Shibrowski to Colorado College....This Season!!

It appears that Express goalie Mike Shibrowski will be leaving the team after Christmas. He will be joining the Colorado College Tigers of the WCHA. Read the article here: http://cchockey.freedomblogging.com/2009/12/17/tigers-will-add-another-goalie-after-break/5255/ .

My take: I didn't see this one coming. Obviously, this is a great opportunity for Mike, and another name to add to the impressive list of of Express alumni playing Division 1 hockey. However, this leaves the Express (once again) looking for a goalie mid-season. Shibby was a great find by the Express this summer, and his play this season made us forget about losing Freddie Bergman to Division 1 UNO right before the season started.

Looks like it is time for Coach Cullen to pull another rabbit out of his hat, and find a stud goalie. (which he might have already done with last week's addition of Michael Webb).

See you at the rink.

--BK

Saturday Night - Express vs Thunder......Maybe??....Probably??

The Express scored a big win Friday night against the Outlaws. The second in as many nights, and most importantly, they won both games in regulation. 4 points in the standings for the good guys, and 0 points for the other guys. Had these two games gone the other way, the Express could have been relegated to 3rd place in the standings, but now they have opened up a 7 point lead over the Outlaws. Unfortunately, the 1st place Bismarck Bobcats also won twice, and still lead our favorite junior hockey team by 4 points. However, the Express have 5 games in hand on the Bobcats and actually have a better winning percentage. I'll have more to say about the Bobcats in the next couple of days.

Next up for the Express is a Saturday match up with the beleaguered Albert Lea Thunder. (If you're not up to speed on the Thunder situation, read down a few posts and catch up.) The Thunder organization had until midnight Friday evening to pay the $400,000 fine imposed by the NAHL, or possibly get the death penalty. This article from americanjuniorhockey.com, makes it sound like Saturday night's game will be played no matter what happened at the midnight deadline:
http://www.americanjuniorhockey.com/2009/11/commish-to-thunder-coach-circle-wagons.html . So grab your horns and cowbells, and come cheer the Express to another victory and a 6 point weekend.

The Thunder situation should probably be settled before next weekend. From what I have gathered, these are the possible outcomes:

1. Thunder owner Barry Soskin gets out the checkbook and scribbles out a number with quite a few zeroes behind it. The Thunder continue to play, and a search for new ownership starts. My take: Whether or not Soskin pays the fine, there is no way the league should allow him to remain as the owner of the Thunder (or any other team for that matter). Big Kahuna's probability: 5%

2. The league swings the death penalty ax, and disbands the team. The current Thunder roster is broken up via a dispersal draft, and the season goes on without the Thunder. My take: This option would have to be viewed as a last resort for the league. The ramifications of disbanding a team mid season are far-reaching. It's not fair to the opponents still on their schedule, it's not fair to the people of Albert Lea, and it's not fair to the Thunder players who earned their spot on the roster the right way. Not to mention that it is a big black eye to the NAHL as a whole. I don't like this option at all, but there is a few Thunder players I wouldn't mind seeing in an Express sweater. Big Kahuna's probability: 30%

3. The NAHL kicks Soskin to the curb, and takes over the Thunder organization for the rest of the season. My take: Probably the most appealing solution for everybody involved. I am not a great NAHL history mind, but it's my understanding that this has happened before. This would allow the players to finish out the season, and buy some time for a local ownership group to get organized. Big Kahuna's probability: 65%


Anyway you slice it, if the Thunder franchise has any hope for success in Albert Lea, they need to completely clean house, and start over. Let's hope the league finds a way to do that. To the fans of the Thunder and the people of Albert Lea: Keep your chins up, put your heads together, and fight to keep junior hockey in your town. Junior hockey in Owatonna was in dire straights a year and a half ago, but we fought and persevered, and are now beginning to reap the fruits of our labor. Off the ice, I'm rooting for you. On the ice, step off the tracks, because the Express train is coming through!!

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Brian Schack Article from the Star Tribune

There is a nice little article on former Southern Minnesota Express player Brian Schack in Friday's Minneapolis Star Tribune. You can read it here: http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/70578992.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUo8cyaiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr .

Schack was a member of the expansion Express team back in 2005-06, and a big contributor during the run to a third place finish at the Robertson Cup.

--BK

Roster Movement Today

The Express made a couple of roster moves today. Forward Chris Westin was released, and his roster spot (along with his jersey number) were filled by the addition of defenseman Patrick Borer.

Borer comes to the Express after spending the early part of this season with the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL. He is 5'8" and 170 lbs, a 1990 birth year, and is from Golden Valley, Minnesota. He played high school hockey at Benilde-St Margaret's, and is already committed to play his college hockey at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

The Express have been a little shorthanded defensively this season. Injuries to Ben Montgomery and Joe Schmitz have limited Coach Cullen's options on the blueline to the point that forward Jordan Tredinnick has been playing as a defenseman recently.

Welcome to Owatonna Pat, I look forward to seeing you in action this weekend.

--BK

The Excrement has hit the Ventilator in Albert Lea - **Updated**

To begin with, I realize it has been almost a month since I have updated the blog. Quite honestly, I have become really bored with the whole process, and there really hasn't been anything worth writing about...................Until last night!!

First of all, read the following articles to get up to speed:

http://www.albertleatribune.com/news/2009/nov/19/league-finds-albert-lea-thunder-allowed-pay--play/

http://www.americanjuniorhockey.com/2009/11/minnesota-meltdown-nahl-roster-spots.html

There have been whispers of improprieties swirling around the Thunder franchise since their inception early in the summer of 2008. Anybody that was paying attention knew that something wasn't right with our neighbors to the south. So, it's not a surprise that this happened, but what is a surprise is the NAHL's response. The league is throwing the book at the Thunder, and I would speculate the future of the franchise is in grave danger.

This story broke less than 24 hours ago, so I'm sure plenty more details will come out in the coming days.


My take: I just don't see a scenario where this gets resolved in a way that keeps the Thunder in Albert Lea. I hope I am wrong, but I think it's just a matter of time until the team folds. Do they make it through the rest of this season, or have we seen the last of the Thunder??

By the way, the Express are scheduled to play the Thunder Saturday night in Albert Lea. Should be an interesting night at the rink.


The article from the Albert Lea Tribune has been updated with a bunch more information, so click on the link above and re-read the article. It names the players involved, and the parents who blew the whistle to the league officials.

I am not sure what was more idiotic, instituting a pay-for-play system, or actually putting it in writing in the form of a contract. I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but this looks like a pretty cut and dried case.

We have had a lot of fun at the Thunder's expense over the last year and a half, but I really feel bad for everyone not directly involved in this scandal: The fans of the Thunder, the people of Albert Lea, Coach Brad Zangs, and the players who earned their spot the correct way. You deserved much better than this. If the hammer falls, and the Thunder fold, feel free to jump on the Express bandwagon, we'll make room. Wouldn't it be nice to root for a winning team for a change, plus we have one big thing in common: a dislike for the North Iowa Outlaws.

I hope to see the Express get a win Saturday night in Albert Lea, but I will be disappointed if any of the pay-for play guys are in uniform.

--BK

You had to see it to believe it!!

From the you had to see it to believe it department, I bring you Saturday night's shootout victory over the Outlaws.

For the fourth straight game, the Express lead the game, and for the fourth straight game, the Express blew that lead, giving up the equalizer with just over a minute left in regulation. After a scoreless overtime period, the Express were trailing the Outlaws by one goal entering the fifth and final round of the shootout. In a must score situation, Express captain Cory Thorson picked up the puck at center ice and skated towards Outlaw goalie Paul Moberg. As Moberg skated out of the goal to cut down the angle, he tripped and fell to the ice. As he struggled to get back to his feet, Thorson quickly accelerated around the left side and deposited the puck in the empty net to tie the score. The Outlaws still had a chance to clinch the victory, but Express goalie Mike Shibrowski stoned Markus Gander to force a sixth round. Chris Darnell immediately scored to put the Express ahead, and Shibrowski stopped Cory Belisle to give the Express the win and the all important 2nd point.

