Jacks Take Care of Sundogs Over Weekend

Hello fellow Jackalope fans! It is a snowy Tuesday here in the Permian Basin, and the Jacks are feeling pretty good after defeating the Sundogs in both weekend games at the ECC. The Jacks current record now sits at an incredible 23-4-3, and they still lead the Southern Conference by nine points. The Allen Americans have not lost a game since losing three in a row to the Jacks, so we have not been able to put any distance between us and Allen in the Southern standings.

Even though the Jacks were able to take both games from the underrated Arizona Sundogs, it definitely was not an easy task as the Jacks won both games by only one goal. Saturdays final was by a score of 6-5, while Sunday's was by a final of 4-3. Even though a win is a win, and the Jacks were able to take both games, I think just about everybody can agree that the Jacks looked pretty sloppy during both games. The passes were not very crisp, the PP wasn't clicking, the defense looked deflated, and in my honest opinion, Juha did not look like his usual self. In fact, Juha giving up three goals in a time span of a little over three and a half minutes is unacceptable in my eyes. Now, Juha definitely does not deserve all of the blame as the defense deserves some as well, but I do not think anybody was expecting the Finnish Flash to give up five goals on 38 shots. Oh well, I think we all know that Juha will get back to the way he was playing at the beginning of the season in the very near future.

Now lets go ahead and break down Saturday's game, shall we? As I already stated, the Jacks won by a final of 6-5 in front of 2,510 fans at the ECC. On a side note: Come on guys, lets start filling the Jack Shack and get the place to rocking. Okay, now back to the game. The Jacks went 2-7 on the PP, while giving up only one goal to Arizona with the man advantage on 8 PP opportunities. Special teams was pretty decent during this game. Now lets move on to who scored for the Jacks, and break down how Juha did in net. Kory Karlander finished the night with one goal and one assist; Sebastien Thinel picked up three assists; Dominic Leveille had two goals and one assist; Kenny Bernard picked up two points with a goal and an assist; Brian Swiniarski had one goal; Phil Plante picked up a PP goal; and finally, Jean Bourbeau, Garrett Gruenke, Alex Dunn, Jeff Pierce, and Mike Ramsay all finished the night with one assist apiece. As far as Juha goes, he stopped 33 of the 38 shots on goal that he faced. He did pick up the win, but I think we can all agree that he was not at his best during this game. I must give him credit, though, as he did make several key saves down the stretch. Hell, there was even a brief Juha chant after he stopped a few shots that seemed to be destined to find the back of the net. Hopefully he will get out of this mini slump in the very near future, and we will see the Juha from last season's playoffs once again.

Now lets move to Sunday afternoon's game against these same Sundogs. The Jacks won by a final of 4-3 in front of a crowd of 2,035. The Jacks looked a little better, in my opinion, during this game, but they were still a little sloppy. The Jacks, shockingly, went 0-11 on the PP, but I don't know if there was one of these PP chances that were a full two minutes as referee Kevin Mallin was an absolute joke. Also, the Jacks PK allowed one goal on three of the Arizona man advantages. Now lets break down who scored for the Jacks, and Martin's performance in net. Mike Ramsay finished the afternoon with two goals; Alex Dunn had a two point afternoon picking up one goal and one assist; Collin Circelli had one goal; and finally Paul Kelly, Jean Bourbeau, Sebastien Thinel, Phil Plante, Kenny Bernard, Dave Van Drunen, and Joel Martin all capped off the evening with one assist apiece. I don't know what is up with our goalies picking up all of these assists this season, but if I am not mistaken, both of our goalies now have more total points than a couple of our defensemen. Joel Martin also stopped 33 of the 36 shots that he faced, and still sits as the number one goalie in the entire CHL. In fact, I would like to congratulate Martin as he was recently named the CHL goaltender of the week for the second consecutive week. This is a very well deserved honor for Joel, and hopefully his play in net will continue for the remainder of the season, and into the playoffs.

I would also like to congratulate Dominic Leveille who picked up his 300th professional point over the weekend. By the way, the majority of those points have been accumulated by Leveille as an Odessa Jackalope. This guy is a true Jackalope, and he is one of my personal favorites. Hopefully he will continue to have a successful career, and hopefully when the time comes for it to end, it will be in the Jack's red and black! Once again, congratulations to Leveille on a fantastic milestone reached!

Finally, lets go ahead and talk about the Jack's upcoming schedule. The Jacks will have three games in three days at the ECC against the finally clicking Texas Brahmas, the struggling Amarillo Gorillas, and the inconsistent Corpus Christi IceRays. Hopefully the Jacks will take all three games, and head for the annual rodeo road trip on a ten game winning streak. Speaking of the rodeo road trip, it begins after these three home games at the ECC for the Jacks, and then they are on the road for most of January. So, please lets fill up the Jack Shack for these three upcoming games, because there will not be hockey in the Permian Basin again until the 29th of January.

Around the league:

• Speaking of the Texas Brahmas, they have just announced that they signed Nathan Perrott, an enforcer with NHL experience for the rest of the season.


• And finally, the only other real news that I could find pertaining to the rest of the CHL: A dubbed "blockbuster" trade has been made between the Riverkings and the pitiful Thunder. Wichita receives Ian Keserich, Steve Makway, and Kevin Cooper from Mississippi in exchange for Kevin Truelson and Tim Boron. A couple of questions really come to mind when thinking about this trade: First, at this point of the season will anything help the Thunder who have won only three games this season? And secondly, why would the Riverkings give up a great player in Kevin Cooper for two struggling players from a last place team?

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and lets have a great steak dinner with A-1 Sauce on Thursday night when the Bulls come to town!

Jacks and Martin Stay on Fire!

Hello fellow Jackalope fans! The Jacks have looked great the last few games, and are now on a five game winning streak! Also, the Jacks have now pushed the second place Allen Americans further away from the Jacks in the Southern Conference standings, leading them by nine points.

Now lets get on to tonight's game, shall we? The Jacks put a beatdown on the Americans tonight, defeating them by a final of 5-1. I must say, however, that the score could have been a whole lot different if it were not for the outstanding play of Jackalope goaltender, Joel Martin. Martin stopped an incredible 44 out of 45 shots on goal. Not to mention that just the other night Martin stopped 37 shots on goal against these same Americans as the Jacks shut out Allen by a final of 3-0. As far as how Martin's play has been over the last several games, one word comes to mind: WOW!!! This guy is absolutely dominating, and Juha sure isn't no slouch either. In fact, I would dare to say that the Jackalopes have the best goaltending duo in the entire Central Hockey League. After tonights huge win, Martin remains the number one goalie in the entire league with a record of 12-1-2, a goals against average of 2.05, and a save percentage of 93%. Now lets move on to who scored for the Jacks tonight. Mike Ramsay and Kenny Bernard both finished with one goal and one assist a piece (with Rammer's being a shorty); Jeff Pierce, Brian Swiniarski, and Alex Dunn also had one goal a piece; and finally Mike Lesperance, Phil Plante, Dominic Leveille, Collin Circelli, Jean Bourbeau, and Kory Karlander all finished the night with one assist a piece.

On a side note, I must say that I have been extremely impressed with Swinny ever since he has come off the IR. The guy not only brings an extra physical element to the Jacks, but he has proven that he can score too. I would also like to say that the Jacks are proving that they are the cream of the crop in the CHL this season after beating the very talented Allen Americans three games in a row. I can honestly say that I did not expect the Jacks to win all three games, although I definitely wanted them to. I guess I got my wish, though, as the Jacks won on Friday in Allen in overtime by a final of 3-2 (with the Jacks forcing overtime with less than one minute to play in regulation); the Jacks and Martin then shut out the Americans at the ECC by a final of 3-0; and finally the Jacks put a beating on the Americans at the ECC tonight with a final of 5-1.

