It's Saturday

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

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Today is November 1st, the 304th day of 2014. There are 61 days left in the year.

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Around the League notebook for Friday, Oct. 31.

Must see: Wings faithful cheer on Gordie Howe.

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

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Michelangelo's paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel were first exhibited to the public on this date in 1512.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are scoring plenty of goals, the Washington Capitals are showing a propensity for allowing them in bunches, and their top player isn't scoring at all.

Read the rest here.

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On this date in 1870, the U.S. Weather Bureau made its first meteorological observations using 24 locations that provided reports via telegraph.

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Grand Forks Selected to Host 2016 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship

Event at Ralph Engelstad Arena & Purpur Arena in April 2016

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today that Grand Forks, North Dakota, has been selected to host the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Men’s World Championship. The 10-team event, which features the top players in the world under the age of 18, will be staged in April 2016, with final dates to be announced in the near future. Ralph Engelstad Arena, on the University of North Dakota campus, will be the main venue for the championship, with Purpur Arena, a municipal facility in the city, serving as the secondary venue. Hosts of IIHF U18 Men's World Championship Year Host U.S. Finish 1999 Fussen & Kaufbeuren, Germany 7th 2000 Kloten & Weinfelden, Switzerland 8th 2001 Heinola, Helsinki & Lahti, Finland 6th 2002 Trnava & Piestany, Slovakia Gold 2003 Yaroslavl, Russia 4th 2004 Minsk, Belarus Silver 2005 Ceske Budejovice & Plzen, Czech Republic Gold 2006 Angelholm & Halmstad, Sweden Gold 2007 Tampere & Rauma, Finland Silver 2008 Kazan, Russia Bronze 2009 Fargo, North Dakota & Moorhead, Minnesota Gold 2010 Minsk & Babruysk, Belarus Gold 2011 Crimmitschau & Dresden, Germany Gold 2012 Brno & Znojmo, Czech Republic Gold 2013 Sochi, Russia Silver 2014 Lappeenranta & Imatra, Finland Gold 2015 Zug & Lucerne, Switzerland TBA 2016 Grand Forks, North Dakota TBA “We're thrilled to be bringing another world championship to Grand Forks," said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. "Jody Hodgson and his group at Ralph Engelstad Arena put together an outstanding plan and with the support of the city and state and the great hockey fans of the Red River Valley, we look forward to an exceptional event." The IIHF U18 Men's World Championship was first staged in 1999 and has been held in the United States on one other occasion, that in 2009 in Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota. The United States has won five of the last six gold medals in the event, including last season. Among prominent U.S. players that have competed in the event are Patrick Kane, the No. 1 choice in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and a member of the Chicago Blackhawks; Zach Parise, a first round choice in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and a member of the Minnesota Wild; Ryan Suter, the No. 7 pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and a member of the Minnesota Wild; Erik Johnson, the first overall choice in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and a member of the Colorado Avalanche;James vanRiemsdyk, the No. 2 pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs; Phil Kessel, the No. 5 choice in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs; Seth Jones, chosen fifth overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and a member of the Nashville Predators; and Jacob Trouba, the No. 9 pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and a member of the Winnipeg Jets. “When Ralph Engelstad built the arena, his vision was to be able to attract world-class events like this to Grand Forks,” said Jody Hodgson, general manager of Ralph Engelstad Arena. “We take great pride in the confidence USA Hockey has shown in us and are excited to welcome athletes and fans from across the world. It's not easy to get an event like this and I think it says a lot about our community and region to have been selected." Opened in 2001, Ralph Engelstad Arena includes a playing surface of 200’ x 85’ with a seating capacity of 11,643. The $104 million arena, which just finished a $3 million renovation this past summer, has been called one of the finest facilities of its kind in the world. It served as host of the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship, an event that attracted more than 195,000 fans. Purpur Arena, located just more than two miles from Ralph Engelstad Arena, was built in 1963 and has a capacity of 3,300. "Fans will see the future stars of the NHL playing in this championship," said Jim Johannson, assistant executive director for hockey operations at USA Hockey. "It's the last big event for NHL scouts to see the players that their teams will be selecting in the NHL Entry Draft just about two months later." Full details surrounding the championship, including ticket information, will be released in the months ahead. NOTES: The 2015 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship will be held April 16-26 in Zug and Lucerne, Switzerland. Participating teams include the United States, Sweden, Russia, Slovakia, Germany, Czech Republic, Canada, Finland, Switzerland and Latvia … Zach Parise scored the game-winning goal in the 2002 IIHF World Under-18 Championship to give the U.S. its first gold medal in the event. Registration Open for Try Hockey For Free Day, Presented by Kraft Rinks nationwide to host first-time hockey players as part of Come Play Hockey Month COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Hockey announced today that participant registration is open for Try Hockey For Free Day, presented by Kraft. Nationwide events are scheduled to begin Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014, as part of the fourth annual Come Play Hockey Month. Parents and guardians can find the Try Hockey location closest to them and register children to participate by visiting TryHockeyForFree.com. Nearly 500 sites throughout the United States will host Try Hockey For Free Day, presented by Kraft, on Nov. 8. Forty-eight of the nation's 50 states will be represented, led by Minnesota with 72 host sites and Wisconsin with 58 sites. USA Hockey's Try Hockey For Free Days, presented by Kraft, and with the support of the National Hockey League and NHL member clubs, among others, is designed to provide a national platform for introducing children to the sport, free of charge. Total Hockey and Liberty Mutual Insurance are official sponsors of Try Hockey For Free Days. Equipment will be provided to children attending Try Hockey events and no experience is needed to participate. NOTE: Entering its fifth season, USA Hockey's national Try Hockey For Free Days, presented by Kraft, have introduced more than 70,000 children to the sport, including a record 28,446 in 2013-14 ... Try Hockey For Free Day is part of Come Play Hockey Month. Come Play Hockey Month is a component of the NHL's Hockey is for Everyone™ (HIFE) program, which provides children of all backgrounds the opportunity to play hockey ... Join the conversation on social media using hashtag #TryHockey4Free. ************************************************ "Billboard Advertising" was published for the first time on this date in 1894. It later became known as "Billboard." ************************************************ The Tampa Bay Juniors Empire and Elite teams host the Palm Beach Hawks at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex this weekend. Saturday, the Empire game starts at 5:15pm EDT, while the Elite game gets underway at 8:00pm EDT. On Sunday, the Empire game starts at 9:30am EST and the Elite game starts at 12:15pm EST. All games are available on Fasthockey.com. ************************************************ "Hilltop House" was aired for the first time on CBS Radio on this date in 1937. ************************************************

