its two power-play attempts ... For a complete 2011-12 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team roster, including bios, click here ... Live scoring of all games in the 2012 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship can be found here ... Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.) is serving as a captain for the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team, while Taylor Lipsett is the alternate captain ... Team USA is the defending champion of the event ... The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team has participated in two previous competitions this season. Team USA captured second place in the World Sled Hockey Challenge in Calgary, Alta., (Nov. 27-Dec. 3) and posted a 1-0-0-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record against Canada in an exhibition series in Williamsville, N.Y., (Feb. 23-25).

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 3- 2- 0- 5
JPN 0- 0- 0- 0

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Landeros (Salamone), 5:59, (pp); 2, USA, Salamone (Lipsett), 8:29, (pp); 3, USA, Chace (Shaw), 9:21. Penalties: JPN, Shioya (hooking), 5:39; JPN, Yoshikawa (teeing), 8:04.

Second Period - Scoring: 4, USA, Chace (McKee), 2:03, (pp); 5, USA, Lipsett (Salamone, McKee), 7:16. Penalties: JPN, Endo (roughing), 1:18; USA, Shaw (roughing), 8:07; USA, Lipsett (roughing), 13:51.

Third Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: None.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
USA 10 8 4 22
JPN 3 2 1 6

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Cash, 45:00 3/3 2/2 1/1 6/6
JPN, Nagase, 45:00 10/7 8/6 4/4 22/17

Power Play: USA 3-3; JPN 0-2
Penalties: USA 2-4; JPN 3-6

Team USA 2012 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship Schedule
Hamar, Norway

Date Opponent Time (Local/EDT)
Sun., March 25 Estonia W, 2-1 (SO)
Mon., March 26 Czech Republic L, 1-2 (SO)
Wed., March 28 Japan W, 5-0
Thur., March 29 Canada (Semifinals) 6 p.m./12 p.m.
Sun., April 1 Bronze-Medal Game 12 p.m./6 a.m.
Gold-Medal Game 4 p.m./10 a.m.

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Children are being burdened with hours of homework every week, but a new study says it does them little good. Research out of Australia reveals elementary school homework offers no real benefit -- and only limited results in junior high school. Only senior students in grades 11 and 12 benefit from after-school work.

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Riders fulfilling pledge of roster overhaul.

Rider Camp Info.

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

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Rick Santorum says he would be open to serving as vice president. [Movie nights, trampolines, all the free popcorn you could want -- who wouldn't be open to serving as vice president?!]

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Look Daddy. Sand!

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If you're 33-years-old, soak it up, because it's all uphill from here. In a survey (by Friends Reunited) 7 out of 10 people picked 33 as their happiest year of life.

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Today in Elvis History

1958 - Elvis Presley arrived at Fort Hood, TX, for basic training. He was stationed there for six months.

1964 - Elvis Presley's "It Hurts Me" hit #29 in the U.S.

2005 - Lisa Marie Presley appeared on television's "Oprah."

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Today is Something on a Stick Day. Celebrate by eating a food on a stick.

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Today in Beatles History:

1964 - Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London unveiled its wax version of the Beatles.

1964 - The Beatles single "I Saw Her Standing There" was #1 in Australia. They also held the next five spots with other singles.

1966 - Ringo Starr and George Harrison attended a Roy Orbison concert in Walthamstow, England.

1970 - The Beatles single "Hey Jude" hit #2 in the U.S.

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Ordering pizza may already be among the easiest things to do, but somehow one pizza joint in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has made it even easier. Red Tomato Pizza has debuted what some are calling a "pizza emergency button," a magnetic button you place on your fridge. After setting it up with your Bluetooth, every time you push the button it will automatically order your favorite pizza (which you set up online).

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Today in Sports History:

1945 - Maurice "Rocket" Richard (Montreal Canadiens) became the first NHL player to score 50 goals in a season. Richard scored 50 goals in 50 games.

1963 - Sonny Werblin announced that the New York Titans of the American Football League was changing its name to the New York Jets. (NFL)

1990 - Jesse Owens received the Congressional Gold Medal from U.S. President George Bush.

1999 - In Cuba, the Orioles beat the Cuban National Team 3-2. It was the first time since the 1950's that a U.S. team had played in Cuba.

2002 - Former NFL player Dexter Manley was sentenced to two years in jail for evidence tampering. He had been convicted for attempting to swallow cocaine he was carrying and then failed to meet with his probation officer.