By the way, tonight was the last time the Jacks play the Americans for the rest of the regular season. Who knows, though, maybe we will see them come playoff time! Finally, I would like to say thank you to everybody who showed up to watch the Jacks tonight at the ECC. The Jacks had their best attendance (I believe) of the season tonight, with over 3,700 people filling the seats at the Jack Shack. The place was electric, and the atmosphere was very enjoyable. I bet the boys were probably very happy to see a full house tonight. I must say that I also think it is sort of neat that in my last blog posting I was hoping for 3,500-4,000 to be at the Jack Shack to support the team, and then tonight we hit almost exactly in the middle of those numbers with 3,700+ in attendance. Lets hope that our attendance will stay like that for the rest of the season!

With that being said, I am going to go ahead and wrap things up here. Before I go, I would like to wish everybody a safe and merry Christmas, and I will be back in a few days to hopefully post more good news after the Jacks handle the Arizona Sundogs over the weekend at the ECC.

Around the CHL:

• The Laredo Bucks have been struggling as of late, losing to the Amarillo Gorillas the other night before losing to the Missouri Mavericks tonight in a shootout. You better believe that Lord Roscoe is pulling out several of those grey hairs as he finds his team falling further and further behind in the South.


• The struggling Riverkings pull out a road win against the struggling Ice Rays by a final of 5-3. Who would have guessed that the 'Kings would have a season like they are having so far?


• And finally the Colorado Eagles defeated the Rapid City Rush by a final of 6-5 in Rapid City. I guess this means that Gillis won't be coaching the CHL All-Stars this season, but something tells me that Gilly isn't worried about the rest of the CHL, only his Southern Conference leading Odessa Jackalopes.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and lets sweep the Sundogs this weekend!

Southern Conference Tightening Up!

Hello fellow Jackalope fans! I Hope all is well, and I hope everybody is ready for Saturday night when the Jacks look for revenge against the very talented Allen Americans. The Jacks lost to the Americans in a very good game at the ECC back in November by a final of 5-4, and you better believe that the Jacks are ready to return the favor. In fact, the Jacks will get their chance before Saturday as they play Allen in Allen on Friday, before making the trip back to Odessa to play the Americans at the ECC on Saturday night. Both games should be exciting, and both games are very crucial for both teams as the Jacks narrowly lead the Americans by two points in the conference standings. Lets all hope that the Jacks can push Allen further back in the standings, and keep a tight grip on the number one spot in the South.

With all of this being said, I do have one thing that I would like to get off my chest: the attendance at the Jack Shack. The Jacks have one of the best (if not the best) teams in the entire league, yet we are averaging only 2,500 people per game at the ECC. Not only that, but I think we all know that attendance numbers are based on tickets sold, not the actual number of butts in seats. This needs to be fixed and fixed fast. I know the excuse is usually that football is going on around the Permian Basin, and football is king in west Texas. However, high school football is now over in our area, and we need to start rockin' the Jack Shack to help encourage our boys to win. They deserve a good crowd with the way that they are playing, and I would personally like to see 3,500 to 4,000 people at the ECC on Saturday. So grab whoever you can (aunt, uncle, cousin, friend, neighbor) and drag them to the Jack Shack on Saturday so we can have an electric atmosphere for what is sure to be one hell of a game. Who knows, maybe we can create some new Jackalope fans and increase our anemic fan base.

Now that I have given my two cents about our struggling attendance, lets move on to the Jacks pretty good weekend, shall we? In what many were calling a potential preview to the President Cup Final, the Jacks took on the Northern Conference leading Colorado Eagles in an absolute thriller. In a battle of the conference leaders, the Eagles won by a final of 2-1 in a shootout, but the Eagles had several advantages that may have given them the edge in getting the big "W". First of all, the game was played at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colorado. This place has sold out (I believe) every single home game since the birth of the Eagles franchise. Having a sold out crowd backing a very good team definitely gives the home team the advantage. Another advantage that the Eagles had were power play chances, which I wholeheartedly disagree with. I believe the Jacks outplayed the Eagles for most of the game, although it was pretty close, and I believe the Jacks should have been the team with the five power plays with the Eagles having the three. There were a couple of obvious calls that could have and should have been made on Colorado that were not, and there was one call that was absolutely bogus that was called against the Jacks. In fact, that iffy interference call on Dave Van Drunen was the power play that gave the Eagles the tying goal. With that being said, I can't complain too terribly much as the game was called almost evenly, which is more than I can say about some other games this season. Both goalies were absolutely stellar in net, and both made saves that were definitely game changers. One huge save made by Penner that I can think of off the top of my head is when the Jacks had a 2 on 0 shorthanded opportunity that he turned away. Martin also made some incredible saves, including a huge one in overtime that sent the game to a shootout. I was really hoping that Martin would shut the Eagles down in the shootout like he has to so many other teams, but he let two of their shooters score, while Penner only allowed Leveille to score. Martin still looked very good in the shootout, but unfortunately Penner looked just a little bit better. Oh well, the Jacks still earned a very well deserved point, and I'm sure Gillis and Cressman were happy with the effort that the boys gave in that game. Before I move on to Sunday's game against the Apes, I would also like to point out that Mike Ramsay scored the Jack's only goal of the game, with Alex Dunn and Sebastien Thinel picking up the assists. Martin also made 26 saves on 27 Colorado shots on goal.

Now lets move on to yesterday's game against the struggling monkeys. The Jacks played the Amarillo Gorillas in Amarillo, and lets just say that the Jacks handled the apes very easily. The final of yesterday's game was 9-2 in the Jack's favor. There were many highlights from the game, so lets go ahead and point some of them out. First of all, Kenny Bernard had a natural hat trick as well as an assist to cap off a big four point night; Sebastien Thinel also had a huge night picking up five points (1G-4A); Dominic Leveille picked up three assists; Bourbeau and Gruenke both picked up rare goals; Juha Toivonen picked up his fourth assist of the season leading all CHL goaltenders in points; the Jacks also went two for three on the power play; and finally the Jacks killed off all four of Amarillo's man advantages. There were many other Jacks that picked up points, but if you would like to check those stats out then you should visit pointstreak's website at http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/gamesheet_off.html?gameid=1067593.

All in all, the Jacks had a very good weekend picking up three out of four possible points. Most importantly, the Jacks have once again claimed sole possession of first place in the Southern Conference by a slim two points. This upcoming week as well as the Jack's upcoming home stand will be extremely critical for the Jacks success. As I already stated, lets fill the ECC up on Saturday and give the boys the electric atmosphere that they deserve. With that being said, I'm going to go ahead and wrap things up here and go and grab a bite to eat.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and lets put a beating on the sun puppies on Wednesday night!

Jacks Get Sweet Revenge Against Brahmas!

Hello Jackalope fans! It has been a while, hasn't it? School is really kicking my butt right now, so I have not really had a chance to blog much recently. Anyway, the Jacks have just finished their game tonight at the Nytex Sports Centre against the Texas Brahmas, and things were a lot better for the Jacks this time around. The Jacks defeated the purple bulls by a final of 5-3, and improve to an incredible 13-2-2 record on the season. Boy does it feel good to get a win from Texas, especially after the 7-3 beating that they put on the Jacks last Thursday. I have been hearing a lot of smack from a couple of Brahma fans recently, and this will hopefully help shut them up for a little while. With that being said, lets go ahead and break down tonight's game, shall we? As I already stated, the Jacks won by a final of 5-3, with Martin getting the win in net. Martin stopped 30 of 33 shots from the bulls, while Jaeger took the loss stopping 25 of 30 Jackalope shots. One question really comes to mind: What happened to the Jaeger from last season? Last year the guy was incredible, while this year he is really struggling. Anyway, back to tonight's breakdown. Jeff Pierce picked up three points tonight scoring a goal on a breakaway while picking up two assists as well; Sebastien Thinel picked up two points with a goal and an assist; Collin Circelli picked up three points with a powerplay goal and two assists; Karlander picked up a goal in tonight's contest; Van Drunen picked up a rare goal in tonight's game; and Bernard, Ramsay, and Plante all had one assist apiece. The Jacks were once again very good on the powerplay and penalty kill as the Jacks went 2-6 with the man advantage, while killing off all seven of Texas' powerplay chances. All in all, Jackalope fans, I must say that I was impressed with how the Jacks played tonight, and I must say that it felt good to see the purple bulls go down on home ice. With that being said, I am going to go ahead and close up shop here, but before I do, I would like to wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving, and hopefully the Jacks will have a good weekend as they play the impressive Americans for the first time this season.

