Promotional Night at ABC League

Week 12 for the ABC League is upon us and although the players train, practice and play with passion and intensity, the fans are the primary reason we play this game. Night in and night out the Bucs Arena is packed with fans purchasing $14 pitchers of Miller Lite cheering and screaming for their favorite team.

Although the product we put in front of our fans is of top quality, we still understand they have options. A statement from commissioner Bafia stated:

" In this economy, we know our fans have a choice. If they do not come to our ABC League games, they can choose to watch the ever popular Sunday Novice League, the always exciting Breakfast Hockey pick up games, or even go to the Occupy Wall Street events. This being said, we need to reward our fans and maintain their loyalty."

It was decided that this Wednesday would be a Fan Appreciation night. Ticket prices will be slashed in half with glass seats going for a mere $63.50/ ticket. A beer promotion of "Buy a pitcher at regular price and get 4 FREE plastic cups" should keep a thirsty crowd happy. Lastly, each game will reward attending fans with a promotional item related to the game being played.

In game one of Kryptonite versus Irwins, the first 1,938 receive an authentic kryptonite rock. If any Cup O K player gets a hat trick during this game, fans are encouraged to throw their rock at this player to show their appreciation for the star performance.

Tailoring more to our young fans, the second game of the evening pits Alien against Voodoo. The first 666 fans under 12 years of age will receive their choice of a Voodoo doll modeled after their favorite YDD player. Available dolls from left to right include: Wolf, Whitaker, Koenig, Rodriguez, Reeves, Harrelson and Stout. (stick pins not included).

Last but not least, those capable of staying up late enough to support the Red Alert Vs. Puck Hawgs game will be given the 2009 Limited Edition Red Alert game by Electronic Arts. The cover features team Captain, Josh Feathers in his beret and Easton S19 Machine Gun. Quantities limited to the first 2 fans, so get their early.

We want to thank all of our fans for making the league possible and without their support we wouldn't have a reason to play.

Turkey Tourney Sells out to Big Business

We did our best to keep this great event of ours free of corporate involvement, but it was only a matter of time before money trumped honor. Once the big companies got word of our huge event and also found out that it was being held on Black Friday, the corporate money started flowing. Some even used their bailout money to help fund the advertisement.

The 8 highest bidders earned the rights to the team names. This added exposure to these businesses should be just the boost our economy needs. Please represent your company well.

With great deals on a 96 pack of toilet paper, team Costco is a great value if you are looking to buy in bulk.

Todd Daniels - G
Anne Wiltgen
Paul Wiltgen
George Lu
Jeff Dayton
Brad Dean
Dave Swift
Jon Filloon


If it's not on sale this week, it will be on sale next. If it's not on sale for 2 weeks in a row, somethings wrong....This team never pays full price.

Jim Goeke - G
Nick Radcliff
Dan Becker
Todd Bentzen
John Evans
Dan Hickey
Tony Toigo
Adam Puls


Fleece for mom, fleece for dad, fleece for brother, sister & friends. You think the talking mannequins move fast on our commercials...you should see us skate!

Aaron Storm - G
Brian Higgins
John Reichart
James Martinson
John Hoekstra
Blake Upmeyer
Neal Cleary
Tyler Wallace


#2 pencils, spiral notebooks and an office chair are the top 3 Christmas gifts this year. If you need a goal from this crew, just press the "Easy" button.

Jerome Miller - G
Scott Anderson
Darren Stout
Tom Kirvin
Robert Moore
Dave Gannon
Brendan McCallum
Eric Chabak


Even 30 year olds want Legos, Monopoly and Pokemon cards. This is a place where a "Kid can be a kid" and a "Hockey player can be a....kid"

??????? - G
Craig Stoever
Adam Lowell
Anne Huyck
Nate Brand
Matt Johnson
Ryan Butler
Harold Burke

If Brett Favre can sell you a TV from us, Mike Beede can play hockey for us. 2 guys that should have retired from their sports years ago.

Ryan Pitre - G
Rich Huyck
Jeremy Knipper
Mitch Zimmerman
Paul Adams
Dave Miller
Mike Beede


Get a 59" flatscreen HDTV for only $4.99. Quantities are limited and so are the goals from our players.

Rich Pentico - G
Bryan Bane
Chris LeFleur
Scott Jacobson
Eric Jacobson
Dan Bishop
Shane Bast


Who wouldn't want Season 6 of House on blu-ray for $19.99? How about a washing machine that can clean your gear? Maybe a Dyson vacuum since this team sucks....

