It's Wednesday

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

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Today is February 29th, the 60th day of 2012. There are 306 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Habs begin to rebuild, send Kostitsyn to Preds.

McGinn sky high about trade to Avalanche.

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

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Today is: Leap Year Day, Bachelor's Day and Inspirational Underlings Day.

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Tampa, FL -- Steven Stamkos scored his NHL-leading 44th goal of the season and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the slumping Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Adam Hall also scored for the Lightning, who are 11th in the Eastern Conference and trail eighth-place Washington by five points. Mathieu Garon finished with 23 saves.

Read the rest here.

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On this date in 1288, Scotland established this day as one when a woman could propose marriage to a man. In the event that he refused the proposal he was required to pay a fine.

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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 - #21(first-place votes in parentheses) Rank School Last Week's Ranking 2011-12 Record Weeks in Top 10 1 University of Wisconsin, 188 (17) 1 31-3-2 21 2 University of Minnesota, 165 (1) 2 29-5-2 21 3 Cornell University, 160 (1) 3 28-3-0 21 4 Boston College, 128 4 23-8-3 21 5 University of North Dakota, 99 6 22-10-3 21 6 Mercyhurst College, 95 5 22-6-3 21 7 Northeastern University, 79 7 22-6-4 19 8 Harvard University, 53 8 22-8-1 13 9 Boston University, 39 9 21-13-1 15 10 St. Lawrence University, 21 NR 22-9-4 1 Others receiving votes: University of Minnesota Duluth, 14; Bemidji State University, 4. NOTES: Nominees for the 2012 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey, were announced on Feb. 20. The top-10 finalists will be announced on Thursday (March 1). VisitPattyKaz.com for the list of nominated players ... The University of Wisconsin earned the No. 1 ranking for the seventh straight week ... ECAC Hockey, the Hockey East Association and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association all have three ranked teams, while College Hockey America has one ranked team ... A total of 12 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.

Cammi Granato and 1998 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team Among Eligible for Induction into U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Cammi Granato and the gold-medal winning 1998 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team are among the list of eligible nominees for induction into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, it was announced today by the U.S. Olympic Committee. With the announcement, fans are invited to vote for those athletes and teams they feel are most deserving of a spot in the Class of 2012 by clicking here.

Granato, who was a member of the U.S. Women's National Team for 15 years, played a key role in the growth of women's hockey across the world. In her time with the National Team, Granato recorded 343 points (186-157) in 205 games. She achieved international fame by captaining Team USA to the gold medal at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.

The 1998 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team had a powerful impact on the growth of girls' and women's hockey in the United States thanks to the success it enjoyed at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. The team twice defeated arch-rival Canada, including by a 3-1 count in the gold-medal game, en route to winning the first gold medal presented in women's ice hockey at an Olympic Winter Games.

Once voting closes, the public vote totals will be added to the vote totals of Olympians, Paralympians and U.S. Olympic Family members to determine the six Olympians, one Paralympian and one team that will make up the 2012 class. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2012 will be announced in May and inducted on July 12 during an induction ceremony at the Harris Theater in Chicago, Ill.

NOTES: For more information on the voting process, click here. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was established in 1979 to celebrate the achievements of America's premier athletes in the modern Olympic Games. The first U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame class was inducted in 1983 ... The nominee list consists of 18 individual Olympic athletes, five Paralympic athletes and five teams.

USA Hockey Executive Director Dave Ogrean
to Visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey, will be on Capitol Hill Wednesday (Feb. 29) to participate in a panel that will brief members of Congress, congressional staff and the news media, on the positive impact community-based hockey programs have on the development of essential life skills, character and academic success.

The briefing, which is sponsored by the Congressional Hockey Caucus and includes co-chairs Rep. Patrick Meehan (PA), Rep. Brian Higgins (NY), Rep. Lee Terry (NE) and Rep. Mike Quigley (IL), will begin at 2 p.m. EST in Room 2167 of the Rayburn Office Building in Washington, D.C.

Other panelists include Gary Bettman, commissioner of the National Hockey League; Ted Leonsis, chairman of Monumental Sports and Entertainment and the NHL's Washington Capitals; Ed Snider, chairman and founder of Comcast-Spectacor and the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers; and Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., the president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Luke Russert, congressional correspondent for NBC News, will moderate a panel discussion regarding grassroots youth hockey initiatives, cutting-edge curriculum and supplemental education programming designed to build character and academic skills for at-risk inner-city youngsters.