Scores from around the league:

• The Riverkings come back to defeat the Americans (who we will see on Saturday at the ECC) by a final of 3-1, after trailing most of the game.


• The Rapic City Rush defeat the Wichita Thunder by a final of 3-1. Is anybody really surprised?


• The Killer Bees defeat the Mudbugs by a final of 5-3 in Hidalgo.


• And finally, the Eagles are absolutely pounding the Gorillas by a score of 9-3 with about ten minutes left in the third period. Like I have said before, it looks like reality is starting to come back to Amarillo after their surprising start.

Until next time Jackalope fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and lets put a thumping on the Americans Friday night!

Jacks Sweep Mudbugs Over Weekend!

Hello fellow Jackalope fans! It is a cool and cloudy day in Odessa, and I must say that the Jacks had a very good weekend as they swept the Mudbugs over the weekend, improving to 8-1-1. The Jacks currently have the best record in the entire league, and hopefully this momentum will continue throughout the season as the Jacks are definitely on fire right now. The Jacks also have the league's current top scorer in Dominic Leveille; two of the league's current top goaltenders in Juha Toivonen and Joel Martin; and the league's current top two scoring defensemen in Phil Plante and Alex Dunn. There are many other things that the Jacks are doing very well as of late, but if I listed every single thing I would be typing for hours. Anyway, lets get back to this weekend, shall we? As I already stated, the Jacks swept the Mudbugs this weekend, and also ended a seven year losing streak to the 'Bugs that went all the way back to 2002. I bet the boys are happy about that! Both games ended with a 4-1 final in favor of the Jacks, and once again the powerplay was clicking. The Jacks are currently sitting on top of the Southern Conference as well as the entire CHL, and hopefully the boys will keep this winning streak going. I would also like to add that the league just announced that Phil Plante has been named the CHL Oakley Player of the Week. This was very well deserved and Plante definitely deserves this recognition. Congrats Phil! I would also like to add that Laredo's Levasseur was named the CHL Oakley Goaltender of the Week, which is a bunch of bull in my opinion. Juha is the only undefeated goalie in the league with a 5-0-0 record; he also has a shutout as well as an assist; and finally Juha had a better SV% as well as GAA than Levasseur did over the past week. Oh well, as long as Juha keeps on doing what he is doing, maybe the Jacks will have a much bigger and better prize at the end of the season. With all of this being said, I am going to go ahead and wrap things up. I will probably post again this weekend, hopefully writing about how the Jacks dominated the Bees and Apes!

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and lets put a beatdown on the Apes and Bees this weekend!

We're Number One!

Hello fellow Jackalope fans and good Thursday evening to you all! The Central Hockey League announced today the results of its first Yellowbook Coaches Poll of the 2009-2010 season, and the Jacks are currently ranked number one on the list. The Jacks received 9 out of the possible 15 first place votes and had a total number of 130 points. Ranked numbers two through ten respectively are the Allen Americans (116 pts/5 first place votes); the Colorado Eagles (114 pts/1 first place vote); the Mississippi Riverkings (85 pts); the Amarillo Gorillas (83 pts); the Laredo Bucks (80 pts); the Texas Brahmas (65 pts); the Tulsa Oilers (55 pts); the Rapid City Rush (43 pts); and finally the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (28 pts). It is good to see the Jacks ranked number one in the entire league, isn't it? I also think that the Jacks definitely deserve this ranking for their performance thus far, and for those that are thinking that maybe the Jacks should not be at the top, lets go ahead and state some of the facts, shall we? The Jacks currently have a very good record of 5-1-1 with 11 total points, which leads not only the Southern Conference, but the entire league as well; the Jacks have the second best winning percentage (.786) in the entire league trailing only the Colorado Eagles; the Jacks lead the entire league in goals scored by a pretty wide margin (37 total); the Jacks have only allowed 18 goals against in seven games; the Jacks currently have the league's best powerplay scoring 30.36% of the time with the man advantage; and finally the Jacks currently have the league's third best penalty kill, killing off 89.58% of the opposition's powerplays. Hopefully the Jacks can continue with this type of success throughout the 2009-2010 season, and hopefully this is a sign that perhaps the Jacks will finally bring the cup home to Odessa. With all of this being said, I am going to go ahead and wrap things up and will hopefully post again in the next few days or so.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and lets stay on top of the CHL!

Jacks Pull Off Thriller!

Hello fellow Jackalope fans! Happy Halloween to everybody! Lets go ahead and get down to business, shall we? The Jacks played the IceRays for the second time this season last night, and for the second consecutive time, the Jacks won the game in a shootout. Although the Jacks were able to gain the two points, there were a couple of things that worried me about last night's game. First of all, the Jackalopes were pretty heavily outshot: something like 52-36 I believe. There is no way the Jacks should be giving up that many shots, but I guess some of that can be contributed to Van Drunen and Bria not playing. I can't wait for the captain to return as he is definitely the true leader on defense and he is dearly missed. Bria is also missed and I wish him a speedy recovery. Now lets get back to last night's game. The Jacks also took too many penalties last night, but I must say that I was very disappointed with the officiating of Ryan Hersey. With the Jacks leading 4-2 in the third period, Hersey made some questionable calls and gave the IceRays a five on three man advantage. Not only that, but Kory Karlander had his stick slashed out of his hands by an IceRay without getting the call from the man that had been calling every little thing the entire night. This lead to the Rays getting a powerplay goal with the two man advantage and pulling to within one goal of the Jacks in the third period. By the way, even Greg Rajan admitted on his blog that Karlander had his stick slashed out of his hands and that there should have been a penalty called on the play. With that being said, the IceRays tied the game less than two minutes later as Justin Quenneville managed to slap one past Jack's goaltender, Joel Martin. Neither team managed to score during the remainder of the third period, nor did either team manage to score in overtime, meaning that once again the Jacks and Rays would need a shootout to determine a winner. The shootout only took three rounds to complete as Joel Martin stopped all three of the IceRays shooters, while Mike Ramsay and Sebastien Thinel both found the back of the net for the Jacks, with Ramsay's being the game winner. Although the Jacks managed to come away with the two points, the IceRays made sure that they gave the Jacks a run for their money. By the way, these same two teams meet again at the ABC in Corpus in what is sure to be another great game. I must say, however, that I do expect Juha to start this upcoming game, and if he plays like he has played in his first three games of the season, then I think the Jacks will do just fine. Finally, I would like to point out that as of right now, the Jacks are in first place not only in the Southern Conference, but in the entire league as well. Hopefully that is a sign of what is to come in the Jack's future!

In other CHL news:

• The Gorillas drop two in a row over the weekend to the Laredo Bucks and the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. Their record now sits at 5-3-0 and they are currently in second place in the Southern Conference.


• The Texas Brahmas defeat the Allen Americans in a shootout at the always loud Nytex Sports Centre. This is the first game of the season that the Americans have not won, although they do still pick up a point as it took a shootout to decide things. As of right now, they still have not lost a game in regulation.


• Finally, Hillman and his Mavs were finally able to put a couple in the win column as they swept a couple of games in Wichita over the weekend. Is this a sign that the Mavs are getting on the right track, or did the Mavs just win against another terrible team? Time can only tell.

Until Thursday Jackalope fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and lets get to fishing on Thursday night!

Jacks Pummel Apes!

Boy oh boy, what a night for the Odessa Jackalopes! Hello fellow Jackalope fans and all I can say is how 'bout them Jackalopes?!?! What was expected to be a tight, close game between the Gorillas and Jacks turned out to be an absolute beat down at the expense of the once undefeated Amarillo Gorillas, who started off the season with a 4-0-0 record only to get their behinds handed to them by Odessa. Lets go ahead and move to the highlights of the night, shall we? This was a night to remember for the Jacks as Jeff Pierce had a hat trick sealed up early in the second period; Garret Gruenke scored the first goal of his professional career; the Jacks went 4-9 on the powerplay while killing off six of seven of Amarillo's powerplay chances; the Jacks tied a franchise record by scoring nine goals in the game; and lastly the Jacks put up an incredible five goals against the red hot Amarillo goaltender, Mike Brown. By the way, the Jacks had already scored five goals against Brown not even six minutes into the second period leading to him being replaced in net by Finnish goaltender, Tuomas Lohtander. Let me say that Lohtander sure is no Juha Toivonen as he did not do too much better than Brown allowing four goals on fifteen shots. With all of this being said I guess one word that would best describe this game would be: domination! The Jacks now move on to a record of 3-1-0 while the Gorillas suffer their first defeat and fall to a record of 4-1-0. The Jacks will host the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs at the ECC tomorrow night (who lost to Allen by a final of 2-1 tonight) and hopefully the Jacks will have similar results and send the Mudbugs back to Louisiana wondering what could have been!