What can you say but "wow"? It looked like our favorite junior hockey team was going to lose their second straight game, but the hockey gods intervened. A win is a win, but the boys in blue need to start holding onto a lead when they have one.

Next up for the Central Division leading Express is a Friday night rematch with the Outlaws. It will be a special night at the rink as the Express "Join the Fight" against breast cancer. The Express will be wearing pink jerseys that will be auctioned off immediately following the game. Don't miss out on your chance to buy a piece of Express history.

--BK

Express vs Alexandria - 10/17/2009

We did a live chat during the game tonight, and will probably do it again in the future. Check back the next time the Express are on the road.

Gutty performance by the Express tonight to recover from a late Blizzard goal in regulation, and win the game in the shootout. Dan Cecka and Schyler Adams scored for the Express in the shootout, and Mike Shibrowski stopped 4 out of 5 Blizzard attempts, and our favorite junior hockey team picks up 2 important points in the standings.

One more game to go Sunday night against the Bobcats. Can the Express make it a 6 point weekend??

See you at the rink.

--BK

Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - 10/13/2009

Now that we're a ways into the season, I figured it was time to take a stab at some NAHL power rankings.

1. Wenatchee Wild
2. St Louis Bandits
3. Topeka Roadrunners
4. Marquette Rangers
5. Owatonna Express
6. Traverse City North Stars
7. Alaska Avalanche
8. Texas Tornado
9. Springfield Jr Blues
10. Alexandria Blizzard
11. Fairbanks Ice Dogs
12. North Iowa Outlaws
13. Motor City Metal Jackets
14. Bismarck Bobcats
15. Wichita Falls Wildcats
16. Janesville Jets
17. Alpena Ice Diggers
18. Kenai River Brown Bears
19. Albert Lea Thunder

Do you agree?? Do you disagree?? Do you think I'm an idiot?? Do you think I have too much time on my hands?? Let me know in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Dan Cecka = POTW & Darnell Update

- Express forward Dan Cecka was named the Central Division Player of the Week. Check out the article on the official Express website or at NAHL.com.

- On the Express Coaches Show tonight, Cullen said the leg injury to forward Chris Darnell was an ankle and knee sprain. He didn't have a timeline for his return, but nothing was broken. This is good news considering how bad it initially looked when he went off the ice last Saturday evening.

--BK

Express Dominate Outlaws 5-1

Big win for the Express Saturday night in Mason City. Cory Thorson and Dan Cecka each scored a pair of goals, and Brian McGinty added one, as the Express extended their winning streak to 4 games.

- Not everything went well for the Express Saturday night. Veteran forward Chris Darnell went off the ice in a great deal of pain after sustaining some sort of leg injury. Nick Widing appeared to take a stick to the face, and fellow rookie Blake Schammel was noticeably limping off the ice at the end of the game. Widing returned to the game, but the extent of Darnell and Schammel's injuries are unknown at this point.

- Chris Bournazos missed another game with his knee injury, but looks to be getting better every day. He returned to practice this week, and I would guess might be ready to go for the home opener this weekend.

- Here's the game recap from the Mason City Globe Gazette:
http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2009/10/04/sports/local/doc4ac82d1d6d349134904342.txt#vmix_media_id=6499483
Outlaw coach Garrett Strot had some interesting and complementary things to say about the Express.

- There is a feature article on NAHL.com about Express forward and University of Minnesota recruit Jake Youso. It's a great read, and includes this little gem:

It comes as little surprise that the Golden Gophers coaching staff endorsed Youso’s move to Owatonna and the NAHL. After all, it’s the same place where senior defenseman Brian Schack and former defenseman Stu Bickel, who is now in the Anaheim Ducks organization, polished their skills before becoming mainstays in Minnesota’s lineup.

That statement should be shared with every junior hockey eligible player in the USA. It really says a lot about the strength of the Express program and Coach Cullen, and bodes well for the future of the franchise. Read the article here: http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=1114 .

- This week's "The Other Side of the Tracks with Big Kahuna" should be up Monday on the official Express website.


Next up for the Express is the home opener this Saturday night at the 4 Seasons Centre against the Alexandria Blizzard. Game time is 6:00pm, and following the game is the post game party at the Beer Garden. Make plans now to watch our 1st place team hit the ice in Owatonna for the first time this year.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

The Worst Kept Secret in the History of the Express

For the few people who haven't already heard this through the grapevine, forward Dan Cecka is back with the Express. Once again, the chants of Cecka, Cecka, Cecka, will ring out through the 4 Seasons Centre. Cecka came to the Express around half way through last season. He averaged over a point per game with the Express, scoring 15 goals and 15 assists in 26 games. The line of Stephen Carew, John Kruse, and Cecka were an offensive force for our favorite junior hockey team. Cecka started this season with the Omaha Lancers in the USHL.

Another new addition to the Express announced today, was the addition of defenseman Joe Schmitz from the Sioux City Musketeers. Schmitz is 6'2"/200lbs, a 1991 birth year, and is from Lino Lakes, Minnesota. He is recovering from a shoulder injury, and I'm not sure of his playing status at this juncture.

Of course with the addition of new players, there is the unfortunate subtraction of existing players. To make room on the roster, the Express released defenseman John Kirby. Good luck chasing the dream somewhere else, John.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Dusty Jackson Update

Former Southern Minnesota Express forward Dustin Jackson will likely miss this entire season after having surgery to repair a broken leg he suffered in a scrimmage late last week. Jackson is entering his junior year at the University of Denver, and would have been a big contributor to the Pioneers this season. Read the article here: http://letsgodu.blogspot.com/2009/09/dusty-jackson-out-for-season-with.html .

Jackson spent the 2006/2007 season in Owatonna as part of the 2nd season of the Southern Minnesota Express. He scored one of the biggest goals in Express history with the game-winner in the third overtime to clinch the 2007 Central Division Playoff Championship and send the Express to their 2nd straight Robertson Cup. (Interesting side note: current Express defenseman Nick Carson was also in uniform for that game)

Get well soon Dusty, and good luck next year.


See you at the rink.

--BK

David Kurbatsky Update

Express alum David Kurbatsky was named Cyclone Player of the Week following his performance in Iowa State University's two game sweep over the University of Missouri last weekend. Seeing his first collegiate action as a freshman at Iowa State, he tallied a hat trick in both victories for the Cyclones. Read the article here: http://www.cyclonehockey.com/pdf/9-20-09POW-DavidKurbatsky.pdf .

Kurbatsky joined the Express midway through the 2008/2009 season, playing in 30 regular season games and all 9 playoff games. A 1988 birth year, Kurbatsky was out of junior hockey eligibility, and decided to play his college hockey at perennial ACHA powerhouse Iowa State. He will be teammates with former Southern Minnesota Express forward Derek Kohles.

My take: As a fan of the Express and a proud graduate of Iowa State University, I couldn't be happier for David. 2 games....2 hat tricks....2 victories, not much more needs to be said.


The latest episode of The Other Side of the Tracks with Big Kahuna is up on the official Express website. Read it here: http://expressjrhockey.pointstreaksites.com/view/expressjrhockey/home-page/big-kahuna .


See you at the rink.

--BK

What a Difference a Week Makes

Last Saturday night, our favorite junior hockey team was embarrassed in Albert Lea by a team coming off a 4 win season. Fast forward to Wednesday afternoon, and the Express struggled to score goals in a 4-2 loss to the expansion Janesville Jets. What is going on?? Has the Express train derailed??

Fastforward 3 more days, and the Express returned from Blaine late last night in 1st place in the Central Division. Chris Westin and Jake Youso scored in the shootout, and Express goalie Mike Shibrowski stopped 4 out of 5 shots as the Express beat the Alaska Avalanche 2-1 to wrap up the 2009 NAHL Showcase.