The NHL and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund will also make a special announcement during the event.

U.S. National Sled Hockey Team Posts 1-0-0-2 Record
in Sled Series Against Canada

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team completed a three-game series against Canada this past weekend at the Northtown Center at Amherst in Williamsville, N.Y. Team USA posted a 1-0-0-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record in the series.

"We were up against a tough opponent, but it gave us a great opportunity to evaluate our team," said Jeff Sauer, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. "We need to do a better job of maintaining our composure and discipline to be successful."

The U.S. defeated Canada, 3-2 in a shootout, on Thursday (Feb. 23) night. Nikko Landeros (Berthoud, Colo.) scored the first goal for Team USA and tallied the game-winner in the shootout. Jimmy Connelly (Galloway, N.J.) also recorded a goal in the win. Josh Sweeney (Phoenix, Ariz.) tallied his first goal as a member of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team on Friday (Feb. 24), but Team USA fell to Canada, 3-1. In the series' finale on Saturday (Feb. 25), Kevin McKee (Davenport, Iowa) tallied the lone goal for Team USA in a 5-1 loss.

The weekend series was the final tune-up for the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team before the International Paralympic Committee Sledge Hockey World Championship from March 25-April 1 in Hamar, Norway.

NOTES: For a complete 2011-12 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team roster, click here ... All three games from the weekend series aired live on FASTHockey.com.

Team USA 2012 Sled Series Schedule
Northtown Center at Amherst | Williamsville, N.Y.

Date Opponent Results
Thur., Feb. 23 Canada W, 3-2 (SO)
Fri., Feb. 24 Canada L, 1-3
Sat., Feb. 25 Canada L, 1-5

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On this date in 1860, the first electric tabulating machine was invented by Herman Hollerith.

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Hunt promises 2012 will be best season yet.

Back in action: Bagg ready for 2012.

Riders sign QBs Brennan and Willy.

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

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On this date in 1904 in Washington, DC, a seven-man commission was created to hasten the construction of the Panama Canal.

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Jimmy and one of his finished puzzles.

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On this date in 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first black person to win an Oscar. She won Best Supporting Actress award for her role as Mammy in "Gone with the Wind."

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Today in Elvis History

1968 - At the 10th Annual Grammy Awards Elvis Presley won the Best Sacred Performance of 1967 for the album "How Great Thou Art."

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On this date in 1944, The Office of Defense Transportation, for the second year in a row, restricted attendance at the Kentucky Derby to residents of the Louisville area. This was an effort to prevent a railroad traffic burden during wartime.

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Today in Beatles History:

1972 - At the 10th Annual Grammy Awards Elvis Presley won the Best Sacred Performance of 1967 for the album "How Great Thou Art."

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On this date in 1952, in New York City, four signs were installed at 44th Street and Broadway in Times Square that told pedestrians when to walk.

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Today in Sports History:

1964 - Dawn Fraser got her 36th world record. The Australian swimmer was timed at 58.9 seconds in the 100-meter freestyle in Sydney, Australia.

1972 - Hank Aaron signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves for $200,000 a year.

1980 - Gordie Howe (Hartford Whalers) became the first NHL player to score 800 goals. It was his 1,000th regular season game.

1992 - The Professional Spring Football League began operations.

1992 - Ray Bourque scored his 1,000th career point. He was only the third NHL defenseman to score 1,000 career points.

1996 - The Dallas Mavericks set an NBA record with 18 3-pointers in a game. They also set a record with 12 3-pointers in a half.

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On this date in 1972, Jack Anderson revealed a memo written by ITT's Washington lobbyist, Dita Beard, that connected ITT's funding of part of the Republican National Convention.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers 7:30pm EST

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks at Sunrise, Florida 1:30pm EST

Nascar Nationwide Series - Bashas' Supermarkets 400 at Phoenix International Raceway 4:00pm EST

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway 2:30pm EST

Monday --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Ottawa Senators 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals 7:00pm EST

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 5:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Carolina Hurricanes 7:00pm EST

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas M otor Speedway 2:30pm 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!

This just in....

Montreal Canadiens legend Jean Beliveau suffers stroke

From the Canadian Press

MONTREAL - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is sending wishes for a speedy recovery to Canadiens legend Jean Beliveau.

Beliveau is in a Montreal hospital after suffering a stroke.

Harper said in a statement from Ottawa today that Beliveau is a great Canadian and a remarkable ambassador for Canada's national sport.

The Montreal Canadiens say the 80-year-old Hall of Famer was admitted to hospital after having the stroke Monday evening.

