It's Thursday

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

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Today is November 20th, the 323rd day of 2014. There are 42 days left in the year.

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Maple Leafs GM Nonis, players support Carlyle.

EPIX presents two-part, eight-episode series.

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

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New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights on this date in 1789.

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Tampa, FL. -- With 20 games played, the Lightning are about to pass the quarter pole of the 2014-15 season. They have racked up 28 points so far, one behind Montreal for the most in the NHL. Here are my thoughts on what has been, for the most part, an excellent start.

Read the rest here.

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On this date in 1818, Simon Bolivar formally declared Venezuela independent of Spain.

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USA HOCKEY NEWS FEED • USA Hockey Sled Hockey Classic Starts Tomorrow in Arlington, Virginia • Cale Morris Named to 2014 U.S. Junior Select Team Fifth Annual USA Hockey Sled Classic, Presented by the NHL, Begins Tomorrow in Arlington, Virginia COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The fifth annual USA Hockey Sled Classic, presented by the National Hockey League and hosted by the Washington Capitals, will take place Thursday through Sunday (Nov. 20-23) at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia. The event is part of the fourth annual Come Play Hockey Month, a joint effort between USA Hockey and the NHL. The record 18-team field will include 200-plus athletes. Ten members of the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team that won gold earlier this year in Sochi, Russia, as well as 11 current members of the 2014-15 U.S. National Sled Team will participate in the tournament. "The NHL and its member clubs have been great supporters of the USA Hockey Sled Classic," saidJeremy Kennedy, manager of membership and disabled hockey for USA Hockey. "With the success our team had at the 2014 Paralympic Games, the interest in sled hockey continues to increase, and this year's tournament includes two additional teams and a fourth tier." Each of the 18 competing teams are affiliated with NHL clubs: Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. Sled hockey teams will represent their affiliated NHL club by wearing official NHL licensed jerseys with local club marks and logos. For full tournament results, statistics and game recaps, as well as photos and video content from the weekend, click here. NOTES: The Colorado Avalanche hosted the inaugural USA Hockey Sled Classic in 2010. The Colorado Avalanche Sled Hockey Team won the four-team tournament … In 2011, the Philadelphia Flyers held the event in Vorhees, New Jersey, where the Buffalo Sabres Sled Hockey Team took first place among nine teams … In 2012, the Buffalo Sabres put on the tournament in Williamsville, New York, with the Dallas Stars winning the 'A' Division and the Washington Capitals capturing the 'B' Division ... Last year the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the tournament in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Dallas Stars and Washington Capitals repeated as the 'A' Division and 'B' Division champions, respectively. The Nashville Predators won the inaugural 'C' Division ... Participating teams in the tournament must have an official affiliation with an NHL member club … For more information about the 2014-15 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team, click here ... For more information on the sport of sled hockey and to view a list of sled hockey teams in the U.S., click here. Cale Morris of Chicago Steel Named to 2014 U.S. Junior Select Team COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today the selection of goaltender Cale Morris (Larkspur, Colo.) of the United States Hockey League's Chicago Steel as the 22nd and final member of the U.S. Junior Select Team that will compete in the 2014 World Junior A Challenge in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, Dec. 14-20. In his second USHL season, Morris has played nine games for the Steel this year and owns a 5-3-1 record (3.07 GAA, .907 SV%) For a complete Team USA roster, schedule and other information, please click here. ************************************************ The second Hay-Pauncefoot Treaty provided for construction of the Panama Canal by the U.S. on this date in 1901. ************************************************ Regina, SK. -- Saskatchewan Roughriders Head Coach Corey Chamblin has never been a man to make excuses and just days after watching his team get beat 18-10 in the Western Semi-Final to the Edmonton Eskimos, he wasn’t going to start. Read the rest here. ************************************************ On this date in 1929, the radio program "The Rise of the Goldbergs," later known as "The Goldbergs," made its debut on the NBC Blue Network. ************************************************ . Into the Spotlight: Top 20 to watch in the Division Finals. Morris: Plenty of questions for Lions heading into 2015. Please visit the league's official website, cfl.ca. ************************************************ COMING UP - Great American Smokeout: November 20. Thanksgiving: November 27. World Aids Day: December 1. Human Rights Day: December 10. Winter Solstice: December 21. Christmas: December 25. ************************************************ Tampa, FL. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland and St. Louis Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein were named NFC Players of the week in their teams' Week 11 wins. Read more: http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2014/11/19/Bucs-Mike-Evans-highlights-NFC-Players-of-the-Week/6341416417473/#ixzz3JcHbFECz Read the rest here. ************************************************ Britain's Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh in Westminster Abbey on this date in 1947. ************************************************ Corvallis, OR. -- Oregon State baseball head coach Pat Casey announced Wednesday that 12 student-athletes will join the program starting in 2016. Read the rest here. ************************************************ Britain, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and Sweden met to create the European Free Trade Association on this date in 1959. ************************************************ I'm excited for the first day of school. ************************************************ You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as waiting for the repairman, isn't it? ************************************************ Today in Elvis History: 1955 - Elvis Presley's contract with Sun Records, including all previously released and recorded material, was sold to RCA Records for $35,000.  1972 - Elvis Presley announced plans for the "Aloha From Hawaii" concert and that the Kui Lee Cancer Fund would receive benefits from the show.  1992 - The Elvis Presley album "The King Of Rock'n'Roll - The Complete 50's Masters" was certified platinum by the RIAA. ************************************************ The Census Clock at the Department of Commerce in Washington, DC, went past 200 million on this date in 1967. ************************************************ Today in Beatles History: 1960 - In Germany, it was discovered that George Harrison was under 18 years of age. The next day he was deported. The remaining Beatles continued without him for several days before they were deported.  1976 - George Harrison was a guest on "Saturday Night Live."  1982 - The Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson duet "The Girl Is Mine" hit #8 in the U.K.  1995 - A new Beatles recording, "Free As a Bird," began airing on radio stations. The song had debuted on ABC-TV the night before.  2003 - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced that George Harrison would be inducted as a solo artist on March 15, 2004. Harrison had already been inducted as a member of the Beatles. ************************************************ The Nixon administration announced a halt to residential use of the pesticide DDT as part of a total phase out of the substance on this date in 1969. ************************************************ Today in Sports History: 1942 - The National Hockey League (NHL) ended their regular season over-time until World War II was over.  1962 - Mickey Mantle was named the American League Most Valuable Player for the third time.  1965 - Chick Hearn began a 3,000 game streak of play-by-play calls for the Los Angeles Lakers.  1997 - A.C. Green played in his 907th straight game for the Dallas Mavericks.  1997 - Eric Lindros (Philadelphia Flyers) tried to bite Marty McSorley (San Jose Sharks).  ************************************************ On this date in 1983, an estimated 100 million people watched the controversial ABC-TV movie "The Day After." The movie depicted the outbreak of nuclear war. ************************************************ Coming Up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs 7:30pm EST

Friday --

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

Saturday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Minnesota North Stars 7:00pm EST

College Football -- Oregon State Beavers at Washington Huskies 10:30pm EST

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

Sunday --

NFL Football -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears 1:00pm EST

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