It's Thursday

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

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Today is January 2nd, the 2nd day of 2014. There are 363 days left in the year.

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Russia rides power-play goals to WJC semifinals.

Leafs win Winter Classic on Bozak's shootout goal.

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

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On this date in 1842, in Fairmount, PA, the first wire suspension bridge was opened to traffic.

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Vancouver, BC. -- While Valtteri Filppula maintained his consistency, the young talent of the Tampa Bay Lightning also continued to produce in a 4-2 victory against the Vancouver Canucks on New Year's Day.

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On this date in 1859, Erastus Beadle published "The Dime Book of Practical Etiquette."

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2014 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team Unveiled Thirteen Olympians Among 25-Player Roster ANN ARBOR, Mich. - USA Hockey announced today the 25 players that will make up its 2014 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team here today as part of the festivities at the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. The announcement was made at Michigan Stadium before a world-record crowd and also broadcast live on NBC Sports in the United States. The roster includes 13 Olympians, a stark contrast to four years ago when the silver medal-winning 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team featured just three players with Olympic experience. Among those selected with an Olympic pedigree are goaltenders Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich./Buffalo Sabres), who was the MVP of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games hockey tournament and Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y./Chicago Blackhawks), the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner who is currently second in the NHL scoring race with 23-30--53. "We went through a very thorough process to get to today and could not be happier with the team we've selected," said David Poile, general manager of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team and also the GM and president of hockey operations for the NHL's Nashville Predators. "We're fortunate to have probably the deepest talent pool we've ever had in our country and that made for some very difficult decisions. In the end, however, we're confident we've selected a group of players that puts us in the best position to have success in Sochi." 2014 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team Forwards (14) David Backes* Dustin Brown* Ryan Callahan* Patrick Kane* Ryan Kesler* Phil Kessel* T.J. Oshie Max Pacioretty Zach Parise* Joe Pavelski* Paul Stastny* Derek Stepan James van Riemsdyk Blake Wheeler Defensemen (8) John Carlson Justin Faulk Cam Fowler Paul Martin Ryan McDonagh Brooks Orpik* Kevin Shattenkirk Ryan Suter* Goaltenders (3) Jimmy Howard Ryan Miller* Jonathan Quick* * member of 2010 U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey team Note: Roster subject to approval of U.S. Olympic Committee's Game Preparation Division "We appreciate the work done by David (Poile) and all those involved in putting this roster together," said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. "We look forward to what will be a great Olympics in Sochi, where hockey will be at the center of attention." Along with Miller and Kane, eight other forwards, two defensemen and one additional goaltender with Olympic experience punctuate the roster, highlighted by defenseman Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis./Minnesota Wild), who is logging an NHL-best 29:40 of ice time per game and was a Norris Trophy finalist last season, and Jonathan Quick (Milford, Conn./L.A. Kings), who earned the 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy after helping the L.A. Kings to the Stanley Cup title. The 25 players selected are, on average, 6-1, 203 pounds and 27 years old. The selection of the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team is subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee's Game Preparation Division. For Team USA's full roster, click here. NOTES: Team USA's roster includes 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders. Ryan Miller is the oldest player on Team USA at age 33 (Brooks Orpik is also 33, but two months younger), while Justin Faulk, at 21, is the youngest. The average age of Team USA by position is 29.7 for goaltenders; 25.9 for defensemen and 27.0 for forwards. The average age of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team was 26.5 ... U.S. General Manager David Poile established five players as the leadership group of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team, including David Backes, Dustin Brown, Ryan Callahan, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter ... Team USA's captain and alternate captains will be formalized at a later date .... Eight players from Team USA hail from Minnesota, while five call the state of New York home. A total of eight states are represented as home states of U.S. players ... Thirteen members of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team were born in the first half of the year, while 12 were born in the second half ... All 25 members of Team USA, who represent 17 NHL teams, participated in USA Hockey's Men's National Team Camp held in August at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex. The New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues each have three players on Team USA to lead the way ... The U.S. roster includes 15 first-round NHL draft picks, six second-round picks, as well as one third, fourth, fifth and seventh round choice. Patrick Kane is the highest pick, as he was taken first overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, while Joe Pavelski is the lowest pick, taken 205th overall in the seventh round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks ... All 25 players have worn the U.S. sweater in international competition at some level. Cumulatively, U.S. players have competed in 632 international games and captured 38 medals. A total of 11 players have won gold medals (Howard, Carlson, Faulk, Fowler, Suter, Kane, Kesler, Kessel, Parise, Stepan, van Riemsdyk) ... Ryan Suter has played the most games in international competition at 64, with Phil Kessel (53 games) and Dustin Brown (52 games) not far behind ... Twenty players have U.S. college hockey experience, with the University of Wisconsin leading the way with four players and the University of Minnesota with three players ... A total of nine players have competed for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program (Faulk, Fowler, Howard, Kane, Kesler, Kessel, Shattenkirk, Suter, van Riemsdyk) ... Nine players on the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team have U.S. junior experience, including eight who played in the United States Hockey League and one who competed in the North American Hockey League ... Ryan Suter's father Bob played on the 1980 Miracle on Ice Team, while his uncle Gary played on the 2002 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team ... The management group that selected the roster for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team includes David Poile (Nashville Predators), general manager, Ray Shero (Pittsburgh Penguins), associate general manager, Brian Burke (Calgary Flames), director of player personnel and Jim Johannson (USA Hockey). In addition, Stan Bowman (Chicago Blackhawks), Paul Holmgren (Philadelphia Flyers), Dean Lombardi (L.A. Kings), Dale Tallon (Florida Panthers) and Don Waddell(Pittsburgh Penguins), all part of the U.S. Men's National Team Advisory Group, were involved in the process from start to finish ... Dan Bylsma, head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, is the head coach of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team, with Peter Laviolette, Todd Richards, head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Tony Granato, assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, serving as assistant coaches ... USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Gavin Regan, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. National Teams. 2014 Olympic Winter Games Game Schedule for U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team  Feb. 13-23 • Sochi, Russia Date Opponent Venue Time (Local/EST) Thurs., Feb. 13 Slovakia Shayba Arena 4:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. Sat., Feb. 15 Russia Bolshoy Ice Dome 4:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. Sun., Feb. 16 Slovenia Shayba Arena 4:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. Wed., Feb. 19 Quarterfinals Bolshoy Ice Dome 12:00 p.m./3:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. 9:00 p.m./12:00 p.m. Quarterfinals Shayba Ice Dome 9:00 p.m./12:00 p.m. Fri., Feb. 21 Semifinals Bolshoy Ice Dome 4:00 p.m./7:00 a.m. 9:00 p.m./12:00 p.m.  Sat., Feb. 22 Bronze-Medal Game Bolshoy Ice Dome 7:00 p.m./10:00 a.m. Sun., Feb. 23 Gold-Medal Game Bolshoy Ice Dome 4:00 p.m./7:00 a.m.

