It's Friday

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

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Today is January 31st, the 31st day of 2014. There are 334 days left in the year.

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Red Wings' Franzen to miss Olympics.

Record-setting night for Oilers goalie Scrivens.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan is 67; Minnie Driver (Gross Pointe Blank, Good Will Hunting) is 44; Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development) is 41; Justin Timberlake is 33; Marcus Mumford of Mumford and Sons is 27.

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Kanata, ON. --It was a contest that seemed doomed from the beginning for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who fell 5-3 to the Ottawa Senators Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre.

Read the rest here.

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Today (Friday) begins the Chinese New Year. It's the Year of the Horse.

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Soldotna, AK. – The Wenatchee Wild was back in Alaska Thursday night for the first of three games with the Kenai River Brown Bears, scoring an extra attacker goal in the final minute of regulation, then winning the deciding shootout, to grab a 4-3 win at the Soldotna Sports Center.

Kenai River struck on the power play to open the scoring, on a goal by Frankie Spellman. The assists went to Albin Karlsson and Vincent Stefan at 8:58 of the opening period, putting the Brown Bears on top, 1-0.

Wenatchee tied the game early in the second, banging one home in tight. The goal was scored was David Powlowski (Rochester, New York), assisted by Alex Rauter (Morristown, New Jersey) and Jakob Ahlgren (Fergus Falls, Minnesota) at 8:24, squaring the game at 1-1.

The Wild scored on a rebound to take the lead early in the third. Omar Mullan (Dearborn, MI) got the goal, with Troy Loggins (Huntington Beach, California) and Mitch Demario (Franklin, Wisconsin) getting the assists at 2:44, putting Wenatchee on top, 2-1. Kenai River then got a power play goal to tie the game. Jack Gessert scored from Alec Butcher and Tyler Andrews at 7:19, squaring things at 2-2. Another power play goal gave the Brown Bears the lead. Jacob Davidson scored, assisted by Gustav Berglund and Sebastian Fuchs at 10:22, putting Kenai River back on top, 3-2. With the goaltender out, the Wild would tie the game inside the final minute, popping one up in the air and then into the net. Andre Pison (Herlev, Denmark) scored, assisted by Christian Salvato (LaVerne, California) and Rauter at 19:14, tying the game 3-3 and forcing overtime.

Each team had a power play opportunity in the extra period but neither could score, forcing the game into a deciding shootout.

In the shootout, Loggins scored in round one and Matthew Nuttle (Marilla, New York) scored in round four, while Chase Perry (Andover, Minnesota) stopped all four shots he faced, giving Wenatchee the extra standings point with the 4-3 win, drawing them within one point of the fourth place Brown Bears. “I thought we played well” said Wenatchee Wild Head Coach Bliss Littler. “Other than, we took five penalties, all in the offensive zone, definitely hurt us tonight. I give our kids credit for hanging in there and find a way to keep collecting points. Chase Perry did a nice job, gave us a chance to win.” Littler continued, saying “For us to be successful, we kept the penalties down tonight, but every penalty we took was an offensive zone penalty, we need to be smarter. I thought we played well, but we need to play smarter also to be able to back up one win with another.”

The Wild outshot Kenai River 49-26. Perry had 23 saves for Wenatchee, while Zach Quinn made 45 stops for the Brown Bears. The Wild went 0-for-3 on the power play and 2-of-5 on the penalty kill.

The Wild is now 20-17-5; Kenai River is 21-17-4.

Wenatchee faces Kenai River twice more, tomorrow (Friday) night and Saturday, then moves on to Fairbanks for three more February 6^th, 7^th and 8^th, before returning home to face the Soo on February 14^th and 15^th. Individual and group game tickets for all home games are on sale now. Call 509.888.PUCK (7825).

WILD 2.0 UPGRADE

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The radio show "The Green Hornet" debuted on this date in 1936.

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Macho Man: Roughriders extend Harris.

Release granted: Riders part ways with Dressler.

Please visit the league's official website, cfl.ca.

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Between 2011 and 2012, New York City resident Joel Rakower smuggled 39,548 piranhas into Brooklyn. This week he pleaded guilty in federal court to violating the federal Lacey Act, which combats trafficking "illegal" wildlife, fish, and plants.

