John Meissner's Blog

It's Wednesday

2012-02-01T10:45:00.000-05:00

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

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Today is February 1st, the 32nd day of 2012. There are 334 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Rangers will face tough battle for first place.

Wings, Canucks in control entering second half.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actor Sherman Hemsley (The Jeffersons' George Jefferson) is 74; Singer Lisa Marie Presley is 44; Actor Michael C. Hall (Dexter) is 41; Actress Heather Morris (cheerleader Brittany Pierce in Glee) is 25.

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Tampa, FL. -- After the Washington Capitals fought back from a two-goal deficit to tie Tampa Bay and send the game to overtime, Lightning coach Guy Boucher had a message for his team.

"I told them to stay in the moment," Boucher said. "It's not what just happened; it's what we're going to do next."

For Steven Stamkos, the moment came at 2:45 of the overtime when he scored his League-leading 33rd goal to give Tampa Bay a 4-3 victory on Tuesday night, extending the Lightning's winning streak to a season-high five games.

Read the rest right here.

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Today is the start of Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month. It's also AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month, American Heart Month, Avocado and Banana Month, Bake for Family Fun Month, Beans (Dried and Fresh) Month, Dog Training Education Month (Linky Link), Exotic Vegetables and Star Fruit Month, February is Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month, From Africa to Virginia Month, Grapefruit Month (Linky Link), International Boost Self-Esteem Month, International Expect Success Month, Internation Hoof-care Month and Jobs in Golf Month.

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University of Wisconsin Remains No. 1
in USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
2011-12 Women's College Hockey Poll - #17(first-place votes in parentheses)

Rank	School	Last Week's Ranking	2011-12 Record	Weeks in Top 10
1	University of Wisconsin, 189 (18)	1	24-2-2	17
2	University of Minnesota, 170 (1)	3	22-4-2	17
3	Cornell University, 154	2	19-3-0	17
4	Boston College, 120	4	18-7-2	17
5	Mercyhurst College, 102	6	18-5-1	17
6	University of North Dakota, 90	5	16-9-2	17
7	Harvard University, 73	8	14-6-1	9
8	Northeastern University, 69	7	17-6-2	15
9	University of Minnesota Duluth, 33	9	14-11-1	17
10	Dartmouth College, 32	10	14-6-2	8

Others receiving votes: Boston University, 5; Bemidji State University, 4; St. Lawrence University, 3; Clarkson University, 1.

NOTES: The Western Collegiate Hockey Association leads all conferences with four ranked teams, while ECAC Hockey has three ranked teams and the Hockey East Association has two ranked programs. Mercyhurst is the only College Hockey America team ranked ... A total of 14 teams received votes.

ABOUT THE POLL: The 15th annual USA Today/USA Hockey MagazineWomen’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 Magazine, the most widely distributed hockey magazine in the world.

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How far would you go for a month without having to pay bills? A survey discovered a quarter of us would turn off their TV for an entire month, and one in five women would give up sex for 6 months.

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Veteran Alouettes receiver Kerry Watkins retires.

Pieces falling into place for defending champs.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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Police say a man dressed in a clown or jester costume and carrying a shotgun robbed a convenience store in Grand Rapids, Michigan. No injuries were reported during the robbery. The clown fled with cash and hasn't been found.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Super Bowl schedule:

Super Bowl XLVI

All times Eastern

February 5th

New England Patriots vs New York Giants 6:30pm

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Donald Trump is expected to soon endorse a presidential candidate. [He's trying to choose between Romney and Gingrich. One has the great head of hair that he likes but then again he's sympathetic to anybody who has more than one ex-wife.]

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Jimmy runs around the living room.

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Meat Stadiums, just in time for the Super Bowl.

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Today in Elvis History

1958 - Elvis Presley made his last recordings before being inducted into the U.S. Army. He recorded "Your Cheatin' Heart," Wear My Ring Around Your Neck," "Doncha' Think It's Time" and "My Wish Came True."

1968 - Lisa Marie Presley was born. She was the only child of Elvis and Priscilla.

1969 - Elvis Presly's single "If I Can Dream" hit #12 in the U.S.

1975 - Lisa Marie Presley met her favorite singer, Elton John, for her seventh birthday. The event was arranged by Elvis Presley.

1975 - Elvis Presley's single "Promised Land" hit #9 in the U.S.

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As if YouTube isn't doing enough to cure your pre-Super Bowl commercial fix, CBS is back with its annual special tonight that highlights the big game's greatest ads. Boomer Esiason and Jillian Michaels host.

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Today in Beatles History:

1962 - The Beatles played at the Thistle Cafe in West Kirby, Lancs. The club was christened "The Beatles Club" for one night to mark Brian Epstein booking the band. The group never played the venue again.

1967 - The Beatles began sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. They laid down the rhythm track for the title cut.

1968 - John Lennon shipped his Rolls Royce to the U.S.

2007 - A limited edition version of Yoko Ono's album "Plastic Ono Band" was released in Japan.

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British singer Adele will perform at the Grammys. She was quieted by throat surgery back in October but tweeted Tuesday she'll sing at the awards show February 12 in Los Angeles.

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Today in Sports History:

1913 - Jim Thorpe signed a contract to play baseball with the New York Giants.

1929 - Weightlifter, Charles Rigoulet of France, achieved the first 400 pound ‘clean and jerk’ as he lifted 402-1/2 pounds.

1962 - The National League released its first 162-game schedule.

1968 - Vince Lombardi resigned as the coach of the Green Bay Packers.

1970 - Terry Sawchuck got the last shutout of his career and set the career record at 103.

1992 - Barry Bonds signed the highest single season contract. It was for $4.7 million.

1992 - Dennis Potvin's #5 became the first number to be retired by the New York Islanders.

1995 - John Stockton (Utah Jazz) became the NBA's career assist leader when he scored his 9,922nd assist to move past Magic Johnson.

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This is the start of International Snow Sculpting Week, Solo Diners Eat Out Weekend and Women's Heart Week. And today is Freedom Day, Car Insurance Day, G.I. Joe Day, Hoola in the Coola Day, National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Robinson Crusoe Day, Spunky Old Broads Day and Working Naked Day (Linky Link).

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Winnipeg Jets 7:30pm EST

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 5:15pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers 7:00pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Junior Blades 12:00pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 12:15pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Tuesday

2012-01-31T12:36:00.000-05:00

It's Tuesday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is January 31st, the 31st day of 2012. There are 335 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Crosby skates again Tuesday prior to practice.

GMs starting to size market as trade deadline nears.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actress Carol Channing is 91; Actor Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace, Murder One) is 53; Actress Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting, The Riches) is 42; Actress Portia De Rossi (Ally McBeal, Arrested Development) is 39; Singer/actor Justin Timberlake is 31.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are in action tonight on home ice against the Washington Capitals.

Read the preview right here.

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Today is the start of National Hoof Care Week. And today is also Backward Day, Appreciate Your Social Security Check Day and Inspire Your Heart With Art Day.

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University of Minnesota New No. 1 Selection
in USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
2011-12 Men's College Hockey Poll - #17(first-place votes in parentheses)

Rank	School	Last Week's Ranking	2011-12 Record	Weeks in Top 15
1	University of Minnesota, 475 (18)	3	19-9-1	16
2	University of Minnesota Duluth, 473 (16)	1	17-5-4	17
3	Boston University, 394	2	15-8-1	14
4	Merrimack College, 376	5	14-5-5	16
5	Boston College, 332	8	16-10-1	17
6	University of Notre Dame, 320	4	15-10-3	17
7	Ferris State University, 317	12	17-8-3	12
8	University of Michigan, 278	9	15-9-4	13
9	UMass Lowell, 250	11	16-7-0	5
10	Ohio State University, 178	7	14-8-5	11
11	Colorado College, 150	10	14-9-1	17
12	Union College, 128	13	15-6-6	15
13	University of Denver, 118	15	15-8-3	16
14	Cornell University, 108	6	11-6-4	7
15	University of Maine, 60	NR	14-8-3	2

Others receiving votes: Western Michigan University, 44; Miami University, 34; University of North Dakota, 24; Northern Michigan University, 12; Colgate University, 7; Rochester Institute of Technology, 2.

NOTES: The Hockey East Association leads all conferences with five ranked teams, while the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association have four ranked teams and ECAC Hockey has two ranked programs ... A total of 21 teams received votes.

ABOUT THE POLL: The 17th annual USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men’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 five NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey Magazine, the most widely distributed hockey magazine in the world.

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On this date in 1865, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. It was ratified by the necessary number of states on December 6, 1865. The amendment abolished slavery in the United States.

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Ticats sign RB Martell Mallett.

Argonauts announce leadership change.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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ON DVD TODAY - Drive (Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston); The Thing (Mary Elizabeth Winstead); To Kill a Mockingbird 50th Anniversary Edition; Transformers: Dark of the Moon; In Time (Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried); Dream House (Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz); The Big Year (Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson)

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Super Bowl schedule:

Super Bowl XLVI

All times Eastern

February 5th

New England Patriots vs New York Giants 6:30pm

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According to a new study (just in time for Valentines Day!), nearly a quarter of couples surveyed say their love life suffered when their bed was over 10 years old. I should mention the survey was commissioned by a mattress chain.

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Look Daddy, it's Word World.

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Reacting to a story about a supposed interview with Pippa Middleton, Barbara Walters claimed ABC doesn't pay for interviews. [Someone's trying to take from Betty White the title of Funniest Woman Over 80.]

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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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The trademark "Coca-Cola" was first registered in the United States Patent Office on this date in 1893.

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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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More than four million people watched a cryptic 10-second teaser featuring Matthew Broderick after the clip's Thursday release, revving up the rumor mill that there may be a Ferris Bueller sequel. By mid-morning the true point of the clip was revealed: Matthew Broderick's Bueller would be selling a Honda. On Monday Honda gave us a taste of its upcoming weekend ad magic, one that will cost around $3.5 million for a mere 30 seconds of airtime. Which is probably why they put the 2 minute, 25 second video on YouTube.

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

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Winnipeg Jets 7:30pm EST

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 5:15pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers 7:00pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Junior Blades 12:00pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 12:15pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

Monday Afternoon Meissnervations

2012-01-30T12:17:00.002-05:00

It's Monday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is January 30th, the 30th day of 2012. There are 336 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Team Chara rides Gaborik's hat trick to All-Star win.

Crosby suffered neck injury, now fully healed.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actor Gene Hackman is 82; Former Vice President Dick Cheney is 71; Singer/musician Phil Collins is 61; Actor Christian Bale (Batman movies, Terminator Salvation) is 38.

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Kanata, ON. -- Just one night after being crowned champion in the Elimination Shootout contest, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos admitted he was exhausted following Sunday's 2012 NHL All-Star finale at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.

With good reason too.

The Bolts center had an assist and also recorded three shots in nearly 15 minutes of ice time as he and Team Alfredsson fell 12-9 to Team Chara in what proved to be a back-and-forth scoring duel at the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game.

Read the rest here.

Here's the final entry in the Steven Stamkos All-Star Blog:

Kanata, ON. -- It’s hard to believe that my time in Ottawa has already come to an end.

I’m all set to leave on Monday, and while I’m looking forward to heading back to Tampa Bay and seeing all my teammates, I certainly am going to miss the experience here.

The day started off with a cool pre-game celebration for fans to get them amped up for the game, which was earlier this afternoon. I headed to the arena at around 1 p.m. to take photos in my All-Star jersey and to get ready for the game.

Read the rest of the Stamkos blog right here.

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Today is the start of National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Week. And today is also Inane Answering Message Day and Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day (Linky Link) (Another Linky Link).

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Crowton named Bombers offensive coordinator.

Yurichuk fighting his way towards bigger role.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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I got a call from the Doctor's office this morning. The polyp snagged in last week's colonoscopy was all clear. That's means I'm still NED, or No Evidence of Disease. The 800lb. gorilla has packed his bags and left our house. Hooray and good riddance!

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Super Bowl schedule:

Super Bowl XLVI

All times Eastern

February 5th

New England Patriots vs New York Giants 6:30pm

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It's been revealed that Apple is so obsessed with secrecy, it sometimes puts new hires on fake products until they can be trusted. Adam Lashinsky reported this tidbit in his new book Inside Apple, and a former Apple employee confirmed it.

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Jimmy with Gramma and Uncle Bob.

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Never-before-seen color photographs have been released of Adolph Hitler at home. [I could have gone my entire lifetime without seeing Adolph Hitler in Bermuda shorts.]

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Today in Elvis History

1956 - Elvis Presley recorded "Blue Suede Shoes."

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A breakfast is attracting criticism from healthy eating advocates. The Kidz Breakfast at Jesters Diner in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, includes 12 slices of bacon, 12 sausages, and six eggs and weighs 9 pounds. Eat the whole thing and it's free, saving you $24. But you'll pick up 6,000 calories.

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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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Police in Bakersfield, California, are looking for a thief who robbed a business in the off hours. Cops are pretty sure they'll get their man since they have multiple clear photos of his face... taken as he stole security cameras.

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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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The Grey, starring Liam Neeson, topped the weekend movie box office chart with an estimated $20 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Winnipeg Jets 7:30pm EST

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 5:15pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers 7:00pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Junior Blades 12:00pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 12:15pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Sunday

2012-01-29T01:06:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is January 29th, the 29th day of 2012. There are 337 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Crosby suffered neck injury.

Columbus to host 2013 NHL All-Star festivities.

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

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Catholic Schools Week, Meat Week and Intimate Apparel Week all start today.

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Kanata, ON. -- My first full day yesterday was bit hectic with everything going on, but I think now that the Draft is at least over, I feel a little bit more settled in here in Ottawa.

My parents arrived this morning so it was great to see them. I think a lot of people don’t realize how taxing the NHL 82-game regular season schedule is and how it doesn’t allow us to see our families a lot. I’m glad they’re here though, and I’m looking forward to spending some time with them.

We had a light snowstorm here in Ottawa today, which for me at least, was a welcome change to have that type of weather in January after coming from Florida where it’s warm and sunny. That’s more of what I’m used to and definitely brings back some good memories of home.

Read the rest of the Steven Stamkos All-Star Blog right here.

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Today is Curmudgeons Day, Free Thinkers Day, National Puzzle Day, Seeing Eye Dog Day and Thomas Paine Day.

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Feeling Outstanding: Bourke on the mend for Als.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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John Beckley became the first Librarian of Congress on this date in 1802.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Super Bowl schedule:

Super Bowl XLVI

All times Eastern

February 5th

New England Patriots vs New York Giants 6:30pm

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Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" was published for the first time in the "New York Evening Mirror" on this date in 1845.

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Jimmy and Grampa Joe.

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Greenwich Mean Time was adopted by Scotland on this date in 1848.

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Today in Elvis History

1966 - Elvis Presley's "Tell Me Why" reached #33 in the U.S.

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Henry Clay introduced in the Senate a compromise bill on slavery that included the admission of California into the Union as a free state on this date in 1850.

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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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In America, Kansas became the 34th state of the Union on this date in 1861.

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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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The first successful petrol-driven motorcar, built by Karl Benz, was patented on this date in 1886.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 11:00am EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 11:15am EST

NHL Hockey -- All Star Game at Kanata, Ontario 4:00pm EST

Monday --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Winnipeg Jets 7:30pm EST

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 5:15pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers 7:00pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Junior Blades 12:00pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks 12:15pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Saturday

2012-01-28T10:03:00.000-05:00

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

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Today is January 28th, the 28th day of 2012. There are 338 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Bettman to address media in Ottawa.

Hawks acquire Brendan Morrison from Flames.

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

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My Mom took me to my very first hockey game on this date in 1968.

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Kanata, ON. -- Steven Stamkos, known for possessing arguably some of the best hands in hockey, might strengthen his case for that distinction if he can conquer the challenge that weighs upon them Saturday night in the 2012 NHL All-Star Skills Competition.

The NHL's leading goal scorer is slated for three events including Accuracy Shooting, the Skills Challenge Relay and the Elimination Shootout, but while the success he's enjoyed so far throughout his young career proves he can tackle all three, there's no guarantee Saturday's skills showcase is going to be easy.

Read the rest of the Steven Stamkos All-Star Blog right here.

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Today is Data Privacy Day (Linky Link), National Kazoo Day (Linky Link), National Seed Swap Day and Thank a Plugin Developer Day (Linky Link).

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Tampa, FL. -- Greg Schiano's dream died when the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League released the former Bucknell linebacker after one preseason game.

He planned to go to law school. At night, he studied for the LSATs. During the day, he was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Rampano (N.J.) High.

Before long, Schiano hung a white sheet in a bedroom at his parents' house, where he was living, and began watching 16mm tapes of games. The law books were pushed aside for playbooks.

Read the rest http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/new-tampa-bay-buccaneers-coach-greg-schiano-expect-accountability-physical/1212671.

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The first telephone switchboard was installed in New Haven, Connecticut on this date in 1878.

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Doug MacIver, former Riders defensive lineman, dies at 58.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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"The Yale News" was published for the first time on this date in 1878. It was the first, daily, collegiate newspaper in the U.S.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Super Bowl schedule:

Super Bowl XLVI

All times Eastern

February 5th

New England Patriots vs New York Giants 6:30pm

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The Carnegie Institution was established in Washington, DC on this date in 1902. It began with a gift of $10 million from Andrew Carnegie.

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Jimmy and Snoopy watch TV.

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The Coast Guard was created on this date in 1915 by an act of the U.S. Congress to fight contraband trade and aid distressed vessels at sea.

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Today in Elvis History

1956 - Elvis Presley appeared on the Dorsey brothers' "Stage Show." It was Elvis' first network television appearance.

1963 - Production began on the Elvis Presley film "Fun In Acapulco."

1970 - "From Elvis In Memphis" was certified gold by the RIAA.

2005 - Lisa Marie Presley's single "Dirty Laundry" was played on AOL's First Listen.

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CBS-TV debuted "Barnaby Jones" on this date in 1973.

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Today in Beatles History:

1992 - George Harrison's "Living in the Material World" was released on compact disc. The album was originally released on May 30, 1973.

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The U.S. space shuttle Challenger exploded just after takeoff on this date in 1986. All seven of its crewmembers were killed.

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Today in Sports History:

1904 - The University of Chicago awarded blankets with the letter C to all seniors that played football during the 1903 season. This event marked the beginning of the sports letter tradition.

1922 - The National Football League franchise in Decatur, IL, transferred to Chicago. The team took the name Chicago Bears.

1948 - Max Bentley (Chicago Blackhawks) scored 4 goals and his brother Doug assisted on all of them. Doug also had a goal in the game.

1957 - The Brooklyn Dodgers announced that circus clown Emmett Kelly had been hired to entertain fans at baseball games.

1958 - Roy Campanella (Brooklyn Dodgers) was seriously injured in an auto accident in New York. He would never return to play again.

1990 - Aaron Neville sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXIV. Joe Montana got his third MVP award. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Denver Broncos 55-10.