Historically, the Express have always struggled in the Showcase, and didn't get off to a good start this year with the loss the Jets. However, they then played the 3 time defending Robertson Cup Champion St Louis Bandits even before losing in a shootout. Following that was an overtime victory over the Texas Tornado, who will always be a tough beat with Coach Tony Curtale behind the bench.

Yes, it's early, but it sure is nice to not leave the Showcase looking up from the bottom of the standings.

Observations:

- The #1 line of Porter/Thorson/Youso is going to give opposing coaches fits this season. They carried the Express scoring effort thus far, and should only get better as they get used to playing with each other.

- Stat of the Day: Points scored through the first 5 games by Express players with previous junior hockey experience: 14 goals with 21 assists for a total of 35 points. Points scored through the first 5 games by Express players with no previous junior experience: 1 assist. You would expect the veterans to outperform the rookies at the beginning of the season, but 35 to 1?? But do you want to know the best part?? It doesn't worry me at all, because when the rookies start scoring, this team will be scary good.

- Veteran forward Chris Bournazos missed the Alaska game with a lower body injury. He also was the recipient of a vicious cheap shot at the end of the Janesville game. He is probably quite happy that the Showcase is in the rear-view mirror.

- Much like last season, the special teams units have struggled early in the season. Not to worry though, as the boys in blue will adjust to the Cullen method of hockey, and will be just fine.


Next up for the Express is a return trip this Saturday to Albert Lea for a rematch with the Thunder. Something tells me the result will be different this time around.

It was a pleasure getting to meet some of you guys in Blaine, and I look forward to a great season of Express hockey.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Postgame Report: Janesville Edition

Much better performance today from the boys in blue, but the final result still ended up in the wrong column of the standings.

The biggest problem in the 4-2 loss to the Jets was an unproductive power play. The Express controlled the play for much of the game, but couldn't manage to capitalize on 7 of their man advantage situations. The second Express goal did go down as a power play goal, but that goal was do solely to individual effort on the part of Express forward Brian McGinty. A Jet player had the puck to the left of their goalie, while his teammates were breaking out of the zone. McGinty checked the Jet player off of the puck, swooped around the back of the goal, and scored the unassisted goal on Jet goalie Matt Wichorek.

Next up for the Express is a 4pm match up on Thursday with the 3 time defending Robertson Cup Champion St Louis Bandits.

See you at the rink.

--BK

I Need Your Help!!

I wanted to mention this on a separate post, so it doesn't get lost at the bottom of my postgame report that I published earlier.


As of right now, there will be no radio broadcast of Express road games. Those of you who tried to tune into the game the other night probably figured that out the hard way. I had heard that this might happen, but didn't know for sure until I noticed there was no Express announcer in the pressbox in Albert Lea on Saturday.

I might have come up with an alternative. There are a lot of details to work out yet, but what I would like to have is a live blog session during some of the away games. If I can make it work, I would probably do this for all of the games against North Iowa and Albert Lea, and maybe some of the Alexandria games. Don't count on me making the trip to Bismarck or Topeka. This whole idea is contingent on being able to get a press pass so I can get internet access and a place to set up my laptop computer. If I can get it worked out, I might even be able to start with this weeks games at the Showcase.

I am planning on using software called "CoverItLive", which you will see in the box below. The next part requires some help from you guys and gals. Tuesday night (the 15th) at 7:00pm, I want to do a test run of the live blogging. What I would appreciate, is if you guys could tune in and ask me some questions, or at least let me know if it is working for you. You don't need to sign up for anything, or download any software, just follow the minimal instructions in the box below. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

See you on Tuesday night at 7pm for the live test blogging.


--BK

Postgame Report

All right, I have had a few days to digest Saturday night's season opener for the Express. What can you say?? The Express laid a giant egg. Obviously, it's way to early to draw much for conclusions from what I saw in Albert Lea a couple of days ago.

Tidbits:

- The loss of Jake Sloat just 2 minutes into the game hurt the Express. He was ejected for fighting after the whistle along with the Thunder player who started the melee. He is a veteran defenseman in his third year of junior hockey and started the game with fellow veteran Marco Fiala. His ejection forced the Express to play with only 5 defenseman the rest of the game, with 2 of those guys in their first NAHL game.

- The Express were also without veteran forward Chris Darnell who missed the game on account of the flu.

- The loss was the first in the history of the Express to the Thunder. The Express went 12-0 against our closest rivals last season.

- Again, it's way to early to draw any major conclusions, but it looks like the Thunder might be a little more competitive this season. As I mentioned several times last season, it is important to the Express to have a healthy rivalry with the Thunder. Let's hope they can take down the Bobcats, Outlaws, and Blizzard a few times this season as well.

- Express forward Cory Thorson laid out one of the Thunder players early in the first period with a crushing check at the blueline. It took several seconds for the Thunder player to clear the cobwebs and limp over to the bench.

- The Thunder staff still haven't figured out how Pointstreak works. Three of the Thunder goals were short-handed, and some of the penalties they inputted just don't jive with what actually happened.

- Former Motor City Machine goalie Joe Rogers was in goal for the Thunder, and looked fairly good between the pipes. Rogers was born without a full right hand, yet is succeeding in the NAHL, and has committed to play college hockey at Notre Dame. Read an article about him here: http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-12/not-your-average-joe .


My take: The Express took one on the chin Saturday night because they gave up 3 short-handed goals, and didn't play their game. As we learned last season, the Thunder want to goon it up, and the Express fell into that trap. There are 57 games remaining, and the cream will rise to the top.


See you at the rink.

--BK

Game On!!!!

"The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step" - Confucius

The 2009/2010 Express begin their journey tonight in Albert Lea with a 7pm match up with the Thunder. The final destination??: Wenatchee, Washington for the 2010 Robertson Cup Championship.

The Thunder have never defeated the Express, and I don't see that changing tonight. Big Kahuna's prediction: Express 4 - Thunder 1



I apologize for the lack of new posts lately but it's been a difficult couple of weeks for me personally. Every once a while life has to kick you in the head (twice) so you appreciate the good times. Rest in peace Grandpa and rest in peace Larry.

See you at the rink.

--BK

2009/2010 Express Roster Released

The moment you have all been waiting for finally arrived this afternoon. The roster has been released. You can view the roster on the official Express website here:
http://nahlowatonna.stats.pointstreak.com/teamroster.html?teamid=137694&seasonid=4527 .

Obviously there will be plenty more information on the roster, but I will give you just a quick Big Kahuna opinion on this year's version of our favorite junior hockey team.

Goalies:

Mattias Horan - A native of Denmark, he spent last season in France. He was highly coveted by the Wichita Falls franchise, and was set to go to training camp with Wildcats. However, when former Express goalie Freddy Bergman committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha, that opened up a juicy role with the Express, that Mattias jumped on.

Mike Shibrowski - An honorable mention all-state goalie at Benilde - St Margrets as a junior, he finished last season with the Russell Stover AAA program in Kansas City.

Defensemen:

Marco Fiala, Nick Carson, Jake Sloat, and Grant Fahnhorst return from last year. Newcomers joining them are:

Ben Montgomery - He is a cousin of former Express player and current UMD Bulldog Mike Montgomery. Ben comes from the Shattuck St Mary's program in Faribault.

Jake Suter - He is the son of former NHL star Gary Suter, the nephew of 1980 Olypmic team member Bob Suter, and the cousin of current NHLer Ryan Suter.

Connor Quinn - Hailing from Wildwood, Missouri, he played last season with the St Louis Amateur Blues.

John Kirby - The Austin, Minnesota native is the brother of former Express and current Air Force Falcon defenseman Tim Kirby.

Forwards:

Chris Bournazos, Dylan Porter, Chris Darnell, Zach Vierling, Cory Thorson, and Brian McGinty return from last year's squad, and will be joined by 9 newcomers.

