It's Tuesday

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

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Today is December 18th, the 353rd day of 2012. There are 13 days left in the year.

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What We Learned: Saving NHL from its potential free-agent apocalypse.

Second NHL team in Toronto won’t happen because of payment to Maple Leafs?

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

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New Jersey became the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on this date in 1787.

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Boston College Holds Onto No. 1 Ranking in USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine 2012-13 Men's College Hockey Poll - #11(first-place votes in parentheses) Rank School Last Week's Ranking 2012-13 Record Weeks in Top 15 1 Boston College, 503 (28) 1 11-2-1 12 2 University of New Hampshire, 473 (5) 2 11-2-2 9 3 University of Notre Dame, 443 (1) 3 14-4-0 12 4 University of Minnesota, 392 4 11-3-3 12 5 Miami University, 366 5 11-3-4 12 6 Boston University, 339 6 10-5-0 12 7 Western Michigan University, 285 7 11-4-1 12 8 University of North Dakota, 284 8 10-5-3 12 9 Quinnipiac University, 247 9 12-3-2 3 10 Dartmouth College, 198 11 7-2-2 6 11 Cornell University, 148 12 6-3-2 12 12 Union College, 107 13 8-3-4 12 13 University of Nebraska-Omaha, 90 14 11-6-1 5 14 Yale University, 67 15 7-3-2 4 15 University of Denver, 62 10 9-6-3 12 Others receiving votes: St. Cloud State University, 48; Niagara University, 15; Minnesota State University, 10; Providence College, 3. NOTES: The USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Pollwill now take a one-week hiatus, returning on Tues., Jan. 1, 2013. The poll will be delayed one day and released on Tuesday to allow for holiday tournaments to conclude ... Boston College retains the No. 1 ranking for the second straight week ... BC shared the preseason No. 1 rank with the University of Minnesota ... ECAC Hockey leads all conferences with five ranked programs this week. The Western Collegiate Hockey Association has four ranked teams, while the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and the Hockey East Association each have three ranked squads ... A total of 21 teams received votes. ABOUT THE POLL: The 18th 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.

NHL Network-U.S. to Air Live Broadcast of All Team USA Games at the 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship

An Additional 12 Games Will Also Be Aired Live

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The NHL Network-U.S. will broadcast live all U.S. contests at the 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, with all preliminary-round games being re-aired in primetime. The NHL Network-U.S. will also air Team USA's two pre-tournament games live from Finland. An additional 12 games from the IIHF World Junior Championship, set for Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Ufa, Russia, will also be aired live on the NHL Network-U.S. and then be re-aired later that same day, including six preliminary-round games and the entire medal round. A complete schedule is below. For the latest NHL Network listings, click here. In addition, NHL.com will provide a live stream of all Team USA tournament games (available only in the U.S.). Steve Mears, who handles play-by-play for Pittsburgh Penguins HD Radio and covered the NHL Playoffs and Final last year for the NHL Network, will call all U.S. games in the tournament, with the NHL Network's E.J. Hradekserving as the analyst and Rob Simpson the rink-side reporter. The IIHF World Junior Championship features the top men's hockey players in the world under the age of 20 and is one of the top events on the world hockey calendar each year. Participating nations include Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. The United States has earned a medal in two of the last three IIHF World Junior Championships, including gold in 2010 and bronze in 2011.  NOTES: USA Hockey is currently conducting a training camp in Tarrytown, N.Y., at the New York Rangers training facility with 26 candidates hoping to make the final 23-player U.S. National Junior Team roster. For Team USA's preliminary roster, click here ... Phil Housley (South St. Paul, Minn.), head boy's ice hockey coach at Stillwater (Minn.) High School, is the head coach of the 2013 U.S. National Junior Team. He is assisted by Mark Osiecki (Columbus, Ohio), head men's ice hockey coach at Ohio State University, Grant Potulny (Minneapolis, Minn.), assistant men's ice hockey coach at the University of Minnesota and David Lassonde (Denver, Colo.), assistant men's ice hockey coach at the University of Denver ... Jim Johannson (Colorado Springs, Colo.), USA Hockey's assistant executive director of hockey operations, is serving as the general manager of Team USA for the fourth consecutive year. Tim Taylor (Guilford, Conn.) is the director of player personnel ... Team USA will compete in a group with Canada, Germany, Russia and Slovakia at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship. For more information about the tournament, click here ... In August, 45 players attended the 2012 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y. Complete details from that camp can be found here. 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship NHL Network-U.S. ScheduleDec. 26, 2012-Jan. 5, 2013 • Ufa, Russia • Ufa Arena  Date Matchup Time (Local/EST) Replay Time (ET) Live Streaming Thurs., Dec. 20 USA vs. Sweden* 7:30 p.m./12:30 p.m. -- -- Sat., Dec. 22 Finland vs. USA* 1:00 p.m./6:00 a.m. -- -- Wed., Dec. 26 Canada vs. Germany Russia vs. Slovakia 3:30 p.m./4:30 a.m. 8:00 p.m./9:00 a.m. 6:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 27 USA vs. Germany 8:00 p.m./9:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. NHL.com Fri., Dec. 28 Slovakia vs. Canada USA vs. Russia 3:30 p.m./4:30 a.m. 8:00 p.m./9:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. NHL.com Sat., Dec. 29 Russia vs. Germany 8:00 p.m./9:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m. Sun., Dec. 30 USA vs. Canada Germany vs. Slovakia 3:30 p.m./4:30 a.m. 8:00 p.m./9:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. NHL.com Mon., Dec. 31 USA vs. Slovakia Canada vs. Russia 4:00 p.m./5:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m./9:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. NHL.com Wed., Jan. 2 Quarterfinal #1 Quarterfinal #2 5:00 p.m./4:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m./8:00 a.m. TBA TBA Thurs., Jan. 3 Semifinal #1 Semifinal #2 5:00 p.m./4:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m./8:00 a.m. TBA TBA Sat., Jan. 5 Bronze Medal Game Gold Medal Game 5:00 p.m./4:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m./8:00 a.m. TBA TBA *pre-tournament game Stefan Noesen Ruled Ineligible For 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The International Ice Hockey Federation has ruled U.S. National Junior Team candidate Stefan Noesen (Plano, Texas) ineligible for the 2013 World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia, USA Hockey announced today. Noesen, who plays for the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League, was suspended for 10 games by the OHL for a hit in a game on Dec. 8. The IIHF recognizes suspensions from certified leagues in member federations and because there will be seven games remaining in Noesen’s suspension prior to the start of the IIHF World Junior Championship, Noesen will not be eligible for participate in the tournament. “While we respect the IIHF’s decision, we don’t feel the process is equitable,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. “Moving forward, we’ll work with the IIHF and other federations to address the situation.” The IIHF World Junior Championship features the top men's ice hockey players in the world under the age of 20 and is one of the top events on the world hockey calendar each year. Participating nations include Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. The U.S. has earned a medal in two of the last three IIHF World Junior Championships, including gold in 2010 and bronze in 2011.  NOTES: USA Hockey is currently conducting a training camp in Tarrytown, N.Y., at the New York Rangers training facility with 26 candidates hoping to make the final 23-player U.S. National Junior Team roster. For Team USA's preliminary roster, click here ... Phil Housley (South St. Paul, Minn.), head boy's ice hockey coach at Stillwater (Minn.) High School, is the head coach of the 2013 U.S. National Junior Team. He is assisted by Mark Osiecki (Columbus, Ohio), head men's ice hockey coach at Ohio State University, Grant Potulny (Minneapolis, Minn.), assistant men's ice hockey coach at the University of Minnesota and David Lassonde (Denver, Colo.), assistant men's ice hockey coach at the University of Denver ... Jim Johannson (Colorado Springs, Colo.), USA Hockey's assistant executive director of hockey operations, is serving as the general manager of Team USA for the fourth consecutive year. Tim Taylor (Guilford, Conn.) is the director of player personnel ... Team USA will compete in a group with Canada, Germany, Russia and Slovakia at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship. For more information about the tournament, click here ... In August, 45 players attended the 2012 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y. Complete details from that camp can be found here.