2002 - Greco Roman wrestler Rulon Gardner had the middle toe on his right foot amputated due to frostbite. He had been stranded overnight in Wyoming on February 14.

2002 - Eric Cairns (New York Islanders) was suspended by the NHL for two games. The previous night Cairns had punched Radek Bonk (Ottawa Senators).

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A streaker ran onto the set of "The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson" on this date in 1974

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils 7:00pm EDT

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Winnipeg Jets 7:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway 12:30pm EDT

IZOD Indy Car Series -- Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park 2:00pm EDT

Monday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals 7:00pm EDT

Tuesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Wednesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm EDT

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs 7:00pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 3:10pm EDT (Regular season opener)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 7:10pm EDT

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Winnipeg Jets 7:00pm EDT (Final game of regular season)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 7:10pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:10pm EDT

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

it's Tuesday

It's Tuesday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is March 27th, the 87th day of 2012. There are 279 days left in the year.

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Art Ross Trophy race: Malkin still in front.

Watch thousands pray for Canucks’ Daniel Sedin at Rogers Arena.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Director Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) is 49; Actress Pauley Perrette (Abbey on NCIS) is 43; Singer Mariah Carey is 42; Singer Fergie (Black Eyed Peas) is 37.

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Philadelphia, PA. -- Steven Stamkos scored his way into the franchise record books Monday night.

Stamkos’ league-best 53rd goal set the Tampa Bay Lightning single-season record, and Dwayne Roloson made 35 saves to win for the third consecutive time and give the Bolts a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Read the rest here.

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Today is American Diabetes Association Alert Day, Celebrate Exchange Day, Education and Sharing Day, Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day and Viagra Day.

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Boston College Unanimous No. 1 in USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine 2011-12 Men's College Hockey Poll - #25(first-place votes in parentheses) Rank School Last Week's Ranking 2011-12 Record Weeks in Top 15 1 Boston College, 510 (34) 1 31-10-1 25 2 University of Minnesota, 463 6 28-13-1 24 3 Union College, 452 3 26-7-7 23 4 Ferris State University, 402 8 25-11-5 20 5 University of North Dakota, 350 4 26-13-3 13 6 University of Minnesota Duluth, 340 5 25-10-6 25 7 University of Michigan, 321 2 24-13-4 21 8 Cornell University, 215 14 19-9-7 15 9 UMass Lowell, 205 13 24-13-1 13 10 University of Denver, 177 9 25-14-4 24 11 Boston University, 170 10 23-15-1 22 12 University of Maine, 157 11 23-14-3 10 13 Miami University, 147 7 24-15-2 9 14 Western Michigan University, 125 12 21-14-6 19 15 United States Air Force Academy, 25 NR 21-11-7 1 Others receiving votes: Michigan State University, 21. NOTES: The NCAA Men's Frozen Four begins on April 5 in Tampa, Fla., with No. 1 Boston College squaring off against No. 2 University of Minnesota and No. 3 Union College facing No. 4 Ferris State University. The winners of the two semifinal match-ups will play on April 7 for the NCAA championship ... Boston College is the unanimous No. 1 selection for the fourth straight week and has been atop the polls for the past five weeks ... The Central Collegiate Hockey Association, Hockey East Association and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association lead all conferences with four ranked teams, while ECAC Hockey has two ranked teams and Atlantic Hockey has one ranked program ... A total of 16 teams received votes ... The USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll will take a one-week hiatus before the last poll of the season is released on April 9 following the Frozen Four. ABOUT THE POLL: The 17th annual USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men’s College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the five NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey Magazine, the most widely distributed hockey magazine in the world.

NTDP Announces First Six Commitments for 2012-13 Season

Four Forwards and Two Defensemen Named to U.S. National Under-17 Team

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Forwards Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.), Jared Fiegl (Parker, Colo.), Dylan Larkin (Waterford, Mich.) and Ryan MacInnis (St. Louis, Mo.), along with defensemen Ryan Bliss (Bedford, N.H.) and Jack Glover (Golden Valley, Minn.) have committed to join USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program for the 2012-13 season, it was announced today. The players, all from the 1996 birth year, will compete as members of the U.S. National Under-17 Team.

“We are pleased to welcome this talented group to the NTDP,” said Peter Ward, director of player personnel for the NTDP. “These players will provide a solid foundation for future signings and we will continue to find the top talent in the country as we fill out our roster.”

During the 2011-12 season, Eichel skated for the Boston Junior Bruins team of the Empire Junior Hockey League. He scored 39 goals and added 47 assists in 36 games. His 86 points were fourth most in the league.