Chris Schroeder - G
Adam Krultz
Brian Gugat
Nathan Pirie
Waly Hudyma
Mike Dylo
Joe Bafia

	Far Side	Lounge Side
4:00 - 4:35	Costco / Kohls	Old Navy / Staples
4:35 - 5:10	Toys R Us / Sears	Target / Best Buy
5:10 - 5:25	SCRAPE
5:25 - 6:00	Costco / Staples	Old Navy / Kohls
6:00 - 6:35	Toys R Us / Target	Sears/ Best Buy
6:35 - 6:50	SCRAPE
6:50 - 7:25	Costco / Old Navy	Kohls / Staples
7:25 - 8:00	Toys R Us / Best Buy	Sears/ Target
8:00 - 8:15	SCRAPE
8:15 - 8:50	#3 A / #3 B	#1 A / #1 B
8:50 - 9:25	#4 A / #4 B	#2 A / #2 B

Time To Scramble

As promised, Week #9 or November 9, 2011 will be our league's first scramble game. This is an opportunity to play with those you play against for 33 weeks. Take this opportunity to make new friends, get to know some players that you haven't had a chance to talk to and play some non-pressure hockey.

Jersey colors are listed next to the Team #. Please try and actually wear WHITE if on a white team. For schedule:
7:15 Team 1 vs Team 2
8:50 Team 3 vs Team 4
9:55 Team 5 vs Team 6

The games are still officiated, but again do not count for standings. We really want to make sure players get to know one another (even if it is just for 1 night). Our hope is that we create a better camaraderie amongst the league. I hope everyone can make it.

I have put every player on a team including those that split a spot during the season. This gives everyone a chance to play. There is NO TRADING teams. If you know in advance that you will not make it, shoot me an email. If too many cannot make one game, I may make some roster moves.

The teams are as follow:

Team 1 (White)
Steve Kuzynowski - Goalie
Matt Johnson
Rich Hyuck
Chris Hill
Adam Schnieders
Chris LeFleur
Mark Dylo
Adam Keller
Larry LePera
Nataliya Dudechenko
Nick Hrabak
Tom Kirvin
Paul Curran
Andrew Lee
Javi Rodriguez
Monty Brown
Brent Hanke

Team 2 (Dark)
Jim Goeke - Goalie
Paul Knight
Brian Gugat
Brad Dean
Laura Stein - IR
Dan Bishop
Shawn Topliff
Marc LePera
Dave Chongo
Dave Gannon
Rich Hrabak
Rich Cohan
David Ross
Dan Becker
Scott Jacobson
Matt Whitaker
Darren Stout

Team 3 (White)
Tony Hansen - Goalie
Mike Pedersen
Tim Close
Dave Green
Ben Paoli
Jeremy Knipper
Mike Fascian
Ryan LePera
Adam Krultz
Pete Anthan
Rob Wheeler
Dan Hoy
Justin West
Tyler Wallace
Dan Koenig
Jason Wolf
Todd Bentzen

Team 4 (Dark)
Scott Anderson
Tony Toigo
Scott Kundel
Mitch Stein
Dave Miller
Joe Bafia
Paul Adams
Mike Beede
Dave Natale
Will Koch
Dane Maxwell
Pat Cashman
Dave Swift
Nick Worth
Brett Damos
Caleb Harrelson
Mark Loverude

Team 5 (White)
Kacy Reeves
Mikey Dylo
Adam Lowell
Aaron Clutts
Ben Hudson
Lisa Schumacher
Chad Beyer
Mark Ramsey
Nick Radcliff
David Stember
Dan Hickey
Jon Rech
Josh Feathers
Rod Bragg
Dusty Beenen
Shon McDonough

Team 6 (Dark)
Eric Keese
Brendan McCallum
Pat Houlihan
Nate Brand
Mike Bartak
Dustin Gordon
Terry Sindelar
Rick Radcliff
Bill Goodman
Andrew Mellein
Chris Hansen
James Martinson
Mark Scholz
Shaun Greene
Nick Giunta
Ben Griswell

Gobble, Gobble, Goal, Gobble .....

It's hard to believe that 5 years ago I thought it was a good idea to cancel league games before Thanksgiving since it was a holiday and I didn't believe there would be much attendance. Scott Anderson called me and said "What the $@#& are you doing cancelling league games the Wednesday before Thanksgiving? That's the best day to play hockey." The rest is history with the Annual 3 on 3 Turkey Tourney being created.

This year, the small twist is we are playing the Friday AFTER Thanksgiving. What better day to play some hockey? You just ate too much food, watched too much football and saw too much family the day before, and now you want burn some calories. So as your spouse, girlfriend or significant other leaves your place at 4 AM headed to Bed, Bath & Beyond for that Early Bird $4.99 shower squeegie promo, you sleep in and mentally prepare for some good old-fashioned hockey.

