It's Friday

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

************************************************

Today is April 4th, the 94th day of 2014. There are 273 days left in the year.

************************************************

Red Wings' Datsyuk to return Friday against Sabres.

Video: Former WWE star Jericho at Bolts game.

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

************************************************

Today's Birthdays: Hugo Weaving is 54; David Cross (Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development) is 50; Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) is 49.

************************************************

Tampa, FL. -- One side came to play a full sixty minutes Thursday night.

Read the rest here.

************************************************

March is over, but March Madness continues tomorrow (Saturday) with two Final Four games. Top overall seed Florida and seven-seed Connecticut get things started on Saturday at 6:09 p.m. ET. Then two-seed Wisconsin takes on eight-seed Kentucky on the same floor at 8:49 p.m. ET.

************************************************

NTDP Announces First Eight Commitments for 2014-15 Season Five Forwards and Three Defensemen Named to U.S. National Under-17 Team ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Forwards Joey Anderson (Roseville, Minn.), Trent Frederic (St. Louis, Mo.), Max Jones (Rochester, Mich.), Patrick Khodorenko (Walnut Creek, Calif.) and Nick Pastujov (Bradenton, Fla.), along with defensemen Chad Krys (Ridgefield, Conn.), Griffin Luce (Williamsville, N.Y.) and Luke Martin (St. Louis, Mo.). will join USA Hockey's National Team Development Program for the 2014-15 season it was announced today. The players, all from the 1998 birth year, will compete as members of the U.S. National Under-17 Team. Anderson notched 21 goals and assisted on 29 others in 25 games with Hill-Murray School (Minn.). The forward held or shared team highs in goals, assists, points and short-handed tallies. Additionally, the former Pioneer potted four goals and registered two assists in three playoff games. Anderson is verbally committed to the University of Minnesota Duluth. Frederic lit the lamp 11 times for the St. Louis Blues midget minor program of the Tier I Elite Hockey League, while adding 19 assists in 32 games played. The forward was first in points on his squad, tied for second in scoring (11) and lead in assists (19). Frederic skated in five playoff contests with the Blues, dishing out three assists. Jones scored nine goals and registered 13 assists in 25 games with the Detroit Honeybaked midget major program of the High Performance Hockey League. The forward ranked fourth on his team in points. Khodorenko tallied nine goals and collected a league-high 21 helpers in 22 games with the Detroit Honeybaked midget minor program of the HPHL. The forward accumulated 30 points, first on his squad and second most in the league, helping his team reach the Toyota-USA Hockey National Championships for the second consecutive year. Khodorenko also netted three game-winning goals and one power-play marker for Honeybaked. Pastujov recorded 19 points in 15 games in the HPHL, including six goals and 13 assists, while with the Detroit Honeybaked midget minor program. His team won the Tier I Michigan State Championship to advance to Youth Nationals. Pastujov served as the captain of his squad during the 2013-14 season, ranking fourth on the team in assists and sixth in total points. Krys skated in 27 games for the New Jersey Rockets 19U team. The defenseman scored one goal in one exhibition game and accumulated 30 points (8-22) in 26 regular season contests. Luce played in 26 games for Salisbury (Conn.) Prep, scoring five goals and registering four assists for nine points en route to helping his team win the 2014 New England Prep Championship. Luce is verbally committed to the University of Michigan. Martin scored four goals and added 17 asssts in 30 games for the St. Louis Blues midget minor team of the Tier I Elite Hockey League. He led all defensemen on the squad in points. The blueliner also skated in five playoff games for the Blues. Martin is verbally committed to the University of Michigan. NOTES: The U.S. National Under-17 Team will play in the United States Hockey League, the top junior league in the United States. It will also compete in three international tournaments, including the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge ... Max Jones is the son of former U.S. Men's National Team (1987-88) forward Brad Jones. The elder Jones played with the University of Michigan (1983-97) and in 148 games for the NHL's Winnipeg Jets, Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers ... Chad Krys is the son of former Boston University captain (1990-91) and defenseman, Mark Krys. The elder Krys skated for nine seasons in the AHL, ECHL, IHL and in Europe ... Griffin Luce is the son of Scott Luce, director of scouting for the Florida Panthers. Additionally Griffin is the grandson of Don Luce, current pro scout for the Philadelphia Flyers and former NHL forward (New York Rangers, Detroit, Buffalo, Los Angeles, Toronto). ABOUT THE NTDP: In 1996, USA Hockey launched a new initiative called the National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Celebrating its 17th season of play in 2013-14, 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. Kurvers Named to U.S. Men's National Team Advisory Group for 2014 IIHF Men's World Championship COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Tom Kurvers, senior advisor to the general manager of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, will be part of the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group for the 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championship, it was announced today by USA Hockey. “It’s great to have Tom involved in helping put together our team for this year’s world championship,” said Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. “He is highly regarded and is well-versed in many areas, including player personnel.” Kurvers, in his fifth year with the Lightning, spent the 11 seasons prior to arriving in Tampa as part of the Phoenix Coyotes staff, including three seasons as the club’s director of player personnel. A defenseman, Kurvers played 11 seasons in the NHL (1984-95) with seven different organizations, appearing in 659 regular-season games and 58 NHL playoff outings. Drafted by Montreal in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1986. Kurvers was a four-year (1980-84) standout at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he helped the Bulldogs to the 1984 NCAA championship game and earned the Hobey Baker Memorial Award that year as the top player in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey. Internationally, Kurvers represented the United States as a member of the U.S. National Junior Team in 1982. After earning his bachelor’s degree in communications from UMD in 1984, the Bloomington, Minn., native began graduate studies in 1991 while an active NHL player and in 1997 gained his master’s degree in business administration in sports management from the University of St. Thomas (Minn.). The 2014 U.S. Men's National Team will begin play in the IIHF Men's World Championship on May 9 against Belarus.