The NHL team says Beliveau is currently being examined and undergoing treatment.

Beliveau played his entire NHL career-20 seasons-with the Habs before hanging up his skates in 1971.

He won 10 Stanley Cups.

It's Tuesday

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

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Today is February 28th, the 59th day of 2012. There are 307 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Preds, Canucks early winners with deadline deals.

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

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My Mom, who passed away back in 1969, would be 90 today. She got me hooked on hockey and I am forever indebted to her for that. Thanks Mom!

That's me, sitting in Mom's lap at a little party for my sister Linda's birthday, sometime in the early '60s.




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Tampa, FL -- Lightning GM Steve Yzerman expected a quiet Trade Deadline day. Things didn't quite turn out that way, though. But Yzerman expressed that the activity, which amounted to three separate trades, was worth it.

"Defensemen are hard to find," he said.

So when he found three of them available Monday, each at the right price, he moved.

Yzerman added veteran Mike Commodore from Detroit, former first-round selection Brian Lee from Ottawa and highly regarded prospect Keith Aulie from Toronto.

Read the rest here.

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Today we're celebrating the following special days: Floral Design Day, National Tooth Fairy Day, Rare Disease Day and Spay Day USA.

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Boston College New 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 - #21(first-place votes in parentheses) Rank School Last Week's Ranking 2011-12 Record Weeks in Top 15 1 Boston College, 504 (31) 2 23-10-1 21 2 University of Minnesota Duluth, 468 (2) 4 22-7-5 21 3 Ferris State University, 418 (1) 1 22-9-5 16 4 Boston University, 399 6 20-11-1 18 5 University of Minnesota, 381 5 23-11-1 20 6 University of Michigan, 372 3 21-11-4 17 7 Union College, 255 8 20-7-7 19 8 UMass Lowell, 249 7 20-10-1 9 9 Miami University, 192 15 21-13-2 5 10 University of Denver, 189 10 19-11-4 20 11 University of Maine, 185 11 19-11-3 6 12 Merrimack College, 158 13 16-9-7 20 13 Cornell University, 106 9 15-7-7 11 14 Michigan State University, 91 14 19-13-4 6 15 University of North Dakota, 87 12 18-12-3 9 Others receiving votes: Northern Michigan University, 14; Western Michigan University, 5; Ohio State University, 4; University of Notre Dame, 2; United States Air Force Academy, 1. NOTES: The Hockey East Association led all conferences with five raned teams, while the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association had four ranked teams and ECAC Hockey had two ranked programs ... A total of 20 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 1827, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad became the first railroad incorporated for commercial transportation of people and freight.

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Bombers release veteran RB Fred Reid.

Bombers announce update on Investors Group Field.

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

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Regular steamboat service to California via Cape Horn arrived in San Francisco for the first time on this date in 1849. The SS California had left New York Harbor on October 6, 1848. The trip took 4 months and 21 days.

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Look out. Jimmy's on the move!

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The U.S. territory of Colorado was organized on this date in 1863.

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Today in Elvis History

1962 - Elvis Presley's "Good Luck Charm" was shipped with "Anything That's Part of You" as the B-side.

1970 - Elvis Presley's album "Portrait in Music" hit #36 in the U.K.

2004 - Elvis Presley was inducted into the Bay Area Blues Society's West Coast Blues Hall of Fame.

2006 - The remastered versions of "Elvis Inspirational", "Elvis Country" and "Elvis Rock" were released.

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On this date in 1885, AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph) was incorporated. The company was capitalized on only $100,000 and provided long distance service for American Bell.

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Today in Beatles History:

1963 - Paul McCartney and John Lennon composed "From Me To You."

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On this date in 1956, a patent was issued to Forrester for a computer memory core.

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Today in Sports History:

1931 - The Canadian Rugby Union adopted the forward pass.

1940 - The first televised basketball game was shown. The game featured Fordham University and the University of Pittsburgh from Madison Square Gardens in New York.

1948 - Bud Gartiser set a world record when he cleared the 50-yard low hurdles in 6.8 seconds.

1967 - Wilt Chamberlain set and NBA record with his 35th consecutive field goal.

1987 - Chick Hearn broadcasted his 2,000th consecutive Los Angeles Laker's game.

1988 - Pat Verbeek became the first New Jersey Devil to score 4 goals in a game.

1998 - Mark Messier (Vancouver Canucks) became the fourth NHL player to score 1,600 points.