The format has not changed. 6 players per team, 4 games each, 3 on 3 cross-ice format, free pizza and an all around great time. Teams are put together by me to keep things as fair as possible. It also allows you to play with players you normally don't get a chance to play with. Beginner skill levels encouraged to play since this is a laid back atmosphere.

Friday, November 25th

4 PM - 8 PMish

Bucs Arena

$40 (includes 4 games & pizza during breaks)

Only 48 player spots and 8 goalie spots accepted. These go quickly so register early.

You can register right here on the blog.

I Can Predict The Future!

I have to imagine after my predictions last week, some may be coming to my house to see if I have a DeLorean sitting in my driveway with me working on the flux capacitor. Well, I don't. There is no time machine, no crystal ball, and I'm not the second coming of Nostradamus. I simply take the facts and put them together to determine what to me is an obvious outcome to our games.

Last week, I predicted Red Alert wins 7-6 over Irwins. The final was an Irwins win of 3-0. Although on the surface one may say this is wrong (or not even close), I beg to differ. With the quality of refs we have in this league, goals are missed all the time. For those watching the game from the lounge, we clearly saw Feathers and Scholz each score hat tricks. Now I can understand how the refs may miss a close call, but 6? C'mon, there is so much riding on this game that the least they could do is pay attention. The ultimate mistake came with 32 seconds left. At this point the score (in reality) was 6-6 and there was a face off in Irwins zone. As soon as the ref drops the puck, he turns to the Irwins bench to get a drink of water from Wheeler. At that time, Wallace of Red Alert fires a puck into Irwins net for what is clearly a goal, but the goalie pulls it out of the net and throws it down the ice towards Red Alert's net. By this time, Hansen is jumping up and down in celebration of the goal that he believes is the game winner and the puck rolls into the net behind him. The refs turn in Tony's directions and see the puck just as the buzzer sounds and victory is given to Irwins. I was shocked along with the 5 other fans in the lounge that such an atrocity could occur.

The 2nd games prediction was Alien 5, Hawgs 2. The final result was Alien 5-3. My prediction took into account our own goalie playing in that game. Turns out he was unable to make it last minute and we acquired Tony Hansen as a sub. As invincible as our defense is, we still cannot make up for Tony's lack of effort in this game and he lets in a softy to skew my prediction just a tad. Thanks Tony...thanks for nothing.

The final game of the night was predicted as a Voodoo win 5-4 with Koenig scoring the game winner at the very end. Turns out the score was on the money, but it was a Huyck/Johnson combo at the end to win it for Kryptonite. There are some things that even I could not predict. Who would have thought that when the game was on the line, the players of Kryptonite would even allow Huyck and Johnson on the ice during the last 4 minutes of the game. Typical win strategy would suggest that your worst players sit on the bench with their helmets off observing their teammates try and win the game. Bystanders thought it was a brilliant strategy to have these 2 out there, but in reality it was a mistake. As the clocked ticked down with the score 4-4, Huyck and Johnson skated to the bench after some horrifying play. Hill yells down the bench "You guys play like sin!". Johnson and Huyck quickly jump back onto the ice and scamper to Voodoos end to team up for the game winner. Afterwards, Johnson says he thought Hill had said "You guys get us a win!".

In the end, short of the craziness, I was pretty well dead on. So to keep the string alive, here are Week 5's picks....

Kryptonite Vs. Red Alert
With Paul Knight back in the line up for Kryptonite, the team is bound for a loss. Red Alert breaks their winless streak this Wednesday by a score of 5-3.

Alien Vs. Irwins
As powerful as Alien is this year, they will have a challenge stopping the Martinson/Cashman duo. Regardless of who is in Irwin's net (the world never knows until 5 mins before the game), they still sneak out the win 6-5 over Alien. Bishop of Alien gets tossed from this game due to inappropriate team uniform.

Voodoo Vs. Hawgs
After disappointing losses for both teams last week, someone walks away with a 4-1 record. Goalie Reeves for Voodoo is fired up for this game after an altercation with his own teammate Damos last week. Some negative words were thrown, then Damos threw a tape ball and hit Kacy in the knee. "We're all better now" stated Whitaker, "our team needed that passion on the ice." Defending champ Hawgs looked like 14 year old molasses on the ice last week. The LePeras struggled, Schumacher looked sluggish and Bartak decided to not even show. I believe this team is on a slide with Voodoo getting the win. Voodoo wins 8-7.