1996 - Diana Ross performed as the featured halftime performer at Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, AZ. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17. It was the fifth Super Bowl for the Cowboys.

2003 - The WNBA announced that Connecticut had been awarded a franchise for the 2003 season. The team, the Connecticut Sun, was the first WNBA team to be owned by a non-NBA owner (the Mohegan Sun).

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Ford Motor Company announced the purchase of Sweden's Volvo AB for $6.45 billion on this date in 1999.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 5:00pm EST

Sunday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 11:15am EST

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 1:30pm EST

NHL Hockey -- All Star Game at Kanata, Ontario 4:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Friday

2012-01-27T13:03:00.001-05:00

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

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Today is January 27th, the 27th day of 2012. There are 339 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Who will win? Breaking down All-Star teams.

Jackets' owner: Howson safe, but changes are coming.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actor James Cromwell (Babe films, Deep Impact, 24) is 72; NFL wide receiver-turned-broadcaster Cris Collinsworth is 53; Actress (Single White Female, A Simple Plan) Bridget Fonda is 48; Rapper/producer Lil Jon is 41; Reality star Jake Pavelka (The Bachelor) is 34.

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Kanata, ON. -- My 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend has officially begun. I arrived in Ottawa this afternoon and I'm trying to take as much of it all in as I possibly can before heading over to the All-Star Fantasy Draft.

It seems at least like there is a good buzz around the city and that the fans here in Ottawa are excited about all of the events going on this week. Even on the way from the airport to our hotel, you could see all the banners hanging off the street light poles advertising the All-Star Game. It's definitely going to be a fun event and I'm sure the fans are looking forward to it too.

Read the rest of the Steven Stamkos All-Star Blog right here.

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Demi Moore is out of the hospital. She was released Thursday after a three-night stay to recover from, well, any number of ailments or drugs, depending on what gossip blog you believe.

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Tampa, FL. -- Although it might be hard for their faithful to admit, the Bucs are a team still under construction. So when they went in search of a new coach, they looked for someone who could build a lasting contender.

They are convinced Greg Schiano has the blueprint.

Schiano, 45, who took Rutgers from a laughingstock to perennial Big East contender, was hired Thursday.

Read the rest here.

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Today is Auschwitz Liberation Day, Holocaust Memorial Day (Linky Link), International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, National Pre-School Fitness Day, Thomas Crapper Day, Viet Nam Peace Day and Fun at Work Day.

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Stamps eager to build connection with QB Jyles.

Arland Bruce extends with Grey Cup champs.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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The NFL Pro Bowl plays Sunday in Honolulu.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Super Bowl schedule:

Super Bowl XLVI

All times Eastern

February 5th

New England Patriots vs New York Giants 6:30pm

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Newt Gingrich told his supporters this week that if elected, he would establish a colony on the moon. [Newt's been fascinated with the moon ever since he learned that he'd weigh much less there.]

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Jimmy's on the prowl for more toys.

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A mysterious Super Bowl teaser popped up on YouTube Thursday, with Matthew Broderick bringing back his role as Ferris Bueller, 26 years after his fateful day off. Bueller, er Broderick, seems to be in a hotel room so perhaps he's selling for a hotel chain?

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Today in Elvis History

1956 - Elvis Presley's debut single for RCA Records, "Heartbreak Hotel," was released.

2004 - Master Tape Collection, based out of New Jersey, began selling 2-inch sections of reel tape. The tape contained original recordings (the "Sun Sessions) of Elvis Presley. The 2-inch cuttings preserved in a plaque sold for $495

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Want to make someone you don't even know feel instantly lonely? Do NOT look at them. A study found those who received a glance and a smile from a passing stranger felt less disconnected from others. Conclusion: Stop staring at your phone while walking.

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Today in Beatles History:

1965 - John and Cynthia Lennon flew to the Alps for a ten day skiing vacation.

1967 - The Beatles signed a 9-year contract with EMI.

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Negotiating together, Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms are asking for base salary of $15 million each to revisit their Hangover roles. Their base for H2 was $5 million each.

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Today in Sports History:

1965 - Ulf Sterner became the first Swedish-born player to appear in the NHL. Sterner only played four games in the NHL.

1967 - Paige Cothren became the first player to sign with the New Orleans Saints.

1973 - The UCLA Bruins won their 61st consecutive game to break the NCAA record held by the University of San Francisco.

1984 - Carl Lewis beat his own two-year-old record by 9-1/4 inches when he set a new indoor world record with a long-jump mark of 28 feet, 10-1/4 inches.

1984 - Wayne Gretzky set a National Hockey League (NHL) record for consecutive game scoring. He ended the streak at 51 games the next night against the Los Angeles Kings. The streak began on October 5, 1983.

1991 - Whitney Houston sang the "Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV.

1992 - Former world boxing champion Mike Tyson went on trial for allegedly raping an 18-year-old contestant in the 1991 Miss Black America Contest.

2002 - The Montreal Canadiens became the first NHL team to score 10,000 home goals. The feat was achieved in the Canadiens' 2,675th regular season game. The goal was scored by Sergei Berezin who had come to the team only two days before from the Phoenix Coyotes.

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IN THEATERS THIS WEEKEND - The Grey; Man on a Ledge; One for the Money.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 5:00pm EST

Sunday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 11:15am EST

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 1:30pm EST

NHL Hockey -- All Star Game at Kanata, Ontario 4:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Thursday

2012-01-26T13:17:00.002-05:00

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

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Today is January 26th, the 26th day of 2012. There are 340 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.) In the process of publishing today's blog entry, I inadvertantly erased yesterdays. Sorry gang.

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Don Fehr’s union sounds ready to take on NHL.

Flu ends Wings D Lidstrom’s games played streak.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actor Scott Glenn (Backdraft, The Bourne Ultimatum) is 71; Rocker Eddie Van Halen is 57; Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is 54; Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky is 51; the Suleman octuplets (Octomom's kids) are 3.

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Tampa, FL. -- In a case of viral video and cloak-and-dagger intrigue, ThunderBug has been fired.

The final offense? Inappropriate use of Silly String.

The Tampa Bay Lightning mascot sprayed a Boston Bruins fan at a Jan. 17 hockey game. The fan took offense and pushed ThunderBug down. Thousands saw it on YouTube.

The team did not condone ThunderBug's actions.

Read the rest here.

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Yesterday was my 57th birthday. Jimmy went to Gramma and Grampa's house and Kim and I went to dinner at BD's Mongolian Grill.

Like my birthday hat? After dinner, we went to the movies. We saw Red Tails, the movie about the Tuskegee Airmen and some of the action they saw in WWII. We give it 4 enthusiastic thumbs up. It's a definite must see. And when we went back to Gramma and Grampa's house to get Jimmy, there were birthday cupcakes and ice cream. It is a definite a must see.

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Massive Team USA Jersey on Tour to Engage Fans Leading Up
to the 2012 IIHF Women's World Championship

Fans Have Opportunity to Sign Jersey at Several Locations Across the U.S.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- USA Hockey announced today that a giant Team USA jersey, spanning 20 feet by 20 feet, will be touring several key locations en route to the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship in Burlington, Vt., this April.

The tour stops currently include Burlington, Vt., for the Winter Festival; St. Paul, Minn., in conjunction with Hockey Weekend Across America, presented by Reebok; and Lake Placid, N.Y., for Team USA's pre-tournament camp.

The jersey -- complete with well wishes from those signing the jersey during the tour -- will hang in the rafters of the Gutterson Fieldhouse during the upcoming 2012 IIHF World Women's Championship, which will be hosted by USA Hockey April 7-14.

Details with specifics related to each stop on the "jersey tour" as well as ticket information for the 2012 IIHF Women's World Championship can be found at Burlington2012.com.

NOTES: Team USA has won the last three world championships (2008 2009, 2011) ... The event will mark the third time the IIHF Women's World Championship has been held in the United States. Lake Placid, N.Y., played host in 1994, while Minneapolis was the site in 2001. Team USA earned the silver medal in Lake Placid and Minneapolis ... Media accreditation information will be released at a future date ... Katey Stone, head women's ice hockey coach at Harvard University, will serve as head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team for 2011-12 ... For more information on the 2012 IIHF Women's World Championship, click here.

IIHF Women's World Championship Game Schedule
April 7-14 - Burlington, Vt.

Date Match-up Time (EDT) Group Arena
Apr. 7 Slovakia vs. Sweden 1 p.m. B Cairns
Finland vs. Russia 3 p.m. A Gutterson
Switzerland vs. Germany 5 p.m. B Cairns
USA vs. Canada 7 p.m. A Gutterson
Apr. 8 Sweden vs. Germany 1 p.m. B Cairns
Canada vs. Finland 3 p.m. A Gutterson
Switzerland vs. Slovakia 5 p.m. B Cairns
USA vs. Russia 7 p.m. A Gutterson
Apr. 10 Sweden vs. Switzerland 1 p.m. B Cairns
Canada vs. Russia 3 p.m. A Gutterson
Germany vs. Slovakia 5 p.m. B Cairns
Finland vs. USA 7 p.m. A Gutterson
Apr. 11 A4 - B1 3 p.m. Quarterfinal #1 Gutterson
B3 - B4 5 p.m. Relegation Cairns
A3 - B2 7 p.m. Quarterfinal #2 Gutterson
Apr. 13 B4 - B3 1 p.m. Relegation Cairns
A2 - 3A/2B 3 p.m. Semifinal #1 Gutterson
L (Q1) - L (Q2) 5 p.m. 5th/6th Place Game Cairns
A1 - 4A/1B 7 p.m. Semifinal #2 Gutterson
Apr. 14 B3 - B4 # 1 p.m. Relegation Cairns
L (S1) - L (S2) 3 p.m. Bronze-Medal Game Gutterson
W (S1) - W (S2) 7 p.m. Gold-Medal Game Gutterson

National Team Development Program Weekly Update

U18 Team Earns Five of Six Points in USHL Standings, Sets Sights on College Schedule;
U17 Team Splits with Muskegon, Hosts Two USHL Opponents Over Weekend

U17 TEAM HOSTS TWO USHL OPPONENTS: The U.S. National Under-17 Team returns home for the first time since Dec. 17 when it hosts the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Friday (Jan. 27) and Dubuque Fighting Saints on Saturday (Jan. 28). Both contests are scheduled for 7 p.m. EST at the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Ice Cube. Team USA and Muskegon split the season series thus far, with both games contested at L.C. Walker Arena (Jan. 20-21). This will be the Under-17 Team's first meeting against defending United States Hockey League champion, Dubuque, this season.

U18 TEAM SETS SIGHTS TOWARDS COLLEGE SCHEDULE: The U.S. National Under-18 Team has a break this weekend before turning its sights toward collegiate action. Team USA next faces Lake Superior State University on Feb. 3 at 7:05 p.m. EST. The game will be held in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. at the Taffy Abel Arena. The U.S. holds a 2-1-3 (W-L-T) all-time record against the Lakers. Team USA last defeated LSSU, 3-1, on Dec. 16, 2006. The Under-18 Team is 5-7-2 against collegiate opponents this season.

U17'S SPLIT SERIES WITH MUSKEGON: Evan Allen (Sterling Heights, Mich.) scored once and added an assist, but the U.S. National Under-17 Team fell to the Lumberjacks, 4-3, at L.C. Walker Arena on Jan. 20. The following night (Jan. 21), Andrew Copp (Ann Arbor, Mich.) notched one goal and added two assists, as Team USA won the rematch against Muskegon, 5-4, at L.C. Walker Arena.

U18'S EARN FIVE OF SIX POINTS IN USHL: Ryan Hartman (West Dundee, Ill.) recorded the game-winning goal in overtime, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team bested the Dubuque Fighting Saints, 3-2, at the Mystique Ice Center on Jan. 19. Collin Olson (Apple Valley, Minn.) made 23 stops in the victory for Team USA. In the Under-18 Team's next game (Jan. 20), Quentin Shore (Denver, Colo.) tallied the eventual game-winning goal in the second period, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team clipped the Green Bay Gamblers, 3-2, in the first of back-to-back contests at the Resch Center. Jared Rutledge (Chicago, Ill.) turned aside 31 shots in the win for the U.S. In the final game of the road trip on Jan. 21, Hartman and Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif.) netted one goal and collected one assist each, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team fell in overtime to the Green Bay Gamblers, 5-4. Team USA earned one point and took five of six points over the weekend in USHL action.

UNDER-17 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Blueliner Gage Ausmus (East Grand Forks, Minn.) tallied his first goal of the season in a 5-4 win over Muskegon (Jan. 21) ... Forward Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) is riding a five-game point (3-3) streak dating back to Dec. 17 ... Evan Allen and Anthony Louis (Winfield, Ill.) are both in the midst of three-game point streaks. Allen has two goals and three assists in that span, while Louis has scored one goal and added four assists dating back to Jan. 21 ... Forward Andrew Copp joined the U.S. National Under-17 Team and recorded four points (2-2) and a plus-3 rating in two games played (Jan. 20-21).

UNDER-18 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Frankie Vatrano (East Longmeadow, Mass.) is on a four-game point streak dating back to Jan. 14. The forward has potted three goals, collected two assists and registered a plus-4 rating in that stretch ... Jared Rutledge has now won his last four USHL starts dating back to Dec. 11. The netminder has posted a .943 save percentage and 1.50 goals-against-average in those games ... Jacob Trouba (Rochester, Mich.) has recorded eight points (3-5) in his last five contests dating back to Jan. 13. The defenseman is plus-5 in those games ... Forward Ryan Hartman has four points (2-2) in his last three games played dating back to Jan. 19 ... Nicolas Kerdiles is averaging one point per game in his last five outings. The forward netted one goal and had a hand in four others dating back to Jan. 13.

NTDP ALUMNI UPDATE: Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard (Ogdensburg, N.Y./2001-02) won his National Hockey League-best 30th game on Jan. 23 against the St. Louis Blues. Howard turned aside 21 saves in the 3-1 victory ... Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel (Madison, Wis./2003-05) notched a goal in a 3-0 shutout of the New York Islanders on Jan. 23. Kessel's 26 tallies are tied for fourth most in the NHL ... Predators defenseman Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis./2001-03) recorded two assists on Jan. 23 as Nashvhille defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-1 ... Kings blueliner Jack Johnson (Faribault, Minn./2003-05) scored one goal as Los Angeles topped the Ottawa Senators, 4-1, on Jan. 23 ... Predators forward Colin Wilson (Greenwich, Conn./2005-07) had two points (1-1), including the eventual game-winning goal in a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 21 ... Canucks forward David Booth (Washington, Mich./2001-02) recorded a two-point (1-1) night in a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 21 ... Avalanche forward Peter Mueller (Bloomington, Minn./2003-05) tallied the game-winning goal in a 3-1 win over Los Angeles on Jan. 21. Two nights earlier (Jan. 19), Mueller had two goals and one assist in 4-3 win over Florida.

For the complete weekly update, click here.

ABOUT THE NTDP: In 1996, USA Hockey launched a revolutionary new initiative called the National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Celebrating its 15th season of play in 2011-12, 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.

THE USHL AND FASTHOCKEY: Catch all of Team USA's USHL action on FASTHockey.com, the premier online destination for ice hockey fanatics from around the world. Visitors can choose from an incredible array of games from national governing bodies, conferences, leagues, teams, tournaments, and other events.

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Today is Military Spouses Day, to recognize and honor the real backbone of the military... the spouses of our soldiers. It's also Lotus 1-2-3 Day, National Peanut Brittle Day (Linky Link) and Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement.

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CFL.ca's Top 10 Running Plays of 2011.

Glenn, Stamps agree to restructured deal.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech scored at an eight-grade readability level, according to the University of Minnesota. His three State of the Unions all rank among the six lowest scoring ones ever and are, on average, "more than two grades lower than the 10.7 grade average for the other 67 addresses written by his 12 predecessors."

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Conference Finals Week schedule:

Super Bowl XLVI

All times Eastern

February 5th

New England Patriots vs New York Giants 6:30pm

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According to a new survey (Zagat), 44% of couples intend on dining out this Valentine's Day. The average expected dinner tab comes out to $147 per couple, compared to the regular check for two of around $43.

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Someone's been playing in the dirt.

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Police in Thailand apprehended a thief with more than a thousand pairs of women's underwear in the trunk of his car. They later found more than ten thousand pairs at his home.

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Today in Elvis History

1971 - Elvis Presley began a month-long, 57-show season at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.

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If you're among the 200 richest people in the world you can join the exclusive new social network TopCom. According to Esquire, TopCom is a highly secure private social network, a sort of "combination Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, texting, and Skype" for "the people who run the world."

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Today in Beatles History:

1969 - The Beatles recorded covers of "Shake Rattle And Roll," "Kansas City," "Miss Ann," "Lawdy Miss Clawdy," "Blue Suede Shoes," "You Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Tracks Of My Tears."

1970 - John Lennon wrote and recorded "Instant Karma."

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In case you weren't watching TV or using the Internet in the past week, President of the United States, Barack Obama, caused quite a stir with his rendition of "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green. Now his people have turned a viral YouTube karaoke session into an official ringtone. Yes, you can have Barack Obama singing "Let's Stay Together" every single time you get a phone call. Get the ringtone.

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Today in Sports History:

1924 - Charles Jewtraw of the United States won the 500-meter speed skating. He was the first Gold Medalist at the Winter Olympics.

1985 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) became the first NHL player to score 50 goals in 49 games.

1990 - Steffi Graf won her 48th consecutive match.

1997 - ZZ Top, James Brown and the Blues Brothers performed at the Super Bowl XXXI halftime show. The Green Bay Packers won 35-21 over the New England Patriots. It was the third Super Bowl win for the Packers.

2002 - Jennifer Capriati won Australian Open Tennis Championships in Melbourne.

2003 - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Oakland Raiders 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII. Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden became the youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl. It was the first Super Bowl appearance for the Buccaneers.

2003 - In Berlin, Lindsay Benko broke the 400 freestyle world record. She became the first to go under the four-minute mark (3 minutes, 59.53 seconds).

2003 - In Berlin, Thomas Rupprath set a new world record in the men's 100 medley. He came in at 52.58.

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Seal tells talk show host Tavis Smiley his divorce from Heidi Klum will be handled civilly for the benefit of their kids. "What one has to do in this situation is to remain civil, to retain one's dignity, to be professional, and to understand that we are not the only people on this planet that are going through this."

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 5:00pm EST

Sunday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 11:15am EST

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 1:30pm EST

NHL Hockey -- All Star Game at Kanata, Ontario 4:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Wednesday

2012-01-25T12:26:00.004-05:00

While publishing Thursday's blog, I inadvertently erased the Wednesday entry. Sorry gang.

It's Tuesday

2012-01-24T11:03:00.000-05:00

It's Tuesday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is January 24th, the 24th day of 2012. There are 342 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Stars sign Goligoski to four-year extension.