Until tomorrow night Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and we look forward to seeing the Mudbugs tomorrow night!

Jacks End Opening Weekend With Mediocre 1-1 Record

Well fellow Jackalope fans, opening weekend is a thing of the past and the Jackalopes had their highs and their lows after coming back in an absolute thriller beating the Corpus Christi IceRays in a shootout by a final score of 3-2 on Friday night only to fall to the Gorillas (really?) on Saturday night. Lets start with the Jacks home opener against the IceRays at the Ector County Coliseum on Friday night. While I was heading to the game I was thinking that the Jacks would win fairly easily, although I did know that the Rays did improve from last season's team. Then game time comes and I am really getting pumped until the first period ends with a 1-0 score in favor of the Rays. While not too worried yet, I was still a little shocked that the Jacks had not found the back of the net yet. I really became worried when the Jacks were trailing with 32 seconds left in the third period by a score of 2-1. With an empty net and a powerplay, the Jacks had the two man advantage, and boy did they take advantage of this. The Jacks scored with a little over a half a minute left in regulation forcing the game into overtime. Neither team was able to score into overtime leading to the Jack's first shootout of the season. After going into an extra round in the shootout, Colin Circelli finally netted the game winner while Jacks goaltender Joel Martin was able to stop Tendler from the Rays to preserve the Jack's victory. It was a close game, probably too close, and I thought the Jacks offense looked a little flat considering we were the second best offense in the entire league last season. With all of this being said, the Jacks still walked away with two points heading into Amarillo's home opener on Saturday night. Saturday night's game was a game that I was disappointed with the final outcome, but I did see some things that I liked pertaining to the Jacks. While the Jacks did lose by a 2-1 final score (to Amarillo? I still can't get that taste out of my mouth) they did put 43 shots on net which proves to me that the Jacks offense will be just fine and that they ran into a very hot goaltender in Mike Brown. This game also showed me that Joel Martin is a very good goalie stopping 24 of 26 Amarillo shots including a penalty shot. While I can't wait for Juha to come back as soon as possible, I must say that I think the Jacks will be just fine with Martin until Juha gets well. So the Jacks end the weekend with a 1-1 record. Not exactly what I was expecting, but I do think the Jacks are still one of the powerhouses of the South and will be contending for the President's Cup come playoff time. I also must say that the Bumble Bees from Hidalgo better watch out come Tuesday night because they are sure to feel the wrath of the mighty Jackalopes!

In other CHL news:

• The Laredo Bucks had an impressive weekend defeating the Mudbugs and Killer Bees and starting the season with a 2-0 record. Pretty impressive, but the deer better watch out for the Jacks come November 20th.


• The Allen American swept the Arizona Sundogs this weekend in Arizona.


• Scott Hillman and his "mighty" Mavs were swept in Rapid City by the much improved Rush.


• And finally, the Bulls and Birds split a pair of games over the weekend in a rematch of the 2008-2009 Ray Miron President Cup Finals.

Until next time Jacks fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and I'm counting down 'til Tuesday night!

The Kings of the South?

Hello fellow Jackalope fans! It has been a while hasn't it? I apologize for not blogging in a while but I have been tied up with school for the last couple of weeks and have not had time to do much blogging. Anyways, lets get right to the point. I don't usually start a whole new post for a team other than the Jacks, but I believe there is one team that deserves some recognition after the incredible weekend that they had. That team would be none other than the surprisingly undefeated Amarillo Gorillas. I will be the first to admit that prior to the regular season starting I, like many other CHL fans, had the Gorillas at the bottom of the Southern Conference. From the players that Amarillo signed I was not too impressed. However, the CHL world is probably still in total shock as the Apes ended their opening weekend with a 3-0 record. Is this a sign that the Gorillas are going to be a contender in the South this season? Only time will tell, but I will stick to my guns and say that reality will return to Amarillo in the next couple of weeks and they will no longer be one of the top four teams in the South. I will say, however, that the Gorillas have earned my respect and it would not surprise me if the 'Rillas end up barely clinching a spot in the playoffs come March. I know many of you are thinking "Is this guy crazy? We are only a couple of games into the new season and he is already predicting playoff teams?" I know, I know. The season is still very, very early but the Gorillas are already turning heads with their strong play. With all of this being said, lets go ahead and break down the Gorilla's weekend, shall we? Game one for Amarillo was against the usual cellar dwellers of the Northern Conference, the Wichita Thunder. In many people's eyes it would not matter who won this game because both of these teams are supposed to be the "losers" of their respective conferences. The Gorillas displayed pure domination as they pummeled Wichita by a final score of 5-0. Amarillo held the Thunder to only eighteen shots on goal as Mike Brown picked up the shutout. The Apes also killed off all seven of Wichita's powerplay chances. After getting home from watching the Jacks pull off a thriller against the IceRays and seeing this final score on Pointstreak I didn't think too much about it for the simple fact that the Gorillas beat the Wichita Thunder. Then Saturday rolls around and I am feeling pretty good because I am thinking that the Jacks are going to put an absolute beating on Amarillo when the final score ends up being 2-1 in favor of the Gorillas. I was in shock for several minutes after this game, but then I began to break down this game as well. The Jacks absolutely bombarded Mike Brown with shots on goal, but he ended up stopping an impressive 42 out of 43 shots on goal, while Amarillo managed to get two goals on 26 shots on net. This tells me two things: The Jacks ran into a very hot goaltender in Mike Brown, and the Jacks have nothing to worry about as they technically outplayed the Gorillas in just about every area, except for goaltending. The Jacks were also playing their backup goalie (who actually did very well by the way) while the Gorillas were starting their starter. Another thing to note from this game is that the Jacks went 0-10 on the powerplay, which is definitely something that Gilly and the boys are going to have to fix very quickly. Now lets move on to game three for the Gorillas which was against the usually always tough Mississippi River Kings. I thought the Kings would take this game because Mike Brown would not be in net that game for Amarillo, and I felt it was time for the Gorillas to be brought back to reality. Once again I was wrong as goaltender Lohtander for the Apes played very well in net while the Gorillas once again displayed their offensive power putting up five goals on 31 shots. The final ended up being 5-2 and the Gorillas were able to kill off 4 out of 5 of the King's powerplay chances. Wow! What a weekend for Amarillo! Not only do they end the weekend with a 3-0 record but they also beat one of the South's best teams as well as one of the North's best teams. Like I already stated, only time will tell if the Gorillas truly mean business, but after this weekend I would tell everybody to not be surprised by anything. As of right now the Gorillas (I can't believe I am about to say this) are the Kings of the South.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and the Bumble Bees are going to get crushed come Tuesday night!

Five Jacks Attend AHL Training Camp

Well folks, hockey in West Texas is almost here and it has been a while since my last post. I have been pretty busy with my classes as of late and have had to put my blogging on the backburner for the last couple of weeks. Since I've been away from the computer, the Jacks have made several announcements regarding several key players on the team. The Jacks have announced that five Jackalopes are attending the AHL training camp with the Jack's AAA affiliate, the Bridgeport Soundtigers, two of which have signed two-way contracts with Bridgeport. The two players that have signed the two-way contracts are Jean Bourbeau and Juha Toivonen while the remaining Jacks that are participating in the training camp include Garrett Gruenke, Mike Lesperance, and Jeff Pierce. I am not too savvy with how two-way contracts work, but from what I have heard the contracts mean that Bourbeau and Toivonen will not have to go through waivers if they are to be sent down to their AA affiliate, the Jacks. One fellow Jackalope fan also claims that these are the first two Jackalopes in franchise history to sign two-way contracts, so I would guess that both Bourbeau and Juha have a fairly decent shot at making it to the next level in probably a relatively short amount of time. While I always hope that our players will grow and improve to the point where they are called up, I do have to admit that I hope that these two guys spend the majority of the season with the Jacks. I know I am being selfish, but these two guys are vital players to the Jacks and the Jacks would not be the same without them. With that being said, I would like to wish all of the Jacks participating in the Soundtiger's training camp all the luck in the world, and hopefully we will be seeing them back in Odessa very soon.

