Owatonna Express Junior Hockey

And so it continues...

2011-04-19T22:20:00.001-05:00

http://owatonna.com/content/express-coach-sues-payment-contract

From tomorrow's Owatonna People's Press.

--BK

And so it begins....

2011-04-19T10:07:00.002-05:00

http://www.americanjuniorhockey.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=73102

Give this a good read, and feel free to leave your comments. Plenty more on this later today.

--BK

The final chapter has yet to be written.

2011-04-16T13:04:00.003-05:00

The final chapter of Owatonna Express hockey has yet to be written. While the on the ice history of the team came to a close last Saturday night in the game #4 loss to the Chill, there are some off the ice issues that still need to be resolved. Those issues should be coming to light this week. Plenty more once the story breaks.

This should be interesting folks, thanks for tuning back in after my brief hiatus.

See you at the rink. (Well obviously not anymore, but that is my traditional sign-off)

--BK

Tryout Camp Article/New Assistant Coach

2010-06-21T22:08:00.003-05:00

The Owatonna People's Press has an article about new Head Coach Chuck Linkenheld and this week's tryout camp. You can read it here.

--One interesting tidbit from the article is that Linkenheld hired Tom Maroste as an assistant coach. Read the article for his background.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Let the New Era Begin - Welcome Coach Linkenheld

2010-06-07T18:17:00.003-05:00

The Owatonna Express announced today that Chuck Linkenheld has been hired to be the new General Manager/Head Coach of our favorite junior hockey team.

Read the article here.

My take: I love the hire. It was a very smart move by the organization.

1. We're getting a coach that has experience in the NAHL. He's familiar with not only the league, he's familiar with the Central Division. Also, he's seen the veteran Express players in action for 8 or 10 games. That should provide him at least a cursory knowledge of what those returning players will bring to the table.

2. He will provide the Express organization both a Head Coach and a General Manager. This is something that will undoubtedly benefit the organization, and is something the Express did not have during the Pat Cullen years.

3. He's familiar with the Chicago area. This should pay off when it comes to recruiting. There is a lot of AAA/Midget programs in the Chicagoland area. While the make-up of the Express should always be decidedly Minnesotan, it doesn't hurt to have ties in some of the other hockey hotbeds in the nation. I think it would be a great move to hire an assistant coach with a broad knowledge of the Minnesota High School hockey landscape.

4. He seems to be a master motivator and knows how to get his players to play up to their potential. The situation in Albert Lea last season couldn't have been any worse. Even after the pay-for-play guys were released, the Thunder roster was frozen, so Coach Linkenheld's hands were tied. Eventually, he set out to rebuild the Thunder, which is no small feat in the middle of a season. I'll break down the stats more thoroughly in a future post, but quoting from the press release: "He was able to turn a team that won only four games the year before into a team that finished the last two months over .500. They won 8 of the last 10 games, bringing the Thunder to the playoffs for the first time. He was also successful in player development, sending 8 players on to play college hockey after the season." For him to take that team and turn them around that much, in that little time, tells me that he is the correct man for the Express job. It excites me even more to think of the possibilities of him entering a spot where he has much more talent to start with, in the Express.

5. He seems to understand that hockey is a tough, physical game, and sometimes that means dropping the gloves. Coach Cullen had his theory on this aspect during his tenure, and I respect that. From what I saw last season from the Thunder, Coach Linkenheld has a slightly different theory. I'm not calling for all-out warfare, but there are times when you need to stand up for a teammate, send a message to the other team, or change the momentum of the game, and the Express lacked in this area last season.

6. He's a nice, well-spoken, friendly guy. I talked with him on numerous occasions and even worked with Chuck for a game in Albert Lea last season, and I think he will fit in quite well in our little town on the prairie. Plus, he should be stoked with this job after the hell he endured last season in Albert Lea.

This was a great move for the Express and I can't wait to see what Coach Linkenheld can do with the boys in blue. Tryout camp is just two weeks away, and he'll be off and running.

Let the new era begin!!

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Draft Update

2010-05-26T18:51:00.002-05:00

My apologies to the league for doubting the accuracy of their Twittering. I thought for sure that they had messed up and not posted all of the picks made by the Express. It turns out that the Express only made 3 total picks in the draft. Here they are:

Round 1/#18 overall - Joseph Graveline - D - 1991 Birth Year - St Thomas Academy
Round 2/#43 overall - Thomas Burke - G - 6'1"/170 - Holy Angels
Round 3/#65 overall - Mike Shibrowski - G - Colorado College (WCHA)

Before the draft today, each team in the NAHL submitted their protected list to the league. This list is made up of protected veteran players, and each team's tendered players (8 plus or minus trades). Each team then drafts as many players as necessary to get their protected list to 30 players. For example, if a team has 8 protected veterans, and signed 8 tendered players, they would then need to draft 14 players.

My take: With the assumption that Coach Cullen made the decisions on the protected list and the draft picks because the new coach hasn't been hired yet, the Express only drafting 3 guys makes sense. Protect all of your veteran players from last season, and let the new coach, when he gets here, make the decision to keep those guys or not. Hypothetically, let's say Coach Cullen was not leaving. There are probably a few veteran guys towards the bottom of the roster that Cullen wouldn't have put on the protected list. He knows what those guys are capable of, and decides they are not a good fit for this season. It happens every year. However, maybe the new coach would see things differently, and keep that guy around. So it's actually a smart move to protect all of your veterans in this situation.

The Numbers Game -

So we know the Express drafted 3 players, and tendered 8 players (Coach Cullen confirmed this at the annual meeting). That's 11 out of 30 players on the preliminary roster, which means there were 19 veteran guys on the protected list. The 2009-2010 Express playoff roster had 26 players listed. Subtract the guys that aged out: Carson, Porter, McGinty, Darnell, Cecka. Subtract the guys that are moving on to college: Sloat, Thorson. That gives you 19 guys right??

That's just a theory, but it certainly appears plausible.

Albert Lea & North Iowa -

It looks as though both Albert Lea and Mason City will not be fielding teams in the NAHL this season, as neither team participated in the draft.

With their departures, it looks as though the Central Division will shape up like this: Bismarck Bobcats, Alexandria Blizzard, Owatonna Express, Aberdeen Wings, Austin Bruins, and Coulee Region Chill.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Cullen Resignation, Draft Day 2010, & Shibrowski Returns??

2010-05-26T16:12:00.004-05:00

Just when you thought I was out, they pull me back in.

So I'm back on the interwebs after a couple of months away. The way last season ended still stings, but with every summer comes a new beginning. A new beginning which will include a new head coach as the boys in blue gear up for the 2010-2011 season. Coach Cullen announced last week at the annual meeting that he was leaving the Express to take a job at St Olaf. You can read the article on the official Express website here: http://expressjrhockey.pointstreaksites.com/view/expressjrhockey . Cullen has been an integral part of the Express dating back to the start of the franchise in 2005. Winning seasons, Robertson Cup trips, and lots of players heading off to Division 1 colleges happened routinely during his tenure. We always new the team would be competitive on the ice and a benefit to the community off the ice under his leadership.

However, sometimes change is a good thing. Things seemed to be getting stale last season, and a new coach should breath some new life into our proud franchise. There will be plenty more on the coaching situation as news becomes available.

The other big news for today is the 2010 NAHL Entry Draft. First of all, I would assume that Coach Cullen probably made the draft picks for the Express today, as to my knowledge, a new head coach has not been hired. The NAHL was covering the draft live on their Twitter page. I tried valiantly to follow along, but I don't think the accuracy was up to par. As of the writing of this post, the Express draft consisted of 3 players. In the 1st round (I think), the Express drafted Joseph Graveline, a defenseman from St Thomas Academy. In the 2nd round (I think), the Express drafted goalie Thomas Burke from Holy Angels HS. In the 3rd round (I think), the Express drafted another goalie in Mike Shibrowski from Colorado College of the WCHA. Wait....what???......Shibrowski??? For those who might be new fans of our favorite junior hockey team, Shibrowski spent the first half of last season with the Express, going 14-5-3 in net before heading out to Colorado College at the Christmas break.

It was an intriguing pick, and the thought of having Shibby back with the team makes me smile. Word out of Colorado College earlier this spring was that the Tigers were looking to maybe bring in another goalie in the off-season, and if that happened, that Shibrowski would be asked to play another year of juniors.

My take: While draft picks aren't as coveted as tenders, I can't see the Express wasting a high draft pick on a guy with no chance of ever showing up in Owatonna. I will keep my hopes up that Shibby will be making a triumphant return to the 4 Seasons Centre this fall.

I will get more in depth with the draft picks when the final draft list is released later tonight. Stay tuned for more information as we approach the Open Tryout Camp in a little less than a month. I will probably post profiles of the draft picks and maybe even fill you in on some of the tendered players.

See you at the rink.

--BK

David Kurbatsky Update

2010-03-11T20:39:00.004-06:00

David Kurbatsky, my all time favorite Express player, finished his freshman season Wednesday night when the Iowa State University Cyclone hockey team lost to Lindenwood in the ACHA National Championship game. Kurbatsky was a forward on the 2008/2009 Express team, and decided to play his college hockey on the club team at one of the best universities in the nation. As a true freshman, Kurbatsky played a major role in the Cyclones run to the National Championship game, scoring 27 goals and 14 assists in 45 games.

Here's a nice article about Kurbatsky from earlier in the season: http://www.iowastatedaily.com/articles/2009/10/20/sports/hockey/doc4ade75e2baa2a322864231.txt

-- Derek Kohles, a member of the 2007/2008 Southern Minnesota Express, was a teammate of Kurbatsky on the Cyclones team.

See you at the rink.

--BK

I'm Still Here

2010-03-10T19:14:00.002-06:00

I'm still here and still a fan of our favorite junior hockey team. I do realize it has been 6 weeks since my last update. It's not that there hasn't been any newsworthy to post on the blog, but I have just grown really bored with the blogging thing. When it comes down to it, my time is valuable, and my day job along with following the Express have taken me away from the blog. Someday I hope to get back my thirst for updating the blog, and maybe this will get the ball rolling once again.

So what is going on with the Express:

- 2nd year forward Cory Thorson has committed to play his college hockey at St Cloud State University. It's been a genuine pleasure watching Cory play the last two seasons, and he is on the short list of the best players in the 5 year history of the Express. Good luck with the Huskies, and we'll be rooting for you (except against the Gophers). Cory's departure will allow somebody else to win some prizes during the Chuck-A-Puck contest at home games, as his father, Ben, has dominated in recent history. Chalk up another Division 1 WCHA alumni for Coach Cullen and the Express.

- Defenseman Jake Sloat committed to Bowling Green University. Yet another Express player going Division 1. Sloat is in his 2nd year with the team, and has been a stalwart on the blueline. Congratulations Jake, and make sure you say hello to my close personal friend Ryan Peltoma.

- Forward Brian McGinty committed to Canisius College for next season, so you can add 1 more alum to the college hockey ranks. You might recognize Canisius from there sporadic trips to the NCAA basketball tournament over the years, but the Golden Griffins also play Division 1 hockey. Congratulations Brian, and good luck down the road.

- Forward Chris Bournazos is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Chris was in his 2nd year with the Express before being derailed. He would be eligible to play another season with the Express, but time will tell if old #9 will be back in Owatonna.

- Forward Jason McAloon was traded to the Wichita Falls Wildcats. Hill-Murray alum Jeff Westerhaus was added to the Express roster to replace McAloon.

- The Austin Bruins and the Aberdeen Wings will join the NAHL next season as expansion teams (presumably in the Central Division). The North Iowa Outlaws franchise is giving up on Mason City, and moving to Onalaska, Wisconsin where they will take the ice as the Coulee Region Chill. The Albert Lea Thunder franchise is still alive for the time being. There is still a chance that they could be around for next season, but I'll believe it when I see it.

- It will be an interesting off-season, as the NAHL decides how to fit Austin and Aberdeen, along with Chicago, Fresno, and Dawson's Creek into a divisional alignment that makes sense. From a geographical standpoint, it would make sense to have the Express in a 6 or 7 team division with Bismarck, Alexandria, Aberdeen, Austin, Coulee Region, and Albert Lea (if they are still in the NAHL). In an ideal world, they would kick the Bismarck Bobcats out of the league, and replace them with the Janesville Jets. Just kidding Bobcat fans, the Express need somebody to beat in the playoffs to prepare for the Robertson Cup, and you guys are a good candidate.