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The "Monitor," of Baltimore, MD, was published on this date in 1796 as the first Sunday newspaper.

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Corvallis, OR. -- CORVALLIS — Sean Mannion fancies himself a football junkie, which means the sophomore quarterback takes pride in knowing a lot about college football around the nation. He pays attention to games and stats, and can talk knowledgeably about some of the best players across the country.

Read the rest here.

Visit the Oregon State Athletics department official web site.

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The first orthopedic hospital was organized in New York City. It was called the Hospital for Ruptured and Crippled on this date in 1862.

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VANSTONE: Quiet winter a good sign for Riders.

Austin given the power to evaluate from the top down.

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

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Slavery was abolished in the United States with the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution being ratified on this date in 1865.

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Tampa, FL. —Josh Freeman had his worst statistical game of the season on Sunday in New Orleans, and his Buccaneers obviously had their worst day of 2012, losing by more than one score for the first time in a 41-0 defeat. Freeman’s four-pick day was his first outing of the year with more than two interceptions, and only his fourth game with more than one. On paper, it looks nothing like the midseason stretch during which he threw 16 touchdowns against just three interceptions and the Bucs won five of six.

Read the rest here.

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A new automobile speed record was set at 39 mph (63 kph) on this date in 1898.

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Jimmy digs for pirate treasure.

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You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as watching the tree trimmers work their way down your street, isn't it?

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Today in Elvis History

1954 - Elvis Presley recorded "Milkcow Blues Boogie."

1970 - Elvis Presley bought his father a Mercedes.

1971 - The Elvis Presley album "I Got Lucky" hit #104 in the U.S.

1971 - The U.K. maxi-single reissue of "Jailhouse Rock" hit #42 in the U.K.

1978 - The album "Elvis - A Legendary Performer, Vol. 3" was certified gold by the RIAA.

1982 - The Elvis Presley single "It Won't Seem Like Christmas Without You" hit #80 in the U.K.

2002 - "Elvis Presley 55" was released. The vinyl release was a collection of Elvis radio shows recorded during 1955.

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On this date in 1903, the Panama Canal Zone was acquired 'in perpetuity' by the U.S. for an annual rent.

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Today in Beatles History:

1961 - Britain's EMI Records rejected the Beatles. They later signed them.

2002 - "The Beatles - Now and Then, Photographs by Harry Benson" went on exhibit at the Albany Institute of History & Art. The exhibit featured approximately 80 of Benson's classic images of the Beatles.

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U.S. President Wilson, widowed the year before, married Edith Bolling Galt at her Washington home on this date in 1915.

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Today in Sports History:

1977 -  The Cleveland Cavaliers retired Nate Thurmond's jersey, #42.

1961 - Wilt Chamberlain scored 78 points against Los Angeles.

1962 - Wilt Chamberlain scored 62 points against the St. Louis Hawks.

1983 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) scored his 100th point of the season.

1983 - The San Diego Clippers ended a 29 game road losing streak.

1993 - The NFL announced a new 4-year agreement with ABC, ESPN, TNT and FOX. FOX had taken the NFC championship package from CBS.

1994 - Darryl Strawberry pled not guilty to tax evasion charges.

2001 - John Rocker was traded to the Texas Rangers.

2001 - The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority announced that they would ban all bottles, including plastic, from Giants Stadium.

2002 - A press conference was held to announce Robert Johnson as the new owner of the NBA's new Charlotte expansion franchise.

2006 - The NBA announced fines and supsensions related to a fight that occurred during a game between the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks on December 16, 2006. Both teams were fined $500,000, Carmelo Anthony was suspended for 15 games and Nate Robinson and J.R. Smith were suspended 10 games.

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On this date in 1953, WPTZ, in Philadelphia, PA, presented a Felso commercial, it was the first color telecast seen on a local station.

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Coming Up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Eels 5:15pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Eels 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

NFL Football -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs St. Louis Rams 1:00pm EST

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That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by, see you tomorrow!