Now on to some more Jackalope news. The Jacks will be having their Merchandise Preview Party on the 30th of September (only four days away) which will give season ticket holders the opportunity to see the Jack's new products for the upcoming season. Season ticket holders will also be able to pick up their season ticket packages at this party. The Jacks will then have their annual Season Ticket Holder Taste Testing Event on October 6th. I have to say that as a season ticket holder for the past few seasons I attended this event last year, and it was an absolute blast. You get to meet and greet the players while sampling the new food and drinks from the Jack's concession stands. Also, at this year's event the Jacks will be holding their Black and White scrimmage which will make the night that much more fun for the fans. Then on October 8th, the Jacks will play their first preseason game at the ECC when they host the Tulsa Oilers. They will host the Oilers for another preseason game on October 10th which will be their last preseason game of the offseason, and then the Jacks coaching staff as well as the players will start gearing up for opening night of the regular season, wich is on October 16th.

In other CHL news:

• Another skilled and gritty defenseman has signed with the always tough Mississippi Riverkings in Travis Wright. This is yet another decent pickup for the 'Kings, and the Northern Conference better get ready for 'Kings as they are sure to be at the top of the standings in the Northern Conference.


• The Amarillo Gorillas have announced the signing of veteran defenseman Rod Aldoff. This guy has put up pretty good numbers throughout his career but will it be enough to make the apes a playoff contender? I think not, but only time will tell.


• Former Jackalope (for a very short time might I add) Robin Richards has signed with the Laredo Bucks. This guy is an enforcer, but in my honest opinion he takes far too many stupid penalties, is rather slow, and not really that great of a fighter if I can be brutally honest with you. That is probably one of the main reasons that Gillis dumped Richards rather quickly, but how does that old cliche go, "one persons junk is another's treasure." I would be very, very surprised if Richards turns out to be a diamond in the rough for the Bucks, and I would think that the title "fools gold" might be more appropriate for this supposed enforcer.


• Finally, Tori Holt has announced that he will be leaving Eagle Country as radio broadcaster as he has joined the Dallas Stars for an unknown (to me anyways) position. Kevin McGlue will now become the voice of the Eagles.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and hockey season is just around the corner!

Jacks Re-Sign Lesperance!

Hello fellow CHL and especially Odessa Jacklope fans. It is a warm and humid Friday in Odessa, and the Jacks have announced yet another player to re-sign with the Jacks. The Jacks announced today that Mike Lesperance has re-signed with the team for the 09-10 season. A rookie last season, Lesperance put up 38 points in 60 games, and while he was not one of my personal favorites, the guy is still very young and has all the potential in the world to become a future star in the CHL. I expect bigger and better things from Lesperance this season since he has had a full season to learn and grow with the Jacks, and hopefully he will be a lot more noticeable when on the ice next season. With all of this being said, I would like to say welcome back to the Permian Basin, Mike, and prove to all of your critics (including myself) that you deserve a spot on the roster of the Jacks. I am not too sure if their will be anymore "surprising" signings this offseason as the Jacks still have several other guys returning from last season's team that have not yet been announced such as Bourbeau, Toivonen, Van Drunen, and Plante. You can read the full article pertaining to Lesperance re-signing with the Jacks at the Jacks website which can be viewed at http://www.jackalopes.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=261:09story02&catid=69:newstory&Itemid=119.

In other CHL news:

• Marty Standish has signed with the Tulsa Oilers. Once one of the most hated people of the Oiler faithful, Standish is sure to become a fan favorite in Tulsa as he is a proven player that can still get things done.


• The Eagles continue to bring back players from last season as they announced the re-signings of Hogg and Haddon.


• Finally, the Missouri Mavericks have announced the signing of yet another former Blazer in Chad Hinz. They really should have named the team the Missouri Blazers as they are practically the same team from last season, just in different uniforms. This Mavs team is one to watch in the upcoming season as they have signed several proven players, and have a very good, young coach in former Jack great, Scott Hillman.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and October can't come soon enough!

Gillis Receives Well-Deserved Extension!

It looks like we will be seeing Coach Paul Gillis for at least a couple of more seasons as the Jacks have announced today that Gilly has received a contract extension through the 2011-2012 season. For me, this is an obvious no brainer as the Jacks have improved to heights that had never been reached before until Gillis stepped behind the bench. Lets go over the last couple of seasons with Gilly in charge, shall we? In Gillis' first season, he took the Jacks to the playoffs (which they missed the previous season) and defeated the Austin Ice Bats in the mini series of the playoffs. They did get swept by the Laredo Bucks in the next round of the playoffs, but Gillis made sure that those same results would not occur during the next season. Last season was arguably the best season that the Jacks have ever had in franchise history as they set and tied several franchise records that are absolutely impressive. The record that was tied is when the Jacks won an impressive eleven games in a row. I was thrilled at this great accomplishment, and I am sure that Gillis was as well. The Jacks then set a new franchise record by leading the league in powerplay goals as they scored an amazing 110 goals with the man advantage. Finally, the Jacks did something that they were never able to do in franchise history until last season in the playoffs when they defeated the Laredo Bucks in the playoffs to advance to the Southern Conference Finals. This ended numerous streaks that the Bucks had in the playoffs, and this was the first time in franchise history that the Jacks won a series in the playoffs against the Bucks. I was actually lucky enough to travel to Laredo for game six (the series clincher) and I must say that game six between the Jacks and Bucks is like something you would see in a movie. The Jacks and Bucks would trade a couple of goals in regulation until the Bucks would finally take a one goal lead which forced the Jacks to pull Juha Toivonen with under one minute to play. It was funny, because one of my aunts that came with me was so disgusted that she wanted to leave the game then and there as the just knew that we would have to play game seven at the Jack Shack. I told her to sit down, because you never know what could happen in a short amount of time, and besides, it is rude to leave a game early just because your team is down. As time was winding down the Bucks made a very long shot at the empty net only for it to ring off the post. Then, I believe the Bucks iced the puck which led to a faceoff in the Bucks zone. The Jacks won the faceoff, and with 34 seconds left in the game Dominic Leveille wristed the game tying goal past Laredo goaltender Sebastien Centomo to force the game into overtime. My family and I went absolutely nuts and the Bucks staff even put us up on the video board which brought boos and insults our way from the Laredo faithful. The LEC went absolutely silent, except for the few Jack fans in attendance and of course the Jacks themselves who celebrated knowing that they now had a chance to steal game six and put an end to the series. Overtime came and not very deep into the period a wide open Russ Moyer received a pass in front of Centomo and he snapped a wrister that went right under the cross bar to put the series away and cement the Jacks a spot in the Southern Conference Finals. Once again, my family and I celebrated like crazy as the Jacks players and coaches celebrated on the ice knowing that they had just made history. This is a memory that will be embedded in my mind probably for the rest of my life, and I can honestly say that it can be mostly credited to the coaching of Paul Gillis. Sorry to kind of get off topic there, but I felt that it was necessary to express my feelings as the Jacks made history in Laredo. Anyways, as we were leaving the LEC to come back to Odessa, we turned on the radio and listened to Bucks radio broadcaster Brian Benway talk about all of the streaks and traditions that the Jacks just put to a hault to for the Bucks, which were pretty impressive by the way, and I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. The next day on Benway's blog, I found it very funny when Benway claimed that Wichita didn't have the most annoying fans, Odessa did. I'm sure that he was talking about my family and I as we sat fairly close to the broadcasters booth and we are pretty raucous at times, and definitely passionate for our Jackalopes. With that being said, the Jacks then went on the the Souther Conference Finals (which my family and I went to North Richland Hills for every game as well) and forced the Texas Brahmas to seven games, only to fall in game seven to the eventual league champions. The Jacks also won the Southwest Division, produced the CHL MVP in Sebastien Thinel, and had a rookie of the year candidate in Jeff Pierce. What a season that was for the Jacks, and all of this happened under the reign of Paul Gills. Congratulations to Gillis on the extension, and hopefully he will help to finally bring the cup to Odessa in the very, very near future! You can read the article pertaining to Gillis' extension at the Jacks website which can be viewed at http://www.jackalopes.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=259:08story11&catid=69:newstory&Itemid=119.