- I don't normally get very controversial with my blog topics, but this topic might fill that category: Good riddance North Iowa Outlaws. As nice as it has been the last 5 years to have you serve as the whipping boys for my favorite team (The Express are 46-19-2 lifetime versus the Outlaws), it isn't worth having to play half a dozen games in Mason City each season. It's okay that a majority of Outlaw fans think cross-checking is something you do at church, that hooking involves the exchange of money in a back alley, and that butt-ending is something that you........well....insert your own joke here, it is a family blog. However, cheering when an opposing player is injured is not acceptable in any level of hockey, nor is not announcing the opposing teams goal scorers. Also, you probably didn't think I noticed that you turn up the volume of your music when the opposing team calls a time out, and that you don't play any music when the Outlaws call time out. Well done, you really stuck it to us with that tactic. In 5 years you have managed an under .500 overall record in the regular season (136-137-24). You have also failed to win a single playoff series, including the year you won the division. Look at the bright side, Outlaw fans can now spend more time taking in the glorious, high-quality high school hockey programs in their state.

- The Bismarck Bobcats clinched their 2nd straight Central Division Championship last weekend. Would I like the Express to win the championship every year?? Absolutely, but the 58 game regular season only sets up the seeding for the playoffs. When the Express sweep the Central Division finals series with the Bobcats, it means that the boys in blue get to celebrate on home ice, before packing their bags for Wenatchee.

- The magic number for the Express to clinch the 2nd seed in the playoffs is 8. Any combination of 8 points that the Express earn, or that the Blizzard fail to earn, will have the Express playing at home the first weekend in April.

Next up for the Express is a 2 game weekend in Bismarck against the Bobcats, followed by a single game weekend (@Albert Lea on the 20th), and the season finale on Thursday the 25th in Mason City. In my opinion, winning or losing these last four games isn't as important as how the boys play. Do we see the team that beat and thoroughly outplayed Topeka, the top team in the NAHL, 2 weeks ago, or do we see the team that lost to Kenai River, the worst team in the league, 6 days later??

The Express have always been built for the playoffs, and this year is no exception. After coming up agonizing short of the Robertson Cup last season, I hope the boys are primed for a nice long month of April this season.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Express Acquire New Forward

2010-01-20T20:15:00.002-06:00

The Express picked up a new forward today, via a trade with the Chicago Steel of the USHL. His name is Charlie Thauwald, and he is from Rochester, Minnesota. He is a 1990 birth year, and is listed at 6'2" and 210 lbs. He has tallied just one assist this season, but is only a -1 on a struggling Steel team. He is currently ranked #14 in the USHL in penalty minutes, and has dropped the gloves 6 times this season in 28 games.

Thauwald in action:

My take: The Express needed a big, tough guy, and Coach Cullen went and found one. I honestly don't know much about him, but look forward to seeing him on the ice this weekend at the 4 Seasons Centre.

Speaking of this weekend: The Express play a huge pair of games this weekend. Friday night against the team we are chasing in the standings (Bismarck), and Saturday night against the team that is chasing us (Alexandria). With a couple of nice wins last weekend in Mason City under the belt, our favorite junior hockey team has won 6 of their last 8 games, and will be looking to make that 8 of the last 10.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Game Chat

2010-01-08T18:46:00.000-06:00

Game Chat - Express vs. Bobcats

The Big News is....................

2010-01-08T17:56:00.002-06:00

Former Express defenseman Tim Smith is no longer a "former" Express defenseman. He is now "current" Express defenseman Tim Smith. Smith was one of the first draft picks in the new era of the Express franchise, and was a stalwart on the blueline during the expansion season last year. He was named to the NAHL league wide All-Rookie team, was an All-Central Division Defenseman, and was selected to play for the Central Division in the Top Prospects Tournament. His performance garnered him an offer from Providence College to play Division 1 college hockey, which he did (at least for 1 semester). However circumstances have now put him back in Owatonna with our favorite junior hockey team. He will be wearing jersey #23, and could be in uniform tonight for the Bismarck game. Welcome back to Owatonna Tim, and I can't wait to hear Express Public Address announcer Pete Kalan say "Starting on defense......from Superior, Wisconsin.......welcome back to Owatonna.....Tim Smith!!!"

Smith wasn't the only Express draft pick that joined the team this week, as 2009 pick Mike Yanis was also added to the roster. He is a 1991 birth year defenseman from Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. He is 6'1"/190 lbs, and will be wearing jersey #25.

My take: I couldn't believe this news when I heard it the other day, and I couldn't be happier. I haven't seen Yanis play yet and don't know much about him, but Smith immediately makes the Express a better team. What a difference a week makes. Last Wednesday: 6 game losing streak, major question mark in goal, and big problems on defense. Today: 2 game winning streak, solid goalie, and a vastly improved defense.

Also from the "Big News" department today:

- Encouraging development in Albert Lea - A group of Minneapolis businessmen are interested in buying the Albert Lea Thunder franchise. Read the article here: http://www.albertleatribune.com/news/2010/jan/08/l-thunder-has-potential-buyer/ . This would be great news for our neighbors to the south, and a good thing for the Express as well.

- Aberdeen, South Dakota has been granted conditional approval for a membership in the NAHL. It's the lead article on the newly redesigned NAHL.com.

My take: Yesterday I was hoping for 6 teams in the Central Division, and now it looks like it could be 7 teams. Not sure the ramifications of that, or even if the league would allow, but it makes sense geographically. Aberdeen is not quite 6 hours from Owatonna, so it means overnight trips for the guys, and too long of a drive for all but the most ardent Express fans (although the speed limit is higher out in SoDak, so the endless hours of prairie go by a little quicker).

That's a lot of stuff for one day, and I could go on for another hour, but it is almost game time. For those of you that might read this during the game tonight, I will be live chatting on the blog. It will appear in a post above this post, and I encourage all of you to get your b2 broadcast ordered, and join us for a friendly chat.

See you at the rink.

--BK

NAHL Franchise Coming to Austin??

2010-01-07T16:59:00.002-06:00

First of all, this isn't the big news I referenced in the previous post. You will have to wait to hear that news.

I had heard rumblings that Austin, Minnesota was looking at joining the NAHL. This was confirmed today in an article in the Albert Lea Tribune which you can read here: http://www.albertleatribune.com/news/2010/jan/07/austin-could-get-junior-hockey/ . According to the article, there is an owner in place who wants to come to Austin, the NAHL has already approved him to own a team, and the city council/park & rec folks seem to be on board with the idea.

My take: This is great news for the Express organization. Worst-case scenario: the Austin franchise takes the place of the Albert Lea Thunder, and the Central Division stays at 5 teams. Best-case scenario: the Thunder stay alive in Albert Lea, and the Austin franchise makes the Central a 6 team division. A 6-team division would likely mean one less trip to Bismarck and one less trip to Alexandria each season. Two expensive trips replaced by a couple of short trips down Highway 218 to Austin. The other major benefit of a 6-team division is it makes the schedule more fair. In the current 5-team setup, there are far too many quirks in the schedule where one team is playing their 3rd game in 3 nights, while their opponent hasn't played for a week, or a team playing 3 straight nights in 3 different area codes. Let's hope the Austin franchise comes to fruition.

Next up for the Express is a huge 2 game series in Bismarck against the 1st place Bobcats. There is a nice article from the Bobcats media folks that you can read here: http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3948663 . On the way back from Bismarck, the Express will wrap up the weekend with a Sunday 5pm game against the Blizzard in Alexandria.

The 6-game losing streak is in the rear-view mirror, the goaltending situation is solved, and the Express train is once again picking up speed. I'll see you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Wait for it......wait for it.......

2010-01-07T10:11:00.001-06:00

Something big is brewing, but you'll have to wait for it. Stay tuned.

--BK

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

2009-12-18T14:00:00.002-06:00

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??

2009-11-28T01:19:00.002-06:00

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

2009-11-19T23:29:00.002-06:00

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

2009-11-19T22:03:00.002-06:00

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

2009-11-19T15:38:00.003-06:00

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!!

2009-10-25T11:01:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-17T19:06:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-13T21:03:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-05T22:46:00.004-05:00

- 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

2009-10-04T13:49:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-02T17:39:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-22T20:18:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-21T20:10:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-20T11:04:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-16T19:15:00.003-05:00

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!!

2009-09-14T22:06:00.004-05:00

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

September 15th Test Blog

Postgame Report

2009-09-14T21:32:00.002-05:00

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!!!!

2009-09-12T10:15:00.003-05:00

"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

2009-09-03T18:01:00.002-05:00

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

2009-08-25T22:18:00.002-05:00

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

2009-08-18T19:33:00.002-05:00

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

2009-08-10T13:34:00.002-05:00

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

2009-08-07T10:52:00.002-05:00

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

2009-08-04T21:13:00.004-05:00

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

2009-07-31T11:21:00.004-05:00

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

2009-07-22T21:15:00.003-05:00

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....

2009-07-19T18:00:00.003-05:00

....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

2009-07-17T21:17:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-16T19:10:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-15T20:12:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-13T17:42:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-12T19:05:00.005-05:00

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

2009-07-07T17:58:00.005-05:00

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

2009-07-05T17:25:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-03T21:55:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-01T21:41:00.003-05:00

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

2009-06-26T19:11:00.003-05:00

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

2009-06-21T19:08:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-18T22:45:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-16T18:52:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-15T18:33:00.002-05:00

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!!

2009-06-06T19:31:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-01T19:43:00.003-05:00

- 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

2009-05-27T19:40:00.005-05:00

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

Thursday Morning Draft Tidbit

2009-05-21T08:23:00.003-05:00

Something to ponder while you are bored at work today:

Of the 20 guys who dressed for the Game 5 loss to Bismarck in the Central Division Championship series, 6 guys where 6'0" or taller. Of the 11 guys the Express drafted in the NAHL Entry Draft, 7 guys where 6'0" or taller.

My take: The 2008/09 Express struggled all season against the Bismarck Bobcats, and one of the glaring differences between the two teams was the Bobcats height advantage. It looks like Coach Cullen might be trying to level that playing field.

More later.

--BK

Express Add 11 Players Through Entry Draft

2009-05-20T20:06:00.004-05:00

The Express drafted 11 guys today in the 2009 NAHL Entry Draft. They are:

- Nate Brown, D, S2 Hockey
- Bo Dolan, D, Tri-City Storm USHL
- John Haeg, F, Holy Angels HS
- Blake Matejcek, F, Shattuck St. Mary's
- Andrew Miller, F, Chicago Mission
- Ben Montgomery, D, Shattuck St. Mary's
- Andrew O'Leary, F, Shattuck St. Mary's
- Mac Olson, F, University Detroit Jesuit HS
- Zach Sarig, D, Philly Jr. Flyers
- Mike Yanis, D, University Detroit Jesuit HS
- Jake Youso, F, Des Moines Buccaneers USHL

My take: I wasn't expecting this big of a draft class, but nonetheless I am excited about it. There are a few names I recognize, but most of these guys will require some googling to prepare their profiles. The name I am most excited about is Jake Youso. He's a 1990 birth year, a USHL veteran, and is committed to play for Don Lucia at the University of Minnesota. I love the fact that we drafted 3 guys from Shattuck-St Mary's. We have one of the best hockey player factories in the USA just 15 miles up the road (not to mention the fact that we played our playoff games on their rink), and Coach Cullen should know exactly what he is getting with those players. Bo Dolan is another USHL veteran, and looks like a nice replacement for Tim Smith on the blueline.

There will be plenty more discussion on the draft over the next month., including in-depth player profiles of our newest 11 Express players. Also, don't forget that one month from today we will be watching open tryout camp at the 4 Seasons Centre.

See you at the rink.

--BK

What Will the Draft Tell Us??

2009-05-19T19:45:00.002-05:00

With the NAHL entry draft taking place tomorrow, we should find out a little bit about what is going on with the Express roster. While we won't get anything concrete regarding this fall's 25 man roster, the draft will give us some topics to discuss as we move through the off-season.