Fiegl competed for the Colorado Rampage Midget Minor team of the Tier I Elite League and recorded 22 points (11-11), which was third most on the squad. He also chipped in with one power-play tally and one game-winning goal.

Larkin comes from the Belle Tire (Mich.) Midget Minor team of the Tier I Elite League, where he averaged a point a game, scoring 11 goals and collecting 11 assists in 22 games. Four of Larkin's 11 tallies were game-winning goals. His season was shortened due to injury.

MacInnis played for the St. Louis Blues Midget Minor team of the Tier I Elite League during the 2011-12 campaign. He ranked first on the team with 47 points (27-20) in 34 games. MacInnis finished tied for eighth overall in points within the league and tied for fourth in scoring with 27 goals.

Bliss skated for St. Paul's (N.H.) School of the New England Prep School League. He recorded one goal and added three assists in 21 games.

During the 2011-12 campaign, Glover played for Benilde-St. Margaret's (Minn.) High School of the Minnesota State High School League and notched two goals and 16 assists in 27 games as the Red Knights claimed the 2012 MSHSL Class AA State Championship.

NOTES: Eichel, Fiegl, MacInnis, Bliss and Glover all competed for Team USA in the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games from Jan. 13-22, 2012, in Innsbruck, Austria. Larkin was named to the team but did not compete due to injury ... The 2012-13 U.S. National Under-17 Team will play in the United States Hockey League, the top junior league in the U.S. It will also compete in three international competitions, including the 2013 World Under-17 Challenge … The U.S. National Under-17 Team will be comprised of two goaltenders, 12 forwards and eight defensemen.

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NEW ON DVD TODAY - Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked; Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close; South Park: The Complete Fifteenth Season

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A big thank you from big Doug Brown.

Odell Willis responds to criticism of Riders’ trade.

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

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AWESOME VIDEO - "Frame of Mind" is pretty amazing.

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Jimmy plants potatoes.

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Angry Birds Space was downloaded over 10 million times in its first 3 days. Along with that milestone, the app has also climbed the charts to become the #1 grossing app on Apple's App Store. That title was previously held by Draw Something.

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Today in Elvis History

1961 - Filming began on the Elvis Presley movie "Blue Hawaii." Location shooting finished on April 17th. The filming was totally finished on May 23rd.

1962 - Elvis Presley recorded his single "Return To Sender."

1972 - Elvis Presley recorded "Burning Love." It would turn out to be his last major hit.

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A woman was in court Monday on charges that she broke into Simon Cowell's house. [Obviously, she's mentally ill. Who else would want to spend an evening with Simon Cowell?]

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Today in Beatles History:

1979 - "All You Need Is Cash" premiered on BBC-TV. The work was a parody of the Beatles' career (featuring the Rutles).

1979 - Eric Clapton and Patti Boyd, the ex-wife of George Harrison, were married.

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Justin Bieber has grown up right -- and gotten richer -- right before our eyes. And now he seriously considering his very own multimillion-dollar mansion in Calabasas, California. The pop star has been looking at a $6 million dollar home.

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Today in Sports History:

1917 - The Seattle Metropolitans, of the Pacific Coast League of Canada, defeated the Montreal Canadiens and became the first U.S. hockey team to win the Stanley Cup.

1981 - U.S. President Reagan hosted a luncheon honoring the members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1989 - Sport Illustrated exposed Pete Rose's gambling activities. The magazine article alleged Rose bet on baseball from the Riverfront dugout using hand gestures with an associate.

1994 - Magic Johnson became head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. He coached the final 16 games of the 1993-4 season.

2007 - NFL owners voted 30-2 to make the video replay system a permanent officiating tool.

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Today, March 27, is a big day for inventions. The shoelace was invented today in 1790. In 1860 M.L. Byrn patented the "covered gimlet screw with a 'T' handle," better known as the corkscrew. And Andrew Rankin received a patent for the urinal today in 1866.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins 7:30pm EDT

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils 7:00pm EDT

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Winnipeg Jets 7:00pm EDT

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway 12:30pm EDT

IZOD Indy Car Series -- Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park 2:00pm EDT

Monday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals 7:00pm EDT

Tuesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Wednesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm EDT

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs 7:00pm EDT

Friday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 3:10pm EDT (Regular season opener)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 7:10pm EDT

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Winnipeg Jets 7:00pm EDT (Final game of regular season)

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:05pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 7:10pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs New York Yankees 1:40pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks 4:10pm EDT

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