1999 - Venus and Serena Williams became the first sisters to win WTA Tour events on the same day.

2002 - It was announced that John Madden would be replacing Dennis Miller on "Monday Night Football." Madden signed a four-year $20 million deal with ABC Sports.

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Mr. Ed, the talking horse from the TV show "Mr. Ed", died on this date in 1979.

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Daytona Beach, FL. -- Matt Kenseth held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle to win the rain-delayed 54th running of the Daytona 500 Monday night at Daytona International Speedway.

Earnhardt ran second, followed by Biffle, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton in a green-white-checkered finish that took the race two laps past its scheduled 200 laps.

A multicar wreck on Lap 188 thinned the herd considerably, taking out a handful of competitive cars. Jamie McMurray spun wildly near the entrance to Turn 1, and the chain-reaction collision wiped out the cars of Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne and Aric Almirola and damaged the machines of pole-sitter Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart.

Read the rest here.

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On this day in 1983, "M*A*S*H" became the most watched television program in history when the final episode aired.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers 7:30pm EST

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks at Sunrise, Florida 1:30pm EST

Nascar Nationwide Series - Bashas' Supermarkets 400 at Phoenix International Raceway 4:00pm EST

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway 2:30pm 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!

This just in....

The rain continues to fall in Daytona Beach and is expected to continue through the afternoon, but start improving by the evening. With that in mind, Nascar has announced they are looking for a 7:02pm EST start time for the 2012 Daytona 500. If they can't run tonight, Nascar still holds Tuesday as a possible option. Nascar.com will have all the details.

Monday Morning Meissnervations

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

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Today is February 27th, the 58th day of 2012. There are 308 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Bishop excited for new opportunity in Ottawa.

Installation begins on Lemieux statue.

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

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Peace Corps Week starts today.

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Newark, NJ -- Martin St. Louis made sure the Tampa Bay Lightning picked up two critical points in the standings on Sunday afternoon.

He even got a little help from his goaltender, too.

St. Louis scored three times and had an assist, and Mathieu Garon made 19 saves to help the Lightning edge out the New Jersey Devils, 4-3, at the Prudential Center.

Read the rest here.

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Today we're celebrating the following special days: Orthodox Green Monday, plus the beginning of Orthodox Lent.

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Moffat: Als prepare defensive counterattack.

Mosaic Stadium getting $14 million upgrade.

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

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On this date in 1700, the Pacific Island of New Britain was discovered.

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Time to put on shoes.

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Dr. William G. Bonwill invented the dental mallet on this date in 1867.

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Today in Elvis History

1962 - Elvis Presley's "Good Luck Charm" was shipped with "Anything That's Part of You" as the B-side.

1963 - Elvis Presley had two dental crowns applied.

1970 - Elvis Presley began three days of performances at the Astrodome in Houston, TX. More than 200,000 people saw the shows.

1971 - Elvis Presley's album "Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) hit #12 in the U.S.

1990 - Milli Vanilli's Rob Pilatus shared his perspective on life with Time magazine. In the interview he said, "Musically, we're more talented than any Bob Dylan or Paul McCartney. Mick Jagger can't produce a sound. I'm the new Elvis."

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On this date in 1883, Oscar Hammerstein patented the first cigar-rolling machine.

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Today in Beatles History:

1965 - "Beatles For Sale" hit number one on the U.K. Record Retailer chart.

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On this date in 1896, the "Charlotte Observer" published a picture of an X-ray photograph made by Dr. H.L. Smith. The photograph showed a perfect picture of all the bones of a hand and a bullet that Smith had placed between the third and fourth fingers in the palm.

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Today in Sports History:

1908 - Major league baseball adopted a sacrifice fly rule for the first time. It was repealed, reinstated and then changed several times before being permanently accepted in 1954.

1912 - The New York Yankees announced that they would be wearing pinstripes on their uniforms.

1963 - Mickey Mantle signed a contact worth $100,000 with the New York Yankees.

1973 - Dick Allen (Chicago White Sox) signed a contract worth $250,000 a year for three years.

1977 - Stan Mikita (Chicago Blackhawks) scored his 500th goal.

1987 - The NCAA cancelled SMU's (Southern Methodist University) entire 1987 football schedule for gross violations of NCAA rules on athletic corruption.

1996 - The Chicago Bulls reached 50 victories in 56 games to set an NBA record.

2001 - The New Jersey Devils began a streak of 10 consecutive road wins to tie the NHL record.