Going into the draft, each team has a protected list of players. This list is comprised of returning veteran players (that have been protected by the team), and any players that have signed a tender with the organization. The total of those two numbers is subtracted from the number 30, and that is the amount of players that each team can draft. For example, if the Express have 15 returning players from last year, and have signed 10 tenders for this season, they will draft 5 players on Wednesday (15+10+5=30). Last year the Express were an expansion team with no returning veteran players. This lead to a large draft class, which you will see from the Texas and Janesville teams in this year's draft.

So what will the amount of Express draft picks tell us about the 2009/10 roster?? Basically, a small draft class will tell us that there is a large amount of last year's team coming back to Owatonna this fall. By my last count, there is 16 players from 2008/09 that could potentially return this season. While I would love to have all 16 back in Express sweaters this fall, it probably isn't a realistic expectation. It's possible that some might choose not to return, and it's equally possible that some were not placed on the protected list. That's the nature of junior hockey. I put my faith in Coach Cullen and Coach Fink, that the absolute best 25 guys (veteran, tendered, drafted, or through tryout camp) will make the final roster.

Another way we can glean some information from the draft, is by looking at what positions were drafted. For argument's sake, say the Express spend all of their draft picks on defensemen. Could that clue us in on which veterans might not be coming back?? Say the Express have 12 draft picks, and none of them is a goalie. Could that tell us that maybe Bergman and Horstman are returning?? The short answer to both of those questions is maybe. The long answer is we will probably not know until the Express take the ice in Blaine at the Showcase tournament.

Anyway you slice it, the draft gets us one step closer to hockey season, and another year of rooting for our favorite junior hockey team. Check back tomorrow for my analysis of the 2009 NAHL Entry Draft.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Player Profile - Jordan Tredinnick

2009-05-15T18:55:00.003-05:00

Express Player Profile - Jordan Tredinnick - Forward

The 6'1"/190lbs forward is a 1990 birth year from Onalaska, Wisconsin. Was the leading scorer in the state of Wisconsin his senior year, tallying 36 goals and 33 assists for a 69 point total. In his junior year, he scored 27 goals and 30 assists for a 57 point total. He was named to the All-State first team by the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association, and was a finalist for Wisconsin Mr Hockey. Played for Team Wisconsin in the 2008 Fall Elite league and at the Chicago Showcase Tournament.

Read an article on his signing here: http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2009/05/15/sports/02tred.txt

My take: A very nice pick-up by the Express, and while he isn't the first tender to sign with the team, he is the first that we have heard announced officially. With his size and scoring ability, coupled with the tutelage of Coach Cullen, Jordan will be on a lot of Division 1 scout's radar. Jordan is the same height and weight as returning Express forward Cory Thorson, and his scoring numbers from high school are just as impressive as Cory's were his senior year. Let's hope he has the same success as Cory did with the Express in his first year of junior hockey.

Welcome to Owatonna Jordan Tredinnick!!

Tidbits:

- Former Bismarck Bobcat Head Coach Dane Litke was announced as the new Head Coach/GM of the Janesville, Wisconsin expansion franchise.

- The NAHL has approved the sale of the Motor City Machine to a Japanese group. This should come as no surprise, as the former owners have been putting the "fun" in dysfunctional since they bought that franchise two years ago.

- Cory Thorson was selected by the Indiana Ice with the 11th pick in the 6 round (76th overall) of the USHL Entry Draft on Wednesday. He had a great first year of junior hockey, and is worthy of a shot at the next level, but this doesn't necessarily mean that he won't be back in Owatonna this fall.

Only 5 days until the draft, and the rink boards are up on the west rink of the 4 Seasons.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Silly Season

2009-05-12T20:23:00.002-05:00

As I was driving back from the metro today, I was thinking of potential topics for today's blogpost. Nothing was really standing out, and that got me wondering why it was so quiet out there in NAHL-land right now. The draft is one week from Wednesday, and we don't even know who is in the league and who isn't. I was about to start a writing a "no news is potentially bad news" column when I started trolling through vast regions of the interwebs, and it looks like silly season might be picking up.

- The Janesville, Wisconsin team is a definite go. The NAHL approved their membership for the 2009/10 season. No announcement was made as to which division they will play in, but it would make sense to put them in the North as a replacement for the USNTDP and Mahoning Valley. Janesville is just south of Madison on I-90, a trip of 285 miles/4.5 hours from Owatonna.

- Still no word on the Dawson Creek (British Columbia) team.

- Hearing rumblings that the North Division might be losing one more team this off-season. More on this when I can get some more information.

- Former North Iowa Outlaws head coach Jeff Crouse is not happy with the way his employment was ended by the Outlaw organization. Read the article here: http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2009/05/12/sports/local/doc4a0903da47b85381288020.txt

If new teams aren't in by the draft, it doesn't necessarily mean they won't still join the league. There have been some teams that have entered the league without participating in the draft (I think the Alexandria Blizzard did that). However, it's more likely than not that all the teams that will play in the NAHL this winter will take part in the draft next Wednesday. So expect some more news in the near future.

With what I know right now, this is what I would guess the divisions will look like:

Central: Owatonna, Bismarck, Alexandria, Albert Lea, North Iowa
North: Traverse City, Alpena, Marquette, Janesville, Motor City
West: Kenai River, Alaska, Wenatchee, Fairbanks, (Dawson Creek would go here)
South: Topeka, Texas, Wichita Falls, St Louis, Springfield

See you at the rink.

--BK

Alexandria Blizzard Changing Coaches Too

2009-05-10T19:25:00.002-05:00

This isn't exactly breaking news, but Alexandria Blizzard General Manager/Head Coach Brad Willner is stepping down and will assume the same two positions with the Granite City Lumberjacks of the MnJHL. Read the story here: http://www.alexandriablizzard.com/page/show_article/17126/26732

I really liked Coach Willner the few times I had a chance to chat with him when the Blizzard were in town to play the Express. He was the architect of the Blizzard's phenomenal run to the 2008 Robertson Cup, which included a series victory over the Southern Minnesota Express in the first round. The article mentioned that he was commuting to Alexandria everyday from his home near St Cloud, and the opportunity to eliminate that drive everyday must have been appealing enough to drop down to a lower level of competition. Look out Rochester, the Lumberjacks are bound to be a good team with Willner at the helm.

So Coach Willner steps down in Alexandria, and Coach Crouse is leaving the North Iowa Outlaws. I believe Crouse is originally from Alexandria. Coincidence, or might we see Crouse behind the home team bench in Alexandria this fall??

By the way, Crouse played college hockey at Hamline University in St Paul. Who was his coach at Hamline?? A 1993 graduate of Bemidji State University by the name of Patrick Cullen.

See you at the rink.

--BK

North Iowa Changing Coaches

2009-05-09T21:42:00.002-05:00

Speaking of goodbyes, the North Iowa Outlaws official website is reporting that Jeff Crouse will not be returning as coach of the Outlaws for the 2009/10 season. Read the brief article here: http://www.northiowaoutlaws.com/item.asp?display=news

My take: This comes as a bit of a surprise to me, as this past season was Crouse's first year as head coach and the Outlaws had a decent season. It will be interesting to hear exactly what happened that lead to them parting ways.

Whomever the new coach is will have is hands full, as the cupboard is pretty bare for the Outlaws going into the 2009/10 season. The Outlaws top 12 scorers from 08/09 are aging out or heading to college this fall. The leading returning scorer for the Outlaws is former Southern Minnesota Express defenseman Ben Danford with 16 points. There will be plenty more discussion on the Outlaws and the rest of the Central Division as the summer goes on.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Goodbyes

2009-05-08T18:32:00.002-05:00

With the 2009 NAHL draft coming in only 12 days, I want to wrap up a few things regarding this past season. First and foremost, we need to say goodbye to the Express players that we know will not be returning this fall.

A Big Kahuna farewell to:

-- Tim Smith - Was a first round draft pick of the Express, and lived up to that billing. Turned his 1 year of junior hockey into a Division 1 spot with Providence College. Congratulations Timmy.

-- Troy Puente - Completed his final year of junior hockey eligibility with the Express after a couple of seasons with the Texas Tornado. We came to know Troy quite early in training camp as he was sporting that great Fu Manchu goatee. Coach Cullen brought him in to provide some veteran leadership to this young expansion team, and he played that roll very well. Thanks Troy, and good luck with whatever is next for you.

-- David Kurbatsky - Came to the Express in November. He seemed to really step his game up in the playoffs. Thank you and good luck in the future.

-- Michael Palmiscno - Decided to play out his final year of junior hockey in Owatonna, after playing in Canada previously. Was one of the most exciting players to watch in the history of junior hockey in Owatonna. I look for Palmo to make a college choice in the coming weeks. Thanks Mike.

-- Joe Beaudette - Aged out. Made the switch from forward to defenseman this season. Destroyed my woodshed with an accurately placed medicine ball throw last fall. Thanks Joe and good luck down the line.

-- John Kruse - Committed to the Air Force Academy. Good luck John.

-- Tony McDonald - Aged out. Tony came to the Express in a draft-day trade with Kenai River. One of the fastest players on the ice, and one of the nicest guys off the ice. Thanks Tony, it was a pleasure getting to know you this last year.

-- Stephen Carew - Aged out/committed to Air Force Academy. Captain Kanga-Carew was the leading scorer for the expansion Express. Was a great leader on and off the ice. Thanks Stevie and good luck in Colorado Springs.

It's sort of depressing to think of these 8 guys not being around any more, but like everything in life, we move on. The exciting part is that there are 16 other guys from last year's roster that are eligible to return for another season with the Express. Now I realize that it's unlikely that all 16 will return, as that's the nature of junior hockey. However, anyway you slice it there will be plenty of junior hockey experienced guys wearing blue and white this fall in Owatonna.

After the hectic offseason last year, it's nice to know we are not starting from scratch this year. Coaches Cullen and Fink have had an entire year of scouting and preparing for camps this summer. They don't have to go out and find 25 guys to fill the roster, they just need to find the right 10-12 guys to fill the holes left by the guys leaving.

Rest assured, there are some tenders already signed for this fall, and I am sure Cullen has some gems identified in the draft later this month. There should be plenty of talented players attending the Express tryout camps in June and July.

Hey, in only 2 months, the roster will be chosen, and in only 4 months, your favorite junior hockey team will be taking the ice at the Showcase in Blaine.

I can't wait.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Offseason Update #1

2009-05-06T19:44:00.002-05:00

- The NAHL and Poinstreak announced an agreement wherein Pointstreak will design and host all of the NAHL team's websites. It will interesting to see if this is a good thing or not.

- The St. Louis Bandits won their third consecutive Robertson Cup championship last Sunday in Mason City, with an overtime victory over the Wenatchee Wild. The pivotal game for the Wild was their match up with the Mahoning Valley Phantoms. The Phantoms jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but the Wild came storming back and eventually beat MVP in overtime. Had that outcome been reversed, it would have been the Bandits and Phantoms in the championship game for the third straight year.

- The Texas Tornado are officially back in the NAHL for the 2009/2010 season. The Tornado were dormant for the past season, and there was much uncertainty regarding their future in the NAHL.

- Former Owatonna Huskie hockey player Jake Pence is one win away from a second consecutive IHL Turner Cup Championship. His Fort Wayne Komets team is up 3 games to none in a best of seven series versus the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

- In the USHL, the Fargo Force and the Indiana Ice are tied 1 game apiece in the Championship series.

- The NAHL has announced that the Wenatchee Wild will be hosting the 2010 Robertson Cup tournament in Washington next spring. You'll get the best deal on plane tickets if you book them today. It will be nice to have a large contingent of Express fans watching them win the championship next year.

- The Topeka Roadrunners franchise appears to be changing hands. It looked bleak for the 'Runners this spring, but a new ownership group has stepped up and is going to keep the team in Topeka.

Next up for the Express is the NAHL draft on May 20th, followed by the first of two tryout camps next month. It takes place June 19-21 and is an open camp. The best players from this camp will be invited to the final camp in July.

See you at the rink.

--BK

The Final Huddle

2009-04-27T20:13:00.004-05:00

The 2008/2009 Owatonna Express huddle around goalie Freddy Bergman one last time at the conclusion of Sunday's game 5 loss to the Bismarck Bobcats.