Schyler Adams - Comes to the Express from New Prague High School, and was the #11 leading scorer in the entire state of Minnesota as a senior.

Jake Youso - USHL veteran, and committed to the University of Minnesota.

Ben Persian - Played at Orono High School last season. Has a verbal commitment to the Air Force Academy.

Chris Westin - Tied for 8th in scoring in the state of Minnesota last season as a senior at Virginia High School.

Blake Schammel - Tied for 21st in the state of Minnesota in scoring last season at Red Wing High School.

Jason McAloon - A tremendous athlete, he comes to the Express from the Team Illinois AAA program.

Nick Widing - Although he is from Somerset, Wisconsin, he played his high school hockey at Hill-Murray. It just wouldn't be an Express team without a former Hill-Murray guy on the roster.

John Haeg - Tied for 26th in the state in scoring last season at the Academy of Holy Angels.

Jordan Treddinick - Led the state of Wisconsin in scoring his senior year, and was a Wisconsin Mr. Hockey finalist.


My take: It's hard not to be extremely excited about the 25 guys on the roster. Coach Cullen mentioned at the meet & greet that it's going to be real tough to chose the 5 guys who won't dress for each game. This team is highly talented, and will be very dangerous come playoff time. I'm not going to mince words here: Anything less than a Central Division Championship, and a Robertson Cup run will be a disappointment.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Episode 2 - The Other Side of the Tracks

Episode 2 of "The Other Side of the Tracks" is up on the official Express website.

Read it here: http://expressjrhockey.pointstreaksites.com/view/expressjrhockey/home-page-79/big-kahuna

Feel free to leave comments by clicking on the button at the bottom of this post.


Don't forget about the Express Meet & Greet this Sunday:


Owatonna Express 2009/2010 Team Meet & Greet

WHO: All Express fans, volunteers, billet families, player families, sponsors, advertisers and

just plain hockey fans.

WHAT: The 2009/2010 Team Meet & Greet. Meet both returning and new players, their

families, Express fans and volunteers, sponsors, advertisers and everyone waiting

for the start of the new season.

WHERE: Four Season Center park area. Rain location: upstairs mezzanine.

WHEN: Sunday, August 30, 2009, 4:00 PM.

Join the Express family in the State of Hockey on Sunday afternoon, August 30th, for the introductions of both returning and new team players, their families and their billet families. We’ll be discussing the upcoming 2009/2010 season along with the home opener on October 10th against the Alexandria Blizzard. Join us for food and refreshments.


See you at the rink.

--BK

T- Minus 1 Week

Sorry about the lack of updates over the last few weeks. It's the off-season, and the only topic to really talk about is the roster, and that is the one thing I can't/won't talk about.

That's about to change, as the last week of the off-season winds down, and the players report for camp next weekend. It's going to get very busy around here.

What you will see in September on the blog:

- Player profiles of every Express player
- Profile of the new assistant coach
- Preview of the Express' Central Division rivals
- My picks for NAHL division winners and Robertson Cup winner
- Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings
- Pre and Post game coverage of the first 6 Express games
- Much, much more.


If you want to see the new team in person, don't forget the Express Meet & Greet on August 30th at 4pm at the Four Seasons Centre.

See you at the rink.

--BK

When Pigs Fly

Former Express player John Kruse was one of 67 Air Force Academy cadets that contracted the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus during basic training earlier this summer. According to Coach Frank Serratore, he "was not hospitalized and has since recovered". Read a short article here: http://gazetteafasports.freedomblogging.com/2009/08/06/swine-flu-sidelined-hockey-player/2431/ , or a longer article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/us/15flu.html .

Hopefully this doesn't affect his playing status and he's back to 100% by hockey season. It will be cool to see him on the ice with fellow Express alumni Kozlak, Kirby, and Carew. Although every time I bring up the Air Force Academy, it's hard not to think about the giant shaft-job that Kevin Wright is getting from the NCAA. If you're not familiar with that situation, I blogged about it back in June, which you can read here: http://owatonnaexpress.blogspot.com/2009/06/monday-tidbits.html . I did a quick google search, and it looks like nothing has changed this summer in regards to Kevin's situation.


33 days and counting to the regular season opener on September 12th in Albert Lea.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Crouse to the Alexandria Blizzard

Former North Iowa Outlaws head coach Jeff Crouse was hired as assistant coach of the Alexandria Blizzard per the Alexandria newspaper. Read the article here: http://www.echopress.com/event/article/id/67307/ (I think you'll have to register for a free account to read the article).

My take: On the surface this looks like a good hire by new Blizzard head coach Doc DelCastillo. He's bringing in a guy that has several years of coaching experience in the Central Division and has been a head coach in the NAHL. On top of that, I believe Crouse is originally from Alexandria. However, the question that lingers in my mind is: Why did Crouse get fired in North Iowa after only one season?? Yes, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to our favorite junior hockey team, but it's not like the Outlaws had a horrible season. What did the Outlaw's management see that led to his departure??


As the days go by, and I see assistant coach positions being filled throughout the junior hockey world, I am getting progressively more anxious to see who Cullen will hire as the Express assistant coach.


See you at the rink.

--BK

The Other Side of the Tracks - Episode 1

The redesigned Official Express Website is up and running. It's the same address as before, and you can see it here: http://expressjrhockey.org/ .

For those that might be new to the Express, let me point out that I don't own nor operate the official website. The official site has a purpose and goals different from what I have with the blogsite. A lot of the stuff I blog about wouldn't necessarily be appropriate or fit in on the team's official website. I like to think of the blog as being sort of the special features section of the Owatonna Express franchise DVD if you catch my drift.

However, I was asked a few weeks ago if I would be interested in contributing an opinion column that would be a weekly feature on the official website when the new design was launched. The column will be titled "The Other Side of the Tracks with Big Kahuna", and Episode 1 is available for your reading pleasure. It's a brief glimpse into what the roster will look like when training camp opens in just over three weeks. Click here to read: http://expressjrhockey.pointstreaksites.com/view/expressjrhockey/the-other-side-of-the-tracks

Feel free to leave comments on Episode 1 by clicking on the "comments" feature at the bottom of this post.

See you at the rink.

--BK

John Kirby Article

Here's an article from the Austin Daily Herald about new Express defenseman John Kirby:
http://www.austindailyherald.com/news/2009/jun/15/austins-john-kirby-looking-make-splash-hockey-care/

For those fans new to the Express organization, John's older brother Tim played two seasons on the blueline for the Express. Tim's performance led to a Division 1 commitment with the Air Force Academy. John was first introduced to Express fans at tryout camp in the summer of 2008, as an underclassman out of Austin High School. After spending last season with the Russell Stover AAA program in Kansas City, John signed a tender with the Express for the upcoming season.

I'll do a full player profile of John in the next few weeks.



Tidbits:

- Former Express defenseman Anthony Orange is back in the NAHL with the St Louis Bandits. Anthony played a few games at the beginning of last year with the Express, and then spent some time at Illinois State. Anthony was a good kid, and one of the strongest guys on the team last year. We should get to see him play against the Express on day 2 of the Showcase.

- Former Mahoning Valley Phantoms radio announcer Paul Teeple, who is a sporadic contributor to the blog, is taking over the announcer position with the Bismarck Bobcats. You might remember some lively discussion last season about the relative strength amongst the four NAHL divisions. It will be interesting to hear Paul's opinion now that he is in the Central Division. Welcome to the upper midwest Paul.

- Keep an eye out for the newly redesigned Owatonna Express website, which should be launching in the next week. I have heard it will be very cool, and it just might include an opinion column written by a certain guy you might be familiar with.



The dog days of summer are quickly ticking away, and hockey season is on the horizon. Less than one month from today, our favorite junior hockey team will be settling into their billet houses, and getting down to business on the ice. Only 43 days until the regular season opener in Albert Lea.