Rangers are back atop Power Rankings.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actor Ernest Borgnine (Airwolf, McHale's Navy) is 95; Singer Neil Diamond is 71; Former Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton (Gold at 1984 Olympics) is 44; Actor Matthew Lillard (The Descendants, Scream movies, Scooby Doo movies) is 42; Actor Ed Helms (The Hangover films, The Office) is 38.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are on home ice tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Read the preview right here.

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There was no blog yesterday, because I was out having a colonoscopy done. One polyp was found, results are due in a week. If you have a family history or are age 50 or older and haven't had one before, schedule one soon. It saved my life, it can save yours too.

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University of Minnesota Duluth Remains No. 1 in
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
2011-12 Men's College Hockey Poll - #16(first-place votes in parentheses)

Rank	School	Last Week's Ranking	2011-12 Record	Weeks in Top 15
1	University of Minnesota Duluth, 507 (31)	1	17-4-3	16
2	Boston University, 479 (3)	3	15-6-1	13
3	University of Minnesota, 420	2	17-9-1	15
4	University of Notre Dame, 375	6	14-9-3	16
5	Merrimack College, 333	7	13-5-5	15
6	Cornell University, 320	9	11-4-4	6
7	Ohio State University, 292	5	14-7-4	10
8	Boston College, 261	4	14-10-1	16
9	University of Michigan, 239	10	15-9-4	12
10	Colorado College, 199	11	14-9-1	16
11	UMass Lowell, 183	13	14-6-0	4
12	Ferris State University, 154	14	15-8-3	11
13	Union College, 104	12	13-6-6	14
14	Western Michigan University, 103	8	12-9-5	16
15	University of Denver, 51	15	13-8-3	15

Others receiving votes: Miami University, 30; Michigan State University, 12; University of Maine, 10; Northern Michigan University, 6; Rochester Institute of Technology, 1; University of North Dakota, 1.

NOTES: The University of Minnesota Duluth is atop the poll for the seventh straight week ... The Central Collegiate Hockey Association leads all conferences with five ranked teams, while Hockey East Association and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association have four ranked teams and ECAC Hockey has two ranked programs ... A total of 21 teams received votes.

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This is Clean Out Your Inbox Week.

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Stamps release franchise rushing leader Reynolds.

O'Shea still 'learning' 18 years later.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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The Columbia Phonograph Company was formed in Washington, DC on this date in 1889.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Conference Finals Week schedule:

Conference Playoffs

January 22nd

At New England 23, Baltimore 20
New York Giants 20 at San Francisco 17 (OT)

Super Bowl XLVI

February 5th

New England Patriots vs New York Giants 6:30pm

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Want to save $200 this year? Researchers say backing way off on using your clothes dryer can do just that. Visit your favorite retail store or Amazon and ask for a clothes drying rack. The money you save could cover your cable TV bill for a few months.

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Time for another water break.

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A new survey of bar managers in the U.S. found the Margarita remains the most popular mixed drink nationwide. The Martini and Rum and Coke take second and third.

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Today in Elvis History

1957 - Elvis Presley recorded "Teddy Bear" and "One Night."

2006 - The Elvis Presley box set "Elvis #1 Singles" was released in the U.S. The set included all of Elvis' 21 #1 U.S. hits on 20 singles with original B sides. Each single included the original 45 rpm single artwork.

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The Internet is wondering what OnWander is. Get your username before it's gone. (For what, we don't know.)

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Today in Beatles History:

1962 - Brian Epstein signed with the Beatles as their manager and began to direct their image away from leather jackets. He led them toward a smarter stage presentation, with matching suits and bows to the audience.

1970 - It was announced that John Lennon and Yoko Ono had shaven their heads to commemorate the start of Year One for Peace.

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An Italian woman was rushed to the hospital after collapsing with laughter while watching a funny show on TV. The woman fell off her chair when she started laughing at a joke. She lost consciousness and was treated for shock. Docs gave her some sedatives and are still wondering what was so funny.

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Today in Sports History:

1930 - Primo Carnera made his American boxing debut by knocking out Big Boy Patterson in one minute, ten seconds of the opening round.

1947 - NFL owners voted to allow a sudden-death overtime in playoff games. The rule wasn't used until 1958.

1955 - The rules committee of major league baseball announced a plan to strictly enforce the rule that required a pitcher to release the ball within 20 seconds after taking his position on the mound.

1962 - Jackie Robinson became the first black player to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was also the first black player in major league history.

1964 - CBS-TV acquired the rights to televise the National Football League’s 1964-1965 regular season. The move cost CBS $14.1 million a year. The NFL stayed on CBS for 30 years.

1981 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) tied Rocket Richard's record of 50 goals in first 50 games of the season.

1982 - The San Francisco 49ers won their first Super Bowl. Joe Montana won the first of his three MVP awards.

1987 - Walter Payton and Joe Montana were guests on "Saturday Night Live."

1990 - Clarence "Big House" Gaines collected the 800th victory of his college coaching career when Winston-Salem State University beat Livinstone, 79-70.

1995 - The prosecution gave its opening statement at the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

2006 - Mario Lemieux retired from playing in the NHL for the last time. He had previously retired and came back from cancer, a heart problem, agonizing back pain, a rare bone infection, a self-imposed one-season layoff and, five years earlier, from the boredom of retirement.

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Underworld: Awakening topped domestic box office charts and brought in an estimated $38.8 million around the world. In second place, World War Two story Red Tails opened with $19.1 million domestically.

... Opening Friday: The Grey, Man on a Ledge and One for the Money.

ON DVD TODAY - Real Steel (Jackman, Lilly); 50/50 (Gordon-Levitt, Rogen); Paranormal Activity 3; The Whistleblower (Weisz)

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 5:00pm EST

Sunday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 11:15am EST

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 1:30pm EST

NHL Hockey -- All Star Game at Kanata, Ontario 4:00pm EST

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

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Sunday

2012-01-22T07:33:00.001-05:00

It's Sunday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is January 22nd, the 22nd day of 2012. There are 344 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Rangers' Lundqvist, Maple Leafs' Lupul named assistant captains for 2012 NHL All-Star Weekend.

Crosby in California to see neurological spine specialist.

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

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Today is the start of National Activity Professionals Week (Linky Link), Kid Film Festival and National Nurse Anesthetists Week.

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Glendale, AZ. -- Facing former teammate Mike Smith for the first time in his new role as Phoenix Coyotes goaltender, several Tampa Bay Lightning players said they hoped to sneak a few pucks past an old friend.

On Saturday night, they did just that.

Martin St. Louis and Steve Downie each had a goal and an assist, and Dwayne Roloson made 33 saves as the Lightning edged out a 4-3 victory against the Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena..

Read the rest here.

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Today is Answer Your Cat's Questions Day, Celebration of Life Day and Roe vs. Wade Day.

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U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team Falls to Canada, 7-5,
in the Bronze-Medal Game of the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Team USA Outshoots Canada, 40-19, in Defeat

Innsbruck, Austria -- Despite outshooting Canada, 40-19, the U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team fell to Canada, 7-5, in the bronze-medal game of the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games this afternoon at Tyrolean Ice Arena. Team USA finished the tournament in fourth place with a 2-0-0-4 (W-OTW-OTL-L) overall record.

"I'm proud of this team and the way they battled," said Ben Smith, head coach of the U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team. "In our last two games, we trailed in the third period, but we never gave up. We gave ourselves a chance at the end of both games."

Canada held a 3-0 lead before Nate Billitier (Spencerport, N.Y.) put the U.S. on the board with seven seconds remaining in the opening frame. Ryan MacInnis (St. Louis, Mo.) added another goal for Team USA at 4:40 of the second period to make it a one-goal game, but Canada scored four straight markers and held a 7-2 lead at the second intermission.

Team USA outshot Canada, 18-5, in the final frame and tallied three unanswered goals. Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.) struck first at 1:44 and Nicholas Magyar (Mentor, Ohio) followed suit with a goal at 8:54. Nick Schmaltz (Verona, Wis.) made it a two-goal game with a power-play marker at 13:31, but the U.S. was unable to find the back of the net again and Canada held on for the 7-5 win.

Logan Halladay (Cary, N.C.) made 12 saves for the U.S., while Keven Bouchard made 35 saves for Canada.

NOTES: Jack Eichel was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... Eichel, Ryan MacInnis and Nick Schmaltz each recorded a goal and an assist for Team USA ... The U.S. went 1-for-4 on the power play, while Canada went 2-for-6 with the man advantage ... Team USA's results at the Winter Youth Olympic Games are below ... For Team USA's full roster, click here ... Gold medal-winning coach Ben Smith, was at the reigns of Team USA, while Stephen Greenberg served as team leader ... Serving on the support staff was equipment manager Bob Webster and athletic trainer Stan Wong ... The boys' hockey competition at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games included teams from Austria, Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 1- 1- 3- 5
CAN 3- 4- 0- 7

First Period - Scoring: 1, CAN, Cornel (Gardiner, Hicketts), 4:19, (pp); 2, CAN, Pilon (Gardiner, Cornel), 6:58; 3, CAN, Gropp (Gardiner, Pilon), 13:22, (pp); 4, USA, Billitier (Baughman), 14:53. Penalties: USA, Fiegl (delay of game), 3:11; CAN, Carrick (delay of game), 8:44; USA, Wegwerth (slashing), 12:23.

Second Period - Scoring: 5, USA, MacInnis (Eichel), 4:40; 6, CAN, Brooks (Duke, Martin), 6:27; 7, CAN, Gardiner (Hicketts, Brooks), 7:35; 8, CAN, Gropp (unassisted), 8:10; 9, CAN, Gropp (Gardiner), 10:40. Penalties: CAN, Bench (too many players on the ice), 11:29; USA, Bliss (hooking), 12:42; USA, Gersich (hooking), 15:00.

Third Period - Scoring: 10, USA, Eichel (Schmaltz), 1:44; 11, USA, Magyar (Jacobs, Wegwerth), 8:54; 12, USA, Schmaltz (unassisted), (pp). Penalties: CAN, Hicketts (slashing), 0:29; CAN, Brooks (holding the stick), 10:06; USA, Schmaltz (slashing), 11:27; USA, Schmaltz (tripping), 14:52.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
USA 13 9 18 40
CAN 7 7 5 19

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
CAN, Bouchard, 45:00 13/12 9/8 18/15 40/35
USA, Halladay, 43:39 7/4 7/3 5/5 19/12

Power Play: USA 1-4; CAN 2-6
Penalties: USA 6-12; CAN 4-8

Team USA 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games Schedule
Jan. 13-22 • Innsbruck, Austria • Tyrolean Ice Arena

Date Opponent Results

Sat., Jan. 14 Austria W, 7-2
Sun., Jan 15 Canada L, 1-5
Tues., Jan. 17 Finland W, 5-4
Wed., Jan. 18 Russia L, 1-7
Fri., Jan. 20 Russia (Semifinal)L, 2-5
Sat., Jan. 21 Canada (Bronze-Medal Game)L, 5-7

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James Shields began a term as a U.S. Senator from Missouri on this date in 1879. He had previously served Illinois and Minnesota. He was the first Senator to serve three states.

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Need for speed: Riders aim to get faster.

Bombers name Jim Bell new VP and COO.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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The Columbia Phonograph Company was formed in Washington, DC on this date in 1889.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Conference Finals Week schedule:

Conference Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 22nd

Baltimore at New England 3:00pm
New York Giants at San Francisco 6:30pm

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KTLA, Channel 5, in Hollywood, CA, began operation as the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River on this date in 1947.

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Jimmy found a pole to play with.

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Raymond Burr starred as Captain Lee Quince in the "Fort Laramie" debut on CBS radio on this date in 1956.

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Today in Elvis History

1963 - Elvis Presley recorded the song "Bossa Nova Baby." The single was released in October 1963.

1966 - The soundtrack to the Elvis Presley film "Harem Holiday" hit #11 in the U.K.

1969 - Elvis Presley recorded his single "Suspicious Minds."

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"Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In", debuted on NBC TV on this date in 1968.

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Today in Beatles History:

1968 - Apple Corps opened its first London headquarters.

1969 - The Beatles began recording what would become "Let It Be."

1981 - A picture of John Lennon naked appeared in his obituary issue of Rolling Stone.

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The first regularly scheduled commercial flight of the Boeing 747 began in New York City and ended in London about 6 1/2 hours later on this date in 1970.

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Today in Sports History:

1951 - Fidel Castro was ejected from a Winter League baseball game after hitting a batter. He later gave up baseball for politics.

1959 - British world racing champion Mike Hawthorn was killed while driving on the Guildford bypass.

1960 - The 10th NBA All-Star Game was played. The East beat the West 125-115 in Philadelphia.

1961 - Wilma Rudolph, set a world indoor record in the women’s 60-yard dash. She ran the race in 6.9 seconds.

1968 - The NBA awarded franchises to Milwaukee and Phoenix.

1973 - Joe Frazier lost the first fight of his professional career to George Foreman. He had been the undefeated heavyweight world champion since February 16, 1970 when he knocked out Jimmy Ellis. The event was HBO's first televised boxing match.

1982 - Reggie Jackson, a free agent at the time, ended five seasons as a New York Yankee when he signed a four-year contract with the California Angels.

1983 - Houston became the first NBA team to not score a point in overtime. They lost to the Portland Trail Blazers after being outscored 17-0 in overtime.

1983 - Bjorn Borg retired from tennis. He had set a record by winning 5 consecutive Wimbledon championships.

1984 - Barry Manilow sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XVIII.

1984 - Annette Kennedy (State University of New York) set a woman's collegiate basketball record when she scored 70 points.

1998 - Minnesota's new NHL franchise selected the nickname Wild.

2001 - Former National Football League (NFL) player Rae Carruth was sentenced to a minimum 18 years and 11 months in prison for his role in the 1999 shooting death of his pregnant girlfriend, Cherica Adams. Adams died a month later from her wounds. The baby survived and lives with the victim's mother.

2002 - Pat Summerall announced that he would leave his NFL broadcasting partner, John Madden, after they called the Super Bowl for Fox Sports. The two had worked together for 21 years.

2002 - Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson held a press conference to announce an upcoming fight. After an altercation the fight was delayed until June when Lewis knocked Tyson out in the eighth round.

2002 - Theo Fleury (New York Rangers) made an obscene gesture to fans at the end of a 5-4 victory over the New York Islanders. The next day the NHL fined Fleury $1,000.

2003 - Michael Jordan (Washington Wizards) became the third highest all-time scorer in the NBA.

2006 - Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. It was the second highest point total in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain had scored 100 points in a single game in 1962.

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Marc Chagall's work "Study for 'Over Vitebsk" was found at a postal installation in Topeka, KS on this date in 2002. The 8x10 oil painting is valued at about $1 million. The work was stolen a year before form the Jewish Museum in New York City.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 11:30pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 2:15pm EST

Monday --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 5:00pm EST

Sunday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 11:15am EST

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 1:30pm EST

NHL Hockey -- All Star Game at Kanata, Ontario 4:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Saturday

2012-01-21T01:12:00.001-05:00

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

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Today is January 21st, the 21st day of 2012. There are 345 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Coaching assignments for NHL All-Star game.

Ken Morrow’s game-worn Team USA ‘Miracle on Ice’ hockey jersey up for auction.

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

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Today is the start of Bald Eagle Appreciation Days, as well as World Leprosy Week.

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Dallas, TX. -- Mathieu Garon gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a chance to win. Teddy Purcell made sure they did.

Garon made 27 saves, and Purcell scored twice, including the game-winner, to help snap a six-game road losing streak and lift the Lightning to a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on Friday night.

With the win, Tampa Bay recorded victories in consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 29-31, when it capped a sweep of a three-game home stand. It defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins, 5-3, on Tuesday night.

Read the rest here.

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Today is National Hugging Day, AFRMA Fancy Rat and Mouse Day and Squirrel Appreciation Day (Linky Link).

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Player Safety and Development Central Focus of USA Hockey's Winter Meeting

Ashare, Butera, MacMillan Receive President's Awards

Colorado Springs, Colorado -- Player safety and development were central topics of discussion at USA Hockey’s Winter Meetings last weekend in Orlando, Fla.

USA Hockey President Ron DeGregorio appointed a special task force to evaluate the organization’s safety and oversight initiatives, with Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey, serving as chair.

“We can be proud of the leadership role we’ve taken in regard to player safety through the years,” said DeGregorio, “but we need to continue to be vigilant.”

Ogrean noted that USA Hockey has long been a leader in ensuring the safety of its participants and highlighted some of the past initiatives at the USA Hockey Board of Directors meeting Sunday (Jan. 15), including:

1) USA Hockey provided the impetus for establishing the Hockey Equipment Certification Council in 1978 to seek out, evaluate and select standards and testing procedures for hockey equipment.
2 ) USA Hockey took a lead role in the youth sports community in requiring background checks for adults dealing with children beginning in 1993.
3) USA Hockey established the Heads Up Hockey! program nationally in 1996 to help influence reduction of spinal cord and other similar injuries.
4) USA Hockey instituted a locker room monitoring policy in 2010.
5)USA Hockey implemented the Progressive Checking Skill Development Program in 2011, which included moving the checking age in games from the Pee Wee (11-12 year-old children) to the Bantam (13-14 year-old children) level.
6)The USA Hockey Foundation has provided grants to various concussion studies and last year supported the Ice Hockey Summit: Action on Concussion at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
7)USA Hockey regularly distributes educational materials to rinks, parents, coaches, officials and players.
“There are so many benefits of being a member of USA Hockey, many of them that I don’t think our players, parents, coaches and officials fully consider,” said DeGregorio. “The participant safety initiatives we’ve led through the years is just one important example and USA Hockey is at the forefront among amateur sports organizations in almost every case.”

DeGregorio also noted he was pleased with intended legislation from the organization’s Junior Council which would impose far stricter penalties for fighting.

“I applaud our Junior Council for recognizing the critical need to help influence the elimination of fighting in our programs,” said DeGregorio. “While it is not a rules change year for USA Hockey, they intend to utilize the avenue for emergency legislation to have the full Board vote on the matter at USA Hockey’s Annual Congress in June so the new rule can be implemented for the 2012-13 season. From my understanding, they’ll likely propose something similar to the college hockey model that includes progressive games missed for fighting.”

In other news:

John Vanbiesbrouck, a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, was a unanimous selection by the Board to serve as Vice President of USA Hockey, its Junior Council chair and a member of its executive committee. He is the first former National Hockey League player to ever serve as an officer of the organization.

DeGregorio presented President’s Awards to three individuals that have been long-standing contributors to the betterment of USA Hockey and always maintained a focus on player safety: Dr. Alan Ashare, chair of USA Hockey’s Safety and Protective Equipment Committee; Rich Butera, chair of USA Hockey's Risk Management Committee; and Mike MacMillan, USA Hockey’s National Coach-in-Chief.