--I'm happy I decided to make the trip to Bismarck for Sunday's game, even though the outcome wasn't what we wanted. Watching the heart and effort the Express showed to come back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game was worth the 14 hour round trip drive. It was a large emotional swing from late Saturday night watching the boys load the bus to Sunday afternoon watching the Bobcats celebrate their championship.

--I'll post some season wrap-up stuff in the next few days, so stay tuned. The draft is only a few weeks away, and tryout camp is less than 2 months away.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

I'll Take It

2009-04-18T21:31:00.002-05:00

I'll take a 1-1 series, with the next 2 games back in the civilized world. It's okay, they don't have the Internet up in North Dakota yet, so feel free to take some shots at the Bobcats yourself.

Our favorite junior hockey team got the job done tonight, winning 3-1 in game #2 of the Central Division Finals. This marks the first victory in Bismarck for the Express this season. If you throw out the first period of Friday night's game, the Express have held their own against a Bobcats team that dominated the Express in the regular season.

Now the Bobcats have to make the long bus ride down to Southern Minnesota for a pair of games next weekend in Faribault, while the Express are sleeping in their own beds. It is basically a best of three series with the Express having home-ice advantage.

Grab your air-horns, buckets, and other noisemakers, and let's pack the arena next weekend.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Game On!!!

2009-04-17T17:26:00.004-05:00

I'm going to take it one paragraph at a time and give a 110% effort to not use any cliches' in this blog post.

On a serious note, it's game on tonight in Bismarck (some call Bismarck the Des Moines of North Dakota).

- Read the Bismarck Tribune series preview here: http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2009/04/17/news/sports/local/182746.txt

- Read the Owatonna People's Press preview here: http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=105490

My take: I realize the Express struggled with Bobcats in the regular season, but I don't care. The Fargo-Moorhead Jets were 4-2-1 versus the Express in the 2005/2006 regular season. How did the playoff match up between the two teams end up?? Express swept the Jets 4-0 in the best of 7 Central Division Finals. The Jets were 7-2-1 against the Express in the 2006/2007 regular season. How did that playoff match up end up?? Express swept the Jets 3-0 in the best of 5 Central Division Finals.

So you can draw only one logical conclusion from those indisputable facts: Not only will the Express win the series, they will do it without dropping a single game. They are 7-0 in Division Finals games, and not even Gretzky's great Oilers teams or the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team could beat the Express in this series.

Seriously now (Why do I keep saying that??), this should be a highly competitive series. The stats from the regular season don't mean anything. Coach Cullen said it best on Monday night's radio show: Both teams records are 0-0 going into game #1. The Bobcats play a defensive minded game in front of their top-notch goalie, but don't light up the scoreboard offensively (sounds like a NHL team from our state). The Express like to a play a high tempo, up and down the ice kind of game. On the surface, which style of play wins out in this series would determine the eventual winner.

My prediction: Express win in 4 games. My reasoning behind that prediction is I think there is a greater likely hood of the Express beating the Bobcats in a low-scoring, defensively dominated game than the Bobcats beating the Express in a high-scoring track meet kind of a game. The Express held the North Iowa Outlaws to only 4 goals in the last 3 games of the first round series, behind the great play of Freddy Bergman and the Express defense.

For the other division match ups, I'm going to stick with the predictions I made last September after the showcase. Fairbanks, Mahoning Valley, and Topeka join the Express at the Robertson Cup along with the Outlaws. Just in case you think I'm lying you can read my September predictions here: http://owatonnaexpress.blogspot.com/2008/09/predictions-for-tonight-and-playoffs.html .

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

*******Update******** Tony McDonald is in the lineup tonight for the Express. This is good news for Express fans, as he missed most of the North Iowa series.

Tim Smith Commits to Providence

2009-04-14T16:51:00.003-05:00

Express defenseman Tim Smith committed to play hockey at Providence College beginning this fall. Read the article from NAHL.com here: http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=969

My take: Congratulations Timmy!! I said this guy was an "absolute stud" and a Division 1 prospect when I profiled him last June, and he didn't disappoint. He was a 1st round draft pick of the Express, and was a fixture in the lineup all season. As much as I would have loved to see him back next season, I figured the odds were slim. Had he not signed a commitment to play in college, he would have likely been on a USHL roster.

Just another in a long line of Division 1 commitments from Coach Cullen and the Express. Good luck out east in the fall, and we're all proud of you. Thanks for giving your all this season, and I can think of no better way to go out than a Central Division Championship and a Robertson Cup appearance. Go get 'em this weekend.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Sayonara Outlaws!!!

2009-04-11T23:33:00.003-05:00

A great crowd saw Mike Palmiscno bank the puck into the net off of Outlaw goalie Keegan Asmundson's leg pad on a shot from the left corner midway through the second period to give the Express a 2-1 lead. Express goalie Freddy Bergman made that margin stand up, stopping 36 Outlaw shots, including 18 in the 3rd period, as the Express closed out the Outlaws in their first round playoff matchup, 3 games to 1.

The Express atoned for a lackluster performance in game #3 with a much better showing Saturday night. Cory Thorson scored the first Express goal, and the boys in blue took a 1-0 lead into the locker room at the first intermission. The Outlaws came out in the 2nd period and outskated the Express for the first 4 or 5 minutes, getting the game tying goal from former Express forward Brandon Brodhag. However it didn't take long for the Express to get that goal back as Palmiscno scored his goal just 4 minutes later. The third period was face paced, with a lot of end to end action, but the Express clamped down defensively, including killing off a late Outlaw powerplay opportunity. Freddy Bergman made a few key saves, and once again a Pat Cullen coached Express team wins a playoff series.

Next up for the Express is the Central Division Finals versus the Bismarck Bobcats who closed out the Alexandria Blizzard in their first round playoff series. The schedule for that series has yet to be finalized, so check back later for the specifics. Hey, we get at least 2 more weeks of hockey!!

See you at the rink.

--BK

Front Desk?? Yes, this is the Owatonna Express....

2009-04-10T19:56:00.003-05:00

....can we get a 7:30pm wake up call for Saturday night?? Thanks

Of course I'm only kidding. The Express received all the wake up call they should need in game #3 a couple of nights ago. In some respects, I guess we should have probably seen a little bit of a letdown with a side of overconfidence going into Game #3, coming off of a phenomenal performance in Game #2 and a 2-0 game lead in the series. However, I didn't foresee the abject apathy coming that we witnessed at Shattuck Tuesday night. My apologies to goalie Freddy Bergman, as he played one of his best games all year, and kept it from being a blowout.

Okay, the Outlaws came out and dominated all aspects of the game (except the score), but the silver lining is: that game is but one single game, and that game is in the history books. There is way too much pride, anger, intelligence, experience, and sheer willpower in that cramped, smelly Express locker room to ever let that kind of performance happen again. The Outlaws had their backs against the wall, and they came out with a jump in their step that the Express couldn't match.

Now the skate is on the other foot. Nobody associated with our favorite junior hockey team, nor the boys in blue themselves, want to see a game #5 in Mason City on Monday. So I look for the Express to come out Saturday night and take care of business. That's all I got to say about that Lieutenant Dan.

Game time is 7:30pm on the new rink at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota. It should be a large, loud crowd, with the Outlaws bringing a busload of fans up from Mason City.

I have rambled on long enough.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Weekend Aftermath Linkorama

2009-04-06T18:41:00.002-05:00

When the first round playoff schedule was released my first response was why in the h-e-double hockey sticks is game 3 scheduled for a Tuesday?? As it turns out, playing Game 3 on Tuesday probably plays into the hands of the Express. A short turnaround after a great weekend hopefully means a continuation of the energy and skill we saw Saturday night in Mason City. If there was a full week off before resuming the series, it could cool off the roll our favorite junior hockey team is currently on. In addition, after getting amped up over the weekend, I don't know if I could wait until Friday to see another game.

Linkorama:

- From the North Iowa Outlaws blog: http://northiowaoutlaws.wordpress.com/2009/04/05/no-noise/ Don't forget that Chris Giebe was a member of the 2005-2006 Southern Minnesota Express.

- Also from the North Iowa Outlaws blog: http://northiowaoutlaws.wordpress.com/2009/04/05/what-can-be-done/ Nice article with some glowing remarks about Coach Cullen.

- Also, also from the North Iowa Outlaws blog: http://northiowaoutlaws.wordpress.com/2009/04/05/the-cullen-curse/ The writer of the NI blog is also their radio announcer. Where was he before coming to Mason City?? He was the announcer for the Fargo-Moorhead Jets when the old Southern Minnesota Express swept them out of the playoffs twice.

- Also, also, also from the North Iowa Outlaws blog: http://northiowaoutlaws.wordpress.com/2009/04/05/2500/ In comparison, this Express blog has had over 26,000 hits and 12,000 unique visitors since I installed the counter in July of last year.

- The Express are front page news on NAHL.com. Read the article here: http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=952

- Don't forget that all remaining Express souvenir jerseys are on sale while supplies last. You can pick yours up at the Express office, or at the Merchandise table at the next game. $40 is a great bargain for an Express jersey.

- Speaking of Express jerseys, the game-worn jersey auction is still going on. Place your bid at the games, or visit the official website.

Got to go, the Twins season opener is about to start.

See you at the rink.

--BK

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together

2009-04-05T10:52:00.002-05:00

Fans of the '80's TV show "The A-Team" might recognize those immortal words as the once an episode catchphrase of Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith, the leader of a crack commando squad relegated to the Los Angeles underground after being convicted of a crime they did not commit.

From the very first organizational meeting last April, through the draft, tryout camp, and the regular season, fans of the Owatonna Express have been repeating the following mantra: "This team will be very good come playoff time". Well, through the first two games, our wish has come to fruition.

The Express played one of their best 60 minute hockey games of the season Saturday night in Mason City, defeating the Outlaws for the second straight night, and taking a 2-0 lead in the best of 5 Central Division Semifinals. With the series now shifting to our "home" rink at Shattuck Arena in Faribault, the Express can send the Outlaws back to Mason City with a full 3 weeks to prepare for their hosting of the Robertson Cup with a victory Tuesday night.

- After a bit of a rough game Friday night, Express goalie Freddy Bergman shutout the Outlaws through the first 55 minutes of Saturday's game. Credit to the Outlaw's Travis Baker for somehow sneaking the only goal of the night past Bergman.

- Express forward Tony McDonald was back in the lineup for game 2 after missing game 1 with a shoulder injury sustained last weekend in Bismarck.

- Chris Darnell didn't appear any worse for wear Saturday night, after a scary crash into the endboards late in game 1. He scored the overtime game-winner Friday night, and tallied the 2nd Express goal Saturday night which also ended up as the game-winning goal. He is one of the most talented scorers on the team, and has played very well through the first two games.

- The Express defensive corp gets the gameball (gamepuck?) for game 2. After looking pretty ragged in game 1, the blueliners rebounded with a solid effort.

- 13 players on the Express roster have scored at least one point through the first 2 games. It's nice to see the 3rd and 4th lines getting some important goals this weekend.

- The biggest factor in the 2 wins this weekend was special teams. After struggling most of the regular season, the Express powerplay has been phenomenal, capitalizing on 5 of 9 opportunities. On the other side of the redline, the Express penalty kill has only allowed 1 goal to the Outlaws in 15 chances. If this type of performance continues, the Express will be hard to beat.

Thanks to the Express organization for putting together the bus ride/tailgating adventure Saturday night. It was a spirited night in the stands cheering on our favorite junior hockey team, and it was nice to have a large contingent of fellow Express fans in attendance. The game recap article on the North Iowa Outlaws website stated there was a "loud group of Express supporters who drowned out the Outlaws faithful all night." You can read that entire article here: http://www.northiowaoutlaws.com/item.asp?display=news&show=312 .

Next up for the Express is game 3 Tuesday night in Faribault. The Outlaws have dug themselves a big hole, but don't think they won't come out fighting. With the history of this rivalry, Outlaw nation would love nothing more than to knock the Express out of the playoffs. On the other hand, the Express have their hands around the Outlaws collective throats, and just need to squeeze the last bit of life out of them. Game time is 7pm Tuesday night, and don't forget to bring your noisemakers.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Game 1 to the Good Guys

2009-04-04T11:37:00.002-05:00

Huge double overtime victory for the Express Friday night in Mason City.