2002 - The Houston Astros announced that they had struck a deal with Enron to buy back the naming rights of their ballpark for $2.1 million. The ballpark would be called "Astros Field" until a new sponsor came along.

2003 - Emmitt Smith became a free agent for the first time when the Dallas Cowboys released him.

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The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the 19th Amendment that guaranteed women the right to vote on this date in 1922.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- History came to the Daytona 500 on Sunday, but not the kind that NASCAR wanted to make. For the first time in the event's long history, weather forced the postponement of the Great American Race to Monday.

After battling intermittent showers all day, NASCAR officials announced shortly after 5 p.m. local time that the 54th running of the Daytona 500 had been pushed back to noon Monday because of weather. Although NASCAR's showcase event had been shortened four previous times due to the elements, it had never been completely postponed -- until Sunday, when a gloomy forecast into the evening prevented any attempt at running the race under the lights.

The rescheduled event will air on Fox, and tickets will be available at the gate or the Daytona ticket office.

Read the rest here.

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On this day in 1999, Colin Prescot and Andy Elson set a new hot air balloon endurance record when they had been aloft for 233 hours and 55 minutes. The two were in the process of trying to circumnavigate the Earth.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway 7:02pm EST

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers 7:30pm EST

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks at Sunrise, Florida 1:30pm EST

Nascar Nationwide Series - Bashas' Supermarkets 400 at Phoenix International Raceway 4:00pm EST

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway 2:30pm 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

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

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Today is February 26th, the 57th day of 2012. There are 309 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Nash's agent breaks silence, hopes for trade soon.

Minnesota Wild trade Marek Zidlicky to Devils, actually get something of value for him.

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

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National Eating Disorders Awareness Week starts today. So do the following weeks: National Secondhand Wardrobe Week and Telecommuter Appreciation Week.

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Pittsburgh, PA. -- The final score of Saturday’s game was indeed one-sided, but perhaps not an accurate reflection of the effort put forth by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Lightning outshot and outchanced the Pittsburgh Penguins, but couldn’t overcome some bad luck as the Bolts fell 8-1 at the CONSOL Energy Center.

Read the rest here.

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Today we're celebrating the following special days: National Personal Chef's Day, Academy Awards Night, For Pete's Sake Day and Levi Strauss Day.

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Landry: Do the new pieces solve Argos' puzzle?

Eskimos release veteran O-lineman Fiacconi.

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

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On this date in 1863, U.S. President Lincoln signed the National Currency Act.

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Jimmy eats breakfast.

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In Arizona, the Grand Canyon was established as a National Park with an act of the U.S. Congress on this date in 1919.

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Today in Elvis History

1958 - Elvis Presley finished recording the song "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck." He added the piano part and guitar back-slap percussion part. The song was released in April 1958 with "Doncha' Think It's Time" as the flip side.

1964 - Elvis Presley arrived at Paramount to begin pre-production on the movie "Roustabout."

1966 - U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson visited Elvis Presley on the set of the movie "Spinout."

2007 - The 36-track "Readymade Digs Elvis" was released.

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On this date in 1930, New York City installed traffic lights.

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Today in Beatles History:

1970 - The Beatles album "Beatles Again" was released in the U.S. It contained the song "Hey Jude."

1987 - Capitol Records released the first four Beatles albums on CD.

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A ground-breaking ceremony was held at Crissy Field for the Golden Gate Bridge on this date in 1933.

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Today in Sports History:

1935 - The New York Yankees released Babe Ruth. Ruth signed with the Boston Braves for $20,000 and a share in the team's profits.

1981 - Edgar F. Kaiser, Jr. purchased the Denver Broncos from Gerald and Allan Phillips.

1985 - Julius Erving (Philadelphia 76ers) became the third on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

1989 - The New York Yankees announced that Tom Seaver would be their new TV sportscaster.

1997 - Philadelphia's "Legion of Doom" line scored 15 points against the Ottawa Senators.

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"Flatbush" debuted on CBS-TV on this date in 1979.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- In a weekend of unlikely winners, James Buescher took the checkered flag under caution in Saturday's Drive4COPD 300 Nationwide Series race with wreckage from the cars of the likely winners strewn behind him in Turn 4 at Daytona International Speedway.

Buescher, a first-time winner in the series, took advantage of a last-lap wreck involving front-runners Trevor Bayne, Tony Stewart, Elliott Sadler, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch to score the victory, one day after rookie John King won his first Camping World Truck Series race in his first trip to Daytona.