Regina, SK. -- Let's see your Rider Halloween spirit.

Read the rest here.

Coming up next for the 9-8 Riders is a week 19 bye, followed by a week 20 home game against the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday, November 8th, which wraps up the regular season. Game time at Regina's Mosaic Stadium is 7:00pm EST. Catch all the action with Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri on 620 CKRM, the Rider Radio Network and 620ckrm.com. The game can be seen in Canada on TSN and in the U.S. on ESPN3.com. Calgary next hosts Winnipeg on Saturday, November 1st.

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A Michigan couple is expecting their 13th child. The other 12 are all boys. [They’re hoping that the next one is a girl. You can only endure so many fart jokes.]

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Cats find multiple ways to score in 34 25 win in Ottawa.

CFL mourns the passing of John Forzani.

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

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COMING UP - Daylight Saving Time ends: November 2; Veteran’s Day: November 11.

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Tampa, FL. -- TJ's Take: 3 Keys to Beat the Browns.

Read the rest here.

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Auto-play video ads debuted on Instagram Thursday. Companies like Disney, Activision, Lancôme, Banana Republic and The CW began running 15-second ads on the Facebook-owned photo- and video-sharing network.

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Corvallis, OR. -- Mark Banker wasn't one of those tuned to the television to watch California's Jared Goff throw the ball in a 59-41 loss to Oregon last Friday night at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calf.

Read the rest here.

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Norwegian Air Shuttle was forced to delay a flight to New York by five hours because of a hunt for a mouse in the cockpit. The airline said it had to make sure no cables or wires had been chewed.