In other CHL news:

• The league finally announced the "life changing" news that was "just for the fans" yesterday when they launched the Loyalty Rewards Program. I like the idea of a rewards program, but the way the league set up this program, it is actually kind of humorous and very unrealistic. Hopefully the league will make some changes to the program, but if they don't, I do not see it lasting for more than one season.


• The Wichita Thunder announced the re-signing of Jason Duda for his 14th season with the less than impressive Thunder. The guy is definitely a proven player and pretty much owns the Thunder record book, but he gets injured quite frequently, and lets face it; it would take an absolute miracle for Duda to make a true difference for the bottom feeder Wichita Thunder.


• The Arizona Sundogs have announced that they have signed former Scorpion netminder, Kyle McNulty for the upcoming season. This is a pretty good signing for the Sundogs as McNulty is a decent goaltender who had a winning record on a losing team last season. By bringing in players like Konrad Reeder and Kyle McNulty the Sundogs have a decent chance at making the playoffs. I still predict that they will be one of the mini series teams, but I still think that they have the potential to barely make the playoffs.


• In "The Jungle", the Gorillas announced the re-signing of Jake Morissette for the upcoming season. The guy is an okay player, but like I said about the Thunder, it will take an absolute miracle for the Gorillas to put together a winning team this season. I predict that they will once again sit at the bottom of the standings not only in the conference, but in the league as well, and the Gorilla faithful will once again be really disappointed when the apes fail to make the playoffs for yet another season.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and October can't come soon enough!

Lets get to drilling!

The Odessa Jackalopes announced yesterday that they will have two exhibition games on October 8th and 10th against the Tulas Oilers at the Ector County Coliseum. It looks like the Jacks will see Rick Kozak after all this season, even if it is during a pair of exhibition games. All I have to say about this is it will be time for the Jacks to get to drilling come October 8th. You can read the full article pertaining to the Jacks preseason schedule at the Jacks website which can be viewed at http://www.jackalopes.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=255:08story08&catid=69:newstory&Itemid=119. I am actually in a hurry to get somewhere so I am going to go ahead and cut this post a little short, and I will hopefully be back in the next couple of days with new Jacks news and give my take on it.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and October can't come soon enough!

Schedules, Signings, and Predictions!!!

Hello fellow CHL and especially Odessa Jackalope fans! It has been a while hasn't it? I have been very busy lately, but now I have a little time to express my opinions on what has been going on in the league here lately.

First, lets start with the schedule. It was finally released last week, and I must say that I prefer it over last seasons joke of a schedule. It is more fair and balanced, and we get to see all of the new teams, including the Rapid City Rush, which we did not see last season. I am also very happy that we play the Texas Brahmas an equal amount of times both in Odessa and North Richland Hills. The only problem with that is that we only play the Brahmas a total of four times, which is a shame since the Jacks and Bulls developed a pretty heated rivalry last season. Who knows, maybe we will see them in the playoffs once again with different results. We also see Laredo quite a bit more this season, which is a good thing in my honest opinion. I am actually planning some trips not only to Laredo next season, but to Hidalgo as well to watch the Jacks beat up on the Bucks and Bees. The Jacks home opener will be on October 16, with the Jacks taking on the IceRays which will surely be a very good game for the fans. We will also see the return of Scott Hillman when he and his Mavericks roll into town which will definitely be a surreal feeling for all of the die-hard Jack fans. Rumour has it that his jersey will be retired that night, which Hillman definitely deserves. Although it may be a night to honor the Jackalope known as Scott Hillman, I truly hope that the Jacks give a big Odessa beating to the Mavs and show Hillman that the Jacks are better than ever, and are here to win. I could go into more detail about the schedule and break it down and give you every single stat known to man, but too many people have already done that, and I don't want to sound repetitive.

Now lets move on to recent Jackalope signings shall we? Jackalope faithful received fantastic news when we all found out that Jeff Pierce has re-signed with the Odessa Jackalopes. This guy was fantastic in his rookie year with the Jacks averaging over a point per game last season, and I fully expect him to do even bigger and better things this season. The Jackalopes also announced the signing of forward Martin Paquet, who played in France last season. Paquet, a former Brahma, is also a high scoring forward that averages over a point per game. He is a big pickup for the Jacks, and from what I have heard from some Brahma fans, the Jacks definitely got that much better with the addition of Mr. Paquet. Things are definitely looking good on paper for the Jacks so far. Rumour also has it that Jean Bourbeau and Juha Toivonen have signed with the Jacks, but the Jackalope website has not yet confirmed these rumours. If they turn out to be true, I will be elated as these two guys were a big part of the Jacks success last season.

Lastly ladies and gentlemen I am going to make my predictions for the Southern Conference. I will do my Northern Conference finals a little later, but lets get down to business, shall we?

1.) Odessa Jackalopes

2.) Texas Brahmas

3.) Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees

4.) Laredo Bucks

5.) Corpus Christi IceRays

6.) Arizona Sundogs

7.) Allen Americans

8.) Amarillo Gorillas

I think the Jacks and Brahmas will be battling for that top spot all season long, but I think the Jacks will be even better than last seasons team (which is saying alot) and I think the Jacks are going to take the Southern Conference in the 2009-2010 season.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and October can't come soon enough!

New Forum

Hello fellow Jack fans! I will make this post short and sweet as I have some news pertaining to a new league forum set up by yours truly. After getting fed up with some of the seemingly unnecessary words that are blocked on chlforums.com, I have decided to create my own forum that is exclusively for folks that are 18 or over as I am not banning any words from being used on the forum. With that being said, there are rules on my forum that must be obeyed, and I will not tolerate any personal attacks of any kind. I would also like to clarify that this is by no means a knock on the other league forum as I truly do enjoy it and am still a member of it; I just felt that a more adult-friendly forum would make things a little easier for folks that want to truly speak their minds without worrying about their words being changed up on them. My new forum is called theenforcer, and you can get to it at http://www.youforum.biz/theenforcer/. Please feel free to join the forum, and please tell all CHL fans that you know about it. By the way, I will be making improvements to the setting of the forum as soon as I become more familiar with it.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and October can't come soon enough!

Dunner Returns!!!

The Odessa Jackalopes have announced today that they have re-signed Kenny Bernard and signed Alex Dunn for the 2009-2010 season. This is extremely good news as both of these players are guys that work their behinds off while still producing at their respective positions. Lets start with Kenny first. This guy works hist butt off every time he is on the ice, and he is a scoring threat as well. He had numerous breakaway opportunities last season, and I expect him to put up even bigger numbers next season as he now knows Gillis' system very well and will have a full season to prove himself as opposed to the partial season that he played with the Jacks last season. He was on my wish list to bring back this season, and I am very excited to see that he will be in a Jacks sweater for the 09-10 season. Now on to one of my favorite signing so far as the Jacks have announced that Alex Dunn will be returning to the Odessa Jackalopes. In case you are wondering if this was the defenseman that I expected to be announced but was waiting for confirmation, it was. Dunn will definitely be a big addition for the Jacks as he is a very gritty and physical defenseman that can score too. Rumor has it that he will be Moyer's replacement as Moyer has supposedly left the Jacks for Europe, and I must say that he is a good replacement if these rumors turn out to be true. In fact, I think I would rather have Alex Dunn than Russ Moyer as he has less turn overs, and handles the puck very well. If the Jacks are somehow able to get Moyer back as well, then I definitely would not complain as he is still a very solid defenseman and he will be sorely missed if he decides to cross the pond. With the Jacks bringing back key players from last season while adding proven former Jacks as well as proven players from other teams, the Jacks will truly have a very good chance at bringing the cup home to Odessa. Things are looking good for the Jacks, and I can't wait for the 2009-2010 season. You can read the full article pertaining to Alex Dunn and Kenny Bernard at the Jackalopes website which can be viewed at http://www.jackalopes.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=249:07story16&catid=69:newstory&Itemid=119.