Week 4 Updates

7:15 Irwins Vs Red Alert
Someone's getting their first win tonight in the first match up of the night. We have two teams coming in 0-3 and both are ready to ride the celebration train. "We're lining the locker room with plastic so it won't ruin the place when we spray champagne all over" proclaimed Jim Goeke of Irwins. With only a 4 point differential in their last 3 games, Irwins feels like they could be 3-0. "If we scored more points than the other teams in each of our last 3 games, we'd be sitting at 3-0" observed Stember of Irwins.
Red Alert on the other hand believe it's the netminder that will earn the win. With Tony Hansen bringing in a respectable 5.3 GAA, he thinks the rink tilts in their favor. "I've told me defense what they need to do" stated Hansen of Red Alert. "They really weren't trying and were very afraid, so that changes tonight" With Green and Hoy coming off some concussions from week #1, they are ready to play at the level they once did.
In a close game, Red Alert edges out Irwins 7-6.

8:35 Alien Hockey Vs Puck Hawgs
Always a good battle, this match up pits the defending champs against the rising powerhouse of Alien. "We've played on the frozen ponds of Eagle River, so this will be a piece of cake" pointed out Adam Keller. The Dylo brothers have stepped up with 3 points each this season and are ready to get some more. "You can contain me, but you can only hope to stop me from containing myself" cried Mark Dylo. With solid defense, 3 strong lines and a mediocre goalie, they Extra-Terrestrials are ready to invade.
The Hawgs on the other side also have a brotherly combination. The LePera duo of Marc & Ryan have also combined for 6 points (although all 6 are from Marc). "Not only are we the better bro-duo, we also have a dad that loves us enough to play with us." called out Ryan. "What's Dylo's dad doing? Playing online poker while cheering for the Packers?" Hudson and Beyer are 2 of the strongest guys during warm ups and this alone is intimidating.
In another close battle, Alien assaults the Hawgs with a final of 5-3.

9:55 Voodoo Vs Cup O Kryptonite
"Quit re-living 2009-10!" yelled captain Whitaker of Voodoo when he was reminded that only 2 short years ago, Cup O K was on top of the ABC League world. "They are going to keep referring to that season 20 years from now" Voodoo brings a 3-0 record to the late night game and is ready to go 4-0. Bentzen, Griswell and Brown already made t-shirts for the game that says "Kryptonite...Prepare to meet your Voodoo" The first 8 fans into Bucs arena for this game get a free jersey to wear, but they have to give it back at the end of the night.
Pedersen, Green & Hill of Kryptonite have had a serious falling out. With each player signed to a long term deal and none of them wanting to get traded, it leaves some serious concerns. It all stemmed from a late night out where the 3 were left to determine who picks up the tab with nobody budging and reaching for their wallet. After sitting at Ridgemont until 7 AM Thursday morning, Pedersen gave in and grabbed the bill. "I'll buy this time, but we will never speak again", promised Pedersen. Johnson has his hands full with this one and the fighting may just be too much to overcome.
Voodoo goes 4-0 in a last second goal by Koenig to win 5-4.

Predicts in da hizzy

In your best rap attempt, sing the predictions for the week....

Alien and Red Alert will playz da early game, Red Alert will lose, o what a shame. Hansen got a sharpen, Dobbie will be harpin' and West will be barkin'.

Alien opens up with 2 goals from Brand, he lead the league in water, on ice and on land. Dylo, Houlie and a little guy named Lowell, will make Red Alert swim the toilet bowl.....yeahhhhh boyyyeeee.

The score will be 5-1 with Kuzy in Alien's net, and all Red Alert will show is how the bed they wet.....ohhh shnappppparooni dawg.

Middle game pits Irwins against the 1 and 0 Voodoo, but a spoil is a comin' with a Jon Recharoo. He will score twice for Irwins, with an assist or 2 to boot, making Voodoo and Whitakers crew llook like a bowl of fruit...

Kacy had stood on his head during week 1 being a star, but remember you have Harrelson on your team and the only shot he can take is standing at the bar....booyaaa.

Irwins tallies 6 goals to Voodoos only 1, with Stember's hat trick in the books, Voodoo will be done.

Late night games require some 5 hour energy drinks, which stinks and me thinks that Hawgs will be all up in the rinks. Sindelar will be sinister for Hawgs while Natale lights the lamps, and Hawgs once again shows kryptons, that Hawgs repeat as champs. Johnson of Cup says, hey y'all, we'll be fine...have you seen our new guy? His name is Mitchy Stein. Steiny scores 2 goals but its no where near enough, to beat the team that seems to have all the right stuff. Green & Gugat hold hands together as they cry, as Hawgs win this game 5-2 my, oh my, oh my.

So there you have it week 2, is not weak too, so bring the kids, the wife and maybe even a knife to cut the tension in suspension with all of us tonight.