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W.H. Brown's "Power of Sympathy" was published on this date in 1789. It was the first American novel to be published. The novel is also known as the "Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth".

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Eskimos announce 2012 coaching staff.

VANSTONE: Ryan Dinwiddie was in a no-win situation.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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The first issue of the "Daily News," edited by Charles Dickens, was published on this date in 1846.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Conference Finals Week schedule:

Conference Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 22nd

Baltimore at New England 3:00pm
New York Giants at San Francisco 6:30pm

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Dr. Russell L. Hawes patented the envelope folding machine on this date in 1853.

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Playing in the dirt makes a guy thirsty.

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The future president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis of Mississippi, resigned from the U.S. Senate on this date in 1861. Four other Southerners also resigned.

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Today in Elvis History:

1956 - "Record Mirror" became the first to print a picture of Elvis Presley in the U.K.

1957 - Filming began on Elvis Presley's second movie, "Loving You."

1965 - Production began on the film Elvis Presley film "Fun in Acupulco" with soundtrack recording.

1997 - Col. Tom Parker died from complications from a stroke. He was the promoter that guided Elvis Presley to stardom.

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The Sullivan Ordinance was passed on this date in 1908 in New York City, making smoking by women illegal. The measure was vetoed by Mayor George B. McClellan Jr.

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Today in Beatles History:

1966 - George Harrison and Patricia Anne Boyd were married. Patty eventually left Harrison for Eric Clapton.

2002 - George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" hit number one on the British pop charts 31 years after its first release. The song was re-released after the death of Harrison.

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The first Kiwanis club was formed in Detroit, Michigan on this date in 1915.

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Today in Sports History:

1911 - The first Monte Carlo motor rally took place.

1973 - The AFC beat the NFC 35-31 in the NFL Pro Bowl in Dallas. The game had been played in Los Angeles since 1942.

1979 - The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII. The Steelers became the first team to win three Super Bowls.

1985 - Dennis Potvin tied Bobby Orr's career record of 270 NHL goals. Potvin ended up with 310 career goals.

1986 - Former major-league player, Randy Bass, became the highest-paid baseball player in Japanese history. Bass signed a three-year contract for $3.25 million. He played for the Hanshin Tigers.

1989 - Wayne Gretzky passed Marcel Dionne to become the NHL's second all time scorer.

1990 - John McEnroe was disqualified and expelled for throwing a tantrum and using abusive language at an official while leading Mikael Pernfors in the Australian Open. He was the first person to be thrown out of a Grand Slam in 27 years. He was fined $6,500 and kicked out of the tournament.

1995 - John Stockton became the NBA's all-time career assist leader when he got his 9,922nd.

1997 - Don Mattingly (New York Yankees) officially announced his retirement.

1997 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) scored 51 points against the New York Knicks.

2002 - Michael Jordan (Washington Wizards) played his first game in Chicago as a visiting player. The Wizards beat the Bulls 77-69.

2010 - Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) became the 15th player in NBA history to reach 25,000 career points and the youngest to hit the milestone. He did it 35 days faster than Wilt Chamberlain.

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The first opera broadcast over a national radio network was presented in Chicago, Illinois on this date in 1927. The opera was "Faust."

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 5:15pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 8:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Phoenix Coyotes 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 11:30pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 2:15pm EST

Monday --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 5:00pm EST

Sunday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 11:15am EST

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 1:30pm EST

NHL Hockey -- All Star Game at Kanata, Ontario 4:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Friday

2012-01-20T13:12:00.000-05:00

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

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Today is January 20th, the 20th day of 2012. There are 346 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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All-Star captaincy selection a big honor for Chara.

Numbers: Original Six domination of standings a rarity.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Former astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin (second person to step on the moon) is 82; Rocker Paul Stanley (Kiss) is 60; Actor James Denton (Desperate Housewives) is 49; Actor Rainn Wilson (The Office) is 46; TV personality Melissa Rivers is 44.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning look for their second straight win tonight, when they play at the Dallas Stars.

Read the preview right here.

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Today is Camcorder Day, Get To Know Your Customers Day, Inauguration Day, National Disc Jockey Day and International Fetish Day.

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U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team Upended by Russia, 5-2,
in the Semifinals of the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Team USA Outshoots Russia, 32-16, in Defeat

INNSBRUCK, Austria -- Despite outshooting Russia, 32-16, and scoring two third period goals, Team USA's comeback bid was thwarted, as the U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team fell to Russia, 5-2, in the semifinals of the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games this afternoon at Tyrolean Ice Arena. Team USA advances to the bronze-medal game and will face Canada or Finland tomorrow (Jan. 21) at 8:45 a.m. EST.

"It was a hard-fought game by our team and, at times, we were really taking the action to them," said Ben Smith, head coach of the U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team. "There were some positive signs, but that doesn't take away the sting of losing to a very good team."

The U.S. outshot Russia in every frame, but found itself trailing 2-0 at the start of the third period. Russia scored twice more before the U.S. recorded back-to-back goals midway through the third period to make the score 4-2. Joe Wegwerth (Brewster, N.Y.) struck first at 10:06 with an assist credited to Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.). Eichel then added a goal of his own on the power play at 11:22 of the third period to make it a two-goal game. However, Russia tacked on an empty-net goal with 23 seconds remaining to secure the 5-2 win.

Logan Halladay (Cary, N.C.) made 11 saves for the U.S., while Sergey Korobov made 30 saves for Russia.

NOTES: Nick Schmaltz (Verona, Wis.) was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... The U.S. went 1-for-6 on the power play, while Russia went 1-for-3 with the man advantage ... Team USA holds a 2-0-0-3 (W-OTW-OTL-L) overall record entering the bronze-medal game. A full schedule and results are below ... For Team USA's full roster, click here ... Gold medal-winning coach Ben Smith, is at the reigns of Team USA, while Stephen Greenberg is serving as team leader ... Serving on the support staff is equipment manager Bob Webster and athletic trainer Stan Wong ... The boys' hockey competition at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games includes teams from Austria, Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States ... Follow the hashtag #2012YOG to join the conversation during the tournament.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 0- 0- 2- 2
RUS 1- 1- 3- 5

First Period - Scoring: 1, RUS, Orlov (Nasybullin, Protapovich), 2:06, (pp). Penalties: USA, Schmaltz (hooking), 0:54; RUS, Zinovev (slashing), 6:17; RUS, Sergeev (interference), 13:31.

Second Period - Scoring: 2, RUS, Nikolishin (unassisted), 13:01. Penalties: USA, Jacobs (cross-checking), 3:43; USA, Magyar (slashing), 8:38; RUS, Mikulovich (slashing), 9:51.

Third Period - Scoring: 3, RUS, Zinovev (Mikulovich, Nikolishin), 1:03; 4, RUS, Nekolenko (Nikolishin, Sergeev), 2:49; 5, USA, Wegwerth (Eichel), 10:06; 6, USA, Eichel (Glover), 11:22, (pp); 7, RUS, Svechnikov (unassisted), 14:37, (en). Penalties: RUS, Vovchenko (kneeing), 3:18; RUS, Nasybullin (holding), 7:32; RUS, Sergeev (hooking), 10:25; RUS, Svechnikov (roughing), 12:22; USA, Magyar (roughing), 12:22.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
USA 9 9 14 32
RUS 7 3 6 16

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
RUS, Korobov, 45:00 9/9 9/9 14/12 32/30
USA, Halladay, 41:49 7/6 3/2 5/3 15/11

Power Play: USA 1-6; RUS 1-3
Penalties: USA 7-14; RUS 4-8

Team USA 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games Schedule
Jan. 13-22 • Innsbruck, Austria • Tyrolean Ice Arena

Date Opponent
Time (Local/EST)

Sat., Jan. 14 Austria W, 7-2
Sun., Jan 15 Canada L, 1-5
Tues., Jan. 17 Finland W, 5-4
Wed., Jan. 18 Russia L, 1-7
Fri., Jan. 20 Russia (Semifinal) L, 2-5
Sat., Jan. 21 Bronze Medal Game 2:45 p.m./8:45 a.m.

Fifth Annual Hockey Weekend Across America One Month Away

Event Feb. 17-19 to Celebrate, Promote Hockey Across the Nation

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The fifth annual Hockey Weekend Across America, presented by Reebok, is just one month away. The three-day celebration of the sport of hockey will take place Feb. 17-19 nationwide.

Each of the three days associated with Hockey Weekend Across America has a theme, including Wear Your Favorite Hockey Jersey, sponsored by ShopUSAHockey.com on Friday; Try Hockey Day, sponsored by the NHL on Saturday and Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes, sponsored by Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports on Sunday.

“Hockey Weekend Across America has been a success because of the vast participation of the hockey community — from those in our grassroots programs across the country to the National Hockey League and its teams,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. “We encourage everyone to get engaged in the celebration in some fashion and share with us what you’re doing through the Hockey Weekend Across America website.”

HockeyWeekendAcrossAmerica.com is the information hub for the event, with highlights of activities planned in conjunction with Hockey Weekend Across America from around the country, giveaway contests and downloadable promotional materials available. Associations or fans celebrating Hockey Weekend Across America are encouraged to submit their event plans to USA Hockey at the site.

On Friday, Feb. 17, USA Hockey will direct fans to its Facebook page to submit photos of themselves, their friends and colleagues donning their favorite team's jersey at work or at school during "Wear Your Favorite Hockey Jersey" day.

On Saturday, Feb. 18, more than 200 rinks across the nation will host Try Hockey for Free Clinics, exposing more than 4,000 young kids to hockey for the very first time. A list of currently scheduled clinics as well as information on how local associations or rinks can host their own event can be found here.

In honor of "Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes" day on Sunday, Feb. 19, USA Hockey is asking its fans to post stories, photos or videos of their hockey heroes to USA Hockey's Facebook wall to share with the world. Also, on Sunday, fans can look forward to NBC's Hockey Day in America coverage.

Finally, USA Hockey and Reebok Hockey are teaming up to provide free head-to-toe equipment packages to three lucky winners with the Hockey Weekend Across America "Get Your Gear On Sweepstakes." For official rules and to enter, click here.

Hockey Weekend Across America was created by USA Hockey in 2008 to engage the hockey community in celebrating the sport of hockey at all levels and exposing the sport to new audiences.

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The roller coaster was patented by L.A. Thompson on this date in 1885.

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Casey Creehan named Ticats 'D' Coordinator.

Local product Jadon Wagner joins Stampeders.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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Johnny Depp finished first in a poll of America's favorite actors. Tom Hanks finished fourth. [As a result Hanks announced that he was dropping out of the race and throwing his support behind second-place Denzel Washington.]

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Conference Finals Week schedule:

Conference Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 22nd

Baltimore at New England 3:00pm
New York Giants at San Francisco 6:30pm

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IN THEATERS THIS WEEKEND - Haywire; Red Tails; Underworld: Awakening; Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

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So many toys, so little time.

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A website called The Most Expensive T-shirt in the World is selling a tee for $400,000. The shirt's manufacturer, based in the UK, justify the cost by saying the tees are made from 100 percent organic cotton. Also, they claim the manufacturing process uses only renewable energy, like wind and solar, which reduces the shirt's carbon footprint by 90 percent. Oh, and there are also 16 diamonds sewn in, totaling nine carats.

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Today in Elvis History:

1958 - Elvis Presley got his orders to report to duty from the U.S. Army. He was allowed a 60-day deferment so he could finish the film "King Creole".

1960 - Elvis Presley was promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army.

1969 - Elvis Presley recorded "In the Ghetto", "Rubberneckin'" and "Suspicious Minds." It was the first time he had recorded in Memphis since 1956.

2004 - The Elvis Presley 2-CD set "The Gospel Side of Elvis" was released.

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A 94-year-old Chinese romeo has signed up to a matchmaking agency in search of a date but insists he is not yet ready to marry. The lonely heart is advertising for a good looking, financially stable woman under the age of 60 but stresses he does not want to be "restricted by marriage".

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Today in Beatles History:

1964 - The album "Meet the Beatles" was released in the U.S. on Capitol Records. It was their U.S. debut.

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Paul McCartney is in talks to stage a top secret concert at the London Olympics this summer. Paul will meet with event officials today (Friday) to discuss a possible appearance at an event linked to the Games.

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Today in Sports History:

1892 - The first official basketball game was played by students at the Springfield, MA, YMCA Training School.

1937 - Nels Stewart (New York Americans) became the NHL's career leading scorer when he scored his 270th NHL goal.

1949 - Free substitution was adopted for one year in the NFL.

1952 - Patricia McCormick debuted as the first professional woman bullfighter.

1968 - Houston ended UCLA's 47-game winning streak with a 71-69 victory at the Astrodome before 52,693 fans. The game also set a NCAA attendance record.

1985 - The most-watched Super Bowl game in history was seen by an estimated 115.9 million people. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins, 38-16. Super Bowl XIX marked the first time that TV commercials sold for a million dollars a minute. Joe Montana was awarded his third MVP award.

1995 - The NHL season opened with the teams playing a 48-game schedule instead of the usual 84. The season had been shortened due to a players strike.

1999 - ESPN announced the creation of the Great Outdoor Games to be held in Lake Placid, NY, in 2000.

1999 - The NBA lockout officially ended after 204 days.

2002 - Joe Nieuwendyk (Dallas Stars) played in his 1,000th career NHL game.

2003 - Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche) became the first NHL goalie to play in 1,000 games.

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The National Negro Network was formed on this date in 1954. Forty radio stations were charter members of the network.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars 8:30pm EST

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 5:15pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 8:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Phoenix Coyotes 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 11:30pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 2:15pm EST

Monday --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 5:00pm EST

Sunday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Space Coast Hurricanes 11:15am EST

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Junior Blades 1:30pm EST

NHL Hockey -- All Star Game at Kanata, Ontario 4:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Thursday

2012-01-19T13:01:00.000-05:00

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

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Today is January 19th, the 19th day of 2012. There are 347 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Hurricanes obtain Dadonov in four-player deal.

Trotz's influence remains foundation for success.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Singer and actress Dolly Parton is 66; TV chef Paula Deen is 65; Actress Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy, 8 Simple Rules, Married With Children) is 58; Actress Jodie Sweetin (Full House) is 30.

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Tampa, FL. -- While aches and pains have left the Tampa Bay Lightning looking black and blue these days, the team can take solace by adding silver into the mix too.

As in a silver lining to the team’s nagging problem of injuries, which despite serving as a cause of adversity, have also allowed General Manager Steve Yzerman and head coach Guy Boucher to assess the organization’s depth, as more and more players from the club’s top affiliate in Norfolk continue to get the call up to the NHL to fill open roster spaces

Read the rest here.

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Today is Tin Can Day, Get To Know Your Customers Day, National Popcorn Day, the first day of a two=-day celebration known as Women In Blue Jeans Day (Linky Link) and Women's Healthy Weight Day.

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True Blue: O'Shea back to lead special teams.

Riders release backup QB Ryan Dinwiddie.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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A New Jersey woman gave birth to a child on a train to New York City. [Nothing like coming into the world on a Taco Bell wrapper.]

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Conference Finals Week schedule:

Conference Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 22nd

Baltimore at New England 3:00pm
New York Giants at San Francisco 6:30pm

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Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett of New York City patented a canning process to preserve salmon, oysters and lobsters on this date in 1825.

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Look at what I've got Daddy.

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Thomas Edison's first village electric lighting system using overhead wires began operation in Roselle, N.J. on this date in 1883.

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Today in Elvis History:

1953 - Elvis Presley registered for the U.S. Selective Service System.

1961 - Elvis Presley's "Are You Lonesome Tonight" hit #1 in the U.S.

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If a friend says they want to see Academy Award-front runner The Artist, keep these two things in mind: it's in black and white and it's silent. Some moviegoers in Liverpool, England have requested refunds from a theater because they didn't know the film was silent.

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Today in Beatles History:

1971 - At the Charles Manson murder trial, the Beatles' "Helter Skelter" was played. At the scene of one of his gruesome murders, the words "helter skelter" were written on a mirror.

1976 - The Beatles turned down an offer of $30 million to play together again on the same stage. The offer was made by rock promoter Bill Sargent.

2010 - Ringo Starr's album "Y Not" was released on vinyl. It was released on CD on January 12, 2010.

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A man broke into a Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, home early Wednesday morning... and fell asleep at the dining room table. The homeowner woke up to loud snoring around 3:20 AM. When officers arrived, they noticed the suspect's pants were down to his ankles and that he was wearing pajamas underneath. And, yes, officers detected a strong smell of alcohol coming from the suspect.

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Today in Sports History:

1952 - The National Football League (NFL) bought the franchise of the New York Yankees from Ted Collins. The franchise was then awarded to a group in Dallas on January 24.

1953 - Jesse Owens was named Illinois Athletic Commission secretary.

1958 - The Canadian Football Council changed its name to the Canadian Football League.

1989 - President Reagan pardoned George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner was indicted on 14 criminal counts on April 5, 1974, then pleaded guilty to making illegal contributions to Nixon's re-election campaign and a felony charge of obstruction of justice on August 23.

1993 - The Oakland A's unveiled a new elephant logo.

1995 - The NHL Board of Governors approved the sale of the Winnipeg Jets, officially clearing the way for the team to move to Phoenix for the 1996-97 season.

1996 - The NHL announced that the Winnipeg Jets could move to Phoenix.

1997 - Ivan Rodriguez signed a deal with the Texas Rangers worth $6.65 million for one year.

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Ever wonder what Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi would look like without several layers of bronzer, fake eyelashes and a permanent smoky eye? Wonder no more. The 24-year-old Jersey Shore star unveiled a makeup-free face on Twitter Wednesday, letting her natural beauty take center stage. Fans praised the MTV star's fresh-faced look, prompting the 4-foot-9 "Princess of Poughkeepsie" to express her gratitude via the social networking site.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars 8:30pm EST

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 5:15pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 8:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Phoenix Coyotes 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 11:30pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 2:15pm EST

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

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Wednesday

2012-01-18T13:13:00.002-05:00

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

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Today is January 18th, the 18th day of 2012. There are 348 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Alfredsson, Chara named All-Star Game captains.

John Tortorella not amused by Rangers owner James Dolan’s Stanley Cup talk.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actor-director Kevin Costner is 57; Actor Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order) is 43; Actor Jason Segel (The Muppets, How I Met Your Mother) is 32.

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Tampa, FL. -- Having recorded the game-deciding goal in four of the team’s past five shootout victories, Dominic Moore is no stranger to late-game heroics.

On Tuesday night, Moore proved that again, although this time in regulation.

Moore snapped a 3-3 tie at 16:15 of the final period, and Steven Stamkos added an empty-net goal for insurance to snap a seven-game losing streak and lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-3 win over the Boston Bruins in front of a sellout crowd of 19,204 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Read the here.

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Today is the start of the Week of Christian Unity.