In other CHL news:

• Disappointing news for me personally as the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees have announced that they signed goaltender Andy Franck. Franck is one of the better goalies in the league, and he will definitely make the Bees that much better, maybe even a true contender next season. I was hoping that the Jacks could sign him, but with the signings that the Jacks have announced thus far, I can honestly say that I am not worried at all about the Jacks next season.


• A big trade was made between the Allen Americans and the Colorado Eagles as the Eagles have sent veteran defenseman Erik Adams to the Americans in return for future considerations. The Eagles had to drop some veterans since they would have too many for the 09-10 season, so I assume that they decided to at least get something in return for one of their vets instead of just releasing him into free agency and not receiving anything in return. Adams is definitely a big addition for the Americans, and I am sure that the Allen fans will welcome him with open arms as he is a proven player that is sure to become a fan favorite.


• Finally, the Laredo Bucks have announced that they have signed rookie goaltender Dustin Slade for the upcoming season. He had pretty good numbers in the WHL and was a WHL All-Star, but can he fill the shoes of the former Buck goaltender, Sebastien Centomo? In my honest opinion, I don't think so, but time will tell if he can lead the Bucks down the right path.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and October can't come soon enough!

Jacks Prove That They Mean Business!

Hello fellow Central Hockey League and especially Odessa Jackalope fans. It is a cool and rainy day in Odessa, and I must say that this is a relief from the scorching temps that we have had the last month or so. Anyways, lets cut right to the chase: the Odessa Jackalopes announced today that they have re-signed Dominic Leveille and signed defenseman Stuart Kerr for the upcoming 2009-2010 season. The Leveille signing isn't a real big surprise to me as he usually doesn't stray too far from his very good friend, Sebastien Thinel. This definitely makes the Jacks offense that much better as they have now signed their top three scorers from last season in Thinel, Leveille, and Karlander respectively. Leveille is one of my personal favorites, and it is defnitely good to see Dom returning to Odessa. Now on to the signing of the big, physical defenseman known as Stuart Kerr. This guy is a very large athlete that is definitely not afraid to drop the gloves whenever necessary. This does raise a question in my mind as it probably does several other Jack fans as well: is Kerr Joly's replacement? Now that Kerr has signed, we now have two enforcers in Gruenke and Kerr. Will the Jacks try and bring in another enforcer, or will they be happy with the combination of Gruenke and Kerr? I remember Kerr from the mini round of the playoffs a couple of seasons ago between the Jacks and Ice Bats, and I must say that I couldn't stand this guy. Now with him on our side, I am sure that he will become a fan favorite and fit in with the Jacks without much trouble. You can read the full article about the signings of Leveille and Kerr at the Jacks website which can be viewed at http://www.jackalopes.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=247:07story10&catid=69:newstory&Itemid=119.

In other CHL news:

• The Rapid City Rush have announced the re-signing of Jon Pelle for the upcoming season. This guy is a fan favorite in Rapid City, and the Rush fans are definitely happy to see him back in a Rush sweater.


• Bobby Chaumont has re-signed with the Mississippi Riverkings for the 09-10 season. This guy is an offensive threat and definitely a great signing for Coach Kaminski and the 'Kings.


• It looks like our old pal Mike Gorman has followed former Jackalope great and now Missouri Maverick head coach Scott Hillman to Independence. Not only that, but Groenestege has also signed with the Mavs giving Missouri two very solid goaltenders that can definitely get the job done. Good luck to Gorman in Independence, at least until we play them.


• Finally, it looks like the dynamic duo of Carroll and DeCaro is back together once again as the Mudbugs announced today that they have re-signed Ken Carroll for the upcoming season. I think just about every fan in the CHL remembers how much damage this duo did a couple of seasons ago, and they are sure to pose as a real threat to every team in the league once again.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and October can't come soon enough!

Two Huge Signings for the Jacks!!!

One of our co-captains from last season will return, as the Jacks have announced that Kory Karlander has re-signed for the 2009-2010 season. The Jacks have also announced that goaltender Joel Martin has signed with the Jacks for the upcoming season as well. This is fantastic news as Karlander is a proven leader and proven player that is definitely one of the best players in the entire CHL. He is a former MVP for the IHL, and by him returning to the Jacks, I think that Karlander thinks that the Jacks really do have a very good chance of bringing the cup to Odessa next season. Joel Martin is also a very good signing for the Jacks as well. This guy has played in several leagues throughout his career (including a short stint with the Jacks), has plenty of playoff experience, and has actually won a championship in his career. If the Jacks are able to re-sign Juha next season, then you better believe that the Jacks will have arguably the best pair of goaltenders in the entire league. One of the posters on the CHL Forums made a very good point when they pointed out that Martin could easily be a starter for just about any of the teams in the league, and if we have him and Juha both, then everybody watch out. Rumor also has it that a former Jackalope defenseman from the past (one of my personal favorites) is supposed to return next season. This guy is a very tough and gritty defenseman that can also score too. I will wait to announce who it is until the Jacks make the announcement, but I can honestly say that he was a fan favorite when he played here a couple of seasons ago, and he is sure to be a fan favorite when he returns. You can read the full article on the Jacks signing Karlander and Martin at the Jacks website which can be viewed at http://www.jackalopes.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=246:07story05&catid=69:newstory&Itemid=119.

In other CHL news:

• The Corpus Christi IceRays have made a very big move after acquiring Jeff Alcombrack from the Mississippi Riverkings in return for Nicolas Bachand. If you remember my wishlist from the CHL Forums, you know that Jeff Alcombrack was on that list. Corpus is putting together a decent roster so far, and I think that they have a pretty good chance of making the playoffs next season. You can read the article regarding Alcombrack at the league website which can be viewed at http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/pressroom/news/index.html?article_id=3544.


• Another rather dull and boring announcement out of Amarillo as the Gorillas have announced the re-signing of defenseman James Jernberg for the 2009-2010 season. This is another signing that does not impress me, and I will go ahead and predict that the Gorillas will once again be in the cellar of the conference for the upcoming season. You can read the full article.... oh never mind. It's not even really worth the time.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and October can't come soon enough!

Out With The Old And In With The New

The Central Hockey League has finally announced the new alignments for the 2009-2010 season, and I must say that it definitely is different. There will no longer be divisions as the league has decided to divide the league into two conferences with seven teams in the Northern Conference and eight teams in the Southern Conference. The Northern Conference teams include: the Colorado Eagles, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, Mississippi Riverkings, Rapid City Rush, Missouri Mavericks, Tulsa Oilers, and Wichita Thunder. The Southern Conference consists of: the Odessa Jackalopes, Amarillo Gorillas, Texas Brahmas, Allen Americans, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, Laredo Bucks, Corpus Christi IceRays, and Arizona Sundogs. I personally like this new alignment for the simple fact that this will make the schedules more flexible, and teams will get to play teams that they have rarely played before more often. I also think that it will make the league more competitive since the league will only have two number one teams (each conference) instead of four (each division). An interesting matter to note about the new alignment is that the Southern Conference contains all of the Texas teams plus Arizona, which kind of makes it now Texas versus everybody else. The playoff format will remain the same as it has been the last two seasons, with ten total teams making it to the playoffs (five from each conference). An interesting thing to note here is that since the Northern Conference only contains seven teams, all but two teams in the North will make it to the postseason, while three teams in the South will be left out of postseason play. You can read the full article about the new alignment at the league website which can be viewed at http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/pressroom/news/index.html?article_id=3534.

In other CHL news:

• The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees have re-signed Zak McClellan for the upcoming season. McClellan played in all of the regular season games for the Killer Bees last season and tallied 37 points in the 64 games (11-26). This is a decent signing for the Bees, but in my eyes, this guy is nothing spectacular.