Peace out and word to your brother's sister's mother's uncle's friend........holla.

Is a Repeat In Sight?

It's been a glorious summer for the Champion Puck Hawgs Team. The sweet taste of victory still lingers on their tongue after a grueling 33 week season that culminated in an epic win against defending champs, Cup O Kryptonite.

A summer that included countless interviews on PBS, a visit to the President of the Elks club's home, each player getting a day with the cup and even a documentary made about the miraculous journey. These players have enjoyed their time off and relished in the glory that they hope to revisit.

The problem is that this will not happen in the upcoming season. Sure they made some great off season acquisitions with Chad Beyer & Dave Natale, but this will not be enough to carry them to the promised land in back to back years.

"The problem was our guys didn't know how to handle the victory. We over-celebrated" stated captain Dave Gannon. "We had guys that worried more about their popularity and publicity than about their training and readiness for next season."

Guys like Adam Krultz, who led his team with gritty play and a sheer will to win, decided to do other things in the off-season deemed more important. Krultz entered the Hot Dog Eating Championships and came in a disappointing 7th place with 53 dogs in 10 minutes.

Then you have Lisa Schumacher, who led her D League Team to victory the year prior, moves up to the C League, and rolls over the competition through the regular season and playoffs only to spend her time helping Obama campaign for re-election. "She gave me her magic stick and said it's better than Harry Potter's wand" exclaimed Obama at every rally he attended. "She dominated the coffee loving fools of Kryptonite with this stick as I will dominate the Republicans in the upcoming election".


The family trio of the LePeras made fools of all those that skated against them. This inseparable group rode together, played together and even rotated one jock between them during a game. Now that the championship was behind them, they took their talents to Broadway and landed roles in the musical "A Soldier I Am". As they memorized their lines and pounded their shielded chests, you could feel their hockey skills fading fast.

Although the team had many strengths and role players, nobody held the team together like Nataliya. "She was was the peanut butter in our jelly, the lime in our Corona, the caffeine in our 5-hour energy drink", proclaimed teammate Mike Bartak. If there was a stable force on the team that would not let the glamour of winning take over, it would be Nataliya. This however was not the case as she landed a modeling gig overseas from June-August showcasing some of this years worst ever designs.

In the end, a team needs focus, determination and a will to win if they want to repeat as champions. The Hawgs have shown that a lack of exercise, discipline and a really ugly dress can make that all go away in a hurry. It's too bad this team will not even be .500 this year, and the sad part is, Obama won't get re-elected even after all their hard work.

Pre-Season Draft Analysis 2011-12

As another ABC Hockey League Season is on the horizon, many players get prepared to start playing again. Dusting off helmets, sharpening skates & washing the cat urine out of their goalie

equipment are a few things happening to prepare for the season.

There is a select few that not only play the sport each Wednesday, but also compete on an intellectual level as well. They take this league very seriously and take it to another level. These are Fantasy C League Players. Yes, they get together before the season starts and draft their fantasy teams from the ever growing pool of untalented, beer drinking, ex-bowler hockey players. It is for this reason alone that I put together a pre-season player evaluation. A short descriptive list that analyzes each player's strengths, weaknesses or lack of talent. It is this list that becomes a guide for the few that hope to assemble the most elite team of misfits that ever played the game we call C League Hockey. So here you have it.....

Aaron Clutts - The only way this guy will make the top of any list is because of his first name. 6th round choice at best

Adam Keller -The best pick of all the Adam's. Strong left-winger and drives a big truck

Adam Krultz - If your team needs a non-defensive cherry picker, you can't go wrong here

Adam Lowell - Choose him and hope you don't have a split second need for a guy to jump the boards

Adam Schnieders - Worst of all the Adam's. D League ran out of space, needed to move up.

Andrew Lee - Great 3 on 3 player, 3rd line center at best in a full game situation.

Andrew Mellein - Solid reputation in pick up games. Throw in a ref, score & rules....lost cause

Ben Griswell - If he stays healthy, loses 40 pounds and learns to skate...maybe a 2nd round pick

Ben Hudson - Transitioned from goalie to player. Didn't need to skate as much in net. average defender at best

Ben Paoli - If you're looking for speed, power, finesse & a scorer's touch...look elsewhere

Ben Truetken - Goalie - Probable top pick with the talent that's out there

Bill Goodman - If they only put skate blades on bicycles. 4th rounder, trade away for pick next year

Bishop/ Topliff - Pick one, get both. Or pass on them and hope someone else gets stuck with 'em

Brad Dean - His stats from the 7 leagues he plays in don't count for this league. Tired by the time Wed rolls around

Brendan McCallum - Most overrated defender in ABC league...but he wears a mean clearance t-shirt

Brent Hanke - Nicknamed "Hanke-r-chief" for all the crying he does when someone steals the puck from him

Brett Damos - hasn't played in 19 years and still uses double runners. Choose him and it's a long season

Brian Gugat - No fantasy points given for missed games. Choose him for many goose eggs throughout the season

Caleb Harrelson - Style points given for roller hockey pants. Should be available in 7th round

Chad Beyer - Gritty defenseman...when playing NHL 2k8. 5th rounder

Chris Hansen - "why are you sitting on that chair in your underwear with a bowl of jell-o and a bottle of Jack Daniels?"