Brad Keselowski dodged the wreck to finish second, with Elliott Sadler coming home third. Rookies Cole Whitt and Austin Dillon ran fourth and fifth, respectively.

Read the rest here.

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On this day in 1998, a Texas jury rejected an $11 million lawsuit by Texas cattlemen who blamed Oprah Winfrey for price drop after on-air comment about mad-cow disease.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway 12:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils 1:00pm EST

Monday --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers 7:30pm EST

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks at Sunrise, Florida 1:30pm EST

Nascar Nationwide Series - Bashas' Supermarkets 400 at Phoenix International Raceway 4:00pm EST

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway 2:30pm 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

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

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Today is February 25th, the 56th day of 2012. There are 310 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Deadline Diner: Carter in fold, Kings dealing Brown?.

Islanders place veteran Rolston on waivers.

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

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Edward Willet displayed the first trained monkey act in the U.S. on this date in 1751.

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Pittsburgh, PA. -- AThe Tampa Bay Lightning hit the ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins today..

Read the preview right here.

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International Sword Swallowers Day is today.

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Fifth Annual Hockey Weekend Across America A Resounding Success

More than 6,000 Boys and Girls Try Hockey for First Time,
NBC's 'Hockey Day in America' Showcases Game to Millions


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The fifth annual Hockey Weekend Across America, presented by Reebok, concluded last Sunday (Feb. 19) and was a success on all fronts. The nationwide event, which took place Feb. 17-19, was a three-day celebration of the sport of hockey that included hundreds of thousands of fans wearing their favorite hockey jerseys, some 6,000 boys and girls trying hockey for the very first time, millions of viewers watching NBC's Hockey Day in America coverage, and associations across the country celebrating their local hockey heroes.


"Hockey Weekend Across America was a resounding success" said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. "The participation of fans, associations, leagues and teams at all levels of the game was fantastic and continues to grow."

Each of the three days associated with Hockey Weekend Across America had 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.

On Friday, Feb. 17, USA Hockey directed 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. Fans also tweeted pictures throughout the day using the hashtag #HWAA, and additional photos from throughout the weekend were posted on Reebok Hockey's Facebook page. Select photos will be featured in an upcoming edition of USA Hockey Magazine, the world’s most widely distributed hockey magazine.

On Saturday, Feb. 18, some 6,000 young kids from across the nation were introduced to hockey for the first time during Try Hockey for Free events. Joe Louis Arena, the home of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, hosted "24 Hours of Hockey," which started one minute past midnight on Friday night/Saturday morning. The event featured a USA Hockey American Development Model clinic and two, one-hour free Try Hockey for Free clinics on Saturday morning, in addition to games throughout the day from all age levels.

In honor of "Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes" day on Sunday, Feb. 19, local teams and associations honored their heroes in various ways. In addition, fans posted stories, photos or videos of their hockey heroes to USA Hockey's Facebook wall to share with the world.

Also on Sunday, for the second straight year, NBC presented its "Hockey Day in America" coverage from 12 - 9 p.m. EST. Coverage included an NHL doubleheader on NBC and content throughout the broadcast that showcased all levels of hockey in the United States. Sunday evening, NBC Sports Network continued the coverage with a third NHL broadcast.

A new component to Hockey Weekend Across America gave aspiring young officials a chance to meet with their NHL counterparts. At each home NHL game in an American city during Hockey Weekend Across America, two young officials met the NHL officials working the particular contest prior to the game and stayed to watch those NHL officals in action. For more information on the officials program, click here.

"This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I definitely will never forget," said Nick Penberthy, who participated in the program in Buffalo. "I acquired awesome insight into the life of an NHL referee as well as tips in general that I will use as I continue to officiate games."

USA Hockey sponsored several contests and giveaways throughout the weekend. The three winners of the Hockey Weekend Across America "Get Your Gear On Sweepstakes" were Jose Casillas (Buffalo, N.Y.), Glenn Gaus (Hillsdale, N.J.) and Deb Filipiak (Belmont, Mich.). Each of the three will receive head-to-toe equipment packages from Reebok Hockey.

In addition, Josh Getzoff (Ithaca, N.Y.) was randomly selected and won a 1960 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team replica jersey and a USA Hockey prize pack for using the #HockeyHero hashtag on Twitter. Several other prizes were also awarded through trivia contests and giveaways on Sunday on the USA Hockey Twitter page.