2014 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team Unveiled Eleven Returning Olympians Among 21-Player Roster ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Among the 21 players named to the 2014 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team here today at Michigan Stadium during the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic are 11 Olympic veterans, including Julie Chu (Fairfield, Conn.), who will be be making her fourth Olympic appearance. The U.S. team, which includes three goaltenders, seven defensemen and 11 forwards, will continue training and competing in the Boston, Mass., area until departing for the Olympics on Feb. 1. The opening ceremonies are slated for Feb. 7, with Team USA's first game taking place on Feb. 8 against Finland. The team was selected from the 25 players who made up the 2013-14 U.S. Women's National Team. In addition to competing on the Bring on the World Tour, which included the Four Nations Cup, the group has been practicing at the Edge Sports Center in Bedford, Mass., and training at MBSC in Woburn, Mass., since early September. "We're excited to officially announce our roster," said Reagan Carey, general manager for Team USA and also USA Hockey's director of women's hockey. "We had some very tough decisions, but we're confident that we have assembled 21 players that will help us achieve our goal of winning the gold medal. These players have fully dedicated themselves and have earned this opportunity. We'd also like to acknowledge and thank those players who did not make the team. They have contributed greatly to the advancement of the team." "Today is an important day for our team and we're thrilled to continue our journey toward Sochi," said Katey Stone, head coach for Team USA. "We have a good blend of veterans and first-time Olympians and we're excited about what lies ahead. We're enthusiastic about our team and focused on getting better every day." In addition to Chu, the 10 additional players with Olympic experience on the U.S. roster includeKacey Bellamy (Westfield, Mass.), Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.), Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho), Jocelyne Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.), Monique Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D.), Gigi Marvin (Warroad, Minn.), Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle (Sheffield Village, Ohio), Molly Schaus (Natick, Mass.) Kelli Stack (Brooklyn Heights, Ohio), and Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, Wis.), who all played in 2010. All 21 players have competed in an International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship, including 18 who captured a gold medal last April to propel the United States to the No. 1 ranking in the world. Lee Stecklein (Roseville, Minn.) is the youngest U.S. player at 19 years old (nine months, 16 days), just 10 days younger than Alex Carpenter (North Reading, Mass.). Chu is the senior member of the team at 31 years old (10 months), making her the oldest player to ever represent the U.S. Women's Ice Hockey Team at the Olympics. Roster Highlights 11 Olympians 21 World Champions 18 players from the 2013 U.S. Women's National Team 8 players who have competed in the Canadian Women's Hockey League 10 players that competed for NCAA Division I teams in 2012-13 8 participants in the 2013 NCAA tournament 4 participants in the 2013 NCAA Women's Frozen Four 3 winners of the 2013 NCAA National Championship 5 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipients Players come from 10 different states, led by Massachusetts (five players) Average age of the players named is 23.8 years old For more information on the 2014 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team, including the full roster, click here. Coverage of the 2014 U.S. Women's Olympic Team can be found on olympics.usahockey.com, as well as on the U.S. Women's National Team's Facebook page and on Twitter at @usahockey. NOTES: The selection of the U.S. Olympic Women's Team is subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee’s Games Preparation Division ... Captains will be named at a later date ... The U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team has medaled in all four Olympic appearances to date (gold-1998, silver-2002 and 2010, bronze-2006) ... The 2014 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team is under the direction of General Manager Reagan Carey(Colorado Springs, Colo.) ... Katey Stone (Arlington, Mass.) was named head coach on June 8, 2012, and will be the first female to serve as head coach of a U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team ... USA Hockey's international council, chaired by Gavin Regan, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. Olympic Teams ...The 2014 Olympic Winter Games will take place Feb. 7-23, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. 2014 Olympic Winter Games Game Schedule for U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team  Feb. 8-20 • Sochi, Russia Date Opponent Venue Time (Local/EST) Sat., Feb. 8 Finland Shayba Arena 12:00 p.m./3:00 a.m. Mon., Feb. 10 Switzerland Shayba Arena 2:00 p.m./5:00 a.m. Wed., Feb. 12 Canada Shayba Arena 4:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. Sat., Feb. 15 Quarterfinals Shayba Arena 12:00 p.m./3:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. 9:00 p.m./12:00 p.m. Mon., Feb. 17 Semifinals Shayba Arena 4:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. 9:00 p.m./12:00 p.m.  Thurs., Feb. 20 Bronze-Medal Game Bolshoy Ice Dome 4:00 p.m./7:00 a.m. Gold-Medal Game Bolshoy Ice Dome 9:00 p.m./12:00 p.m. ************************************************ Thomas Edison began construction on his first generator on this date in 1879. ************************************************