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University of Wisconsin New No. 1
in USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
2011-12 Women's College Hockey Poll - #15(first-place votes in parentheses)

Rank	School	Last Week's Ranking	2011-12 Record	Weeks in Top 10
1	University of Wisconsin, 183 (12)	2	20-2-2	15
2	University of Minnesota, 171 (4)	1	19-4-1	15
3	Cornell University, 158 (3)	3	15-2-0	15
4	Mercyhurst College, 125	5	17-4-1	15
5	Boston College, 116	4	16-6-1	15
6	University of North Dakota, 83	6	13-8-2	15
7	Northeastern University, 73	7	15-5-1	13
8	University of Minnesota Duluth, 61	8	12-9-1	15
9	Harvard University, 47	10	11-5-1	7
10	Dartmouth College, 19	NR	11-5-2	6

Others receiving votes: Bemidji State University, 7; St. Lawrence University, 2.

U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team Tops Finland, 5-4,
at 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Schmaltz Tallies a Goal and an Assist in the Team USA Victory

INNSBRUCK, Austria -- Nick Schmaltz (Verona, Wis.) tallied a goal and an assist as the U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team topped Finland, 5-4, at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games this afternoon at Tyrolean Ice Arena. With the victory, Team USA improved to 2-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) in preliminary-round play.

"We've talked a lot about competing and discipline and today we got the competing part down pretty well," said Ben Smith, head coach of the U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team. "I thought we really put forth a good effort, but we still have to conquer the discipline part of our game."

Finland recorded the first goal of the game at 12:16, scoring one second after its two-minute 5-on-3 man-advantage expired.

Adam Baughman (Chicago, Ill.) tied the game, 1-1, at 1:31 of the second period with Schmaltz collecting an assist on the play. Finland reclaimed the lead at 4:45 of the middle frame, but Jack Glover (Golden Valley, Minn.) evened the score at 2-2 with a power-play goal at 8:10. After Finland took a 3-2 lead at 9:36, Blake Clarke (Wildwood, Mo.) potted a goal at 12:47 and the two teams went into the second intermission tied, 3-3.

Team USA took its first lead of the game at 1:01 of the third period when Schmaltz fired a shot into the top left corner of the net. Ryan MacInnis (St. Louis, Mo.) gave the U.S. a 5-3 lead just over a minute later. Finland added a goal at 11:45 to make it a one-goal game, but the U.S. was able to hold on for the victory.

Edwin Minney (Wind Gap, Pa.) made 25 saves for the U.S. in the win, while Juuso Kannel made 27 saves for Finland.

The U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team will face Russia in its final preliminary game on Wednesday (Jan. 18) at 9:15 a.m. EST. A full schedule and results are below.

NOTES: Edwin Minney was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... The U.S. went 1-for-5 on the power play, while Finland went 0-for-8 with the man advantage ... Team USA recorded 32 shots on goal, while Finland had 29 ... For Team USA's full roster, click here ... Gold medal-winning coach Ben Smith, is at the reigns of Team USA, while Stephen Greenberg is serving as team leader ... Serving on the support staff is equipment manager Bob Webster and athletic trainer Stan Wong ... The boys' hockey competition at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games includes teams from Austria, Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States ... Follow the hashtag #2012YOG to join the conversation during the tournament.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 0- 3- 2- 5
FIN 1- 2- 1- 4

First Period - Scoring: 1, FIN, Kiviranta (Hopponen, Kapanen), 12:16. Penalties: FIN, Levanen (interference), 2:58; USA, Fiegl (tripping), 7:57; USA, Gersich (tripping), 10:15; USA, Magyar (slashing), 10:15.

Second Period - Scoring: 2, USA, Baughman (Schmaltz), 1:31; 3, FIN, Tuulola (Kiviranta, Pitkanen), 4:45; 4, USA, Glover (Bliss), 8:10, (pp); 5, FIN, Kauppinen (Hopponen, Levanen), 9:36; 6, USA, Clarke (Kerr), 12:47. Penalties: USA, Jacobs (tripping), 2:43; USA, Godbout (roughing); 2:46; FIN, Nieminen (hooking), 4:02; FIN, Tolvanen (holding), 6:54;

Third Period - Scoring: 7, USA, Schmaltz (Bliss, Fiegl), 1:01; 8, USA, MacInnis (Gersich, Magyar), 2:15; 9, FIN, Kapanen (Haapanen), 11:45. Penalties: USA, Fiegl (cross-checking), 3:28; FIN, Haapanen (tripping), 6:52; USA, Wegwerth (checking from behind), 13:15 (game misconduct); USA, Billitier (cross-checking), 13:52.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
USA 5 17 10 32
FIN 10 14 5 29

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
FIN, Kannel, 45:00 5/5 17/14 10/8 32/27
USA, Minney, 45:00 10/9 14/12 5/4 29/25

Power Play: USA 1-5; FIN 0-8
Penalties: USA 8-26; FIN 5-10

Team USA 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games Schedule
Jan. 13-22 • Innsbruck, Austria • Tyrolean Arena

Date Opponent
Time (Local/EST)

Sat., Jan. 14 Austria W, 7-2
Sun., Jan 15 Canada L, 1-5
Tues., Jan. 17 Finland W, 5-4
Wed., Jan. 18 Russia 3:15 p.m./9:15 a.m.
Fri., Jan. 20 Semifinal Game 2:15 p.m./8:15 a.m.
Semifinal Game 6:45 p.m./12:45 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 21 Third-Place Game 2:45 p.m./8:45 a.m.
Sun., Jan. 22 First-Place Game 12:15 p.m./6:15 a.m.

National Team Development Program Weekly Update

Under-18 Team Splits Weekend, Faces Three USHL Games on Road;
Under-17 Team Sweeps Weekend Against Youngstown, Faces Muskegon Next

U17 TEAM FACES MUSKEGON NEXT: The U.S. National Under-17 Team will continue its string of road games this weekend. Team USA faces the Muskegon Lumberjacks for two games at L.C. Walker Arena on Friday (Jan. 20) and Saturday (Jan. 21). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. EST both nights. The weekend tilts will mark the first time the Lumberjacks and the Under-17 Team have met this season.

U18 TEAM FACES THREE ON THE ROAD: The U.S. National Under-18 Team takes to the road for three consecutive games this weekend. First up is a Thursday night (Jan. 19) showdown with the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the Mystique Ice Center. Puck drop is at 8:05 p.m. EST. Team USA lost its previous match-up with Dubuque, 5-1, in October at the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Ice Cube. The Under-18 Team next travels to Green Bay for back-to-back contests against the Gamblers on Friday (Jan. 20) and Saturday (Jan. 21). Both games are 8:05 p.m. EST starts at the Resch Center. Team USA dropped its only decision to the Gamblers so far this season, 4-2, in Ann Arbor.

U17'S SWEEP WEEKEND AGAINST PHANTOMS: Curtis Frye (Northwood, N.H.) made 16 saves and Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.) tallied the eventual game winner in the third period, as the U.S. National Under-17 Team bested Youngstown, 2-1, at the Covelli Centre on Friday (Jan. 13). The following night (Jan. 14), Anthony Louis (Winfield, Ill.) tallied the game-winning goal in the second period, as the Under-17 Team toppled the Phantoms, 6-4, in a rematch at the Covelli Centre. With the win, Team USA took both games against its United States Hockey League Eastern Conference rival over the weekend.

U18'S SPLIT WEEKEND IN USHL: Jacob Trouba (Rochester, Mich.) scored one goal and recorded two assists, but the U.S. National Under-18 Team was clipped by the Indiana Ice, 4-3, at the Pepsi Coliseum on Jan 13. On Saturday (Jan. 14), Jared Rutledge (Chicago, Ill.) made 24 saves and Trouba registered another three-point effort, netting two goals and adding an assist, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team blanked the Des Moines Buccaneers, 5-0, at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube.

TROUBA NAMED USHL DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK: The USHL recently announced the weekly award winners for the 16th week of the 2011-12 USHL regular season and Team USA defenseman Jacob Trouba was selected as CCM Defensive Player of the Week. Trouba had six points (3-3) in two games over the weekend.

UNDER-17 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Netminder Hunter Miska (North Branch, Minn.) has won each of his last three USHL starts dating back to Dec. 17, 2011 ... Tyler Kelleher is on a three-game point streak dating back to Dec. 17, 2011. The forward has two goals and two assists, including a game-winning tally against Youngstown on Jan. 13, during that span ... Anthony Louis notched his team-leading, 18th goal last weekend (Jan. 15) on the power play. The forward's eight goals with the man advantage is also a team best ... J.T. Comper (Northbrook, Ill.) carries a three-game point streak into the weekend games as well. Dating back to Dec. 17, 2011, the forward netted two goals and added an assist.

UNDER-18 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Defenseman Jacob Trouba has six points (3-3), including two power-play tallies in his past two games (Jan. 13-14) ... Jared Rutledge has not allowed a goal in 85:18 of action, which includes his 24-save shutout performance against Des Moines on Jan. 14. The netminder now has four career shutouts, which is tied-for-seventh all-time at the NTDP. Rutledge has won his last three starts in the USHL ... Matthew Lane (Rochester, N.Y.) has one point in his last three games dating back to Dec. 17, 2011. The forward has two goals and one assist in that span ... Brady Skjei (Lakeville, Minn.) has recorded five assists in his past five contests dating back to Dec. 11, 2011. The defenseman was also plus-2 in that span.

NTDP ALUMNI UPDATE: Justin Faulk (South St. Paul, Minn./2008-10) scored one goal for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Jan. 14. The defenseman was also recently named to the 2012 Tim Horton's National Hockey League All-Star Game as a rookie participant ... Blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk (New Rochelle, N.Y./2005-07) notched the only goal of the shootout to propel the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Jan. 14 ... Four former NTDP players were named to the 2012 NHL All-Star Game roster: forwards Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y./2004-06) and Phil Kessel (Madison, Wis./2003-05); defenseman Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis./2001-03); and goaltender Jimmy Howard (Ogdensburg, N.Y./2001-02) ... Forward Jimmy Hayes (Dorchester, Mass./2006-08) has three points in his last three games dating back to Jan. 12, scoring a goal and registering two assists for the Chicago Blackhawks ... Colorado Avalanche blueliner Erik Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./2004-06) has two helpers in his previous two games (Jan. 14, Jan. 16), including the primary assist on the game-winning goal against the Dallas Stars on Saturday (Jan. 14).

For the complete weekly update, click here.

ABOUT THE NTDP: In 1996, USA Hockey launched a revolutionary new initiative called the National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Celebrating its 15th season of play in 2011-12, 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.

THE USHL AND FASTHOCKEY: Catch all of Team USA's USHL action on FASTHockey.com, the premier online destination for ice hockey fanatics from around the world. Visitors can choose from an incredible array of games from national governing bodies, conferences, leagues, teams, tournaments, and other events.

U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team Falls to Russia, 7-1,
at 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Fiegl Scores Lone Goal for Team USA

INNSBRUCK, Austria -- Jared Fiegl (Parker, Colo.) scored the lone goal for Team USA as the U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team fell to Russia, 7-1, at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games this evening at Tyrolean Ice Arena.

Team USA finished preliminary-round play in fourth place with a 2-0-0-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record and will advance to play Russia in the semifinals on Friday (Jan. 20) at 8:15 a.m. EST.

"We need to rally and come back with a little more determination on Friday," said Ben Smith, head coach of the U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team.

Russia scored two power-play goals in the first period and added three more tallies in the second period before Fiegl found the back of the net at 8:17 of the final frame to make it a 5-1 game. Assists on the goal were credited to Ryan MacInnis (St. Louis, Mo.) and Joe Wegwerth (Brewster, N.Y.).

Russia tacked on two more goals in the third period to secure the victory. Edwin Minney (Wind Gap, Pa.) and Logan Halladay (Cary, N.C.) combined to make 23 saves for the U.S., while Sergey Korobov made 14 saves for Russia.

NOTES: Jared Fiegl was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... The U.S. went 0-for-2 on the power play, while Russia went 4-for-8 with the man advantage ... Team USA recorded 15 shots on goal, while Russia had 30 ...A full schedule and results are below ... For Team USA's full roster, click here ... Gold medal-winning coach Ben Smith, is at the reigns of Team USA, while Stephen Greenberg is serving as team leader ... Serving on the support staff is equipment manager Bob Webster and athletic trainer Stan Wong ... The boys' hockey competition at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games includes teams from Austria, Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States ... Follow the hashtag #2012YOG to join the conversation during the tournament.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 0-0-1-1
RUS 2-3-2-7

First Period - Scoring: 1, RUS, Orlov (Svechnikov, Protapovich), 1:43, (pp); 2, RUS, Mikulovich (Nikolishin), 6:47, (pp). Penalties: USA, Baughman (tripping), 1:24; USA, Gersich (interference), 5:28; USA, Godbout (interference), 8:24; USA, Godbout (interference), 11:27.

Second Period - Scoring: 3, RUS, Kondratyev (Svetlakov), 1:24; 4, RUS, Svechnikov (Lazarev), 4:32, (pp); 5, RUS, Lazarev (Svechnikov), 6:58. Penalties: USA, MacInnis (holding), 2:33; RUS, Lazarev (tripping), 12:40; RUS, Mikulovich (roughing), 13:55.

Third Period - Scoring: 6, USA, Fiegl (MacInnis, Wegwerth), 8:17; 7, RUS, Lazarev (Svechnikov), 10:30; 8, RUS, Nasybullin (Orlov, Protapovich), 13:32, (pp). Penalties: USA, Clarke (slashing), 3:29; USA, Bliss (slashing), 10:30;

Shots by Period 1 2 3 Total
USA 1 6 8 15
RUS 9 12 9 30

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
RUS, Korbov, 45:00 1/1 6/6 8/7 15/14
USA, Minney, 17:06 9/7 3/2 -- 12/9
USA, Halladay, 27:54 -- 9/7 9/7 18/14

Power Play: USA 0-2; RUS 4-8
Penalties: USA 8-16; RUS 2-4

Team USA 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games Schedule
Jan. 13-22 • Innsbruck, Austria • Tyrolean Arena

Date Opponent
Time (Local/EST)

Sat., Jan. 14 Austria W, 7-2
Sun., Jan 15 Canada L, 1-5
Tues., Jan. 17 Finland W, 5-4
Wed., Jan. 18 Russia L, 1-7
Fri., Jan. 20 Russia (Semifinal) 2:15 p.m./8:15 a.m.
Sat., Jan. 21 Third-Place Game 2:45 p.m./8:45 a.m.
Sun., Jan. 22 First-Place Game 12:15 p.m./6:15 a.m.

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Today is Do Dah Parade Day, Winnie the Pooh Day, Thesaurus Day (Linky Link) and Pro Life Day.

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Injury forces Ticats safety Dylan Barker to retire.

Bauman stays in Alberta, signs with Stampeders.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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SUPER BOWL TRIVIA - More than a third of Super Bowl ad spending in the past decade has come from just five companies: Anheuser-Busch InBev ($239 million), Pepsico ($174 million), General Motors (GM), Walt Disney ($74 million) and Coca-Cola ($67 million).

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Conference Finals Week schedule:

Conference Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 22nd

Baltimore at New England 3:00pm
New York Giants at San Francisco 6:30pm

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For the first time an aircraft landed on a ship. Pilot Eugene B. Ely flew onto the deck of the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco harbor on this date in 1911.

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Jimmy's havin' a ball.

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According to a new study, having power at the workplace makes people actually think that they're taller. [Until they try to use the water fountain.]

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Today in Elvis History:

1964 - The soundtrack to the Elvis Presley film "Fun In Alcapulco" hit #3 in the U.S.

1971 - The northern part of Bellevue Boulevard in Memphis was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard.

1996 - Lisa Marie Presley filed for divorce from Michael Jackson.

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American Idol returns tonight on FOX with auditions in Charlestown and Savannah, Georgia.

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Today in Beatles History:

1969 - Pete Best won his defamation suit against the Beatles. He was asking for 8 million dollars, but won considerably less.

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How do you dumb down a man instantly? Just mention a woman's name. The same researchers that discovered men do poorly on tests after interacting with a woman have also discovered that men have trouble with completing tasks after just hearing a woman's name. Researchers believe the mental energy involved in thinking sexy thoughts slows down other brain functions.

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Today in Sports History:

1886 - The Hockey Association was formed in England. This date is the birthday of modern field hockey.

1951 - The NFL passed a rule that said that a tackle, guard or center was not eligible to catch a forward pass.

1958 - Willie O'Ree made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins. He was the first black player to enter the league.

1967 - The NHL held the All-Star Game at midseason for the first time.

1969 - Ted Williams was appointed manager of the Washington Senators.

1976 - The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 in Super Bowl X. The CBS telecast was viewed by an estimated 80 million people.

1985 - Mary Decker broke a world, indoor record when she ran the women’s, 2,000-meter race in just 5 minutes and 34.2 seconds.

1996 - Baseball owners unanimously approved interleague play for 1997.

1998 - The Boston Celtics retired Robert Parrish's #00.

2002 - Two NHL records held by Bobby Hull were broken in a game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Washington Capitals. Luc Robitaille scored his 611th career goal and Brett Hull scored his 99th game-winning goal. Robitaille's goal gave him the most goals of any left wing in NHL history and 10th place on the career NHL goal list. Brett Hull's goal moved him into third place on the game-winning goal list.

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A man pronounced dead by doctors in India gasped for breath moments before his funeral was supposed to start. The family of the man was moving his body from the morgue to a funeral van when they noticed him breathing.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars 8:30pm EST

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 5:15pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 8:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Phoenix Coyotes 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 11:30pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 2:15pm EST

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

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Tuesday

2012-01-17T12:27:00.000-05:00

It's Tuesday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is January 17th, the 17th day of 2012. There are 349 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Report: Caps' Green to undergo abdominal surgery.

Wings set franchise record with 15 straight home wins.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actress Betty White is 90; Actor James Earl Jones (Hunt for Red October, The Lion King) is 81; Boxer Muhammad Ali is 70; Actor Jim Carrey is 50; First Lady Michelle Obama is 48; Singer Kid Rock is 41.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning host the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins tonight, in a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference Finals.

Read the preview right here.

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Today is the start of National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week.

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University of Minnesota Duluth Unanimous No. 1 Selection
in USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
2011-12 Men's College Hockey Poll - #15(first-place votes in parentheses)

Rank	School	Last Week's Ranking	2011-12 Record	Weeks in Top 15
1	University of Minnesota Duluth, 510 (34)	1	15-4-3	15
2	University of Minnesota, 435	5	16-8-1	14
3	Boston University, 422	6	13-6-1	12
4	Boston College, 406	4	14-8-1	15
5	Ohio State University, 363	2	14-6-3	9
6	University of Notre Dame, 335	3	13-8-3	15
7	Merrimack College, 321	7	12-4-5	14
8	Western Michigan University, 275	11	12-7-5	15
9	Cornell University, 232	9	10-4-3	5
10	University of Michigan, 191	15	14-8-4	11
11	Colorado College, 165	8	13-8-1	15
12	Union College, 152	13	12-5-6	13
13	UMass Lowell, 97	10	12-6-0	3
14	Ferris State University, 84	12	14-8-2	10
15	University of Denver, 60	NR	13-8-3	14

Others receiving votes: University of North Dakota, 8; Colgate University, 7; Northern Michigan University, 7; Michigan State University, 5; University of Nebraska Omaha, 3; Miami University, 1; Quinnipiac University, 1.