NOTES: 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 ... Thirteen college hockey games were televised live during the weekend ... Several prominent American figures were interviewed on XM/Sirius' Hockey This Morning. To listen to the interviews, click here ... A snapshot of events held across the country in celebration of Hockey Weekend Across America can be found here ... The NHL Network aired special coverage during Hockey Weekend Across America, including a special tribute to the NHL's highest-scoring American-born player titled "Mike Modano: American Icon" ... A giant Team USA jersey, spanning 20 feet by 20 feet, was on hand for fans to sign at the Wells Fargo WinterSkate outdoor rink in St. Paul, Minn., in support of the U.S. Women's National Team which will host the International Ice Hockey Federations Women's World Championship in Burlington, Vt., from April 7-14.

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IN THEATERS - Act of Valor; Gone; Good Deeds; Wanderlust.

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Cauz: Defending Winnipeg's free agency approach.

Nye: Did Riders win free agency war?

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

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On this date in 1793, the department heads of the U.S. government met with U.S. President Washington for the first Cabinet meeting on U.S. record.

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It's puzzle time.

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Samuel Colt received a patent for a "revolving gun" on this date in 1836.

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Today in Elvis History

1957 - It was announced that Elvis would receive $250,000 and 50% of the net profits for his third movie for MGM.

1961 - In Memphis, TN, Elvis Presley made his first concert appearance since 1958. During the show he was presented with a plaque by RCA to mark record sales of 76 million worldwide.

1967 - Elvis Presley's "Indescribably Blue" hit #33 in the U.S.

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The state of Oregon became the first state to place a tax on gasoline on this date in 1919. The tax was 1 cent per gallon.

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Today in Beatles History:

1943 - This day was commonly thought to be George Harrison's birthday. In 1992, Harrison was reported to have said, "I only learned recently after all these years that the date and time of my own birth have always been off by one calendar day and about a half hour on the clock."

1963 - The Beatles released their first U.S. single "Please Please Me."

1992 - Yoko Ono's box set "Onobox" was released.

2003 - The album "Songs from the Material World - A Tribute to George Harrison" was released.

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The first aircraft carrier, Ranger, was launched on this date in 1933.

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Today in Sports History:

1940 - The New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens played in the first hockey game to be televised in the U.S. The game was aired on W2WBS in New York with one camera in a fixed position. The Rangers beat the Canadiens 6-2.

1941 - The Boston Bruins set an NHL record after going 23 games unbeaten. Their record during the stretch was 15-0-8.

1951 - The first Pan American Games opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

1957 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that baseball was the only professional sport exempt from antitrust laws.

1964 - Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) became heavyweight-boxing champion in an upset victory over Sonny Liston.

1978 - O.J. Simpson was a guest on "Saturday Night Live."

1981 - The Boston Bruins and the Minnesota North Stars set a record for most penalties in a game. There were 84 penalties that totaled 392 minutes.

1989 - Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, fired head coach Tom Landry after a 29-year career.

1995 - Major league baseball announced that regular season games would be played in Hawaii for the first time.

2002 - Jayson Williams, the former NBA star, surrendered to New Jersey police. He was charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of Costas Christofi. Christofi was killed by a shotgun that was recklessly handled by Williams. Williams was released on $250,000 bail.

2005 - It was announced that the Walt Disney Co. had agreed to sell the Anaheim Mighty Ducks to billionaire Henry Samueli and his wife Susan. Samueli's company was the operator of Arrowhead Pond, the Mighty Ducks' home arena.

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"Your Show of Shows" debuted on NBC on this date in 1950.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nascar Nationwide Series -- Drive4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway 12:00pm EST

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

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway 12:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils 1:00pm EST

Monday --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers 7:30pm EST

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks at Sunrise, Florida 1:30pm EST

Nascar Nationwide Series - Bashas' Supermarkets 400 at Phoenix International Raceway 4:00pm EST

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway 2:30pm 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

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

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Today is February 24th, the 55th day of 2012. There are 311 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Kings land Jeff Carter in deal with Jackets.

No contact, but Crosby joins Pens for practice.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Actor Abe Vigoda (Barney Miller, Fish) is 91; Rocker George Thorogood is 62; Actor Billy Zane (Titanic) is 46; Tennis player Lleyton Hewitt is 31.

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Winnipeg, MB. -- A furious rally by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night was reminiscent of a similar surge that in recent weeks has vaulted the team back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Only this time, the effort fell just short.

Teddy Purcell and Martin St. Louis scored a pair of goals 46 seconds apart in the game’s final minute to chip away at a four-goal deficit, but it proved too little, too late, as the Lightning fell 4-3 to the division-rival Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre, snapping the club’s three-game win streak.