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Tampa, FL. — Had coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik stayed with the Buccaneers, wide receiver Mike Williams might have been on his way out of Tampa Bay.

Read the rest here.

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Ian Ziering and Tara Reid are ready to take another spin with the Sharknado. The former Beverly Hills, 90210 and American Pie stars will reunite for the sequel to their successful Syfy movie Sharknado, which will be titled Sharknado 2: The Second One. The sequel will begin filming in New York on February 13.

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Oh boy! Spirograph!!!!

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You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as keeping your sick son home from school for a third straight day, isn't it?

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Today in Elvis History

1959 - Elvis Presley's sing "I Got Stung/One Night" hit #1 in the U.K. where it remained for 3 weeks.

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NUMBER FOR THE DAY - 95: Percentage of people who have a fact or bit of information about themselves that they don't reveal to anyone.

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Today in Beatles History:

1967 -  John Lennon purchased an 1843 circus poster that read "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite."

2010 - "All Together Now" won a Grammy for Best Long Form Music Video. The film documents the story behind the partnership between the Beatles and Cirque de Soleil that resulted in the creation of "LOVE."

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IN THEATERS THIS WEEKEND - Labord Day (PG-13), That Awkward Moment (R)

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Today in Sports History:

1920 - Joe Malone (Quebec Bullldogs) set an NHL record with 7 goals in a game. 

1961 - In Houston, TX, voters approved financing for a domed stadium.

1988 - Herb Alpert performed the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXII. The Washington Redskins beat the Denver Broncos 42-10.

1999 - The Denver Broncos won Super Bowl XXXIII. It was their second consecutive Super Bowl win.

2003 - The Chicago White Sox announced a deal that would change the name of Comiskey Park after a 93-year association with the Comiskey name.

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On this date in 1971, astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa blasted off aboard Apollo 14 on a mission to the moon.

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Coming Up:

Tonight --

NAHL Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild at Kenai River Brown Bears 11:30pm EST

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens 1:00pm EST

USPHL Empire Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 3:20pm EST

USPHL Elite Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 8:45pm EST

NAHL Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild at Kenai River Brown Bears 11:30pm EST

Sunday --

USPHL Empire Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Eels 9:30am EST

USPHL Elite Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Eels 12:15pm EST

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

It's Thursday

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

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Today is January 30th, the 30th day of 2014. There are 335 days left in the year.

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Suter hopes to join father as Olympic gold medalist.

Yzerman honored with Order of Hockey in Canada.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Gene Hackman (Oscars for The French Connection and Unforgiven) is 84; Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is 73; Christian Bale (Batman films) is 40.

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Kanata, ON. --This is the third of five meetings between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Ottawa Senators in 2013-14.

Read the rest here.

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Motley Crue announced that it will call it quits this year. [They said that it's time to retire, and hand over rock and roll to another generation like those kids in the Rolling Stones.]

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Hanging them up: Joseph to announce retirement.

Three-time All-Star Dimitri Tsoumpas retires.

Please visit the league's official website, cfl.ca.

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Turn on your TV during prime time and you'll inevitably see a load of celebrity faces, ranging from Oscar winners to "Wasn't that the guy in that show we watched that one time?" Attaching a star to a brand is something that advertisers have been doing for many decades. But science says that people just don't care, and that it may have a negative impact on the brand the celebrity is pushing.

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Tampa, FL. — When I first encountered Tony Dungy, I didn’t think he was going to make it as an NFL head coach. Now, he’s a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Read the rest here.

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Valentine's Day is just over two weeks away. Forget the boring flowers, jewelry or fancy dinner -- what she really wants is glow in the dark solar system underwear. The manufacturer says the under is "fun and cute" and can "make an average day a little special." On the glow in the dark solar system under you'll see planets, moons, shooting-stars, asteroids, and swirling star clusters. | site link

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Oh boy! The Minions!!!!

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You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as keeping your sick son home from school, isn't it?

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Today in Elvis History

1956 - Elvis Presley recorded "Blue Suede Shoes."

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A White House petition to get pop star Justin Bieber deported to Canada has collected more than 100,000 digital signatures. The We The People petition calls for "the dangerous, reckless, destructive, and drug abusing, Justin Bieber deported and his green card revoked" following his arrest last week for street racing while under the influence of alcohol. The petition states: "He is not only threatening the safety of our people but he is also a terrible influence on our nations youth. We the people would like to remove Justin Bieber from our society."