Chris Hill/Paul Knight - This dynamic duo is good for a few points...if beer drinking was a category

Chris LeFleur - don't let the name fool you. He's not that good. 3rd round at best

Dan Hickey - after 4 reconstructive knee surgeries in one month last season, should be good to go. 1st round pick

Dan Hoy - 1st name 3 letters, last name 3 letters, 3rd round pick...can't go wrong here

Dan Koenig - Need a tattoo? Pick Dan. Need a good hockey player? Don't pick Dan.

Dane Maxwell - What a show -off. All flash, no passing ability. If you want Deion Sanders, take Dane

Dave Chongo - 1st line RW. Mad Skills & team player. 1st rounder.

Dave Gannon - Read above. Now think opposite.

Dave Green - Last name describes him best. He's all about the contract, not the stats.

Dave Miller - Meet him in the parking lot...Grizzly Bear. Meet him on the ice...teddy bear.

Dave Natale - Released last week from prison just in time to join ABC league. Penalty minute points will carry your team

Dave Swift - "Swift?"...not so much. 7th rounder

David Ross - Great locker room guy. Buys beer for everyone. Good for team spirit. 2nd rounder

David Stember - Solid centerman. Glass jaw. One punch...he's down.

Don "Doc" Mudge - "Doc"....of what? Do they give a PhD in lazy skating?

Dustin Gordon - More like "Flash Gordon"...breakaway speed good for many points. 2nd rounder

Dusty Beenen - Although not very good, plays 10 minute shifts so bound to get points.

Jason Wolf - Could be most over-rated player in C League. Save your pick and pass on this one

Javi Rodriguez - newcomer needs to prove that he belongs in C league. Contract year, grab him early.

Jeremy Knipper - He wont score a ton of goals, but he will carry your keys and wallet to bench

Jim Goeke - Great players to add. Plays out and can also go in net. mediocre at both, but a good pick regardless

Joe Bafia - As if the top defenseman even needs to be reviewed. A League was full this year...again.

Jon Rech - They don't call him Jon "The Train" Rech for nothing. Great enforcer to add in 2nd round.

Josh Feathers - Gets many points, many wins, wait, this isn't Kubb. 8th rounder.

Justin West - what? he's back for another season. If you want a 19 year C League vet, take him.

Kacy Reeves - Goalie good for 18 wins this season...i mean whines. draft him as a 3rd string back up

Kuzynowski / Nissen - Goalie duo. If they played together in net at the same time, MAYBE they's make a save.

Larry LePera - Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Good 2nd rounder.

Laura Stein - IR - Even though she's on the IR, she will still score more points than Matty J.

Lisa Schumacher - Captains a D League Championship team, on a C League Championship Team, consistent ...1st rounder

Marc LePera - Wishes he could play like dad...always in the shadow. 4th round at best

Mark Dylo - Could this be the year this Dylo shines? nope. 5th round.

Mark Loverude - He can land a plane, but can't land a pass. 6th round

Mark Ramsey - Another newcomer. Take a chance, draft in 3rd. Then you can trade him for a 6 pack if he doesn't pan out.

Mark Scholz - Every year ranks high, every year a bust. Sad career. 6th round

Martinson/Cashman - Here may be a dark-horse duo to grab. Although no significant skills, could be a gamble worth taking in 3rd round

Matt Johnson - Why do we even put him on the list. If he's still available by round 15, take him for entertainment value

Matt Whitaker - I guess the Matts don't fall far from each other. Which Matt will get picked last this year?

Max Blend - Goalie - Very intelligent, level headed & consistent. Not what you want from your goalie. Late 9th round

Mike Bartak - Says he models his game after Toews and Kane. Maybe when they're sleeping. Late 6th round

Mike Beede - Need a beer drinking pal? Not much for fantasy points, but great entertainment.

Mike Dylo - Getting married this fall. Pick him up 1st round then get ready to trade him mid-october

Mike Fascian - At 6'-10", he's a force....to be drafted in round 9.