Read the rest here.

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Texas Cowboy Poetry Week starts today.

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Stephen: Stamps focus on internal improvements.

Winnipeg acquires punter Eric Wilbur.

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

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If you're a fan of oldies music, bookmark this site: Goodguy radio.com. It'll be manned by on-air personalities from the former 910AM KISN, which ruled the Portland, Oregon airwaves in the 60s and 70s. Friend them via their Facebook page and read all about them right here. They're in test mode right now and they'll be up and running for real at 10pm EST tonight. Keep on KISN!

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Wanna play ball Daddy?

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According to E-Poll Market Research, Oprah Winfrey is the most influential celebrity around. While people might not be watching Oprah's network, they still care about what she thinks and does.

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Today in Elvis History

1957 - Elvis Presley recorded the song "Loving You." The song was released in June 1957 as a single with "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear."

1962 - Elvis Presley's single for "Rock-A-Hula Baby" with the b-side "Can't Help Falling In Love" hit #1 in the U.K.

1968 - Elvis Presley's single for "Guitar Man" hit #43 in the U.S.

1992 - The U.S. Postal Service unveiled 2 versions of its proposed Elvis stamp for fans to vote on. The younger Elvis design won and was issued on January 8, 1993.

1998 - The Elvis Presley compilation album "A Touch of Platinum" was released.

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OSCAR TIME - The Academy Awards are Sunday night. The Best Picture nominees are:

_ The Artist
_ The Descendants
_ Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
_ The Help
_ Hugo
_ Midnight in Paris
_ Moneyball
_ The Tree of Life
_ War Horse

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Today in Beatles History:

1943 - George Harrison was born in Wavertree, Liverpool. In 1992, Harrison stated, "I only learned recently after all these years that the date and time of my own birth have always been off by one calendar day and about a half hour on the clock."

1964 - The Beatles appeared for the 3rd time on "The Ed Sullivan Show." They appeared via tape.

2002 - Paul McCartney dedicated an a cappella rendition of "Yesterday" to George Harrison during a tribute concert at Liverpool's Empire Theater.

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A new study shows that it's a horrible idea for most couples who have broken up to then get back together. [I wonder if Rihanna knows about this study.]

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Today in Sports History:

1932 - Malcolm Campbell set a Daytona speed record when he went 253.96 mph.

1937 - Lou Gehrig did a screen test for the role of Tarzan. Johnny Weissmuller eventually got the part.

1980 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) became the first player in NHL history to score 100 points in a season before the age of 20.

1980 - In Lake Placid, NY, the U.S. hockey team defeated Finland 4-2 to win the gold medal at the Winter Olympic Games.

1982 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) scored his 77th goal of the season to break the NHL record of 76 held by Phil Esposito. Gretzky ended up with 92 goals for the season and 212 points. He was the first player to finish a season with more than 200 points.

1987 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, of the Los Angeles Lakers, got his first three-point shot in the NBA.

1993 - Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings) scored his 1,000th career point.

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An Illinois office supply company (Paper Mate) says its national survey found 100 percent of respondents admitted to stealing pens from colleagues. The survey found 78 percent of respondents admitted to stealing pens by accident while 22 percent admitted to taking pens on purpose.

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Daytona Beach, FL. -- Three months off and a crew chief change haven't slowed Tony Stewart.

In the first of two Gatorade Duel 150-mile qualifying races Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, Stewart took the checkered flag under caution a half-lap after Danica Patrick -- the driver he hired for a 10-race Sprint Cup schedule -- took a vicious hit against the inside wall on the backstretch.

Escaping an attempted block from Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth took the lead on the final lap of the second Duel -- a caution-free race -- and held off Regan Smith for the win.

Read the rest here.

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Harry Potter author JK Rowling is releases a new book for adults. The title, release date and details about the novel were not announced. Her seventh and final Potter story came out in 2007.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

Nothin' Doin'

Nascar Nationwide Series -- Drive4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway 12:00pm EST

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

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway 12:00pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils 1:00pm EST

Monday --

Nothin' Doin'

Tuesday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens 7:30pm EST

Wednesday --

Nothin' Doin'

Thursday --

Nothin' Doin'

Friday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers 7:30pm EST

Saturday --

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Palm Beach Hawks at Sunrise, Florida 1:30pm EST

Nascar Nationwide Series - Bashas' Supermarkets 400 at Phoenix International Raceway 4:00pm EST

Sunday --

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway 2:30pm 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!