... Having passed the 100,000 signature threshold, the petition has guaranteed an official response from the Obama administration.

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Today in Beatles History:

1967 -  The Beatles recorded a promotional clip for "Strawberry Fields Forever."

1969 - The Beatles made their last-ever public appearance as a group. The performance of "Get Back" was filmed for the movie "Let It Be." The performance took place on the roof of London's Apple Records.

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There is no bigger TV audience than the Super Bowl's, which is why movie companies are willing to shell out big bucks to promote movies that cost many millions to make. Some of the movie ads you'll see Sunday: Need for Speed; Captain America 2: Winter Soldier; Muppets Most Wanted; Noah; Transformers 4: Age of Extinction; Robocop and Amazing Spider-Man 2

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Today in Sports History:

1910 - Work began on the first board-track automobile speedway. The track was built in Playa del Ray, CA. 

1920 - Joe Malone (Quebec Nordiques) scored seven goals against the Toronto St. Patricks in a 10-6 win.

1960 - The women’s singles U.S. figure skating championship was won by Carol Heiss.

1994 - Natalie Cole sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXVIII. The Dallas Cowboys won 30-13 over the Buffalo Bills.

1994 - Dan Jansen of the United States set a world record of 35.76 when he became the first to skate 500 meters in less than 36 seconds.

2000 - The New York Mets announced that Garth Brooks would begin training with the team on February 20.

2000 - John Rocker (Atlanta Braves) was suspended from major league baseball for disparaging foreigners, homosexuals and minorities in an interview published by Sports Illustrated.

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On this date in 1933, "The Lone Ranger" was heard on radio for the first time. The program ran for 2,956 episodes and ended in 1955.

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Coming Up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Ottawa Senators 7:30pm EST

NAHL Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild at Kenai River Brown Bears 11:00pm EST

Friday --

NAHL Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild at Kenai River Brown Bears 11:30pm EST

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens 1:00pm EST

USPHL Empire Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 3:20pm EST

USPHL Elite Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 8:45pm EST

NAHL Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild at Kenai River Brown Bears 11:30pm EST

Sunday --

USPHL Empire Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Eels 9:30am EST

USPHL Elite Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Eels 12:15pm EST

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

It's Wednesday

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

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Today is January 29th, the 29th day of 2014. There are 336 days left in the year.

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Outdoor ice a return to childhood for Islanders.

Over the Boards: Ducks deep at center.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Tom Selleck (Blue Bloods, Magnum P.I.) is 69; Oprah Winfrey is 60; Heather Graham (Lost in Space, Boogie Nights) is 44; Sara Gilbert (Big Bang Theory, Roseanne) is 39; Musician Jonny Lang is 33.

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Toronto, ON. --The Tampa Bay Lightning were able to overcome a 2-0 deficit midway through the second period, but a late Toronto Maple Leafs goal snapped the Bolt's three-game win streak in a 3-2 loss at Air Canada Centre Tuesday in Toronto.

Read the rest here.

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If there's ever been a time to sign up for Instagram, that time is now. The U.S. Olympic team recently announced its roster for the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Many of these athletes also love using Instagram, so Facebook compiled a list of all teams, venues and athletes that utilize the popular photo-sharing app. (Facebook owns Instagram.) Click here to view the list.