Read the OPP article here: http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=105151

Read the article from the Mason City Globe Gazette here: http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2009/04/04/sports/local/doc49d6ec08425b2142291333.txt

See the boxscore here: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=972380

My take: The Express did almost everything right last night. They got an early goal to get rid of the pregame nervousness, they outshot the Outlaws by a wide margin (don't believe Pointstreak), and flat-out dominated the hockey game.............and then the 1st period ended. From that point on it was a tough game to watch as an Express fan. Three 2-goal leads were wasted, and the Express were outplayed for a majority of the rest of the game. Several big-time saves by Freddy Bergman kept the Outlaws from taking the lead, and eventually Chris Darnell scored the game winner early in the 2nd overtime to clinch the victory.

Now, I started the blog in June of last year, and this post will be my 199th blogpost. Very, very infrequently, if ever, have I taken issue with the way an Express game was officiated. Have there been times that I wanted to blast the officials?? Of course there has, but I usually bite my tongue, and figure that eventually things even out. However, because it was the story of the game Friday night, I would be remiss if I didn't mention how horrible the officiating was through the 3rd period and the overtimes. It's ironic that the game ended on a powerplay goal by the Express, given that the Express were on the penalty kill way to frequently at the end of the game. While I would love the Express to be the on the opposite side of a badly officiated game tonight, I would settle for a fairly officiated game. There is enough drama already surrounding this series, and it would be a shame if the ultimate result was influenced by the officials. Let the guys settle on the ice, and shove that whistle in your...........................pocket.

Anyways, on to Game #2. The Outlaws have all of the pressure on them tonight. They played hard Friday night, and lost a heartbreaker on their home rink. A loss tonight would be potentially back-breaking for the Outlaws, as they would have to then beat the Express twice in Faribault to force a game 5. It will be interesting to see who starts at goalie tonight for our favorite junior hockey team, Horstman or Bergman. The forward lines last night were different than we've seen most of this season. Tony McDonald is out with an injury, so Cullen had to juggle the combinations. Will that continue tonight??

There will be a packed bus of rowdy Express fans making the trip south (A Big Kahuna thank you to St Clairs For Men and Kyle/Rick for putting it together). Don't forget the bus leaves at 4:30 from the Country Club!!!!!

Lastly, this could be the final home game in the history of the North Iowa Outlaws. The Outlaws organization is struggling with the Fair Board in Mason City over ice time and costs. If they don't come to an amicable solution, Express fans could be traveling to watch the LaCrosse Outlaws(Cheeseheads?) next season.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Tim Smith Named All-Division Defenseman

2009-04-03T11:55:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Express defenseman Tim Smith who was named to the All-Central Division Team today. See the entire article here: http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=949

--BK

What's this?? A new blog post??

2009-04-02T21:14:00.002-05:00

I am back. Okay, I never really left. I have been suffering from a bad case of hockey overload the last few weeks. In the hockey world, "hockey overload" is the third worst affliction, right behind "hockey drought syndrome" and Minnesota Wild fan. I have been bunkered down in my man-cave watching the Minnesota High School tournament, NCAA tournament, the Wild choke-job down the stretch, and the National Broomball Championship on ESPN 8 (The Ocho). All this has kept from my appointed post as postmaster of the Express Blog.

At this point it would take a blogpost roughly the size of the Warren Report to catch up on everything that has happened since my last post, so I'm not even going to try. What's past is past, and what is present is the NAHL playoffs.

- South Division: Springfield and Wichita Falls are decent teams, but there is no way that either of them gets in the way of an epic finals matchup between Topeka and St Louis. The Roadrunners and Bandits both sweep their first round opponents.

- West Division: I really don't care, as this is a horrible division. If the Albert Lea Thunder played in the West Division, they would have qualified for the playoffs. Fairbanks will advance to the division finals by beating Kenai River in 4 games. The Alaska Avalanche versus Wenatchee Wild matchup could be an entertaining series. I see the Wild winning in 4 or maybe 5 games.

- North Division: The USNTDP made a late run to clinch the division championship, but that was to be expected with the U18 team playing a lot at the end of the regular season. I assume it will be the U17 team playing Alpena in the first round, which could be a very interesting series with Alpena. Former Express goalie Nick Graves has shown the ability at times to dominate in this league, and if the Icediggers can find any bit of offense they could give the U17's a run for their money. In the other matchup in the North, Mahoning Valley is taking on Traverse City. MVP has a veteran team with a lot of playoff experience, and I think that gets them a series win in 4 games.

- Central Division: As much as I would love the Alexandria Blizzard to knock off the Bismarck Bobcats, I just don't see it happening. Bobcats in a 3 game sweep.

Now onto the main event: Express vs. Outlaws. The Express have been playing well lately. Yeah, they have struggled against the Bobcats in Bismarck, but we'll cross that bridge after sending the Outlaws home for the summer. As Paul over at the Mahoning Valley Phantoms blog put it: Who wants to face Pat Cullen in the playoffs?? Something tells me Cullen has a few aces up his sleeve that will get played when the situation warrants. I give the Express a definitive edge in offensive firepower, and I think defensively it's a push between the two teams. Horstman played very well against the Outlaws at Shattuck a few weeks ago, and Bergman has shown flashes of dominance at times lately. Callaghan/Asmundson for the Outlaws isn't a bad tandem either, and if they play well the Express will have trouble scoring. Asmundson dominated the Express most of the season, but he the Express put up a 7 spot on him on March 13th, and Callaghan gave up 10 goals in his last two appearances against our favorite junior hockey team.

Anyway way you slice it, this should be a great series. Prediction-wise, I look for the Express and Outlaws to split the first weekend's games, and then win the pair of games at Shattuck to take the series in 4 games. That's right, you heard it here first: Express in 4.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Express 2008 Draft Review

2009-03-10T19:44:00.002-05:00

Now that we're almost through to the end of the regular season, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at the guys the Express drafted last May in the Entry Draft. Which ones made the team?? How did they pan out this season?? Where they good picks in general??

In alphabetical order:

- Stephen Carew - Obviously this was a great pick. Captain of the team, and a veteran presence, has scored 48 points through the first 51 games.

- Dan Cecka - Another great pick by the Express. The only downside to this pick is we only had him for the last half of the season. Makes me wonder where the Express would be if he had been on the roster at the beginning of the season.

- Fredrik Csisar - 2nd round pick, never came to Owatonna as far as I know. Looks like he is playing this season back in his native Norway for Furuset Ishockey IF.

- Carson Curran - Made the initial Express roster out of training camp, and if I remember correctly, practiced with the team for the first couple of weeks before leaving town the week before the showcase. He was a guy I was really looking forward to watching this season.

- Marian Fiala - A nice pick. Is just a '90, so he could be a fixture on the blueline for the Express for a couple more years.

- Tom Glomski - Has scored 12 points in 47 games this season as a member of the Albert Lea Thunder.

- Anthony Hayes - The first of a handful of draft picks that played in the USHL this season. Not necessarily a bad pick as the Express have had much success in the past with USHL castoffs. Has scored 28 points in 44 games for the division leading Green bay Gamblers.

- Justin Lee - Played with the Texas Tornado last year, and decided to start his college hockey career this season instead of another year of juniors. Member of the Gustavus Adolphus men's hockey team.

- Tom McCarthy - Scored 7 points in 45 games for the Fargo Force in the USHL.

- Dylan Porter - Nice pick by the Express. Has played in 45 games this season, and has been a fixture on the unheralded but important grinder line.

- Adam Schmidt - Has scored 9 points in 39 games for the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL.

- Jake Sloat - Great pick of a USHL guy that paid off for the Express. 20 points in 44 games this season. He is only a '90, but has 2 full years of junior experience under his belt. Let's hope we see him back with the Express for next season.

- Tim Smith - Great pick. Has been a fixture on defense for the Express all season long. He is one of only 5 guys that have played in all 51 games for the Express this year. Has a nice shot, and is phenomenal on the powerplay.

- Cam Stowers - Made the initial roster out of training camp, but was not on the roster when the season started. Played 2 games with the Topeka Roadrunners in October. Last I heard he had decided to play another year with the AAA Russell Stover program.

- Zach Vierling - Yet another great pick by the Express. 34 points in 50 games this season, and he is only a '90

- Mac Williams - Attended tryout camp but did not make the team. I don't know where he ended up this season.

- Scott Winkler - This was a reach pick by the Express, but worth a chance if you ask me. He is a very talented and highly touted kid that would have been a superstar in the NAHL. He has scored 30 points in 45 games for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL this season.

- While all the above guys listed were drafted by the Express, don't forget that the Express sent two draft picks to the Kenai River Brown Bears in exchange for the rights to Tony McDonald.

My take: A total of 18 guys the Express acquired through the draft. 8 of those became solid pieces of this year's team, 4 spent the season in the USHL, 1 is playing in Europe, 1 went straight to college, 1 is with another team in the NAHL, one went back to his AAA team, and 2 are MIA. No doubt this was a very successful draft, and set the table for this year's Express team. The encouraging part is that 6 of the draft picks that are currently on the roster have at least one more year of junior eligibility, so they should play a major role in next year's team as well.

Some of you folks might look at this breakdown and be wondering why less than half of the draft picks ended up on the roster. What that tells me is that Coaches Cullen and Fink are shooting high in the draft. Would you rather have them take a chance on some USHL guys with higher upside (Cecka/Sloat) or draft guys that might not even make the team?? I know what my answer is. Also, don't forget that there was an extremely short time frame for the Express to prepare for the draft. Imagine what Cullen and Fink will do in this year's draft, with a full year of scouting and preparation.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Franchise Rumors

2009-03-05T19:59:00.003-06:00

So if you believe the rumors, the makeup of the NAHL for the 2009-2010 season might include teams from:
- Lake Tahoe, California
- Jamestown, New York
- Janesville, Wisconsin
- Hibbing, Minnesota
- Thief River Falls, Minnesota
- Rochester Ice Hawks
- Texas Tornado
- A second California team
- None of the Michigan teams (Alpena, Marqutte, Traverse City, Motor City)
- Not Mahoning Valley
- Not North Iowa, Bismarck, or Alexandria
- Another Texas team (besides Texas Tornado and Wichita Falls)
- A second Wisconsin team
- Aberdeen, South Dakota
- Fargo-Moorhead Jets
- A team based in Canada
- The Jamaican Bobsled team
- The Harlem Globetrotters

The sad thing is that I was only kidding with the last two. A wise man once said, "Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see." At this point, I think that old saying pretty much sums up my opinion of all the crap floating around in regards to next season.

With the apparent/impending launch of USA Hockey's big "Superteam" concept, it seems that all 19 teams in this years NAHL are thinking of making the jump to the USHL. However, it just isn't feasible except for maybe the Mahoning Valley franchise. The truth is most of the home rinks in the NAHL are not big enough to fit into the USHL's plans. Most importantly, if teams can't make money in the NAHL why do they think they can make money in the USHL where expenses are even higher??

Now, as far as new teams entering the mix for next season, you can never rule anything out. Just in the last 2 seasons, the powers that be in the NAHL have allowed two ownership groups that shouldn't be allowed to operate a lemonade stand on the corner, to buy NAHL franchises. That being said, I just don't see the NAHL in California. Travel costs and lack of proper arenas are the two most prohibitive reasons. On the flip side, hockey is booming in California, and it would be still make more sense than having teams in Alaska.

The Jamestown, New York rumor is interesting, being that the closest team to the Atlantic Ocean is Mahoning Valley and they might be making the jump to the USHL. The other part of this rumor was that it would be a Barry Soskin owned team. Soskin currently owns and operates the Albert Lea Thunder. So are the Thunder moving to New York or would the league allow one guy to own two franchises??

The Janesville, Wisconsin team I can actually see happening. The city seems to be onboard, and it's within the current NAHL "footprint". Would they be playing in the Central Division, or the North Division??

The Hibbing and Thief River Falls, Minnesota rumors are interesting. We have heard for over a year that TRF wants a team, and I heard they have a nice rink. Could the former Fargo-Moorhead Jets franchise rise from the ashes in TRF??