NOTES: The University of Minnesota Duluth is atop the poll for the sixth straight week ... The Central Collegiate Hockey Association leads all conferences with five ranked teams, while Hockey East Association and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association have four ranked teams and ECAC Hockey has two ranked programs ... A total of 22 teams received votes.

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Today is Cable Car Day, Hot Heads Chili Days(Runs through tomorrow), Judgment Day, Kid Inventor's Day and Rid The World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day.

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CFL Prospects: January 2012 Rankings.

Lions agree to new deal with All-Star Mitchell.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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ON DVD TODAY - Courageous;The Ides of March (Ryan Gosling, George Clooney); Abduction (Taylor Lautner); Dirty Girl (Juno Temple, William H. Macy, Milla Jovovich, Mary Steenburgen); Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star (Nick Swardson, Don Johnson); Waking the Dead - The Complete 6th Season

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Division Playoff Week schedule:

Division Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 14th

At San Francisco 36, New Orleans 32
At New England 45, Denver 10

January 15th

At Baltimore 20, Houston 13
New York Giants 37 at Green Bay 20

Conference Finals

January 22nd

Baltimore at New England 3:00pm
New York Giants at San Francisco 6:30pm

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Today is Ditch New Years Resolutions Day.

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Good breakfast and good TV. I like it Daddy!

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The founder of the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store chain, Dan Evans, has died at 76. Evans opened his first restaurant in Lebanon, Tennessee, in 1969.

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Today in Elvis History:

1970 - Elvis Presley's single "Suspicious Minds" hit #2 in the U.K. It was his first U.K. single to have a picture sleeve.

1972 - Highway 51 South in Memphis, TN, was renamed Elvis Presley Blvd.

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Hawaii's monarchy was overthrown on this date in 1893, when a group of businessmen and sugar planters forced Queen Liliuokalani to abdicate.

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Today in Beatles History:

1969 - The Beatles album "Yellow Submarine" was released in the U.K.

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Police say the manhunt for an escaped prisoner in Germany (Bochum) was brief. The search began when wardens went to check in on a 50-year-old inmate after he did not show up to breakfast, only to find the bars of his cell window were sawed off and he was gone. The prisoner was found hiding in the prison's attic.

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Today in Sports History:

1916 - The Professional Golfers Association was formed in New York City.

1963 - Wilt Chamberlain (San Francisco Warriors) scored 67 points against Los Angeles.

1971 - Marvin Gaye sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl V in Miami, FL.

1972 - Roger Staubach and Bob Griese appeared on the cover of TIME magazine.

1989 - Al Arbour won his 600th game as a coach in the NHL.

1995 - The Los Angeles Rams announced that they would be moving to St. Louis.

1996 - Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings) became the 22nd player in NHL history to score 500 goals.

1999 - The Atlanta Falcons beat the Minnesota Vikings to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in team history.

2002 - The city of Los Angeles had "Muhammad Ali Day."

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TiVo has singled out the moments that Golden Globes viewers were captivated by and needed to see again and again. At the top was host Ricky Gervais introducing Melissa McCarthy and highlighting her defecation in a sink on Bridesmaids: "That's still less demeaning then what most of you have done to make it in show business."

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Boston Bruins 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars 8:30pm EST

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 5:15pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 8:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Phoenix Coyotes 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 11:30pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 2:15pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

Monday Afternoon Meissnervations

2012-01-16T12:45:00.000-05:00

It's Monday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is January 16th, the 16th day of 2012. There are 350 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Byers to face hearing with Player Safety Monday.

Dallas forward Jamie Benn has appendectomy.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Auto racing legend A.J. Foyt is 77; Director John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York) is 64; Model Kate Moss is 38; Baseball's Albert Pujols is 32.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning stood tall early in the third period before falling short late.

The Lightning erased a three-goal deficit with 13:10 remaining in regulation, but couldn’t hold off a late surge by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who earned a 6-3 victory at the Tampa Bay Times Forum Sunday afternoon.

“You’ve got to dig deep to get rid of the negative side of starting from behind,” Lightning head coach Guy Boucher said. “It’s emotionally draining, yes, but we fight it and always fight to come back. We give ourselves a chance and we did again tonight.”

Read the rest here.

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Today is Appreciate a Dragon Day, Martin Luther King Day, Nothing Day, Robert E. Lee Day and Religious Freedom Day.

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U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team Falls to Canada, 5-1,
at 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Clarke Scores Lone Goal for Team USA

INNSBRUCK, Austria - Blake Clarke (Wildwood, Mo.) scored the lone goal for Team USA, as the U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team fell to Canada, 5-1, at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games this evening at Tyrolean Ice Arena. Team USA dropped to 1-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) in preliminary-round play with the defeat.

"I hope we learned that we have to play smarter and harder in this tournament," said Ben Smith, head coach of the U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team. "Moving forward, we need to regroup and grow as a team."

Canada held a 1-0 lead at the first intermission and added another tally at 1:30 of the second period. Clarke brought Team USA within a goal when he fired a shot from the left faceoff dot that beat Canada's goaltender shortside.

The U.S. surrenderd a goal with less than two minutes remaining in the second period and Canada tacked on a pair of power-play tallies late in the final frame to secure the victory. Logan Halladay (Cary, N.C.) and Edwin Minney (Wind Gap, Pa.) combined to make 22 saves, while Keven Bouchard made 15 saves for Canada.

The U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team will face Finland on Tuesday (Jan. 17) at 9:45 a.m. EST. A full schedule and results are below.

NOTES: Ryan MacInnis (St. Louis, Mo.) was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... The U.S. went 0-for-1 on the power play, while Canada went 2-for-6 with the man advantage ... Team USA recorded 16 shots on goal, while Canada had 27 ... For Team USA's full roster, click here ... Gold medal-winning coach Ben Smith, is at the reigns of Team USA, while Stephen Greenberg is serving as team leader ... Serving on the support staff is equipment manager Bob Webster and athletic trainer Stan Wong ... The boys' hockey competition at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games includes teams from Austria, Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States ... Follow the hashtag #2012YOG to join the conversation during the tournament.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 0- 1 - 0- 1
CAN 1 - 2 - 2- 5

First Period - Scoring: 1, CAN, Cornel (unassisted), 3:58. Penalties: CAN, Gardiner (kneeing), 6:13; USA, Fiegl (slashing), 10:42.

Second Period - Scoring: 2, CAN, Gropp (Cornel), 1:30; 3, USA, Clarke (Jacobs), 2:39; 4, CAN, Hicketts (Pilon), 13:56. Penalties: USA, Jacobs (interference), 5:34; USA, Bench (too many players on the ice), 8:02.

Third Period - Scoring: 5, CAN, Martin (unassisted), 13:21, (pp); 6, CAN, Gropp (Gardiner, Cornel), 14:06 (pp). Penalties: USA, Bliss (high sticking), 11:39; USA, Schmaltz (slashing), 13:21; USA, Jacobs (charging), 14:59.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
USA 4 6 6 16
CAN 7 10 10 27

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
CAN, Bouchard, 45:00 4/4 6/5 6/6 16/15
USA, Halladay, 23:02 7/6 4/3 -- 11/9
USA, Minney, 21:58 -- 6/5 10/8 16/13

Power Play: USA 0-1; CAN 2-6
Penalties: USA 6-12; CAN 1-2

Team USA 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games Schedule
Jan. 13-22 • Innsbruck, Austria • Tyrolean Arena

Date Opponent Time (Local/EST)
Sat., Jan. 14 Austria W, 7-2
Sun., Jan 15 Canada L, 1-5
Tues., Jan. 17 Finland 3:45 p.m./9:45 a.m.
Wed., Jan. 18 Russia 3:15 p.m./9:15 a.m.
Fri., Jan. 20 Semifinal Game 2:15 p.m./8:15 a.m.
Semifinal Game 6:45 p.m./12:45 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 21 Third-Place Game 2:45 p.m./8:45 a.m.
Sun., Jan. 22 First-Place Game 12:15 p.m./6:15 a.m.

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Contraband took the top spot at the weekend box office, bringing in just over $24 million to hold off the re-release of Beauty and the Beast, which opened in second. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol came in third.

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Benevides shaping Lions towards Cup repeat.

George Cortez popular among former pupils.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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For one month in Britain McDonald's will become the country's largest retailer of children's books when it gives away a book with each Happy Meal. [Green Eggs and Ham and a Breakfast Burrito.]

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Division Playoff Week schedule:

Division Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 14th

At San Francisco 36, New Orleans 32
At New England 45, Denver 10

January 15th

At Baltimore 20, Houston 13
New York Giants 37 at Green Bay 20

Conference Finals

January 22nd

Baltimore at New England 3:00pm
San Francisco at New York Giants 6:30pm

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A failed Russian Mars probe came crashing back to Earth Sunday in a death plunge over the Pacific Ocean.

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Hi there everybody.

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Mr. Everett Barney patented the metal screw, clamp skate on this date in 1866.

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Today in Elvis History:

1965 - The soundtrack to the Elvis Presley film "Roustabout" hit #12 in the U.K.

1971 - Elvis Presley was named One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970 by the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce (the Jaycees).

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FedEx delivered a pair of Chinese pandas to France Sunday on time and without any problems. A chartered jet carried Huan Huan and Yuan Zi from China to Paris where they will be on display for anxious crowds of Frenchmen for the first time in more than 10 years. The pandas make their public debut February 11.

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Today in Beatles History:

1957 - The Cavern Club opened for business in Liverpool, England. The rock club was where the Beatles began.

1970 - John Lennon's London Art gallery exhibit of erotic lithographs, Bag One, was closed by Scotland Yard and eight prints were confiscated as evidence of pornography.

1980 - Paul McCartney was jailed in Tokyo for possession of a half pound of marijuana. He spent ten days behind bars before being kicked-out of the country by Japanese authorities. The remainder of his tour was canceled.

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A man who tried to rob a Walgreens in Florida got nothing because a clerk was so stunned by what was going on she couldn't react. Surveillance cameras show a man trying to rob the store late Sunday morning. He picked up a few items before giving the cashier a note, which implied he had a gun. The clerk was so scared stiff the suspect fled without any money.

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Today in Sports History:

1896 - The first five-player college basketball game was played at Iowa City, IA.

1961 - Mickey Mantle signed a contract which made him the highest paid baseball player in the American League at $75,000 for the 1961 season.

1981 - Leon Spinks was mugged. Even his gold teeth were taken by the assailants.

1988 - The St. Louis Cardinals announced that they would be moving to Phoenix.

1993 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) scored 64 points against the Orlando Magic. It was Jordan's second highest single-game total of his career.

1995 - Malcolm Glazer bought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for an estimated $192 million.

2002 - Baseball owners voted to approve the record $660 million sale of the Boston Red Sox.

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Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute To America's Golden Girl is on NBC tonight. The all-star special pays tribute to the best Betty on the planet. Guests include Mary Tyler Moore, Hugh Jackman, Jay Leno, Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Boston Bruins 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars 8:30pm EST

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 5:15pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 8:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Phoenix Coyotes 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 11:30pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 2:15pm EST

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

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Sunday

2012-01-15T11:45:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is January 15th, the 15th day of 2012. There are 351 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Concussion to sideline van Riemsdyk indefinitely.

Rangers say Sean Avery didn’t spit on coach for disciplinary scratch in AHL.

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

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Today is the start of International Snowmobile Safety and Awareness Week (Linky Link)and Healthy Weight Week.

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Tampa, FL. -- It's a Sunday Matinee today between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Read the preview right here.

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Today is Humanitarian Day and Religious Freedom Day.

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U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team Defeats Austria, 7-2,
at 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Gersich Records a Hat Trick in Team USA Victory

INNSBRUCK, Austria - Shane Gersich (Chaska, Minn.) scored three goals to lead the U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team to a 7-2 victory over Austria in its opening game at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games this afternoon at Tyrolean Ice Arena.

"It was a good way to start the tournament," said Ben Smith, head coach of the U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team. "We started off very strong, but got a little disoriented as the game went on. Tomorrow we'll get back to square one against a tough team from Canada."

Gersich opened up the scoring for Team USA 47 seconds into the contest with assists credited to Marcel Godbout (Center Line, Mich.) and Nick Schmaltz (Verona, Wis.). Then, 26 seconds later, Joe Wegwerth (Brewster, N.Y.) gave the U.S. a two-goal lead. Team USA held a 4-0 advantage going into the first intermission thanks to power-play goals by Ryan MacInnis (St. Louis, Mo.) at 9:02 and Gersich at 12:03 of the opening frame.

After Austria found the back of the net at 5:40 of the second period, Gersich responded for his third goal of the game to reopen a four-goal lead for Team USA at 9:37.

Austria made it a 5-2 game with a goal 44 seconds into the third period. However, Team USA answered with a pair of shorthanded tallies on back-to-back shifts. MacInnes netted the first shorthanded goal at 11:06 and Godbout followed suit with a tally of his own 18 seconds later to secure the 7-2 victory for Team USA.

Edwin Minney (Wind Gap, Pa.) and Logan Halladay (Cary, N.C.) combined to make 14 saves in the U.S. victory, while Stefan Muller made 35 saves for Austria.

The U.S. Youth Olympic Boys' Ice Hockey Team will face Canada tomorrow (Jan. 15) at 12 p.m. EST. A full schedule and results are below.

NOTES: Shane Gersich was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... The U.S. went 2-for-5 on the power play, while Austria went 0-for-7 with the man advantage ... Team USA recorded 42 shots on goal, while Austria had 16 ... The U.S. netted a pair of shorthanded goals in the victory ... For Team USA's full roster, click here ... Gold medal-winning coach Ben Smith, is at the reigns of Team USA, while Stephen Greenberg is serving as an administrative coach ... Serving on the support staff is equipment manager Bob Webster and athletic trainer Stan Wong ... The boys' hockey competition at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games includes teams from Austria, Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States ... Follow the hashtag #2012YOG to join the conversation during the tournament.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA 4- 1 - 2 - 7
AUT 0 - 1 - 1 - 2

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Gersich (Godbout, Schmaltz), 0:47; 2, USA, Wegewerth (Eichel, Clarke), 1:13; 3, USA, MacInnes (Magyar, Baughman), 9:02, (pp); 4, USA, Gersich (Eichel), 12:03, (pp). Penalties: USA, Eichel (roughing), 3:10; AUT, Urstoger (hooking), 5:50; AUT, Oberauer (delay of game), 6:01; AUT, Telsnig (tripping), 8:41; AUT, Urstoger (tripping), 10:08.

Second Period - Scoring: 5, AUT, Huber (unassisted), 5:40; 6, USA, Gersich (Billitier), 9:37. Penalties: USA, Glover (hooking), 1:35; USA, Clarke (tripping), 2:06; USA, Baughman (holding), 14:16

Third Period - Scoring: 7, AUT, Gaffal (Kraus, Huber), 0:44; 8, USA, MacInnis (Godbout, Jacobs), 11:06, (sh); 9, USA, Godbout (Schmaltz), 11:24, (sh). Penalties: USA, MacInnis (tripping), 2:41; USA, Wegwerth (cross checking), 9:32; AUT, Trost (high sticking), 14:22; USA, Wegwerth (holding the stick), 15:00.

Shots by Period
1 2 3 Total
USA 15 15 12 42
AUT 2 11 3 16

Goaltenders (SH/SV) 1 2 3 Total
AUT, Muller, 45:00 15/11 15/14 12/10 42/35
USA, Minney, 22:23 2/2 7/6 -- 9/8
USA, Halladay, 22:37 -- 4/4 3/2 7/6

Power Play: USA 2-5; AUT 0-7
Penalties: USA 7-14; AUT 5-10

Team USA 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games Schedule
Jan. 13-22 • Innsbruck, Austria • Tyrolean Arena

Date Opponent
Time (Local/EST)

Sat., Jan. 14 Austria W, 7-2
Sun., Jan 15 Canada 6 p.m./12 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 17 Finland 3:45 p.m./9:45 a.m.
Wed., Jan. 18 Russia 3:15 p.m./9:15 a.m.
Fri., Jan. 20 Semifinal Game 2:15 p.m./8:15 a.m.
Semifinal Game 6:45 p.m./12:45 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 21 Third-Place Game 2:45 p.m./8:45 a.m.
Sun., Jan. 22 First-Place Game 12:15 p.m./6:15 a.m.

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Many riots occurr in Mexico when it was announced that all churches were to be closed on this date in 1624.

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Outstanding lineman Bourke one of four Als to re-sign.

VANSTONE: Roughriders need to get faster.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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The people of New Connecticut (now the state of Vermont) declared their independence on this date in 1777.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Division Playoff Week schedule:

Division Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 14th

At San Francisco 36, New Orleans 32
At New England 45, Denver 10

January 15th

Houston at Baltimore 1:00pm
New York Giants at Green Bay 4:30pm

Conference Finals

January 22nd

TBD at New England 3:00pm
San Francisco at TBD 6:30pm

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The University of Notre Dame received its charter from the state of Indiana on this date in 1844.

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Time to play in the dirt.

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"The Boston Morning Journal" became the first paper in the U.S. to be published on wood pulp paper on this date in 1863.

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Today in Elvis History:

1955 - Elvis Presley performed at the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, LA. He performed "Hearts Of Stone," "That's All Right, Mama" and "Tweedle Dee." "Colonel" Tom Parker was in the audience and witnessed Elvis for the first time.

1958 - Elvis Presley recorded "Trouble" and "Hard Headed Woman."

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A cartoon by Thomas Nast titled "A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion" appeared in "Harper's Weekly" on this date in 1870. The cartoon used the donkey to symbolize the Democratic Party for the first time.

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Today in Beatles History:

1991 - Sean Lennon's remake of his father's "Give Peace A Chance" was released to coincide with the United Nation's midnight deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. The lyrics were updated to reflect concerns of the 1990's.

2008 - Ringo Starr's album "Liverpool 8" was released.

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On this date in 1945, CBS Radio debuted "House Party". The show was on the air for 22 years.

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Today in Sports History:

1892 - In Springfield, MA, the rules of "basketball" by James Naismith were printed in the "Triangle" newspaper.

1934 - Babe Ruth signed a 1934 contract for $35,000.

1942 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave baseball the approval to play despite World War II. He encouraged night games so that war workers could attend.

1958 - The New York Yankees announced that they would televise 140 games in the 1958 season.

1967 - The first National Football League Super Bowl was played. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs (of the American Football League) with a final score of 35-10. The game was televised by both CBS and NBC and was not a sell out.