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San Francisco, CA. -- For the third time in five seasons, the streets of the City by the Bay were sparkling with orange and teeming with love for the World Series-champion Giants, the cheers and screams flowing from McCovey Cove to City Hall and culminating with a celebration before hundreds of thousands of fans Friday. This time, Mother Nature joined the party early, raining tears of joy on the unflinching faithful wearing orange and black for another Halloween baseball bash.

Read the rest here.

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Game 7 of the World Series had a total audience of 52 million. That’s people who watched all or part of the game. It’s the second most-watched baseball game since Game 4 of the 2004 World Series.

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Weeeeeee!

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You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as Tampa Bay Juniors hockey, isn't it?

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Today in Elvis History:

1955 - Sam Phillips sold his contract with Elvis Presley to RCA records for $35,000. 

1969 - Elvis Presley's single "Suspicious Minds" hit the Hot 100. The single would be Elvis's last U.S. #1. 

1971 - The documentary "Elvis On Tour" opened in the U.S. The film covered Elvis Presley shows from April 5th-April 19th.

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A new rumor about DC Comics’ Wonder Woman movie, starring Gal Gadot. Since she’s a character in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, we all just assumed her 2017 solo film would take place in that time period. And while it still might, the new rumor is the Wonder Woman solo movie is set in the 1920s, making it a prequel.

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Today in Beatles History:

1960 - The Beatles began their first headlining tour of England at Cheltenham's Odeon Theatre. The supporting acts were Peter Jay & the Jaywalkers, the Brook Brothers, and the Vernons Girls. 

1968 - George Harrison released the soundtrack "Wonderwall." He was the first Beatle to release a solo album. 

1969 - The Beatles album "Abbey Road" hit #1. 

2005 - "The Beatles - The Biography" by Bob Spitz went on sale. The original project consisted of 2,792 pages. When released it was edited down to 856 pages. 

2005 - The DVD "The Dick Cavett Show - John & Yoko Collection" was released.

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IN THEATERS - Before I Go To Sleep (R). Nightcrawler (R). SAW 10th Anniversary (R).

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Today in Sports History:

1913 - Notre Dame defeated Army 35-13. It was the first time the forward pass was used as a main offensive weapon in football. 

1950 - Charles Cooper became the first black man to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). 

1959 - Jacques Plante, of the Montreal Canadiens, became the first goalie in the NHL to wear a mask. 

1964 - Jim Brown (Cleveland Browns) became the first NFL player to exceed 10,000 yards rushing. 

2001 - Dan Neil (Denver Broncos) was fined $15,000 for an illegal block that broke the leg of Bryan Cox (New England Patriots). 

2010 - The San Francisco Giants won their first World Series since moving to California. They defeated the Texas Rangers in five games.

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"Terry and the Pirates" debuted on NBC Radio on this date in 1937.

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Coming Up:

Tonight --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway 3:30pm EDT

USPHL Empire Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 5:15pm EDT

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

USPHL Elite Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 8:00pm EDT

College Football -- Oregon State Beavers vs California Golden Bears 10:30pm EDT

Sunday --

USPHL Empire Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 9:30pm EST

USPHL Elite Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 12:15pm EST

NFL Football -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cleveland Browns 1:00pm EST

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway 3:00pm EST

Monday --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Calgary Flames 7:30pm EST

Friday --

USPHL Empire and Elite Hockey -- At USPHL Boston Showcase Times TBA

Saturday --

USPHL Empire and Elite Hockey -- At USPHL Boston Showcase Times TBA

Nascar Nationwide Series -- DAV 200 - Honoring America's Veterans at Phoenix International Raceway 2:00pm EST

College Football -- Oregon State Beavers vs Washington State Cougars 4:00pm EST

CFL Football -- Saskatchewan Roughriders vs Edmonton Eskimos 7:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets 7:00pm EST

Sunday --

USPHL Empire and Elite Hockey -- At USPHL Boston Showcase Times TBA

NFL Football -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Atlanta Falcons 1:00pm EST

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway 3:00pm EST (Final race of Eliminator Round)

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Detroit Red Wings 6:00pm EST

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