Top 10 Catches of 2013.

Body by Brown: Getting Bombers fit for '14.

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

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On this date in 1890, Alice Sanger became the first female White House staffer.

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Tampa, FL. — Lovie Smith has reached an agreement to become the next head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sources told ESPN.

Read the rest here.

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Ellis Island opened as America's first federal immigration center on this date in 1892. Annie Moore, at age 15, became the first person to pass through.

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Look at the big birdies Daddy!

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You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as another cloudy day, isn't it?

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Today in Elvis History

1956 - Elvis went to Memphis for a five day tour with Johnny Cash and other Louisianna Hayride stars.

1965 - Elvis Presley's soundtrack "Roustabout" hit #1 on the U.S. charts. It was knocked out of first place the next week by the Beatles' "Beatles '65."

1972 - Elvis gave Muhammad Ali a $10000 robe with "The Peoples Champion" inscribed on it. Ali wore the robe on March 31, 1973 when he lost to Ken Norton.

2007 - A remastered version of the original "Essential Elvis Presley" was released.

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On this date in 1910, the first junior high school in the United States opened. McKinley School in Berkeley, CA, housed seventh and eighth grade students. In a separate building students were housed who attended grades 9-12.

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Today in Beatles History:

1968 -  Newark, NJ, police confiscated a shipment of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's album "Two Virgins." The album featured a nude cover.

1975 - U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen ruled in New York, that John Lennon and his lawyers will have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case.

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The first religious broadcast on radio was heard on this date in 1921 on KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh, PA, as Dr. E.J. Van Etten of Calvary Episcopal Church preached.

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Today in Sports History:

1953 - The Baltimore Bullets (NBA) began a 32 game road losing streak.

1957 - Gene Fullmer defeated Sugar Ray Robinson to win the middleweight boxing title.

1965 - "Broadway" Joe Namath signed the richest rookie contract ($400,000) in the history of pro football.

1971 - In Glasgow, Scotland, 66 people were crushed when fans trying to leave encountered fans trying to return after hearing that a late goal had been scored.

1972 - Elvis Presley gave Muhammad Ali a $10000 robe with "People's Champion" inscribed on it. Ali wore the robe on March 31, 1973 when he lost to Ken Norton.

1982 - The New York Islanders began a 23 undefeated home streak.

1983 - Ken Anderson (Cincinnati Bengals) completed 20 consecutive passes to set an NFL record for passing accuracy.

1985 - The Rebels of UNLV beat Utah State in three overtime periods. The final score of 142-140 set a new NCAA record for total points in a basketball game (282). The game took over three hours to play.

1986 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) scored his 500th career NHL goal.

2002 - Mike Modano (Dallas Stars) scored his 400th career NHL goal. Modano became only the fourth United States-born player to reach 400 goals.

2002 - Ron Francis (Carolina Hurricanes) scored his 500th career NHL goal. Francis became only the fifth player in NHL history to reach 500 goals and 1,000 assists.

2003 - It was announced that Bill Parcells would be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

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The United States and Canada reached an agreement on joint action to preserve Niagara Falls on this date in 1929.

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Coming Up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Calgary Flames 9:00pm EST

NAHL Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild vs Fairbanks Ice Dogs 10:05pm EST

USPHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at New England Showcase

Saturday --

NAHL Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild vs Fairbanks Ice Dogs 10:05pm EST

USPHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at New England Showcase

Sunday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Edmonton Oilers 8:00pm EST

USPHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at New England Showcase

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