See you at the rink.


--BK

Showcase Schedule Released

The NAHL finally released the schedule for the 2009 NAHL Showcase. The 4 day event takes place September 16-19 at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota.

September 16 - The Express begin play at the Showcase with a 12:45pm matchup with the NAHL's newest franchise, the Janesville Jets. While Janesville is an expansion franchise, they will have 2 games under their belt, versus 1 for the Express, going into the game.

September 17 - Day 2 of the Showcase has the Express tangling with an old rival, the St Louis Bandits. Actually I don't know if you can call it a rivalry, as the Bandits have had their way with the Express over the years. This game will be an early test for our favorite junior hockey team.

September 18 - Day 3 brings a matchup with the reborn Texas Tornado. The Tornado were dormant last season, and will be starting this season from scratch, but this will be a tough game. The Tornado will be coached by Tony Curtale, who was the coach when they rattled off 3 straight Robertson Cup Championships a few years ago.

September 19 - The Express wrap up the Showcase with a game against the Alaska Avalanche, and former North Iowa Outlaw coach Dave Boitz who is the head coach of the Avalanche. Coach Cullen owned Boitz when he was coaching the Outlaws.


See you at the rink.

--BK

The Members of the 2009/10 Express Roster are....

....going to be released some time in September.

The Owatonna Express Main Tryout Camp concluded today with a final all-star game. All 40 all-stars went through an exit interview following the game. The guys that made the initial roster then met with the billet coordinator and were fitted for their hockey gear. Next up for your 2009/10 Owatonna Express is training camp towards the end of August.

The roster includes a large group of veterans mixed with some exciting young players entering their first year of junior hockey. There are some very definitive trends pertaining to this year's roster, and I will go into much more detail once the roster is made public.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Main Camp Day 1

Day 1 of Express Main Tryout Camp is in the books. It's been a long day, so I'm going to keep this brief.

- University of Minnesota recruit and USHL veteran Jake Youso is in camp. In fact he was playing on the same line as Express veteran Chris Bournazos and fellow draft pick Blake Matejcek.

- Other Express veterans in attendance are Brian McGinty, Nick Carson, and Grant Fahnhorst.

- Draft picks in attendance in addition to Youso and Matejcek are John Haeg, Andy Miller, and Ben Montgomery.

- Former Express defenseman Tim Kirby's brother John is playing on the Black team. Former Express forward Matt Lipinski's brother Sean is playing on the Green Team.

- Mankato West and Rochester Ice Hawk alum Ricky Litchfield is playing on the Gold Team, and looks to be having a good camp thus far.


I'll have plenty more to say on this later. Saturday's agenda includes a pair of games in the morning, starting at 10:00am, followed by a round of cuts to get down to a pair of all-star teams who will face off Saturday evening.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Tryout Camp Preview

First of all, here's the People's Press article about Coach Fink leaving for the USHL: http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=108085 . Make sure you read the whole thing, as there is some good stuff towards the end. Namely:

- Coach Cullen claims he does not have anyone lined up for the assistant coach position yet.

- All-Big 9 Conference forward Devon Grossell, from Winona, is scheduled to be at camp this weekend

- Express forward Cory Thorson apparently confirmed to the OPP that he will be returning to the Express for the upcoming season. Pretty much everybody paying attention already knew this, so it's not necessarily breaking news.


On to new business

Tryout camp starts Friday morning at the 4 Seasons Centre in lovely Owatonna, Minnesota (The 97th best small town to live in in America, according to Money Magazine. Read that article here: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2009/snapshots/PL2749300.html .

Around 80 prospective players will check in Friday morning and be divided into 4 teams. Those teams will each play twice on Friday, and once Saturday morning, before the first round of cuts. The remaining players will then play two All-Star games, one Saturday evening and one Sunday morning. One more round of cuts will give us the final 25-man Owatonna Express roster. Although don't count on seeing that list until September.

The players trying out this weekend are from several groups. There will be a handful of returning veterans from last year, the Express draft picks from May's NAHL Entry Draft, the 7 guys that signed tenders with the Express, and the 30-40 guys that were invited based on their performance at Open Camp back in June. I would guess that there will also be some guys that don't fit into any of those groups, but were invited to camp nonetheless. We'll find out a great deal about the 2009/2010 Express this weekend, just by seeing who shows up for camp.

- Returning veterans - Just because you don't see a guy from last year's team this weekend doesn't mean he won't be back this year. Conversely, just because you see a guy here this weekend, doesn't necessarily mean you will see him this fall in an Express sweater. Some veterans need to earn their spot on the roster, while some earned their roster spot by their performance last season and might be in camp just for the ice-time. Check in tomorrow for more details.

- Draft Picks - Brown, Dolan, Haeg, Matejcek, Miller, Montgomery, O'Leary, Olson, Sarig, Yanis, Youso. I wouldn't expect to see all of these guys, but a majority should be in camp. Olson and O'Leary are currently on 25-Man USHL rosters so will they bother to attend?? The guys I am most interested to see are the 2 guys who were in the USHL last season: Youso and Dolan. They have the potential to play huge roles with the Express this season, and their attendance at tryout camp would tell me they might be hopping aboard the Express train.

- Tendered players - I know the identities of the 7 tendered guys, but am not at liberty to divulge that information at this time. It is a tremendously talented group of hockey players, including a couple of names you will recognize. I would expect most if not all 7 guys will be in attendance this weekend. This group will play a key role in the ultimate success of the 2009/10 season.

- Invitees from Open Camp - If you attended Open Camp back in June, you can probably guess a bunch of the guys that fall into this group. I haven't seen the list that was invited to Main Camp, but we'll find out Friday morning.

- Others - This category is speculation on my part. There have been a lot of tryout camps for a lot of teams, in a lot of different leagues this summer, and sometimes those camps overlap on the same weekend. So maybe guys are interested in playing here, but were tied up during Open Camp. Guys plan on making a USHL team, but fall short. Guys who played in the USHL last season and planned on that again, get cut and now have to look at finding a spot in the NAHL. This could be a very interesting category. I'll let you know if there is anything to it.


No matter who shows up this weekend, there will be a lot of talent on the ice. I realize the weather is absolutely beautiful, but take some time this weekend to stop in and see some hockey. FYI to anyone coming down from the metro area or areas north of Owatonna: I-35 is down to one-lane through Faribault due to construction. This area tends to be very congested on weekends. Plan accordingly.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Cecka, Cecka, Cecka......Silence

It looks the chances of hearing the Cecka, Cecka, Cecka chant this season took a hit today, with the release of the Omaha Lancers 25-man roster. One of the 16 forwards on the list was Owatonna Express forward Dan Cecka. He is one of three 1989 birth year players on their roster.

There are still a few reasons to be optimistic about him returning to our favorite junior hockey team at some point this season. Most importantly, the fact that the USHL teams only carry 23 players during the regular season. You can assume that of the 23, 2 will be goalies, and probably 7 will be defensemen. That leaves room for 14 forwards, and the Lancers currently have 16 forwards on the 25-man roster. This means that two guys(more than likely forwards) on the Lancer's 25-man roster will be cut after the Fall Classic (formerly the Buc Bowl). In addition to that, the Lancers could add some free agents, or place one of their affiliated players on the main roster. Stay tuned as we ramp up for the 2009/10 season.

My take: Cecka was a great addition last season, and added some much needed scoring when the Express were struggling to light the lamp, as he tallied 30 points in his 26 games with the team. In a way it's disappointing that he won't be back, but it's a better opportunity for him. If circumstances bring him back at some point, it will just be a complete bonus for the Express.