************************************************ The territory of Orleans became the 18th U.S. state on this date in 1812 and will become known as Louisiana. ************************************************ Smith one of two tailbacks signed by Riders.

Montreal to host 2014 Hall of Fame Game.

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

************************************************

The U.S. flag was declared on this date in 1818 to have 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars and that a new star would be added for the each new state.

************************************************

Tampa, FL. — A lot of people, myself included, are calling Tampa Bay's Josh McCown a "bridge quarterback".

Read the rest here.

************************************************

MRI scans of dogs find that they love the smell of their humans. [Especially if you're one of those humans who rolls in bacon before you get home.]

************************************************

St. Petersburg, FL. -- Chris Archer certainly wasn't bothered by the Benjamins.

Read the rest here.

************************************************

Johnny Carson quit "The Tonight Show" on this date in 1967. He returned three weeks later after getting a raise of $30,000 a week.

************************************************

Phoenix, AZ. -- Sifting through the pile of evidence from the Giants' season-opening success here, which concluded Thursday with an 8-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, it was best to start at the top.

Read the rest here.

************************************************

16-year-old Ella Birchenough got herself wedged after dropping her phone into a Dover, England, street drain. Kudos to Ella for trying to retrieve it on her own -- she tried to fish it out with her feet after pulling off the drain cover. But soon after shimmying down the hole, Ella found that she couldn't hoist herself out of the watery pit without help. Firefighters were called to free her. Even more embarrassing: she put herself through all this misery for a Blackberry.

************************************************

Look Flipper, it's a parade!

************************************************

You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as a visit from unwanted guests, isn't it?

************************************************

Today in Elvis History

1959 - The Elvis Presley compilation album "For LP Fans Only" hit #19 in the U.S.

1960 - Elvis Presley recorded "Are You Lonesome Tonight."

1973 - NBC aired the Elvis Presley movie "Aloha From Hawaii." It was the first American airing of the performance.

1981 - The documentary film "This is Elvis" premiered at the USA Film Festival in Dallas, TX. The film was premiered for the press the previous day.

************************************************

David Letterman has announced his retirement. Letterman made the announcement during the taping of his show Thursday in New York, telling the audience his last show will take place in 2015.

************************************************

Today in Beatles History:

1963 - The Beatles performed at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire, England.

1964 - The Beatles made music history by holding the top five places in the singles charts with the songs "Can't Buy Me Love," "Twist and Shout," "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "Please Please Me."

1965 - John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the song "Help!"

1967 - Paul McCartney advised Derek Taylor, Beatles publicist and Monterey Pop Festival organizer, that he should book a guitarist named Jimi Hendrix.

1996 - Paul McCartney released the statement about benefits, "The Beatles aren't interested. Money is not an issue. We wouldn't do it for twice as much. The answer is no."   

************************************************

At Cape Canaveral, the space shuttle Challenger took off on its first flight on this date in 1983. It was the sixth flight overall for the shuttle program.

************************************************

Today in Sports History:

1921 - The Ottawa Senators beat the Vancouver Millionaires in the 1921 Stanley Cup Finals. The Senators became the first NHL team to win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.

1971 - Veterans stadium in Philadelphia, PA, was dedicated.

1974 - Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth's major league baseball home-run record with 714.

1986 - Wayne Gretzky set an NHL record with his 213th point of the season.

1987 - Denis Potvin (New York Islanders) became the first defenseman in NHL history to score 1,000 career points. His career total was 1,052.

1994 - Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes (Chicago Cubs) became the first player in the National League to hit three home runs on Opening Day.

1996 - The Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 100-98. The loss was the Magic's first loss to an Eastern Conference team at home since April of 1994. The streak was 51 games long.

1996 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) became the fourth player in NBA history to reach 2,000 career steals.

1998 - Mark McGwire (St. Louis Cardinals) became the second National League player to hit a home run in the first four games of a season. Willie Mays (San Francisco) had hit home runs in the first four games of the 1971 season.

1999 - The Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres played the first major league season opener to be held in Mexico. The Rockies beat the Padres 8-2. The game was also the first season opener to be held in a country other than the United States or Canada.

************************************************

IN THEATERS THIS WEEKEND - Captain America: Winter Soldier. It's got a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

************************************************

Coming Up:

Tonight --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 4:10pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Texas Rangerss 7:10pm EDT

NAHL Playoff Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild at Minnesota Wilderness 8:05pm EDT

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

Saturday --

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 4:10pm EDT

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Dallas Stars 7:00pm EDT

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Texas Rangerss 7:10pm EDT

NAHL Playoff Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild at Minnesota Wilderness 8:05pm EDT

Sunday --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Texas Rangerss 1:40pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway 3:00pm EDT

NAHL Playoff Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild at Minnesota Wilderness 6:00pm EDT

MLB -- San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers 8:00pm EDT

************************************************

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