1968 - Bill Masterson (Minnesota North Stars) died of a brain injury that he had suffered two days earlier in a game against the Oakland Seals. He was the first casualty in the NHL.

1978 - The Super Bowl was played indoors for the first time. The game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Denver Broncos 27-10.

1990 - Don Nelson became the second man in NBA history to appear in 1,000 games as a head coach and as a player. Lenny Wilkins was the first to achieve the record.

1997 - Dennis Rodman (Chicago Bulls) kicked cameraman Eugene Amosin in the groin.

1997 - The Seattle Supersonics set an NBA record with 27 steals against the Toronto Raptors.

2001 - An anonymous bidder paid just over $3 million for a baseball. The ball was the 70th home run ball hit by Mark McGwire.

2002 - Seven minority players took part in an NHL game between the St. Louis Blues and the Edmonton Oilers. The record number of minority skaters included Edmonton's Anson Carter, Georges Laraque, Sean Brown and Mike Grier and St. Louis' Jamal Mayers, Fred Brathwaite and Bryce Salvador.

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On this date in 1953, Harry S. Truman became the first U.S. President to use radio and television to give his farewell as he left office.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins 1:00pm EST

Monday --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Boston Bruins 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars 8:30pm EST

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 5:15pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 8:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Phoenix Coyotes 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 11:30pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Atlanta Jr. Knights 2:15pm EST

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

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Saturday

2012-01-14T12:45:00.000-05:00

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

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Today is January 14th, the 14th day of 2012. There are 352 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Complete All-Star roster.

You decide: What was the top play of the week?

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

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Today is Caesarean Section Day, Dress Up Your Pet Day (Linky Link), Organize Your Home Day and Ratification Day.

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Washington, DC. -- It's taken half a season, but the Washington Capitals look like a team that's starting to hit its stride.

The Caps moved within two points of first-place Florida in the Southeast Division by fending off the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on Friday night. Troy Brouwer scored three times for his first NHL hat trick and Alex Ovechkin also scored as the Caps won for the sixth time in eight games. The Panthers lost 4-1 to Pittsburgh.

Read the rest here.

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Connecticut's first constitution, the "Fundamental Orders," was adopted on this date in 1869.

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Jones and co. keeping an eye on talent.

Esks release slotback Jason Barnes.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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The United States ratified a peace treaty with England ending the Revolutionary War on this date in 1784.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Division Playoff Week schedule:

Division Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 14th

New Orleans at San Francisco 4:30pm
Denver at New England 8:00pm

January 15th

Houston at Baltimore 1:00pm
New York Giants at Green Bay 4:30pm

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John Hyatt's 1869 invention ‘Celluloid’ was registered as a trademark on this date in 1873.

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There he goes.

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Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the telephone for Britain's Queen Victoria on this date in 1878.

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Today in Elvis History:

1957 - Elvis Presley reported to the Paramount makeup and wardrobe departments for his role as singer Deke Rivers.

1973 - Elvis Presley's "Elvis, Aloha From Hawaii" TV show was broadcast live via satellite around the world. The U.S. and Europe saw a taped version.

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"Honolulu Bound" was heard on CBS radio for the first time on this date in 1939.

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Today in Beatles History:

1970 - A display of John Lennon's erotic "Bag One" lithographs opened in London. 2 days later Scotland Yard seized prints as evidence of pornography.

1989 - Paul McCartney released his album "Back In The U.S.S.R." exclusively in Russia.

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On this date in 1943, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to fly in an airplane while in office. He flew from Miami, FL, to French Morocco where he met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to discuss World War II.

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Today in Sports History:

1936 - Cecil "Tiny" Thompson (Boston Bruins) became the first NHL goalie to receive credit for an assist.

1943 - Alex Smart (Montreal Canadiens) scored three goals in his first NHL game.

1948 - Plastic helmets were prohibited in the NFL.

1951 - The first National Football League Pro Bowl All-Star Game was played in Los Angeles, CA.

1954 - Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married. The marriage only lasted nine months.

1973 - The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to go undefeated in a regular season. They also defeated the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.

1974 - The World Football League was founded.

1976 - Ted Turner completed the purchase of the Atlanta Braves.

1985 - Martina Navratilova won her 100th tournament. She joined Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert Lloyd as the only professional tennis players to win 100 tournaments.

1989 - Bobby Knight won his 500th career victory as a college basketball coach.

1990 - Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers) set an NFL record when he threw his 30th and 31st post-season touchdown passes. Terry Bradshaw held the previous record of 30.

1993 - NFL Commissioner Tagliabue announced the establishment of the "NFL World Partnership Program."

1996 - Fox aired the San Francisco 49er/Dallas Cowboy NFC championship game. The game pulled a 34.2/57 Nielsen rating.

1997 - Dennis Rodman got his 10,000th NBA career point.

2002 - Barry Bonds signed a contract with the San Francisco Giants worth $90 million for five years.

2002 - Lance Armstrong ran the final leg of the Olympic torch relay in San Diego.

2002 - The NBA announced a three game suspension for Shaquille O'Neal (Los Angeles Lakers) and a one game suspension for Brad Miller (Chicago Bulls) for a fight that occurred during a game.

2002 - TNT world premiered the TV movie "Monday Night Mayhem."

2003 - In Dallas, Dwayne Goodrich (Dallas Cowboys) was charged with two counts of manslaughter and was released after posting a $50,000 bond. The charges stemmed from Goodrich's involvement in a hit-and-run accident that killed two people.

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NBC's "Today" show premiered on this date in 1952.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Tampa Pro Alumni 7:00pm EST

Sunday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins 1:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Friday

2012-01-13T12:37:00.000-05:00

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

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Today is January 13th, the 13th day of 2012. There are 353 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Flames acquire Cammalleri in swap with Habs.

NHL names remainder of All-Star Game roster.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actor Richard Moll (Bull on Night Court) is 69; Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine) is 51; Actor Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy, Enchanted) is 46; Actor Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean films) is 35.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning got the secondary scoring it needed, just not the desired result it hoped would come with it.

Nate Thompson and Teddy Purcell each had goals for Tampa Bay, which couldn’t recover from a slow start that led to a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday night at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Read the rest here.

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Besides it's being Friday the 13th, today is also Public Radio Broadcasting Day, as well as Rubber Duckie Day (Linky Link).

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Obrand: Great start to 2012 off-season.

BC retains Chapdelaine as offensive coordinator.

Bauman, Kabongo, Osaisai released by Esks.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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U.S. President Washington approved a measure on this date in 1794, adding two stars and two stripes to the American flag, following the admission of Vermont and Kentucky to the union.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Division Playoff Week schedule:

Division Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 14th

New Orleans at San Francisco 4:30pm
Denver at New England 8:00pm

January 15th

Houston at Baltimore 1:00pm
New York Giants at Green Bay 4:30pm

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Anthony Faas of Philadelphia, PA, patented the accordion on this date in 1854.

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Jimmy gets to know our flamingos, Benny and Bernice.

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You knew your long commute sucked, but did you know it could destroy your relationship? ScienceDaily found that long-distance commuters are more likely to break up than others. And not just by a little bit -- the study found that long-distance commuters run a 40 percent higher risk of separating.

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Today in Elvis History:

1957 - Elvis Presley recorded "Mean Woman Blues" and "That’s When Your Heartaches Begin" and "(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me)" in Hollywood.

1961 - The movie "Flaming Star" opened in London.

1978 - Elvis Presley's single "My Way" was certified gold by the RIAA.

2001 - TV Guide issued a set of commemorative Elvis Presley covers.

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The first Super Bowl played 45 years ago this coming Sunday. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10.

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Today in Beatles History:

1964 - The Beatles released "I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There" in the U.S.

1966 - Ringo Starr and John Lennon left England on a vacation to Trinidad.

1969 - The Beatles released the album "Yellow Submarine" in the U.S.

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It's estimated that Facebook will sign up its 1 billionth user in August (according to projections from digital marketing agency iCrossing).

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Today in Sports History:

1962 - Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) scored 73 points against the Chicago Bulls.

1968 - Bill Masterson (Minnesota North Stars) was injured when he was checked to the ice. He died two days later. He was the second casualty in the NHL. The first was Howie Morenz, in 1937 (Linky Link).

1983 - The Quebec Nordiques played their 251st NHL game without being shutout.

1984 - Wayne Gretzky extended his NHL consecutive scoring streak to 45 games.

1986 - The NCAA adopted the controversial "Proposal 48," which set standards for Division 1 freshman eligibility.

1995 - A collective bargaining agreement was ratified by NHL players.

1998 - The NFL completed a $9.2 billion deal to keep "Monday Night Football" on ABC and the entire Sunday night cable package for ESPN.

1999 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) announced his retirement from the NBA.

2003 - The NHL's Buffalo Sabres filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

2005 - Major League Baseball adopted a steroid-testing program that suspended first-time offenders for 10 days and randomly tested players year-round.

2005 - The NFL fined Randy Moss (Minnesota Vikings) $10,000 for pretending to pull down his pants and moon the Green Bay Packer crowd during a playoff win the previous weekend.

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Hugh Gernsback, of the Electro Importing Company, advertised radio receivers for sale on this date in 1906, for the price of just $7.50 in "Scientific American" magazine.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals 7:00pm EST

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Tampa Pro Alumni 7:00pm EST

Sunday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins 1:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Thursday

2012-01-12T13:19:00.000-05:00

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

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Today is January 12th, the 12th day of 2012. There are 354 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Sid joining Pens for trip, but no timetable for return.

Defensemen dominate top 10 in CSS midterm rankings.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actress Kirstie Alley (Cheers) is 61; Talk show host Rush Limbaugh is 61; Talk show host Howard Stern is 58; Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos is 48; Model/activist Heather Mills (Paul McCartney's ex) is 44.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Read the preview right here.

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Today is National Pharmacist Day.

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U.S. Under-16 Boys' Select Team Begins Play at Inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games on Saturday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The U.S. Under-16 Boys' Select Team begins play at the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games on Saturday (Jan. 15), in Innsbruck, Austria, against Austria at 6:30 a.m. EST.

Gold medal-winning coach Ben Smith (Gloucester, Mass.) will take the reins of Team USA after more than two decades of experience working with USA Hockey. Smith led the U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team to three medals in his 10-year tenure as the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team Program, including the first-ever gold medal awarded in the sport in 1998. On the men's side, Smith has served as head coach of the U.S. Men's Select Team on two occasions (1998, 2007), and was an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team (1988), the U.S. Men's National Team (1987, 1990) and the U.S. National Junior Team (1985-87).

The 17-player U.S. roster represents 11 states, with three players hailing from Michigan and Minnesota, while Missouri and New York each have two players represented. The U.S. roster includes nine forwards, six defenseman and two goaltenders. For a full Team USA roster, click here.

NOTES: Serving on the support staff is equipment manager Bob Webster and athletic trainer Stan Wong ... The boys' hockey competition at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games includes teams from Austria, Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States ... Follow the hashtag #2012YOG to join the conversation during the tournament.

Team USA 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games Schedule
Jan. 13-22 • Innsbruck, Austria • Tyrolean Arena

Date Opponent
Time (Local/EST)

Sat., Jan. 14 Austria 12:30 p.m./6:30 a.m.
Sun., Jan 15 Canada 6 p.m./12 p.m.
Tues., Jan. 17 Finland 3:45 p.m./9:45 a.m.
Wed., Jan. 18 Russia 3:15 p.m./9:15 a.m.
Fri., Jan. 20 Semifinal Game 2:15 p.m./8:15 a.m.
Semifinal Game 6:45 p.m./12:45 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 21 Third-Place Game 2:45 p.m./8:45 a.m.
Sun., Jan. 22 First-Place Game 12:15 p.m./6:15 a.m.

U.S. National Sled Hockey Team to Hold Camp Beginning Thursday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team will conduct its third training camp of the season starting Thursday (Jan. 12) at XTreme Ice in Indian Trail, N.C. The camp, which will run through Saturday (Jan. 14), will be the first time the team has practiced together since its second place finish at the World Slege Hockey Challenge in December.

"We're excited to get the team back together and continue building chemistry," said Jeff Sauer, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. "We are looking to prepare for a strong showing in Norway at the World Championships in March."

The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team will play an exhibition series against Canada from Feb. 22-26 in Buffalo, N.Y., leading up to the 2012 International Paralympic Committee World Sledge Hockey Championship in Hamar, Norway, in March.

NOTES: For the full U.S. National Sled Hockey Team roster, click here ... Jeff Sauer, longtime men's collegiate head coach at the University of Wisconsin and Colorado College, is serving as head coach of Team USA. Mike Sertich, who was head coach at the University of Minnesota Duluth for 15 years before serving as head coach at Michigan Tech University for three seasons, will serve as a guest coach at the camp.

15th Annual Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Presented by Easton Foundations Set for March 17 at Greysolon Ballroom in Duluth, Minn.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The 15th Annual Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, presented by Easton Foundations, will take place on Saturday, March 17, at the Greysolon Ballroom in Duluth, Minn.

An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is an annual honor bestowed upon the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey and will be awarded in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Frozen Four (March 16-18).

Tickets to the 2012 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award ceremony are now available and may be purchased by calling 719-538-1169 or by submitting a completed ticket form (located at PattyKaz.com). Individual seats are available for $65, while tables of 10 may be purchased for $600.

NOTES: The top-10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be announed on March 1, while the top-three selections will be released on March 8 ... The award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year varsity letter-winner and All-Ivy League defenseman for Princeton University from 1981-86. An accomplished athlete who helped lead the Tigers to the Ivy League Championship in three consecutive seasons (1981-84), Patty Kazmaier-Sandt died on Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28, following a long struggle with a rare blood disease ... For more information and to sign up for the Kaz Connection, a free monthly e-newsletter dedicated solely to the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, visit PattyKaz.com.

Brian Fishman Internship Applications Now Being Accepted

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Applications are now being accepted for the 14th annual Brian Fishman Internship, it was announced today by USA Hockey. The 2012-13 Brian Fishman Intern will work in the communications department at USA Hockey's national office in Colorado Springs, Colo., for a 12-month period beginning in June.

The Brian Fishman Internship is awarded annually to an outstanding college graduate pursuing a career in athletic communications. It was established in 1999 in honor of the late Brian Fishman, who served as the manager of communications and marketing for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. He died unexpectedly on Jan. 7, 1999, at age 28.

The Brian Fishman Intern will assist with various communications projects, event promotions and publishing initiatives, including work with USA Hockey Magazine, the most widely distributed hockey magazine in the world.

“This internship is a fitting tribute to Brian’s memory, because he enjoyed helping younger people improve their media skills and excel in this profession,” said Barry Fishman, Brian's father. “Through this living memorial, we hope to perpetuate Brian’s unique spirit and enthusiasm for life. The drive, passion and work ethic he demonstrated every day of his life; his honesty; his incredible love of ice hockey; and his concern for others will be forever remembered.”

Applications must be received by USA Hockey no later than Friday, March 23. Those interested should forward a completed application form, current résumé, list of references and samples of work produced. Applicants must also submit a brief essay (400-500 words) in which they detail their interest in The Brian Fishman Internship and relate their personal and professional characteristics to those that were reflective of Brian, including determination, integrity and a love of hockey.

Application forms are available at BrianFishmanInternship.com.

Successful candidates will have gained substantial experience working in their college or university sports information office. Preference will also be given to those who have earned an undergraduate degree in journalism, English, communications, sports management or a related field. Applicants should represent the high ideals characterized by Brian in both the personal and professional aspects of his life, including determination, integrity and enthusiasm.

The recipient of The Brian Fishman Internship will be chosen by a committee that includes representatives of collegiate athletic programs; print and electronic media; USA Hockey and its National Team Development Program; and Fishman family and friends.

NOTES: To make a contribution to help perpetuate the internship through The USA Hockey Foundation, please call 719-538-1162 or visit USAHockeyFoundation.com ... Previous Brian Fishman Interns include (most recent listed first): Alex DiFilippo (East Tawas, Mich./Michigan State University), Caryn Switaj (Farmington Hills, Mich./Boston College), Carly Peters (Bloomington, Minn./Syracuse University), Chris Peters (Chicago, Ill./Iowa State University), Craig Stancher (Calumet, Mich./Michigan Tech University), Alex Clark (Glenview, Ill./Colgate University), Christy Jeffries (White Lake, Mich./Boston University), Caitlin Lazaro (Effingham, N.H./University of New Hampshire), Seth Cole (Blue Hill, Maine/St. Michael’s College), Yariv Amir (Plainsboro, N.J./Colgate University), Cassy Maxton (Vandalia, Ohio/Miami University) and Jennifer Dame (St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Cloud State University).

Nominations for 2012 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Now Being Accepted

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The nomination process for the United States Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2012 has begun. Individuals can nominate any player, coach, referee, administrator or support personnel who has made an extraordinary contribution to the sport of ice hockey in America.

All nominations will be forwarded to a selection committee for review, and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2012 will be announced later this year.

Nomination forms, found here, must be submitted by Friday, February 10.

NOTES: The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 and welcomed its 39th class of inductees in 2011 ... There are currently 153 enshrined members in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame ... The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2011 included Chris Chelios, Mike "Doc" Emrick, Ed Snider, Gary Suter and Keith Tkachuk ... Since USA Hockey assumed responsibility for the event in 2007, the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner has been held in Grand Forks, N.D. (2007), Denver (2008), Boston (2009), Buffalo (2010) and Chicago (2011) ... The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum, located in Eveleth, Minn., is open daily. For hours of operation and admission prices, visit USHockeyHallMuseum.com or call 800-443-7825.

National Team Development Program Weekly Update

Under-18 Team Heads to Indiana, Hosts Des Moines in USHL Action;
Under-17 Team Travels to Youngstown for Two USHL Tilts

U17'S TRAVEL TO YOUNGSTOWN FOR TWO: The U.S. National Under-17 Team returns to United States Hockey League action after placing second in the 2012 World Under-17 Challenge in Windsor, Ont. Team USA travels to Youngstown for back-to-back games with the Phantoms on Friday (Jan. 13) and Saturday (Jan. 14). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. EST both nights at the Covelli Center. The Under-17 Team is 2-0-0 against Youngstown this season, scoring 15 goals against the Phantoms and allowing seven.

U18 TEAM HEADS TO INDIANA, HOST DES MOINES: After four straight meetings with collegiate foes, the U.S. National Under-18 Team shifts its focus to USHL play. On Jan. 13, Team USA visits the Indiana Ice at the Pepsi Coliseum for a 7:05 p.m. EST showdown. This will be the first meeting between the two squads. The following night (Jan. 14), the Under-18 Team hosts the Des Moines Buccaneers at the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Ice Cube. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. EST. The U.S. is 1-0-0 against Des Moines this season, having scored a 7-2 victory over the Buccaneers in October.