Congratulations Dan and good luck in Omaha.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Coach Fink Leaving for the USHL

Owatonna Express Assistant Coach Eric Fink has taken a position as assistant coach of the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. Read the story here: http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3863181

I have to admit I was a little blind-sided by this announcement. I figured that eventually Eric would move on to a different coaching position somewhere, I just didn't figure it would be this summer, or this late in the offseason. Coaches come and coaches go, as that is the nature of junior hockey. This is a step up the proverbial corporate ladder for him, and I wish him well.

It remains to be seen what effect this will have on the Express down the road. It was good for the program to have such an experienced guy as the assistant coach. A lot of what he did was behind the scenes, with recruiting and whatnot, and Coach Cullen will have to find a guy that can help find those diamonds in the rough. That being said, make no mistake, this is Coach Cullen's team, and he will have things well under control.

Total speculation on my part here: I would guess Coach Cullen knew this was a possibility, and had already thought up his short list of replacements. Will we see the new assistant coach this weekend at the main tryout camp?? My guess is yes, we will.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Welcome to the Official, Unofficial Express Blog

I want to take a minute and welcome all the new folks who have been visiting the blog recently. I would also like to thank the hundreds of folks who have been reading and contributing over the last 13 months. It has been a fun and rewarding experience for me, and I hope you guys are enjoying our favorite junior hockey team's one and only blog.

To the new folks, I extend an invitation to join in the conversation by using the "comments" feature at the bottom of each post. This is a relatively open forum for discussion, and I welcome your opinions. If you disagree with me, have a question, or heard some juicy rumor, please feel free to leave a comment. If you would like to contact me without it going on the blog, you can always drop me an email at owatonnaexpress@yahoo.com. The more people that participate, the more fun we all have.


For the last year, I have had a counter installed on the blog to log how many folks are visiting on a daily basis. The counter I chose was not always functioning correctly, so I decided to switch to different hit counter software. The software I chose provides me a great deal more information than the previous one did. When people log onto the site, I get a record of where they are, where they came from, what they looked at, and the like. I have had the new counter up for just a week so far, and have had visitors from: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Texas, Colorado, California, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Florida, Alabama, Washington, Massachusetts, Virginia, Connecticut, Alaska, and Kansas. Along with Canada, Germany, Australia, Slovakia, Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Japan.


--Main Tryout Camp is almost here. It kicks off this Friday and wraps up Sunday. Less than 1 week from right now, the 2009/10 Owatonna Express team will have been chosen. The draft picks, tenders, the invitees from Open Camp, and some of the veterans from last season, will make up the 4 teams. There will be plenty of talent on the ice, so make plans to stop in and see some action this weekend. The schedule is:

Friday, July 17th:

Green vs. Black 10:00am-11:30am
White vs. Gold 11:45am-1:15pm

Green vs. White 4:30pm-6:00pm
Black vs. Gold 6:15pm-7:45pm

Saturday, July 18th:

Green vs. Gold 10:00am-11:30am
Black vs. White 11:45am-1:15pm

All-Star Game #1 5:30pm-7:00pm

Sunday, July 19th:

All-Star Game #2 11:00am-1:00pm


See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Express Draft Pick - Nate Brown

Player Profile - Nate Brown - 5'10"/170lbs - Defenseman


1991 birth year from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh which is also the same hometown of current Express forward Brian McGinty. He was a teammate of Express forward Josh Daley while playing mites in the Pittsburgh area. Nate played in the Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major AAA program before leaving for more competitive hockey in the Detroit area. In 06/07 he played on the Honeybaked U16 team, tallying 4 goals, 8 assists, and 45 penalty minutes in 30 games. He moved up to the Team nXi U18 program for the 07/08 season, playing in 26 games, and scoring 2 goals, with 3 assists and 49 penalty minutes. Last season he played with the S2 U18 program (same as nXi, but the name was changed), scoring 11 goals and 19 assists, with 106 penalty minutes in 45 games.

Nate was drafted by the Sioux City Musketeers in the 2nd round (24th overall) of the 2008 USHL Futures Draft, and spent the 2008/09 season on the Musketeers' affiliate list. He was also drafted by the Mahoning Valley Phantoms in the 2008 NAHL Entry Draft, but did not play any games with the Phantoms last season.


My take: As with most non-Minnesota kids, I don't know a whole lot about Mr. Brown. One source I talked to, who had seen Nate play a couple of years ago stated he was a "rugged, stay-at-home defenseman". However, when I looked at his stats from last season, it appears he has found a scoring touch, as he tallied 30 points last season in the very tough MWEHL. The College Hockey Recruit Exchange Blog rated Nate as the MWEHL's #2 Offensive-Defensman prospect, in their April 17, 2009 rankings which you can peruse here: http://collegehockeyrecruitexchange.blogspot.com/2009/04/mwehl-midget-major-prospect-rankings.html .

It will be interesting to watch Nate at tryout camp in 10 days. How will a good defenseman from a Midget Major program stack up against a good defenseman from the Minnesota State High School League?? The competition for the few open defenseman spots on the 2009/10 Express roster will be fierce, and Nate should definitely be in the mix.

Welcome to Owatonna Nate Brown.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Express Draft Pick - John Haeg

Player Profile - John Haeg - 6'1"/175lbs - Forward



A 1990 birth year, Haeg played his high school hockey at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minnesota. While centering the Stars' top line during the 2008/2009 season, he tallied 25 goals and 31 assists in 25 regular season games. In Holy Angels Section 2AA quarterfinals win over Bloomington Kennedy, Haeg suffered a broken collarbone, and was out of the lineup as the Edina Hornets ended the Stars' season in the semifinals. He was named to the All-Missota Conference team following both his junior and senior hockey seasons, and also played in the Fall Elite League as a member of Team SE. In addition to excelling on the ice, he was also an All-State soccer player his senior year at Holy Angels.

My take: Holy Angels has produced some very high-end talent in recent years, with alumni such as Jay Barribal, Mike Carman, and Erik Johnson, along with several other Division 1 players. As good a player as Haeg was during his high school career, he wasn't even the best player on the team. That honor would have to go to his linemate, and University of North Dakota recruit Danny Mattson. The experience of playing on a really talented team, with one of the best players in Minnesota would pay off as a member of the Express. I can't wait to see what he can do at Main Tryout Camp in two weeks.

Welcome to Owatonna John Haeg.

See you at the rink.

--BK

There's a New Sheriff in Town

The Minnesota Wild signed defenseman "Sheriff" Shane Hnidy to a 1 year contract today.

My take: For some reason, Hnidy has been a favorite NHL player of mine. I love the way he plays the game, and I think this is a great pickup by the Wild. I won't miss Mary-Ann Gaborik, with Martin Havlat basically replacing him in the Wild line-up for less money. The Hnidy signing, along with signing of Greg Zanon hopefully means we've seen the last of Martin Skoula in a Wild sweater. It might take a year or two to retool the Wild, but so far I'm happy with the new regime.


--Nothing new on the Express front in the past few days. I've seen maybe a third of the USHL 25-man rosters, and the only player with Express ties that made one of those teams was 2009 draft pick Mac Olson.

--Two weeks from today we'll be watching the 2009/10 Express team taking shape at the Main Tryout Camp.


See you at the rink.

--BK

USHL Cut-Down Day

As of today (July 1), the 14 members of the USHL had to whittle their rosters down to 25 players. This is an important day for our favorite junior hockey team as well, as the USHL cuts will shed some light on who may or may not be a part of the Express roster this fall. The next few days could be very exciting, or very depressing, as the rosters are released for public consumption.

Players with Express ties to watch for on USHL rosters:

Dan Cecka - reportedly made the Omaha Lancers 30-Man roster following their tryout camp. Did he survive the cut down to 25??

Zach Vierling - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders - His appearance at Express Open Tryout Camp makes me think he'll be back in Owatonna.

Chris Bournazos - Attended camp with the Green Bay Gamblers.

Bo Dolan - attended Fargo Force tryout camp.

Blake Matejcek - attended Lincoln Stars camp. He was not on the camp all-star game roster, so I like the chances of seeing him in 2 weeks at the Express Main Camp.