• John DeCaro has decided to return to the Mudbugs after spending his season last year in the ECHL. This guy is a phenomenal goaltender, and the 'Bugs are very lucky to have him back.


• Finally, on to some news that I am not too thrilled to hear: the Texas Brahmas have re-signed goaltender Brett Jaeger for the 2009-2010 season. As much as I can't stand the Brahmas, I must say that Jaeger is an absolutely phenomenal talent, and I still believe that Jaeger was the difference in the series between the Jacks and Brahmas last season. Hopefully the Jacks can bring in a very good veteran goaltender to counteract Jaeger when we play them next season. I wouldn't mind seeing Sebastien Centomo or Andy Franck in a Jacks sweater next season, although I doubt that will happen. Hey, I can always wish, can't I?

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and October can't come soon enough!

Talk About A Low Blow!

The Oklahoma City Blazers have suddenly announced that they have ceased operations and will not play in the 2009-2010 CHL season. This has sent shockwaves throughout the league, and the Blazers organization has proven that they could care less about the success of the Central Hockey League as they have delivered the ultimate low blow not only to the league, but to their fans as well. The New Mexico Scorpions have finally announced that they will not be returning next season, but at least they did not throw a massive bomb at the league by giving such crucial news so suddenly like the Blazers organization did. This has obviously upset many people, but perhaps CHL Commissioner Duane Lewis puts it best when he stated: "This decision did not happen overnight, and to continue to work on the schedule and wait until July to inform us is disappointing." If the Blazers did not want to return to the CHL then that is absolutely fine; but they should not have let the CHL believe that they would be returning only to turn around and stab the league in the back. This now makes three teams that will not return to the CHL next season, with those teams being the Rocky Mountain Rage, New Mexico Scorpions, and Oklahoma City Blazers. The only somewhat good news to come out of this is that their will be plenty of talented free agents available, and hopefully the Jacks can snatch up a few. I would love to see Andy Franck in a Jacks sweater, among several other players, but we will have to wait and see if Gillis, Cressman, and Clark can persuade some of these proven free agents to come to the Odessa Jackalopes. The news of the Oklahoma City Blazers ceasing operations has also delayed any news regarding division realignment and scheduling for the other CHL teams, and you better believe that we will probably see division alignments like we have never seen them before. Just when I thought the league was growing and expanding and had the chance to become the premier league in all of AA hockey, we have now learned that we have lost three teams, and have went from a sixteen team league to a fifteen team league. Hopefully teams that want to be in the league, like the New Mexico Scorpions and Rocky Mountain Rage, will return to the CHL, but to teams like the the Oklahoma City Blazers that turn their back on the league that they called home for the past seventeen years, all I have to say is good riddance! You can read the full article regarding this shocking news at the league website which can be viewed at http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/pressroom/news/index.html?article_id=3527.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!!

Jacks Re-Sign Two

The Odessa Jackalopes announced today that they have re-signed two fan favorites in Garrett Gruenke and Mike Ramsay. This is very, very good news to hear as the Jacks are bringing back key pieces from last season to try and help bring a championship to Odessa next season. Mike Ramsay was a personal favorite of mine as he always shows heart, and has the talent and potential to put up big numbers season after season. You can view Ramsay's stats at http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=62198. Garrett Gruenke was also re-signed by the Jacks today, and I must say that although I am not as excited about Gruenke re-signing, I am still happy to see him come back to the Jacks for the 2009-2010 season. Gruenke had huge shoes to fill last season when Joly went down for the remainder of the season, and considering he was a rookie, he did do fairly well taking on the role of full time enforcer. The only problem that I had with Gruenke is that he, more often than not, seemed reluctant to drop the gloves or defend a teammate. However, since he was a rookie, I will cut him a little slack. Hopefully he will build on what he accomplished last season, and maybe the Jacks will sign another good enforcer to take some of the pressure off of Gruenke. With the Jacks bringing back two more players that helped with the success that we had last season, every other team in the CHL better watch out, because here the Jacks come and they are going to prove to everybody that they are indeed willing to do "whatever it takes" to bring home the cup next season. You can read the full article about Ramsay and Gruenke at the Jackalopes website which can be viewed at http://www.jackalopes.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=244:07story01&catid=69:newstory&Itemid=119.

In other CHL news:

• The Corpus Christi IceRays announced that they have signed high scoring, veteran forward Chad Woollard for the upcoming season. This is a pretty big signing for the Rays, and maybe they will have more success than they had last season (hopefully no success against the Jacks, of course). You can read the full article on Woollard at the league website which can be viewed at http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/pressroom/news/index.html?article_id=3524.



• The newly named Missouri Mavericks have made a pretty big splash by signing former league MVP, Jeff Christian for the 2009-2010 season. Former Jackalope great and now Maverick coach, Scott Hillman, has been a winner for pretty much his entire career, and you better believe that he will put together a team that is able to contend in the CHL. Their are some critics that say that Christian is lazy, but his numbers do not lie, and you better believe that he will continue with his success in Missouri. You can read the full article on Christian at the league website which can be viewed at http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/pressroom/news/index.html?article_id=3522.



• Finally, former Rage and Jackalope, Aaron Davis has signed with the Tulsa Oilers for the upcoming season. This guy is a capable forward, and he should help the Oilers out tremendously. You can read the full article on Aaron Davis at the league website which can be viewed at http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/pressroom/news/index.html?article_id=3523.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!!

With the first overall pick in the NHL draft the Islanders pick... John Tavares!

The New York Islanders picked John Tavares with the first overall draft pick in the NHL Draft. According to numerous scouts Tavares was the top prospect available in the draft. The 19 year old phenom has very good numbers from his days in the OHL with 433 points in four seasons (215 goals and 218 assists). Mr. Tavares has also won two gold medals with Team Canada at the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships. This guy has some great talent and incredible potential, and I have to raise this question: Is there any chance at all that Tavares will play with the Jacks some this season? I guess it is a possibility since the Jacks are the AA affiliate of the Islanders, but the Utah Grizzlies are another of the Islanders AA affiliates while the Bridgeport Sound Tigers are the Islanders AAA affiliate. On the other hand, will Tavares go straight to the AAA Sound Tigers, or will he go straight to the NHL and play with the Islanders? I think it would be amazing if he were to play with the Jacks some this season, but that is definitely a long shot to happen. I guess I can always dream can't I? Wherever Tavares spends his time in the upcoming season, I wish him nothing but the best and hope that he has a fantastic career. You can read the full article about Tavares at the Jackalopes website which can be viewed at http://www.jackalopes.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=242:06story15&catid=69:newstory&Itemid=119

In other CHL news:

• Perhaps the biggest signing of the offseason so far (aside from the Jacks bringing back the reigning CHL MVP in Sebastien Thinel) was announced the other day as the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees snatched up high-scoring forward Daymen Rycroft. I have to admit that I am a bit envious as I was hoping and praying that the Jacks would sign him and bring him to Odessa, but hopefully the Jacks can bring in one of the other quality players from the now dark Rocky Mountain Rage. You can read the full article at the league website which can be viewed at http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/pressroom/news/index.html?article_id=3517


• The Texas Brahmas also made a big acquisition by signing winger Anders Strome. This guy has played with the Brahmas in the past and has put up big numbers throughout his career. He played in Denmark last season, and has now decided to return to the Brahmas to try and bring another championship to North Richland Hills. If the Jacks have their way, it will not matter who the Brahmas sign as the Jacks plan to bring home the cup to Odessa next season. You can read the full article on Strome at the league website which can be viewed at http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/pressroom/news/index.html?article_id=3516.


• After waiting for weeks and weeks, the new Independence team finally has a team name and logo. The team out of Independence, Missouri will be known as the Missouri Mavericks, with their logo supposed to be an angry stallion. To me it looks more like a constipated donkey, but hey that is just my opinion. I am not too fond of the color scheme either as they have chosen orange and a dull, powder blue to be their primary colors. You can read the article about the Missouri Mavericks at the league website which can be viewed at http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/pressroom/news/index.html?article_id=3514.

Until next time Jack fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!!