Mike Pedersen - This guys skating is like Bobby Orr...if Bobby Orr was wearing Pedersen's jersey

Mitch Stein - Another Stein? Likely go on IR after week 6 to join the family

Monty Brown - He'll pass you, score on you and then sue you for looking silly. Good 3rd rounder.

Nataliya Dudechenko - Furry gloves, make up on, french sewn jersey. If looks were worth points, she'd clean up, but they're not....7th round

Nate Brand - He can do backward crossovers while skating forward. Most interesting man in C league. 1st rounder.

Nick Giunta - His +/- is best in league. grab him early and trade for a goalie.

Nick Hrabak - Likes puppies, dark chocolate & the movie Bambi. Should be available in 4th round

Nick Radcliff - Medical reports show that drinking a 64 oz mug of 5-hour energy before a game is not good. Draft him with caution.

Nick Worth - Good for 2-3 goals per game and another 2-3 assists. consistent and another Top player in league. draft early.

Pat Houlihan - He can skate circles around himself. Not really around anyone else. 5th round.

Paul Adams - Youngster who thinks he knows it all. Rude awakening coming. 8th round

Paul Curran - After helping Obama win the presidency, Curran ready to be a hockey player again. 2nd rounder.

Pete Anthan - Wild card. Could be good, could be great...could make you cry and stay up late.

Rich Cohan - Cooks a mean pork chop...not much of a fore-checker. 6th round

Rich Hrabak - Stock is rising since he trained this summer in Sweden. 3rd round

Rich Hyuck - Worst "Rich" of the 3 available. No caffeine? What's wrong with you?

Rick Radcliff - Great locker room presence, bench presence, but not ice presence. Keep him on your bench if you grab him

Rob Wheeler - Fastest guy in C League....to the lounge after game. 5th round.

Rod Bragg - Last name says it all. All Bragg, no brawn.

Ryan LePera - Another LePera? If he was only 1/2 as good as his brother. 9th round.

Scott Anderson G - Headcase, crazy, obnoxious & mean-spirited. That's who I want in net. 1st rounder.

Scott Jacobson - LeFleur brought him into league...and will wish he never did. 9th round.

Scott Kundel - Don't let his lack of speed and finesse fool you. he will make goals on accident. 2nd round.

Shaun Greene - A force to be reckoned with. Led all forwards in African Hockey League last season. 2nd rounder.

Shon McDonough - Had to customize 2 bobsleds to get him skates that fit. dangerous! 2nd rounder

Terry Sindelar - Coming out of retirement to prove to himself that he should have stayed retired. 5th round (at best)

Tim Close - After his 16th attempt this year of trying out for NHL, he is back again to dominate C league. 1st rounder.

Todd Bentzen - If you think the cage on his helmet is scary, you should see his face. 3rd rounder.

Tom Kirvin - Tom "The Bomb". ...as in his draft ranking....9th round pick

Tony Hansen - Here is a goalie who thinks he is a player who thinks he should be a goalie who really isn't that good at either. 6th round

Tony Toigo - If this was a fantasy baseball draft, you'd still go in the 8th round.

Tyler Wallace - Dominated Summer Scramble. Crack under the pressure of real games. 5th round.

Will Koch - Last but not least...well maybe last on this ranking as well...just ahead of Johnson & Whitaker though.

There you have it. Free of charge as always with no thanks needed. I create these rankings to help those who dedicate their life to fantasy sports since reality is a scary place for them.

Cinco de Mayo 3 on 3 Finale!

With both the C & D Leagues finishing up at Bucs Arena, we wanted to have one last hurrah and end the season with one last 3 on 3 event.

Friday May 6th from 5:30 -? (approx 11 pm)
Bucs Arena $40 (goalies ½ price)
4 games guaranteed

For those of you that have not had a chance to play in this type of event, here is a summary:
You will play 3 on 3 hockey cross ice (2 games go on at once since we put a divider up along red line)
C & D League Players
6 player per team
Break between games allow you to get free pizza
Beer to be sold up in lounge
Teams created by me to allow players to play with people they may not normally play with
Skill level to be distributed as equally as possible
Very casual game means no pressure to be a superstar.

This event is about socializing , getting in a TON of skating and having fun. The teams with the worst records seem to have the best time.
Novice players should not be intimidated as many have played in this great event. It gives you an opportunity to skate with some better players with no pressure.

You can register directly on the blog in the upper right hand corner of this page. Limited to 48 players and 8 goalies. These have filled up in the past and with this being the "End of Season Bash", we anticipate it filling quickly as well (we have turned people way).

Another Successful Cupid Cup

As with any true romantic love story, there is a happy ending where 2 people fall in love and live happily ever after.