The Rochester Ice Hawks to the NAHL is another interesting rumor. They have a good thing going in the MJHL, and get nice crowds at their games, but could they handle the huge increase in operating expenses?? It would be real nice for the Express if it did happen, but I just don't see it happening until the economy turns around.

What does it all boil down to?? If the NAHL expands their footprint even more than they have in the last few years, I think you'll see a shift to a more regionally based league. By that I mean that there won't be much for inter-division games, and the Robertson Cup would become more of a true "National Championship".

What do I think will happen?? I'm just making a somewhat educated guess here, but I think that Mahoning Valley makes the jump to the USHL. With the USNTDP already switching leagues, the USHL needs one more team to even out the divisions, and MV has the Chevy Center to play in. I think the North Division will still be the North Division. Traverse City doesn't draw well enough to jump to the USHL, and our friends in Motor City will last one more year. I think Janesville, Wisconsin will have a team, and they will probably end up in the Central Division. Although it would make more sense to put them in the North Division, especially if MV makes the jump. I think the Texas Tornado will be back in the NAHL for next season, and I could totally see an expansion team somewhere in Texas as well.

One thing is for sure: It will be an interesting spring and early summer, and the makeup of the NAHL will have a different look going into this fall's Showcase.

Changing topics here: Congratulations to Express goalie Freddy Bergman on being named Honorable Mention NAHL goalie of the month for February.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Big Kahuna's Blabberings

2009-03-02T21:13:00.002-06:00

- The Express Game-Worn Jersey Auction is currently happening on the official Express website (www.expressjrhockey.org).

- There are several different sources claiming that the Mahoning Valley Phantoms might jump to the USHL next season. The Express have played the Phantoms at least once every season since junior hockey came to Owatonna, including at the Robertson Cup championship in 2006 and 2007. They have been at or near the top of the North Division for the last 4 years, so it would open up that division if they do make the jump. Also, with the USNTDP joining the USHL, it would make sense to add a second team to even the numbers out.

- The Albert Lea Thunder finally got win #3 on the season Saturday night in Bismarck. That's 2 wins for the Thunder over the Central Division leading Bobcats this season. Any given night...

- Gustavus Adolphus with former Express forward Joe Welch and former Express draft pick Justin Lee, will play Hamline and former Express forward Brian Arrigoni, Wednesday night at 8pm for the MIAC championship and the automatic bid to the D-3 championship tournament. (thanks for the tip KL)

- I'm hearing some rumblings that there might be ice at the 4 Seasons Centre next spring which would facilitate home games in March and home playoff games (actually at "home"). It would apparently be the West rink, but at least it would be in Owatonna. Two nice crowds took in the two game series last weekend versus the Outlaws, and it would be interesting to see that ball keep rolling, instead of picking up shop and heading for Shattuck. Do the right thing Steele County!!

Coming up in the near future: A preview of next year's Express team (That's right, I'm not even going to wait for this season to end), a final look at the Express draft picks from last May, and how they panned out, updates on Express alumni, and much more.

See you at the rink.

--BK

One and a Half Thumbs Up

2009-02-22T20:47:00.002-06:00

The Express took care of business tonight in Albert Lea, winning 7-0. Jason Horstman had a nice night in net for the good guys and the goals came from Fiala (2), Smith, Carew, Palmiscno, Thorson, and Kurbatsky. The story of the night though (in my opinion), was the play of the Express defenseman. They played great from the opening face-off, blocking shots in front of the goal, and shutting down any play the Thunder could muster. If the defense plays this well the remainder of the season, this will be a scary team in the playoffs.

Although I have taken several shots at the Thunder this season, I want to take a minute and give them some props. Coach Zangs is a lot better coach than his win/loss record shows. I wish him good luck next season wherever he ends up. I also want to give major kudos to the Thunder players who earned their spot on the team the right way, and stuck it out through a miserable season. I hope the owner/upper management of the Thunder re-think their approach going into next season, and attempt to field a competitive team.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Friday Night Ramblings

2009-02-20T22:20:00.003-06:00

- This has nothing to do with the Express, or hockey at all, but I'm stoked that the Twins have apparently reached a deal with former White Sox 3B Joe Crede. After an off-season where the biggest move was signing Luis Ayala (who??), the Twins make a splash and finally may have picked up the right handed, power hitting third baseman they have needed since Gary Gaetti left.

- I saw an article the other day somewhere on Al Gore's internet congratulating Marquette coach Kenny Miller on his 100th career win. This got me thinking that Express coach Pat Cullen must have passed that milestone earlier this season. After a little bit of research, it looks like Coach Cullen's 100th career NAHL win came this season on November 28th against the Springfield Jr . Blues. This was the game where Stephen Carew scored an unassisted, short-handed goal in overtime to beat the Jr Blues. So a belated congratulations to Coach Cullen, and let's hope there are several hundred more wins to come down the line.

- Mad props to Jake Sloat for being named Central Division Player of the Week for last week. I love the way Jake plays, and I hope we get to watch him play in an Express sweater next season.

- From the Express Coaches Show on Monday: Forward Chris Darnell could be back in the next couple of weeks. This is good news for our favorite junior hockey team. Chris was just starting to take off when he was hurt, and the initial word was he would not be back until the playoffs.

- In case you missed it, Ian Stauffer from the People's Press wrote a nice article this week on former Express player Joel Gaulrapp. You can read it here: http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=103850

- Congratulations to everybody who picked up some of the sweet memorabilia on the silent auction last weekend. This was a great idea by the powers that be, and hopefully becomes an annual event for the Express. Personally, I picked up the Paul Kariya autographed St Louis Blues jersey, and the game-used Rod Brind'Amour autographed stick for my personal collection. I think I got a great deal on both of them, and now have autographed items from 2 legends in the NHL. Brind'Amour has over 1100 points in his career, and Kariya should get his 1000th point in the next year or so.

Next up for the Express is a short road trip down to Albert Lea Sunday afternoon for the final matchup with the Thunder this season. The Express will be looking to make it a perfect 12-0 this season against our fellow expansion team. Plenty of good seats will be available.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Kruse Commits to Air Force Academy

2009-02-13T10:41:00.002-06:00

According to the official Express website, forward John Kruse verbally committed to the Air Force Academy for next year. He will join current teammate Stephen Carew, and former Express players Tim Kirby, Kevin Wright, and Scott Kozlak. This is great news in light of the injury that kept John out of the lineup for an extended period of time this season.

Congratulations John.

My take: While it's great news for John, it means he won't be back for next season with the Express. I don't fault him at all for making this decision, but I looked forward to having him be one of the veteran leaders on next season's Express team. The Express pipeline to the AFA is flowing, and you could see 25% of the Falcons lineup next season filled with Express alumni.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Brian Arrigoni Update

2009-02-11T18:56:00.002-06:00

I received a nice email last week from Tim Ostroot the Assistant Hockey Coach at Hamline University in regards to former Express forward Brian Arrigoni. I cut and pasted the email below:

I wanted to send you an update on former Express player Brian Arrigoni, now centering the second line at Hamline University. Brian has nine goals, tied for second on the team (just one behind the leader) and is the MIAC's top scoring freshman. He has been a tremendous player for the Pipers, who have spent most of the season ranked in the top 15 D-3 teams in the country. He has played every game, plays on our power play, and has consistently been a top player on the ice. He is one of the best freshmen in the country, and is a big reason Hamline is in position to make a run at its second consecutive MIAC title.

Tim Ostroot
Hamline Asst. Coach

My take: It's great to hear about former Express players succeeding at the next level. Brian was an exciting player to watch in an otherwise dismal season last year. He had an exceptional knack for blocking shots with his facemask. On top of contributing to the on-ice success of the Pipers, Brian is getting a top-notch education at one of the most prestigious schools in the upper midwest. Congratulations Brian and we're all proud of you down in Owatonna.

Thanks Coach Ostroot for the update, good luck bringing home the MIAC title, and I'll see you at the rink the next time you're in town scouting.

--BK

Catching Up

2009-02-09T18:15:00.002-06:00

- The Express might have a new division foe next year. The City Council in Janesville, Wisconsin unanimously approved spending $229,000 to renovate their ice arena in preparation for an NAHL team. It's still early in the process, but it sounds good at this point. This is great news for hockey fans in Wisconsin, especially after the unmitigated disaster that was the WJHL.

- Springfield Jr Blues coach Chris Wyler was fired last week, and replaced by assistant coach Andy Maher. The move paid immediate dividends last weekend as the Blues beat the NAHL's best team, the Topeka Roadrunners, twice.

- The Motor City Machine traded their best player (Josh Bussell) to their division rival Mahoning Valley Phantoms. You can draw your own conclusions on this one.

- The Albert Lea Thunder also traded one of their best players in Mitch Torrel. He was traded to the Wenatchee Wild on Tuesday last week. I also remember reading somewhere that he committed to the Air Force Academy, but I was too lazy to look up a link confirming that.

- Express forward Dan Cecka was named Honorable Mention Central Division Player of the Week for his performance last weekend. Cecka has scored 15 points in only 10 games since coming to the Express.

- Former Express goalie Nick Hopper was traded to the Wichita Falls Wildcats last week. He had been playing most recently for the Omaha Lancers in the USHL.

- The Express have basically clinched a playoff spot for this season. If the Thunder won their remaining 18 games, and the Express lost their remaining 16 games in regulation, the two teams would be tied at 44 points. I don't know what the tie-breakers would be, but the Express are 10-0 versus the Thunder head-to-head this season.

- From the Express Coaches Show tonight: The 25 man Express roster is locked in for the remainder of the season. 15 forwards, 8 defensemen, and 2 goalies. The only roster move made at the deadline was removing goalie Adam Buegler.

Next up for the Express is a 3 game weekend with a road game Friday night at North Iowa, a home game Saturday night against the Outlaws, and a 5:00pm matinee Sunday against the Albert Lea Thunder.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Tragedy in the Express Family

2009-02-03T19:22:00.003-06:00

I just got home and saw the news that Rick Spitzack passed away suddenly this morning. For those who might not know, Rick was a member of the Express Board of Directors, and his wife Mary is the Billett Coordinator for the Express.

My condolences go out to Mary and the entire Spitzack family. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

--BK

Saturday Roundup

2009-02-01T14:29:00.002-06:00

A great crowd witnessed a nice performance in a 4-2 Express victory Saturday night. John Kruse and Cory Thorson both scored twice, and Freddy Bergman held the Blizzard to 2 goals on 28 shots, as the Express recovered from a poor showing Friday night to pull back into a tie with the Blizzard in the standings. It was a very busy night at the rink, but everything went very smooth, so big kudos to the organization and all the volunteers.

- Saturday's Boxscore: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=764166

- Saturday's Recaps from the People's Press: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=103309 , http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=103305 , & http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=103306

- People's Press Article from Friday about Express forward Stephen Carew: http://www.owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=103223

- The Express organization is holding a silent auction which ends on February 15th. Some of the really sweet stuff up for grabs: Mikko Koivu and Brett Burns autographed Wild jerseys, a Paul Kariya signed St Louis Blues jersey, a Brian Schack signed Gophers jersey, an Air Force jersey signed by the 3 former Express players on their roster, and many other hockey related items. You can view and bid on the memorabilia at the Express games.

- Former Express and Owatonna High School forward James Gaulrapp scored a highlight reel goal against the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Saturday night. It was an unassisted, shorthanded goal, which turned out to be the game-winner as the MSU-Mankato Mavericks swept the Gophers this weekend.

- Former Express forward Dusty Jackson had 3 assists Friday night in Denver's 6-2 win over Alaska-Anchorage. He also chipped in an assist Saturday night against the Seawolves.

Next up for the Express is a road trip to Bismarck for a pair of games against the Central Division leading Bobcats. The next home game for our favorite junior hockey team is on Valentine's Day when the North Iowa Outlaws come to the 4 Seasons Centre.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Express Make Huge Trade!!!!!

2009-01-28T20:47:00.002-06:00

No, not really, but there was a trade involving the Express made yesterday. The rights to former Express forward Sean Randall were traded to the Alaska Avalanche. Randall played in 4 games for the Express early this season, scoring a hat trick in the 12-1 victory over Kenai River at the Showcase in September. He hadn't been with the team since the Albert Lea game on September 27th. The trade was officially announced yesterday, but Sean has already played in 3 games for the Avalanche, and scored a goal against Fairbanks a few weeks ago.