Andrew Miller - attended tryout camp with the Des Moines Bucs, but did not make their 25 man roster.

Ben Montgomery - attended camp with the Tri-City Storm, but did not make their camp all-star roster.

Andrew O'Leary - Made the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders 30 man roster after tryout camp. Did he survive the cut down to 25??

Mac Olson - Made the Chicago Steel's initial roster, hurting our chances of ever seeing him in an Express sweater.

Zach Sarig - Went to Youngstown's tryout camp, but did not make their 25 man roster.

Mike Yanis - Made the Sioux Falls Stampede's tryout all-star game.


Disclaimer: The information was culled from a multitude of websites and other sources, and is by no means can I guarantee it is complete nor 100% accurate. In addition, several of the USHL teams did not publish who attended their tryout camps, or announce who made their camp all-star rosters. I also did not include the tendered players on the list, as the names of those 7 players haven't been officially announced.

Next up for the Express is the Main Tryout Camp in 2 weeks. Several of last year's guys, plus the tendered guys, the draft picks, and the cream of the crop from Open Camp last month will battle it out for the 25 spots that will comprise the 2009/2010 Owatonna Express.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Express Draft Pick - Bo Dolan

Player Profile - Bo Dolan - 5'10"/179lbs - Defenseman

1990 birth year from St. Paul, Minnesota. Dolan was drafted by the Express in May's NAHL Entry Draft. He played his high school hockey for the perennial powerhouse Hill-Murray Pioneers. He scored 5 goals and 21 assists in only 16 games, and was named Honorable Mention All-State as the Pioneers won the 2008 State Championship. He also played on Team NE in the Minnesota Elite League, and on the Section 4 Great 8 Team.

He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2007 USHL Futures Draft by the Sioux Falls Stampede, who also drafted Express Alum Tim Smith in the 8th round of that draft. Bo made the Stampede roster heading into the 2008/09 season, and played 18 games before being traded to the Tri-City Storm on December 8, 2008.



Tri-City was an absolute disgrace as a franchise last season. Money problems forced the coaching staff to recruit solely off the internet, and it showed on the ice as the Storm finished a USHL worst 11-48-1. The team has since been sold, and will have a new coach for the 2009/10 season. The resulting roster upheaval led to Dolan's release by the Storm, and I'm sure that played a part in the Express's interest in him. He attended the Fargo Force's tryout camp earlier this month, and hopefully we see him July 17th at the Express Main Camp.


My take: The Express franchise has had tremendous luck with Hill-Murray guys over the years. Dolan would join Brian Arrigoni, Dan Cecka, Ryan Guentzel, Gabe Guentzel, Vince Unklesbay, and Tom O'Brien, as former Pioneers to suit up for the Express. He was the best defenseman on the best team in Minnesota in 2007/08, and would certainly be a solid fixture on the blueline for our favorite junior hockey team.

Dolan is not your prototypical big defenseman at 5'10". He makes up for his lack of size by playing a tough, physical brand of hockey, and also isn't afraid to drop the gloves and take care of business that way when necessary. I mostly agree with Coach Cullen's attitude when it comes to fighting, but at times last year, teams took some liberties with our guys knowing they wouldn't have to answer for their misdeeds. Dolan tallied 4 fights last season, and his presence in the Express lineup would at least make the opposing teams think twice before running our goalie.






I'm excited to see Dolan playing for the Express. He's a USHL veteran with a full year of junior hockey under his belt, and has some scoring ability. He will fill the hole left by Tim Smith's departure to Providence College.

Welcome to Owatonna Bo Dolan.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Open Tryout Camp Roundup

With three more games Sunday morning, followed by exit interviews with the coaching staff, the Owatonna Express Open Tryout Camp is now in the books. It was an enjoyable, albeit long, weekend at the rink, with a total of 15 games played between the 6 assembled teams of candidates. Somewhere in the vicinity of 30-40 players were asked to return for the Main Express Tryout Camp in July, and the rest will have to chase the dream somewhere else.

The 30-40 players that were asked back along with the tendered players, the draft picks, and some of the returning Express players will make up the 80 man roster for the Main Camp July 17-19 at the 4 Seasons Centre in Owatonna. From that group, the 2009-2010 Owatonna Express 25-Man roster will be chosen.

As is customary for the Express organization, the camp ran very smoothly. Thank you to the dozens of volunteers that pitched in their time, and a big thank you to Gayle Kozelka for keeping all of us volunteers fed throughout the weekend.

Camp Tidbits:

- Returning Express forward Zach Vierling made a surprise appearance at camp on Saturday. He made the drive down from the Twin Cities to get some off-season game action. He played 1 game with the White Team, and 2 games with the Black Team. He tallied 2 goals on penalty shots in his first game, both on nifty backhand shots.

- Sean Lipinski, brother of former Express player Matt Lipinski was in attendance for the second straight summer.

- Jake Suter, the son of legendary NHL player Gary Suter played with the White Team throughout the weekend. Gary Suter is a veteran of 17 seasons in the NHL, played in 4 NHL All-Star Games, won the Stanley Cup with the 1989 Calgary Flames, and played in the Olympics. Jake's cousin Ryan Suter is a member of the Nashville Predators, and his Uncle Bob Suter was a member of the "Miracle on Ice" 1980 USA Hockey Team.


See you at the rink.

--BK

Express Open Tryout Camp Opens

The Owatonna Express Open Tryout Camp kicked off tonight with a goalie session. 12 goalies and a handful of shooters took the ice for the session which lasted about 90 minutes. They did several series of drills with Coaches Cullen and Fink watching the action from the upstairs observation room.

The rest of the 100+ skaters will check in Friday morning for the main portion of tryout camp. Each prospective Express player will play 2 games Friday, 2 games Saturday, and 1 game Sunday morning. The guys that stand out this weekend will get invited back to the Main tryout camp in July. Good luck guys.

See you at the rink.

--BK

2009-2010 Schedule Released

Most of the 2009-10 NAHL schedule was released today. The 4 games the Express will play at the showcase have yet to be announced, but we did find out the schedule for the other 54 games.

- The Express season opener is September 12 in Albert Lea against the Thunder. This will be the only game the Express play prior to the Showcase.

- The home opener is October 10th when the Alexandria Blizzard come to Owatonna.

- Much like last season, the schedule has the Express playing primarily within the Central Division. 11 games versus Albert Lea with 6 of them at home, 13 games versus North Iowa with 6 of them at home, 12 games versus Bismarck with 6 games at home, and 11 games versus Alexandria with 5 games at home.

- Games outside the Division are: 3 game series in Topeka against the Roadrunners in December, 2 game series in late February against Topeka in Owatonna, and a 2 game series against the Kenai River Brown Bears in early March at the 4 Seasons Centre in Owatonna.

I'll post plenty more on the schedule later this week.

See you at the rink this weekend.

--BK

Express Draft Pick - Zach Sarig

Player Profile - Zach Sarig - 6'2"/205lbs - Defenseman

1990 birth year from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Drafted by the Express in the May NAHL Entry Draft. He was also drafted by the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL (formerly the Mahoning Valley Phantoms of the NAHL), in the 16th round(200th overall) of the 2009 USHL Entry Draft. Played for both Wilson High School and the Philadelphia Jr Flyers program in previous seasons. In 2008/09 he tallied 11 goals and 5 assists in 21 games as captain of his high school team, and 3 goals and 13 assists in 15 games for the Jr Flyers.

My take: I couldn't find much information on Zach, so we'll have to wait until tryout camp to get a better idea of what kind of player he is. He is taller than the average Express defensemen has been over the years. At 6'2"/205 he is the same height as Zach Tolkinen and Joe Beaudette, but 20 lbs heavier. Judging by his penalty minute totals with the Jr Flyers, it looks like he is not afraid of the physical side of the game.