This was the case with the Valentine's inspired Cupid Cup Hockey Tourney that occurred last night. 48 players came together with tension and competition running through their veins, but the night ended with a mutual love for one another. Well, this may not be the best analogy for a group of hockey players, but the end result was still very good.

With most games within 1 goal and even several ties, the match ups were even. The pizza was plentiful, the beer flowing freely and plenty of socializing made for an evening to remember. As always, the attitudes were great and thanks to everyone for making this great event!

Free Hockey Weekend For Youth

On Saturday, February 19th, 2011, the Des Moines Youth Hockey Association will host a "Try Hockey for Free" day. This will be held at Bucs Arena at 3:45 PM.

Players between the ages of 4-11 can try hockey at no cost.

For more information or to register for the event, please contact Scott Long, DMYHA Hockey director, via email at hockeydirector@dmhockey.org

Spread this info to anyone you may know!!!

Still A Regular Joe

Many people say that fame will not change them.

Most people who become famous do get sucked into the glamorous life and forget all the people that they used to call friends.....but I have not.

As most of you may have already seen my television debut, I am now a local celebrity. Even though I realize not everyone can be as talented as me on and off screen, I still respect those inferior to me.

Here are my superior television skills in action:

http://www.whotv.com/videobeta/e818f40e-69af-47f5-9393-3336d03d71d1/News/Workout-of-the-Week-Hockey

I know that after watching that video, everyone wants to say "I know that guy", and I'm flattered. Keep in mind, I'm the same Top-Level defenseman that every knew even before the stardom.

So don't be afraid to say hi if you see me on the street (just don't make eye contact), feel free to ask for an autograph (as long as you have a $10 bill handy) and don't be shy with your camera if you want to snap a pix (as long as you don't interfere with the Paparazzi).

2011 D League Draft Complete

The start of the 2011 year brings the beginning of the new 4 Team Adult D League. The league has grown and now boasts 40 players. The players participated in a 6 week mini-camp where they could showcase their talents to the prospective coaches that were to draft the teams.

"I couldn't be happier with the growth of the league" proclaimed Bafia (commish, treasurer, ref, marketer, skate sharpener, and all around swell guy). "They worked hard these last 6 weeks and the captains were sure to have a tough time drafting."

With the expansion of the league into 4 teams, there was also the need to hire only the best coaches money (or beer) could buy. With over 250+ applicants wanting a coaching position, some tough decisions were made. Here are your 2011 Team Coaches:
Team 1 - Jeremey Knipper / Kacy Reeves
Team 2 - Tony Hansen / Matt Haynes
Team 3 - Mike Beede / Adam Lowell
Team 4 - Mike Fascian / Justin Williams

Once the coaches were selected, we moved on to the draft. What you will find below is each team's final roster and the order the players were selected by their team. Congrats to all those who made a team. Although I can't give a recap on every player, I have highlighted some of the more prominent & surprising selections.

Team 1
Dan Hoy - #1 overall pick for 2011 Draft....Will he perform...or bust?
Greg Miller
Haley Thiele - Surprised she lasted to 3rd round. Must be her inconsistency as an enforcer.
Matt Thiele
Neal Cleary
Pat Scholer
Rob Moore
Sarah Keller
Tami Grimmer
Jeff Mau - No Surprise here, goalie taken in last round.

Team 2
Anne Wiltgen - They traded up to get this pick. Should be a force.
Brad Bedwell
Breadi Gloshen
Corey Shugart
Cory Watts
Eric Anderson
Lisa Schumacher
Michael Johnson - Overrated. Surprised he went this early.
Nick Worth
Caleb Harrelson - Hmmm. Shocker. Another goalie in the last round.

Team 3
Angela Holy - She taught Lumbrezer how to play, now she'll teach the team.
Chris Pauli
Dave Gannon
Dave Natale - Who is this guy? Did he play in some European Novice League?
Eric Kipp
John Reichart
Ron Brott
Ryan Kelly
Sarah Lumbrezer
Todd Daniels - 2nd to last pick in the entire draft...at least not dead last.

Team 4
Amy McEntaffer
Cody Gavin
Dale McArtor - Double knee surgery, tennis elbow & broken chin pushed her down to 3rd round
Dan Zahn
Jeff Dayton - I thought he retired...twice. Risky pick up here.
John Evans
Jon Young
Lee Collins
Troy Maifeld
Aaron Storm - I got nothing to say.

Well there you have it. The draft went as expected for the most part and the best players got chosen first. Its a funny coincidence that it's also in alphabetical order by first name.

Its not too late to join the league. This Sunday is Week #1 of a 16 week season. View the FAQ page at www.alienhockey.com for more info!