Although things didn't work out here in Owatonna, I wish good luck to Sean up in Alaska.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Cecka is Central Division Player of the Week

2009-01-26T18:51:00.002-06:00

For the third straight week, an Express player has been named the NAHL Central Division Player of the Week. Read the article here: http://www.nahl.com/potw.cfm

- If you clicked on the link above, you might also have noticed that former Express forward and current Topeka Roadrunner Andy Inderieden was named the NAHL South Division Player of the Week.

- Former Express defenseman Ben Danford was acquired by the North Iowa Outlaws in a trade with the Motor City Machine. I'm very happy that Ben finally got out of Detroit, but it will suck to see him playing against our favorite junior hockey team.

Next up for the Express is a pair of home games against the Alexandria Blizzard this weekend. Check the official Express website for all the special events and promotions for the upcoming games.

See you at the rink.

--BK

The Table is Set

2009-01-24T13:11:00.003-06:00

The table is set, and the only question is: Will the Express pull up a chair and eat??

Our favorite junior hockey team has 21 games remaining in the regular season, and currently trail co-division leading Bismarck and North Iowa by 4 points in the standings. Now guess who the Express play 14 of their remaining games against?? That's right, the Bobcats and the Outlaws (7 games vs. each). **Cliche Alert** The Express control their own destiny in regards to winning the Central Division. The Express have had some success against both those teams this season, going 2-2-1 versus Bismarck, and 2-4 versus the Outlaws. The Express will need to win 4 or maybe 5 of the 7 remaining games against those two teams to make it happen.

Will it happen?? We'll see, but if you throw out the horrible loss last Saturday night, the Express are playing very good hockey since Christmas. If we have learned one thing over the history of the franchise, is that Cullen coached teams peak at the end of the season.

Tonight's game should be very entertaining. Both the Express and Bobcats are coming off victories Friday night, and every game between the two teams this season has been a barn-burner. The Express "Family 4 Packs" are available for $35, which includes 4 tickets to the game, 4 sodas, and 4 hot dogs. You can also clip the $2 off coupon from this week's Owatonna People's Press, or print one from here: http://www.expressjrhockey.org/documents/coupon_000.pdf .

- The 3 Express representatives at the NAHL Top Prospect Tournament were back in their Express jerseys Friday night against the Blizzard, after playing 3 games in Ann Arbor, Michigan earlier this week. Congratulations to Tony McDonald, Cory Thorson, and Tim Smith, who collectively finished +2 for the tournament. McDonald had 2 goals, and Thorson had a goal and an assist, including the game winner versus the West Division team.

- The magic number for the Express to clinch a playoff berth is 14 going into tonight's game. What that means is any combination of 14 points the Express earn, or the Albert Lea Thunder fail to earn will put the Express in the playoffs. If the Thunder win all of their remaining games (I'll give you a minute to stop laughing).................................................................................................. the Express would have to pick up 14 total points in their remaining 21 games.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Dmitry Lugin - Player of the Week

2009-01-19T18:36:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Express forward Dmitry Lugin who was named the NAHL Central Division Player of the Week. Read the article here: http://www.nahl.com/potw.cfm . I believe that is the 4th different Express player to garner that honor this season.

- Express forward Tony McDonald scored the first goal for the Central Division Top Prospects team in their loss to Team USA on Sunday in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Fellow teammate Cory Thorson had the only assist on the goal. Despite losing 6-2, the three Express representatives were even on the game for plus/minus.

- The Central Division team plays again tonight at 7:00pm against the North Division Top Prospects and former Express goalie Nick Graves.

- From the Express Coaches Show on KRFO radio: The Express will not be carrying all 3 goalies for the remainder of the season.

Next up for the Express is a 4 game home stand starting this Friday night with a game against the Alexandria Blizzard. The Bismarck Bobcats then pay a visit to the 4 Seasons Centre on Saturday night. As Coach Cullen intimated on the radio show tonight, every game is a playoff game, so get your tickets today, and I'll....

....see you at the rink.

--BK

Big News Regarding Tonight's Game

2009-01-17T12:21:00.002-06:00

From the Pre-Game Notes for tonight's game from the North Iowa Outlaws official website:

"Missing in Action With the Central Division prospects scheduled to play late Sunday afternoon, a bus taking the team and coaches has been scheduled to leave Saturday afternoon. As a result the Outlaws will be without defensemen Jon Crouse (Alexandria, MN) and Ryan Peltoma (Brainerd, MN) along with forwards Brandon Brodhag (Brooklyn Park, MN), Jack Paul (Minnetonka, MN) and Alex Carlson (Farmington, MN). Combined that is a loss of 55 goals, 92 assists and 147"

The entire article is here: http://www.northiowaoutlaws.com/pregame.asp?show=1/17/2009

This is very good news for Express fans, as our three Top Prospect guys will be in uniform tonight for the game. Cory Thorson, Tony McDonald, and Tim Smith are flying out to Michigan Sunday morning.

In my opinion, this is the biggest game of the year for the Express, and the Outlaws will be without their 3 top scoring forwards, their top 2 defensemen, and their head coach. The Express are on a roll, and with a win tonight can move to within 2 points of the 1st place Outlaws in the standings.

I won't believe it 100% until I see the lineup card tonight, but if it's true, that greatly increases the chances of the Express winning their 6th straight game.

Friday Night Recap: The Express went down to Albert Lea Friday night, and dominated the Thunder in a 11-2 victory.

- See the boxscore here: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=764121

- See the OPP recap here: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=32733 .

- Newly acquired forward Dan Cecka had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick Friday night. He scored a goal, an assist, and had a fight.

- The referees totally dropped the ball on the Cecka fight. As Cecka left the penalty box to skate to the Express bench, the Thunder's Ian Braun came over and checked him. This was away from the play, and could have been an interference penalty in itself. Braun then dropped his gloves and his helmet and challenged Cecka to fight. Cecka obliged him, and they both got 5 minute majors for fighting. However, no interference penalty was called, and no instigator penalty was called, even though it was blatantly obvious. I would have loved to heard the official's reasoning behind the no-calls.

- Newly acquired goalie Freddy Bergman had a solid night in goal in his first appearance with the Express. Although he wasn't tested much, he made some great saves, including stonewalling one of the Thunder players on a clean breakaway.

- If memory serves, this is the 2nd time this season that the Express chased both Thunder goalies in the same game. It also happened on November 15th in the Express's 10-2 win at the 4 Seasons Centre in Owatonna.

Don't forget that tonight's game is an 8:00pm start. See you at the rink.

--BK

Swagger

2009-01-15T20:24:00.003-06:00

There are several different definitions/interpretations of the word swagger. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition is: To conduct oneself in an arrogant or superciliously pompous manner ; especially : to walk with an air of overbearing self-confidence. While absolutely correct, that's not exactly what I mean regarding swagger and this year's Owatonna Express team. I'm talking about the good kind of swagger.

From the moment this franchise was reborn last spring, it seems as if the Express have been the little engine that could. Most of it due to the circumstances of how it all came to be. We had to fight and scrape to get the money together to buy an expansion team, we got a late start with the draft and tendering process, we only had time for one tryout camp, we got off to a rough start at the Showcase, we lost some good players to injury, etc.. However, with the odds stacked against us we have managed to win more games than we have lost, and stay in the thick of the Central Division battle. You know, the little engine that could......chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, whooo!! whooo!!

Well, in my opinion, it's time for our favorite junior hockey team to graduate from the little engine that could, to the overpowering, ginormous, express train (pun intended). In my position as a volunteer, and a corporate sponsor of the Express for 4 years, I have had the wonderful treat of getting to know personally, most of the individual players that have come through Owatonna. I can definitively say that this year's team is by far the nicest, most well behaved, and disciplined bunch of the lot. But what I haven't seen enough of out of this year's team is swagger (the good kind). The kind of swagger that John Elway had back in the day when the Broncos were engineering 4th quarter comebacks. The kind of swagger that Donovan McNabb has shown over the last month in leading the Eagles to this weekend's NFC Championship game. The kind of swagger Michael Jordan had back in the heyday of the Chicago Bulls.

As the article on NAHL.com this week stated, the Express are starting to pick up steam. They have won 4 straight games, but most importantly, they have played well, and dictated the pace of the game in recent weeks. The guys have bought into Coach Cullen's system, and are starting to gel in all phases of the game. On top of that, you throw in the arrival of Dan Cecka from the USHL, the return of John Kruse, and the most recent addition to the team (more about him tomorrow, but if you dig a little you can find out immediately). What you get is a very good team that is catching stride, ready to do some serious damage on their way to the top of the Central Division, and ready to let their swagger flag fly.

When they hit the ice this weekend I want to feel the confidence of a team that knows it is capable of winning every time out. Even if they are down on the scoreboard, they know they are going to come back and win. More importantly, I want the Thunder and the Outlaws to see the swagger(the good kind) in the Express this weekend. The Express are the most talented team in the Central Division, and it's time the rest of the teams see that on the ice.

Go out there and show them who the team to beat is this season.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Update: In Friday's Owatonna People's Press, Coach Cullen finally confirmed what most of us knew a week ago: The Express picked up goalie Freddy Bergman from the Des Moines Bucs of the USHL. A 1989 birthyear, Bergman is tall for a goalie at 6'3", and hails from Vienna, Virginia. He spent the bulk of the last two seasons with the Bucs, where his numbers were not that good, but the Bucs have been a horrible team during that span totaling only 20 wins. I had a chance to meet him early this week, and he is a very personable and friendly kid, and should have no problem fitting in with his new teammates. It's been no secret that Cullen has been waiting for one of the goalies to step up and take the starting goalie job, I just didn't figure there would be three of them on the roster. Welcome to Owatonna Freddy.

Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings - Playoff Twist Version

2009-01-13T19:29:00.002-06:00

For this week's Power Rankings, I'm going to do another variation, as the normal power rankings have become boring and tiresome. This week, I'm going to pretend that the NAHL playoffs are set up with a 16 team tournament (4 teams from each division), with each team seeded by Big Kahuna regardless of division, except for the 4 division winners which will be seeded 1-4. The 3 teams not qualifying for my tournament are Albert Lea, Motor City, and Marquette.

#1 Seed - Topeka Roadrunners (South Division Champion)
#2 Seed - Mahoning Valley Phantoms (North Division Champion)
#3 Seed - North Iowa Outlaws (Central Division Champion)
#4 Seed - Fairbanks Ice Dogs (West Division Champion)
#5 Seed - St Louis Bandits
#6 Seed - Traverse City North Stars
#7 Seed - Bismarck Bobcats
#8 Seed - Alpena Ice Diggers
#9 Seed - USNTDP
#10 Seed - Owatonna Express
#11 Seed - Alexandria Blizzard
#12 Seed - Wichita Falls Wildcats
#13 Seed - Wenatchee Wild
#14 Seed - Springfield Jr Blues
#15 Seed - Alaska Avalanche
#16 Seed - Kenai River Brown Bears

Obviously it doesn't work this way, but this setup would provide some interesting match ups that you never really get to see apart from the Showcase. Everybody in the league is chasing Topeka right now, and the Central Division is a complete toss-up.

While on the subject of playoff seeding, Coach Cullen brought up an interesting point during the Express Coach's Show on KRFO radio Monday night. With the North Iowa Outlaws (as the host team) guaranteed a spot, that means the Central Division will get a second team into the Robertson Cup tournament. So let's say hypothetically that the regular season was complete, and the playoff seeds were determined from today's standings. North Iowa (#1) would host the Express (#4) and Bismarck (#2) would host Alexandria (#3) in the first round. Now let's say North Iowa beats the Express (not going to happen, but we're in Fantasyland right now) and Bismarck beats Alexandria. Since the Outlaws are already in, that would mean Bismarck would qualify as the Central Division representative no matter the outcome of the 2nd round series. So in an ideal world, the other central division teams would try and avoid the Outlaws in the first round of the playoffs, while hoping that the Outlaws win their series.