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University of Minnesota Garners Unanimous No. 1 Ranking in USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine 17th Annual Women's College Hockey Poll - #17 (First-place votes in parentheses) Rank School Last Week's Ranking 2013-14 Record Weeks in Top 10 1 University of Minnesota, 190 (19) 1 24-1-1 17 2 University of Wisconsin, 170 2 21-3-2 17 3 Harvard University, 123 5 16-2-2 17 4 University of North Dakota, 122 4 16-5-3 17 5 Clarkson University, 115 6 19-4-3 17 6 Cornell University, 108 3 14-3-4 17 7 Boston College, 83 8 18-4-3 17 8 Robert Morris University, 73 7 20-4-2 8 9 Quinnipiac University, 34 10 16-4-6 14 10 Mercyhurst University, 26 RV 15-7-3 10 Others receiving votes: Boston University, 1. Notes: To view past polls, click here ... The University of Minnesota received all 19 first-place votes in this week's poll ... Minnesota has been the No. 1-ranked team in each of the last 43 polls dating back to March 20, 2012 ... ECAC Hockey leads the way with four ranked programs, while the Western Collegiate Hockey Association has three, College Hockey America has two teams ranked, and the Hockey East Association is represented with one school in the poll ... A total of 11 teams received votes. About the poll: The 17th annual USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women'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 four NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey. ************************************************ Officials at the Cincinnati Zoo say that a baby gorilla that was initially raised by humans has adapted to being with other gorillas, and is doing well as it celebrates turning 1-year-old. [They say the only problem was getting him to give up his sippy cup.] ************************************************ Argos release Collaros; QB hits open market early. Ticats, Bombers swap Canadians in trade. Please visit the league's official website, cfl.ca. ************************************************ London, England, residents will soon have a place to buy black roses -- and only black roses. The Think Ink florist will only be in business for a day -- Valentine's Day. The black roses are created by placing dark red roses in vases filled with ink instead of water. The one-day black roses shop is a PR stunt by Kraken Rum. Each bouquet comes with a miniature bottle of the rum. ************************************************ Tampa, FL. — When Lovie Smith was named as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers one year after being fired from the Chicago Bears one of the first questions was if Smith would be luring any of his former player in Chicago to Tampa. Read the rest here. ************************************************ The Girl Scouts of America are rolling out their first gluten-free cookie in 20 select markets: the Chocolate Chip Shortbread. GSA's website says the cookie "is made with real chocolate chips and real butter" and that it "contains no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no high fructose corn syrup, no palm oil and no hydrogenated oils." If the cookies perform well in those locations, they may go national next cookie season.. ************************************************ Oh boy! Captain America!!!! ************************************************ You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as having your heart broken again isn't it? ************************************************ Today in Elvis History 1966 -Elvis Presley's "Tell Me Why" reached #33 in the U.S. ************************************************ Online you can pay to watch people do all sorts of thing live, from educational instruction to, yes, sex. Some South Koreans are paying to watch a woman eat. It's called Gastronomic Voyeurism. People pay to watch other people eating in front of a webcam. One young woman makes $9,000 a month.

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Today in Beatles History:

1992 -  George Harrison's "Dark Horse" was released on compact disc. The album was originally released on December 9, 1974.

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"Indictment" debuted on CBS radio on this day in 1956 and stayed on the air for three years.

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Today in Sports History:

1936 - The first members of major league baseball's Hall of Fame were named in Cooperstown, NY. They were Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson. 

1963 - The first members to the NFL's Hall of Fame were named in Canton, OH. The list included Sammy Baugh, Johnny Blood, Dutch Clark, Red Grange, Mel Hein, Pete Henry, Cal Hubbard, Don Hutson, Bronko Nagurski, Ernie Nevers, Jim Thorpe, Bert Bell, Joe Carr, George Halas, Curly Lambeau, Tim Mara, and George Preston Marshall.

1985 - Jari Kurri (Edmonton Oilers) set an NHL record when he scored his 100th point in the 39th game of the season.

1989 - Billy Joel sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXIII.

1995 - The San Francisco 49ers became the first team in National Football League (NFL) history to win five Super Bowl titles. The 49ers defeated the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX. San Francisco quarterback Steve Young threw six touchdown passes in the game.

2004 - Major League Baseball owners approved the $430 million sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers from News Corp. to Frank McCourt.

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On this date in 1997, America Online agreed to give refunds to frustrated customers under threat of lawsuits across the country. Customers were unable to log on after AOL offered a flat $19.95-a-month rate.

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Coming Up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Ottawa Senators 7:30pm EST

NAHL Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild at Kenai River Brown Bears 11:00pm EST

Friday --

NAHL Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild at Kenai River Brown Bears 11:30pm EST

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens 1:00pm EST

USPHL Empire Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 3:20pm EST

USPHL Elite Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 8:45pm EST

NAHL Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild at Kenai River Brown Bears 11:30pm EST

Sunday --

USPHL Empire Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Eels 9:30am EST

USPHL Elite Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Eels 12:15pm EST

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