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!!!