The Express have a fairly full cupboard when it comes to defensemen, so competition at tryout camp should be fierce. I can't wait to these guys in action this fall.



USHL Update: On July 1 the USHL teams need to be cut down to a 25-man roster, so they have been very busy with tryout camps the last month. There are several more taking place this week. Several current Express players and Express draft picks have attended these camps, and the following is a summary at this point:

- Mike Yanis (draft pick) - attended the Sioux Falls Stampede's camp in May, and made the camp all-star game. I don't believe the Stampede announced their 30-man roster following camp.

- Dan Cecka - attended the Omaha Lancer's camp a few weeks. I heard through the grapevine that he made the initial 30-man roster following camp. Dan is a 1989 birth year, and USHL teams are limited to 5 - 1989 birth year players on their teams. We should have a better idea of his status when the 25-man rosters are announced in early July.

- Zach Vierling - attended the Cedar Rapids RoughRider's camp. I have seen conflicting reports on whether he made the RoughRiders initial 30-man roster following tryout camp. One source reported he did make the roster, and the Cedar Rapids newspaper did not have him on their list.

- Andrew O'Leary (draft pick)- also attended camp in Cedar Rapids. Several sources had him making the RoughRider's initial 30-man roster.

- Bo Dolan (draft pick) - attended the Fargo Force camp the weekend of June 5-7. I don't believe the Force had an all-star game that weekend, and I haven't seen a 30-man roster released. Another thing that could affect his status with the Force would be the coaching change the Force will make with the departure of Dean Blais. Best known for his stint as head coach with the dirty, rotten, cheap-shotting North Dakota Fighting Sioux, Blais coached the expansion Force to the USHL championship series this spring, before losing to the eventual champion Indiana Ice. Blais announced last week that he is taking the head coaching job at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

- Blake Matejcek (draft pick) - attended the Lincoln Stars camp two weeks ago. He did not make the camp all-star game.

- Ben Montgomery (draft pick) - attended the Tri-City Storm's tryout camp this last weekend, and did not make the camp all-star game.


See you at the rink this weekend.

--BK

Happy Birthday!!

Today marks the 1st birthday of the Express blog.

I want to thank all of the people that read and contribute to the blog. An overwhelming percentage of folks have been very nice to deal with, and I look forward to another year of blogging on the Express.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Monday Tidbits

- The Alexandria Blizzard named Doc DelCastillo as their new General Manager/Head Coach. Read the article here: http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=1022 .

- The North Iowa Outlaws named Garrett Strot as their new Head Coach. He served as Assistant Coach with the Outlaws last season under Jeff Crouse. Read the article here: http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=1018

- Former Express defenseman Anthony Orange finished last season with the Illinois State Redbirds. Anthony left the Express shortly after the Showcase last season, and I lost track of where he ended up. This article explains the circumstances: http://www.illinoisstatehockey.com/news2.php?news_id=142423 . Anthony was a well-behaved, polite, and very strong kid, and I'm happy he landed in a good situation with the Redbirds.

- Tryout camp season is in full swing for both the NAHL and the USHL teams. The Express Open Tryout Camp is only 17 days away, but if you need a hockey fix, there are camps every weekend within an hour of Owatonna. It was interesting to see some familiar names pop up at USHL camps last weekend.

- My final topic for discussion on this post is something I have been holding off on for a few days. The anger it brought up in me was not going to lead to a very nice article, but now that I have had a few days to process it, I will give you my $0.02 worth. Former Express defenseman Kevin Wright is getting a royal screw job by the NCAA. This article explains the situation: http://www.gazette.com/articles/wright-55153-hockey-ncaa.html .

My take: I got to know Kevin back in 2005/06 after he was injured early in the season. As the rest of the team was skating and working out, all Kevin could do was ride a stationary bike. This provided me an opportunity to shoot the breeze with him, and Kevin quickly turned into one of my favorite players. When he finally returned to the lineup, he was just a role player on the team. He came back for the 2006/07 team, and played a big role as that Express team made a second consecutive run to the Robertson Cup tournament. He played well enough to earn a Division 1 offer from the Air Force Academy. What should have been a happy ending for him, has now turned into disappointment after the epic display of stupidity on the part of the NCAA.

Barely a day goes by without some sort of scandal happening in the kingdom that the NCAA oversees. Big time basketball and football recruits getting paid under the table, or "student" athletes that can barely speak english and write their own name passing the SAT/ACT tests. You don't have to even leave the state of Minnesota to see how messed up the situation is. Jan Ganglehoff wrote how many papers for Gopher basketball players to keep them eligible?? Gopher football players (some of them already convicted felons before arriving at the U of M) committing a litany of crimes in our own backyard. At the University of Iowa alone, Hawkeye athletes were charged with 22 separate crimes in a 19 month period between April of 2007 and August of 2008. For an encore, need I remind you that the NCAA is responsible for the BCS bowl system.

All of that stuff going on, and they choose to end the playing career of a kid with a 3.67 gpa while serving his country at a service academy. At some point, you would think common sense would come into play and the right decision would be rendered. All this situation is going to do is weaken college hockey by driving more good players into the Canadian leagues.

Bad move NCAA, pull your head out of its hiding place and let Kevin finish his playing career on the ice where he belongs.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Express Draft Pick - Jake Youso

Player Profile - Jake Youso - 6'0"/185lbs - Forward

1990 birth year. Drafted by the Express last week in the 2009 NAHL Entry Draft. Is committed to play college hockey for the Golden Gophers at the University of Minnesota. He played in international tournaments for Team USA in 2007 (U18), and 2006 (U16). He was a Mr. Hockey finalist in 2008, playing for International Falls High School. While serving as captain, he scored 33 goals with 36 assists his senior year for a total of 69 points in only 27 games, and was named Minnesota 2nd team all-state. Following the 2008 high school season, he played 15 games for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL where he was teammates with former Express player Stephen Carew. On the day of the 2008 USHL Entry draft, he was traded from the Gamblers to the Des Moines Buccaneers. He played 54 games during the 2008/09 season for Des Moines tallying 1 goal, 4 assists, and 32 penalty minutes. His grandfather played professional football for the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, and Oakland Raiders.

Read a Q & A with Jake from last summer here: http://mckeenshockey.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=960&CID=820083

Read a player feature from last season on USHL.com here: http://www.ushl.com/news/story.cfm?id=2227

Check out high school highlights of Jake on YouTube (he's wearing #22):

My take: You don't get recruited by the Gophers just by being a good hockey player, so obviously this guy is an outstandingly good hockey player. His biggest strength is his speed, so it's not a huge surprise that Coach Cullen targeted him in the draft. He should immediately be one of the best players to ever don an Express sweater, and would fill the scoring void left by the departed Stephen Carew...........if he ever comes to Owatonna.

At this point in the summer, it appears to be a long shot that he would end up with the Express. He is still listed as a member of the Bucs on their official website, although that doesn't necessarily mean he was on their protected list going into the USHL draft a few weeks ago. Also, when he committed to the U of Minnesota, it was for this coming season (2009/10). However, if that was a sure thing, why would the Express have wasted a draft pick on him. My hunch is Coach Cullen knows something we don't in regards to Mr. Youso's availability. Who was Youso's coach last year in Des Moines??: J.P. Parise. Where was J.P. Parise before last season??: Shattuck-St Mary's in Faribault. Where was Coach Cullen before last season?? That's correct, Shattuck-St Mary's in Faribault. As the Common Man says on KFAN, I'm either onto something, or I'm on something.

As the summer progresses, we should get a better idea if he will be joining our favorite junior hockey team. Eventually, Des Moines's protected list will be revealed, and the incoming freshman class at the U of M will be announced. If his name is not on either of those two lists, or we see him at other USHL team's tryout camps, then at least we will stand a chance of seeing him in blue and white this fall.

Welcome to Owatonna Jake Youso, and I'll see you at the rink.

--BK