U17 TEAM FALLS TO RUSSIA IN TITLE GAME OF CHALLENGE: Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and J.T. Compher (Northbrook, Ill.) had one goal and one assist each, as the U.S. National Under-17 Team fell to Russia, 7-4, in the championship game of the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge at the WFCU Centre on Jan. 4. Team USA finished the tournament with a 4-0-0-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record and placed second in the ten-team tournament for the second straight year. John Hayden (Greenwich, Conn.) was named Team USA's player of the game.

U18'S COMPLETE EAST COAST COLLEGIATE SWING: Quentin Shore (Denver, Colo.) notched two goals and added an assist, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team downed Northeastern University, 7-4, at Matthews Arena on Jan. 7. Ryan Hartman (West Dundee, Ill.), Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif.) and Kyle Osterberg (Lakeville, Minn.) tallied one goal and collected two assists each in the victory. Collin Olson (Apple Valley, Minn.) stopped 20 shots for Team USA. The following night (Jan. 8), Jared Rutledge (Chicago, Ill.) made 45 saves and Stefan Matteau (Chicago, Ill.) netted one goal and registered an assist, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team tied Boston University, 3-3, at Agganis Arena. The Under-18 Team improved to 5-7-2 (W-L-T) against collegiate opponents on the season with three contests remaining.

UNDER-17 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Compher was named to the 2012 World Under-17 Challenge tournament all-star team. Compher was tied for third with nine points (3-6) in five games and tied for second in helpers ... Gage Ausmus (East Grand Forks, Minn.) also earned a spot on the tournament all-star team roster ... Butcher tied for the tournament lead in points by a defenseman. Butcher collected six assists in five games, good for second best among all skaters ... Evan Allen (Sterling Heights, Mich.) notched five goals in five games, which was tied for second most. The forward had six points (5-1) total in the tournament ... Hudson Fasching (Burnsville, Minn.) was tied-for-third in the tournament with four goals.

UNDER-18 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Matteau is on a six-game point streak against collegiate opposition dating back to Nov. 23. He has three goals and five assists during that span ... Shore has four points (2-2) in his past two games (Jan. 7-8) ... Andrew Copp (Ann Arbor, Mich.) recorded his first point of the 2011-12 season when he earned an assist against Northeastern University on Jan. 7. The forward returned to the ice on Dec. 30, 2011, after missing the beginning of the season due to injury ... Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (Charlestown, Mass.) has collected three assists in his past two games (Jan. 7-8). His weekend output helped propel him to second on the team in helpers with 12.

NTDP ALUMNI UPDATE: The American Hockey League announced recently the Eastern and Western Conference All-Star rosters for the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic to take place Jan. 29-30 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. Three alumni were included on those rosters: forwards T.J. Hensick (Howell, Mich./2001-03) and Kyle Palmieri (Montvale, N.J./2007-09) and defenseman Cade Fairchild (Duluth, Minn./2005-07) ... Los Angeles blueliner Jack Johnson (Faribault, Minn./2003-05) notched the game-winning tally and collected one assist as the Kings defeated the Washington Capitals, 5-2, on Jan. 9 ... St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (New Rochelle, N.Y./2005-07) scored one goal and added an assist in a 4-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 7 ... Chicago forward Jimmy Hayes (Dorchester, Mass./2006-08) scored in back-to-back games (Jan. 2, Jan. 5) after being recalled by the Blackhawks on Dec. 30 ... Two former NTDP players suited up for the 2012 National Hockey League Winter Classic on Jan. 2 between the Rangers and Flyers. Defenseman Matt Carle (Anchorage, Alaska/2000-02) and forward James vanRiemsdyk (Middletown, N.J.) both skated for Philadelphia in the 3-2 loss to New York.

For the complete weekly update, click here.

ABOUT THE NTDP: In 1996, USA Hockey launched a revolutionary new initiative called the National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Celebrating its 15th season of play in 2011-12, 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.

THE USHL AND FASTHOCKEY: Catch all of Team USA's USHL action on FASTHockey.com, the premier online destination for ice hockey fanatics from around the world. Visitors can choose from an incredible array of games from national governing bodies, conferences, leagues, teams, tournaments, and other events.

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The first public museum in America was established in Charleston, South Carolina on this date in 1773.

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Rider Linebacker Sean Lucas retires.

Riders Re-Sign Hawkins and release Three.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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Long-winded music reviews are getting a tune up. SPIN magazine announced on Wednesday that it will be squeezing the majority of its album reviews into 140-character tweets. SPIN is pulling most of the reviews out of its print magazine and will be tweeting them instead under the handle @SPINreviews. SPIN's senior editor says that about 120 of the 140 albums the publication plans to review each month will be reviewed in short form on Twitter. Long-form reviews will be saved for albums SPIN believes are the best and most newsworthy.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Division Playoff Week schedule:

Division Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 14th

New Orleans at San Francisco 4:30pm
Denver at New England 8:00pm

January 15th

Houston at Baltimore 1:00pm
New York Giants at Green Bay 4:30pm

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Police in Phoenix arrested a convicted felon for illegally carrying a concealed firearm in her bra. [It was a .44 Double-D Magnum.]

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Playing outside is really fun!

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The Grant County, Washington, sheriff says deputies arrested a 22-year-old after citizens mentioned that a young man was approaching people in front of the county courthouse and asking if they wanted to buy marijuana. Sure enough, deputies found the man, who smelled strongly of pot, standing on the courthouse lawn. They also found more than 20 grams of packaged marijuana in his pockets.

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Today in Elvis History:

1957 - Elvis Presley recorded "All Shook Up" and all the material from his forthcoming movie "Loving You."

1963 - The soundtrack to "Girls! Girls! Girls!" hit #3 in the U.S.

1968 - NBC vice-president Tom Sarnoff announced that Elvis Presley and NBC had agreed to produce an Elvis movie and a Christmas TV special for the 1968 Christmas season.

1973 - Elvis Presley performed a rehearsal show for the "Elvis, Aloha From Hawaii" concert.

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There's an online movement to get Barbie to go bald. A Facebook page titled Beautiful and Bald Barbie aims to get toy maker Mattel to create a bald Barbie in support of children with cancer.

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Today in Beatles History:

1963 - The Beatles single "Please Please Me" was released in Britain.

1964 - The Beatles made their second appearance on BBC-TV's "Sunday Night at the London Palladium."

1968 - Apple Music Limited was renamed Apple Corps Limited.

1969 - The film "Wonderwall" premiered in London. The soundtrack was by George Harrison.

2010 - Ringo Starr's CD "Y Not" was released. It was released on vinyl on January 29, 2010.

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Fans of AMC's mob movie marathons can rejoice: The network has a TV version of "Goodfellas" in the works. AMC is developing a series based on Martin Scorsese's classic "Goodfellas," with writer Nicholas Pileggi, who adapted the screenplay from his book "Wiseguy," on hand to co-write the TV adaptation.

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Today in Sports History:

1906 - The forward pass was legalized by the football rules committee.

1921 - Kennesaw Mountain Landis became the first commissioner of baseball.

1946 - The Cleveland Rams were granted permission to move to Los Angeles.

1958 - Major league baseball players Stan Musial and Johnny Podres were guests on the "Ed Sullivan Show."

1960 - Dolph Schayes of the Syracuse Nationals became the first pro basketball player in the NBA to score more than 15,000 points in his career.

1966 - Red Auerbach won his 1,000th game as coach of the Boston Celtics.

1993 - It was announced that Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) had Hodgkin's disease.

1999 - Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball was sold at auction in New York for $3 million to an anonymous bidder.

2000 - Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills was killed in a crash during a street drag race.

2002 - Brenden Shanahan (Detroit Red Wings) got his 1,000th career point in a 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars.

2004 - Cam Neely's No. 8 was retired by the Boston Bruins.

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A wireless message was sent long-distance for the first time from the Eiffel Tower in Paris on this date in 1908.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Carolina Hurricanes 7:30pm EST

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals 7:00pm EST

Saturday --

Nothin' Doin'

Sunday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins 1:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Wednesday

2012-01-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

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

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Today is January 11th, the 11th day of 2012. There are 355 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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All-Stars rosters to be announced on Thursday.

Former Habs assistant GM Caron dead at 82.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Former Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien is 78; Actor Stanley Tucci (Julie & Julia, The Devil Wears Prada) is 52; Singer Mary J. Blige is 41; Actress Amanda Peet (Gulliver's Travels, The Whole Ten Yards) is 40.

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Tampa, FL. -- After three games in four days on the road, the Vancouver Canucks were almost out of gas. Mason Raymond and Cory Schneider made sure they left the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Tuesday night with two points.

Raymond's spinning backhander produced the only goal of the shootout and Schneider stopped all three Tampa Bay attempts in the tiebreaker as the Canucks survived a blown two-goal lead in the third period to earn a 5-4 win against the Lightning.

Read the rest here.

Stamkos denied in shootout.

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Today is the start of Cuckoo Dancing Week,National No-Tillage Week Conference and National Soccer Coaches Week.

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University of Minnesota Duluth Unanimous No. 1 Selection
in USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
2011-12 Men's College Hockey Poll - #14(first-place votes in parentheses)

Rank	School	Last Week's Ranking	2011-12 Record	Weeks in Top 15
1	University of Minnesota Duluth, 510 (34)	1	14-3-3	14
2	Ohio State University, 456	2	14-4-3	8
3	University of Notre Dame, 450	3	13-6-3	14
4	Boston College, 402	4	13-7-1	14
5	University of Minnesota, 378	5	15-7-1	13
6	Boston University, 288	11	11-6-1	11
7	Merrimack College, 285	6	11-4-4	13
8	Colorado College, 236	8	12-7-1	14
9	Cornell University, 215	14	9-4-1	4
10	UMass Lowell, 205	12	12-5-0	2
11	Western Michigan University, 150	9	10-7-5	14
12	Ferris State University, 120	NR	13-8-1	9
13	Union College, 112	NR	10-5-6	12
14	Colgate University, 108	7	12-6-2	8
15	University of Michigan, 62	13	12-8-4	10

Others receiving votes: University of Denver, 58; Northern Michigan University, 15; University of North Dakota, 13; Miami University, 9; Michigan State University, 7; Lake Superior State University 1.

NOTES: The University of Minnesota Duluth is atop the poll for the fifth straight week ... The Central Collegiate Hockey Association leads all conferences with five ranked teams, while Hockey East Association has four ranked teams and ECAC Hockey and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association each have three ... A total of 21 teams received votes.

University of Minnesota New No. 1
in USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
2011-12 Women's College Hockey Poll - #14(first-place votes in parentheses)

Rank	School	Last Week's Ranking	2011-12 Record	Weeks in Top 10
1	University of Minnesota, 183 (13)	2	18-3-1	14
2	University of Wisconsin, 170 (4)	1	19-2-1	14
3	Cornell University, 160 (2)	3	12-2-0	14
4	Boston College, 114	4	14-6-1	14
5	Mercyhurst College, 109	5	15-4-1	14
6	University of North Dakota, 103	6	13-7-1	14
7	Northeastern University, 72	7	14-5-1	12
8	University of Minnesota Duluth, 44	9	11-8-1	14
9	Bemidji State University, 33	10	13-8-2	5
10	Harvard University, 31	8	9-5-1	6

Others receiving votes: Dartmouth College, 17; Boston University, 6; St. Lawrence University, 3.

NOTES: The Western Collegiate Hockey Association leads all conferences with five ranked teams, while the Hockey East Association and ECAC Hockey each have two teams ranked. Mercyhurst is the only College Hockey America team ranked ... A total of 13 teams received votes.

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Today is Cigarettes are Hazardous to Your Health Day. It's also National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

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Cortez, Burris aim to bring Grey Cup to Hamilton.

Boatmen sign 2011 draft pick Feoli-Gudino.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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When a policeman in Florida made a routine traffic stop and found large amounts of cash he asked the driver about it. The driver told him, "I don’t have a job. Read between the lines." ["Okay, according to what it says here, you’re incredibly stupid."]

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Division Playoff Week schedule:

Division Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 14th

New Orleans at San Francisco 4:30pm
Denver at New England 8:00pm

January 15th

Houston at Baltimore 1:00pm
New York Giants at Green Bay 4:30pm

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Would you clone your pet if money wasn't an object? A woman devastated by the loss of her little dog "Trouble" traveled to South Korea and paid $50,000 to have her beloved dog cloned.

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Jimmy looks down on the masses from his "tree house."

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It's possible to die of a broken heart. The risk of a heart attack is 21 times higher the day after the loss of a loved one. Researchers, who interviewed 2,000 subjects over 5 years, said during the week after the death, the risk is 6 times greater than usual, and it stays higher than normal throughout the month.

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Today in Elvis History:

1956 - Elvis completed his first recording session as an RCA Victor artist.

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POLL: BLUE IVY IS AN "ANNOYING" NAME - In a poll conducted early this week, 78% of Americans think Beyonce and Jay-Z's baby's name -- Blue Ivy -- is "annoying".

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Today in Beatles History:

1963 - The Beatles made their first national TV appearance in the U.K. They performed the song "Please Please Me" on the show "Thank Your Lucky Stars."

2002 - George Harrison's widow Olivia filed a lawsuit to bar Carl Roles from selling the former Beatle's memorabilia. Carl Roles was accused of stealing items from Harrison's Los Angeles home in the 1970's and attempting to sell them the day after Harrison's death.

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The first shipment of rhubarb was sent to the United States from London on this date in 1770.

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Today in Sports History:

1953 - J. Edgar Hoover declined a six-figure offer to be the president of the International Boxing Club.

1970 - Billy Casper became the second golfer in history to top the $1-million mark in career earnings when he won the Los Angeles Open golf tournament.

1973 - Owners of American League baseball teams voted to adopt the designated-hitter rule on a trial basis.

1976 - Dorothy Hamill won her third consecutive national figure skating championship.

1976 - The Soviet Olympic team walked off the ice in protest to the rough tactics of the Philadelphia Flyers.

1995 - NHL owners and Players ended a 103 day lockout. It was announced that the regular season would be reduced to 48 games and would start January 20.

2002 - Muhammad Ali received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2007 - It was announced that David Beckham had signed a five-year $250 million contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

2010 - Mark McGwire admitted that he used steroids on and off for nearly a decade. The timeframe including the 1998 season when he broke the then single-season home run record.

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"Popular Mechanics" magazine was published for the first time on this date in 1902.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Carolina Hurricanes 7:30pm EST

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals 7:00pm EST

Saturday --

Nothin' Doin'

Sunday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins 1:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!

It's Tuesday

2012-01-10T12:32:00.001-05:00

It's Tuesday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is January 10th, the 10th day of 2012. There are 356 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Blues' Halak prepared for emotional Montreal return.

SJ's McLellan to join Tortorella as All-Star coach.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Singer Rod Stewart is 67; Musician Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) is 64; Actor William Sanderson (Oldham on Lost, E.B. Farnum on Deadwood, Larry on Newhart) is 64; Boxer and TV pitchman George Foreman is 63; Singer Pat Benatar is 59.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are on home ice tonight to play the Vancouver Canucks, who lost to the Stinkin' Panthers last night, 2-1.

Read the preview right here.

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Today is National Cut Your Energy Costs Day and League of Nations Day .

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Ticats promote O'Billovich to VP of Football Ops.

CFL Record Book: New and improved sections.

Esks promote Nelson to defensive coordinator.

Dickenson returns to lead Riders' special teams.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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NEW ON DVD TODAY - Moneyball (Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman); Killer Elite (Robert De Niro, Jason Statham, Clive Owen); What's Your Number? (Chris Evans, Anna Faris); When Harry Met Sally [Blu-ray] (Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan); Billy Elliot [Blu-ray]; Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season.

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The 2011 NFL playoffs are underway. Here's the Wild Card Week schedule:

Wild Card Playoffs

All times Eastern

January 7th

At Houston 31, Cincinnati 10
At New Orleans 45, Detroit 28

January 8th

At NY Giants 24, Atlanta 2
At Denver 29, Pittsburgh 23 (OT)

Division Playoffs

January 14th

New Orleans at San Francisco 4:30pm
Denver at New England 8:00pm

January 15th

Houston at Baltimore 1:00pm
New York Giants at Green Bay 4:30pm

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Thomas Paine published his pamphlet "Common Sense" on this date in 1776.

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Tampa, FL. - Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said he has talked to Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and Major League Baseball officials about the Rays' attendance and progress on securing a new stadium.

Sternberg smiled when asked how he responds to questions about the future.

"We're going to keep winning baseball games," said Sternberg on Saturday at a community event in Tampa. "We've got a lot of fans who love what we do and follow us."

Read the rest here.

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Florida seceded from the United States on this date in 1861.

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Tired after a hard day of play.

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Police in Madison, Wisconsin arrested a man named Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop. [You know Beyonce is kicking herself for not thinking of that one.]

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Today in Elvis History:

1956 - Elvis Presley began recording his first songs as an RCA Victor artist in Nashville. Elvis recorded "Heartbreak Hotel," "I Was the One," "I’m Counting On You," "I Got a Woman" and "Money Honey."

1957 - Elvis Presley left Memphis by train for Hollywood, CA.

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Dish Network announced a DVR on steroids at the Consumer Electronics Show Monday. One of the cool features: It can record all three hours of primetime on the four major networks at the same time -- in HD -- and then store the shows for up to a week.

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Today in Beatles History:

1964 - The Beatles' first U.S. album, "Introducing The Beatles," was released.

1968 - The General Secretary of the Movement for the Spiritual Regeneration announced that the Beatles would visit India to attend a transcendental meditation course.

1969 - George Harrison left the Beatles.

2003 - It was announced that police had recovered about 500 original Beatles tapes that were stolen shortly after sessions in 1969.

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British Prime Minister David Cameron said despite his large workload, he still finds time to play Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja on his iPad. Cameron said that he has finished Angry Birds and his son introduced him to Fruit Ninja.

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Today in Sports History:

1950 - Ben Hogan appeared for the first time in a golf tournament since an auto accident a year earlier. He tied ‘Slammin’ Sammy Snead in the Los Angeles Open, however, Hogan lost in a playoff.

1962 - The NFL entered into a single-network agreement with CBS for telecasting all regular-season games for $4.65 million annually.

1963 - The Chicago Cubs became the first baseball club to hire an athletic director. He was Robert Whitlow.

1990 - The NCAA approved a random drug testing program among college football players and harsh penalties for drug use.

1995 - NHL owners rejected the players unrestricted free agency proposal (one year at 32, five years at 31) and countered with three years at 32 and three at 31.

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In New Jersey, a group of four men and one woman, allegedly responsible for more than 15 residential burglaries, have been arrested. For awhile, it appears, they were pretty good at burgling. But not math. The five referred to themselves as the Ocean's Eleven Gang.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Vancouver Canucks 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Carolina Hurricanes 7:30pm EST

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals 7:00pm EST

Saturday --

Nothin' Doin'

Sunday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins 1:00pm EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!