All of this is speculation, as I don't believe the NAHL has released the playoff information yet. Stay tuned, more on this as the season progresses.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Snow Day Tidbits

2009-01-12T21:01:00.002-06:00

- Express forward Stephen Carew was named the NAHL's Central Division Player of the Week. Read the article here: http://www.nahl.com/potw.cfm

- There is a nice article on the front page of NAHL.com about the Express that you can read here: http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=787

- The NAHL Top Prospect Tournament kicks off this Sunday in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Express will be represented by Tony McDonald, Cory Thorson, and Tim Smith on the Central Division team.

- On the Express Coaches Show tonight on KRFO radio, Coach Cullen mentioned that forward Chris Darnell will be out until early March with his injured leg.

- Over on the Western College Hockey Blog, the blogmaster did a countdown of his 10 favorite games he has witnessed in person. #4 on the list was the Southern Minnesota Express's epic 3 overtime win over the Fargo-Moorhead Jets in the 2007 playoffs. It's a nice trip down memory lane that you can read here: http://westerncollegehockey.blogspot.com/2008/12/4-fargo-moorhead-vs-southern-minnesota.html .

- This isn't Express related, but former Owatonna Huskies girls hockey player Lindsay Macy had a 5 point weekend with the Minnesota Whitecaps of the Western Women's Hockey League. The Whitecaps are the top women's professional hockey team in the United States. Macy had 2 goals and 3 assists in a 3 game sweep over the Strathmore Rockies last weekend.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Did you hear it??

2009-01-10T21:05:00.004-06:00

Now, I wasn't at the game in Alexandria tonight, but I swear I heard a very distinct clicking sound in the 2nd period of tonight's game. Was that the sound of the Express shifting into high gear for the stretch run?? It very well might have been.

The Express beat the Blizzard 6-3 in Alexandria Saturday night to extend their winning streak to 4 games. Coupled with Bismarck's sweep of North Iowa this weekend, the 2 wins pulled the Express to within 4 points of first place in the Central Division.

- New forward Dan Cecka, had a huge night in his second game for the Express. He scored a goal, chipped in 3 assists, and finished +4 for the night. He was awarded the #2 star of the game by the Blizzard folks.

- Forward John Kruse tallied 2 assists, and finished a +4, playing in his first game since October 18th. He was out for nearly 3 months after having surgery on his wrist. Welcome back John.

- Forward Stephen Carew scored twice, and now has 6 goals in the last 3 games. He has been steadily climbing up the scoring charts, and is now tied for the most goals scored in the NAHL this season.

- There has been plenty of line shuffling this season by Coach Cullen, but it looks like the Express now have a surefire #1 line in Carew, Kruse, and Cecka. It will be fun to see what these guys can do from here on out.

- Forward Zach Vierling missed his first game of the season due to illness.

- Forward Michael Palmiscno was not in the lineup "because of the fight" according to Cullen. It was the first time out of the lineup for him this season.

- Defenseman Troy Puente was playing with a full face shield tonight after getting his nose broken and 6 stitches in Friday's game against Albert Lea. He was apparently hit in the face by a stick. There was no penalty called on the play, but that shouldn't surprise anyone that actually watched the game.

- Coach Cullen took a more diplomatic approach to Friday's officiating that I did, telling Roy Koenig in the pregame interview that "The method to his penalty calling was hard to understand."

- With Vierling and Palmiscno on the sidelines tonight, the Express are down to 6 players who have played in all 34 Express games this season. They are: Carew, McDonald, Thorson, Smith, Puente, and Carson.

Next up for the Express is a trip to Albert Lea this coming Friday night, followed by a huge game against the North Iowa Outlaws in Owatonna on Saturday night. There are only 10 home games left for the Express this season, so let's pack the 4 Seasons Saturday night, and make it loud in support of Owatonna's junior hockey team.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

59 Penalty Minutes??

2009-01-10T10:41:00.002-06:00

Going into Friday night's game the Express, as a team, had 417 penalty minutes on the season. Their opponent, the Albert Lea Thunder, had 855 penalty minutes on the season. So which of those 2 teams would you guess got called for 59 minutes, and which got called for 33 minutes for the game??

The Express overcame their 59 penalty minutes with Stephen Carew scoring a pair of goals, and Dmitry Lugin scoring the eventual game winner, as the Express beat the Thunder for the 9th straight time this season. The officiating was absolutely brutal all night long, and not just for the Express, as there were plenty of questionable calls on the Thunder as well. However, as legendary Owatonna High School football coach Jerry Peterson always said, the only thing that matters is the win. That is 3 straight for the Express, who remain undefeated in 2009. If you want more details, you can read the People's Press article here: http://owatonna.com/news.php?viewStory=32573 or see the boxscore here: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=764100 .

- The Express went most of the season without a fighting major, but have picked up 2 in the last 3 weeks, both by Michael Palmiscno. By the way, Palmiscno is the shortest guy on the roster at a very generous 5'6". Friday night he was jumped after the whistle by the Thunder's Mikita Feaktsistau who had about a 7" height advantage and about 30 pounds weight advantage.

- The newest Express player, Dan Cecka, was in uniform Friday night wearing sweater #24 and playing on a line with Zach Vierling and Stephen Carew.

- In a first for me in my hockey watching career, I saw a triple minor penalty called. Express forward David Kurbatsky was called for a double minor checking from behind and a hooking minor early in the 3rd period. This resulted in a 6 minute powerplay for the Thunder, and an early trip to the showers for Kurbatsky, as he also got a game ejection on the play.

- I have said this before, and I'll say it again: The Thunder aren't anywhere near as bad a team as their record would indicate. The have gotten markedly better since the beginning of the season, and if they can ever get it all figured out, they will win some games. That is good news for our favorite junior hockey team, as we will need the Thunder to win some games against the 3 teams in front of the Express in the standings if we want to improve our playoff seeding.

Next up for the Express is a game with the Blizzard tonight in Alexandria. The Express have split their 4 games with the Blizzard so far this season, so tonight should be a competitive game. Looking even further ahead, if the Express can get the win in Alexandria tonight, they have a chance to string together a nice long win streak. After tonight, the Express play at Albert Lea next Friday, followed by a 5 game home stand.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Player Acquisition??

2009-01-08T15:31:00.003-06:00

According to Pointstreak, the Indiana Ice of the USHL have traded forward Dan Cecka to the Owatonna Express. See the USHL transaction log here: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/transactions.html?leagueid=49&seasonid=3192

That name might sound familiar to the faithful readers of the blog, as Cecka was drafted by the Express in last year's NAHL draft. Here is the player profile I did on him back in June:

Future Express Player - Dan Cecka

Dan Cecka - 5'11"/190lbs - Forward

'89 Birth year. Member of the 2008 Class AA State Champion Hill-Murray Pioneers, and was selected to the All-Tournament Team. Leading scorer in the Classic Suburban Conference his senior year. Was honorable mention All-State. Participated in the 2007 Minnesota Model Camp where he played on a the same team as Owatonna's Kyle Kozelka. Played for Team Minnesota at the Chicago Showcase in 2008. Played in the Tri-City Storm's (USHL) tryout camp all-star game in 2007. 9th round pick of the Indiana Ice in the 2008 USHL draft.

My take: Reminds me of another Hill-Murray alum, and Indiana Ice draftee: Brian Arrigoni... only bigger. He's a strong kid, team leader, and can finish. I don't know about his blocking the puck with your facemask skills. He was the leading scorer on the best team in Minnesota, not much else needs to be said.

My take: Cecka tallied 3 goals and an assist playing in roughly half of the Division leading Ice's games. It sounds like he just wasn't getting enough playing time with the Ice, but with the Express, I'm guessing he plays every night. If he does indeed suit up for the Express for the remainder of the season, it takes some of the sting away from losing Chris Darnell to injury. The Express roster is a little deeper and a little more skilled with him on board. Time will tell how big an impact he has this year, but I sure hope to see him in uniform this weekend.

Welcome to Owatonna Dan Cecka.

- The North Iowa Outlaws and Bismarck Bobcats are playing an exhibition game tonight in Aberdeen, South Dakota. You might ask yourself: Why Aberdeen?? Well it turns out, the folks in Aberdeen want to have a team in the NAHL. Could Aberdeen be the 6th member of the Central Division next season?? That is sure one possibility, but I have also heard from an owner of one of the Express's division rivals, that there could possibly be 1 or 2 expansion teams in Wisconsin next season. We'll have to see what happens, but it looks like the NAHL could have some fun trying to re-align the divisions this summer.

- Here's an article from the Wallaceburg Courier Press. It doesn't have anything to do with the Express or the NAHL, but it's a great read about a fallen teammate.
http://www.wallaceburgcourierpress.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1375025

It sounds like Friday's weather is going to be less than ideal, but luckily for us, the Express game is at the friendly confines of the 4 Seasons Centre in lovely south central Owatonna. The Albert Lea Thunder will make the short drive up I-35 for a 7:00pm matchup with our favorite junior hockey team. Let's face it, you have nothing better to do, so you might as well come out and cheer on the guys as they open a can of whoop-ass on the Thunder. Grab your husband/wife/significant other/neighbor/etc..(you don't have to sit with them) and don't forget little Johnny and Susie (point of clarification: you can still bring your kids even if they aren't named Johnny and Susie). Don't forget to bring buckets, airhorns, cowbells, and anything else that can make a bunch of noise. The beer will be cold, and the hot dogs will be hot.

See you at the rink.

--Big Kahuna

Big Kahuna's Reverse Power Rankings

2009-01-06T18:35:00.003-06:00

I am going to try something new this week in regards to Big Kahuna's NAHL Power Rankings. I'm going to call them "Reverse Power Rankings". The criteria I used to rank the teams was very simple, and the list should be viewed like this: The Express have a hypothetical game tonight that they must win, and Big Kahuna gets to choose the opponent. This is who I would choose, with the most desirable matchup on top and the least desirable on the bottom:

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

Feel free to share your opinions in the comment section.

See you at the rink.

--BK

Owatonna Express Junior Hockey

And so it continues...

And so it begins....

The final chapter has yet to be written.

Tryout Camp Article/New Assistant Coach

Let the New Era Begin - Welcome Coach Linkenheld

Draft Update

Cullen Resignation, Draft Day 2010, & Shibrowski Returns??

David Kurbatsky Update

I'm Still Here

Express Acquire New Forward

Game Chat

The Big News is....................

NAHL Franchise Coming to Austin??

Wait for it......wait for it.......

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

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

Brian Schack Article from the Star Tribune

Roster Movement Today

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

You had to see it to believe it!!

Express vs Alexandria - 10/17/2009

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

Dan Cecka = POTW & Darnell Update

Express Dominate Outlaws 5-1

The Worst Kept Secret in the History of the Express

Dusty Jackson Update

David Kurbatsky Update

What a Difference a Week Makes

Postgame Report: Janesville Edition

I Need Your Help!!

Postgame Report

Game On!!!!

2009/2010 Express Roster Released

Episode 2 - The Other Side of the Tracks

T- Minus 1 Week

When Pigs Fly

Crouse to the Alexandria Blizzard

The Other Side of the Tracks - Episode 1

John Kirby Article

Showcase Schedule Released

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

Main Camp Day 1

Tryout Camp Preview

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

Coach Fink Leaving for the USHL

Welcome to the Official, Unofficial Express Blog

Express Draft Pick - Nate Brown

Express Draft Pick - John Haeg

There's a New Sheriff in Town

USHL Cut-Down Day

Express Draft Pick - Bo Dolan

Open Tryout Camp Roundup

Express Open Tryout Camp Opens

2009-2010 Schedule Released

Express Draft Pick - Zach Sarig

Happy Birthday!!

Monday Tidbits

Express Draft Pick - Jake Youso

Thursday Morning Draft Tidbit

Express Add 11 Players Through Entry Draft

What Will the Draft Tell Us??

Player Profile - Jordan Tredinnick

Silly Season

Alexandria Blizzard Changing Coaches Too

North Iowa Changing Coaches

Goodbyes

Offseason Update #1

The Final Huddle

I'll Take It

Game On!!!

Tim Smith Commits to Providence

Sayonara Outlaws!!!

Front Desk?? Yes, this is the Owatonna Express....

Weekend Aftermath Linkorama

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together

Game 1 to the Good Guys

Tim Smith Named All-Division Defenseman

What's this?? A new blog post??

Express 2008 Draft Review

The Excrement has hit the Ventilator in Albert Lea - Updated