Early Show: Thursday in the KHL

KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Thursday
Lokomotiv 5, Vityaz 3
Severstal 2, Torpedo 1
SKA 3, Spartak 2
UHC Dynamo Moscow 2, Atlant 1
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Friday
Amur vs. Metallurg NK
Avangard vs. Dinamo Riga
Barys vs. Dinamo Minsk
Avtomobilist vs. Metallurg Mg
Yugra vs. CSKA
Ak Bars vs. Salavat Yulaev
Neftekhimik vs. Traktor

Thursday's Junior Spreadsheet

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Wednesday
At Moncton 2, Cape Breton 0
At Rouyn-Noranda 5, Lewiston 4 SO
Roundup is here.
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Thursday
Drummondville at Shawinigan

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Wednesday
No games scheduled.
Standings are here.

Thursday
Erie at Niagara
Belleville at Peterborough
Sault Ste. Marie at Windsor
Sudbury at Saginaw
Brampton at Barrie

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Wednesday
Brandon 5, at Moose Jaw 2
Edmonton 3, at Prince Albert 1
At Red Deer 4, Kootenay 2
At Regina 4, Swift Current 3
Portland 4, at Vancouver 3
Tri-City 4, at Kelowna 3
Roundup is here.
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Thursday
No games scheduled.

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Opening Day
Friday
Youngstown at Des Moines
Dubuque at Omaha
Lincoln at Tri-City
Fargo at Chicago

Early Show: Wednesday in the KHL

Ah, the KHL brings a little flash and a little Yash in this SKA St. Petersburg promotional video. (The folks at the Puck Daddy blog get the nod here.) Who's in it, you ask?

Puck Daddy says"

Among the former NHLers featured: Current New York Islanders salary cap albatross Alexei Yashin (19), former St. Louis Blues forward Petr Cajanek (16), former Buffalo Sabres and Atlanta Thrashers enigma Maxim Afinogenov (61), former Minnesota Wild winger Maxim Sushinsky (33), former Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Denis Grebeshkov (73) and Evgeny Nabokov in goal.

The Yash, how we remember. Somewhere out on Long Island, a Isles fan doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. We know he's ready for another round to go with his fish sticks. It's on the Lounge.

KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Wednesday
Sibir 3, Metallurg Nk 1
Dinamo Riga 5, Barys 1
Yugra 7, Dinamo Minsk 4
Ak Bars 3, Traktor 1
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Thursday
Lokomotiv vs. Vityaz
Severstal vs. Torpedo
SKA vs. Spartak
UHC Dynamo Moscow vs. Atlant

Early Show: Tuesday in the KHL

KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Tuesday
Severstal 3, Spartak 2
Torpedo 5, Vityaz 3
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.
Players of the week are here.

Wednesday
Metallurg Nk vs. Sibir
Barys vs. Dinamo Riga
Yugra vs. Dinamo Minsk
Ak Bars vs. Traktor

Tuesday's Junior Spreadsheet

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Monday
At Portland 7, Vancouver 2
Recap is here.
Summary is here.
Standings are here.

Tuesday
No games scheduled

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Monday
No games scheduled
Standings are here.

Tuesday
No games scheduled

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Monday
No games scheduled
Standings are here.

Tuesday
No games scheduled.

The Early Show: Monday in the KHL

KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Monday
Sibir 2, Avangard 1 OT
Metallurg Mg 1, Amur 0
Yugra 3, Dinamo Riga 2
SKA 4, CSKA 3 SO
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Tuesday
Severstal vs. Spartak
Torpedo vs. Vityaz

Monday's Junior Spreadsheet

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Sunday
At Rimouski 9, Halifax 2
Shawinigan 6, at Gatineau 4
Roundup is here.
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Monday
No games scheduled

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Sunday
Kitchener 6, at Guelph 4
At Windsor 7, Barrie 5
Roundup is here.
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Monday
No games scheduled

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Sunday
Brandon 3, at Regina 1
At Tri-City 4, Seattle 1
Roundup is here.
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Monday
Vancouver at Portland

Sunday in the KHL

KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Sunday
Atlant 1, Spartak 0 SO
Lokomotiv 3, Severstal 2
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Monday
Sibir vs. Avangard
Metallurg Mg vs. Amur
Yugra vs. Dinamo Riga
CSKA vs. SKA

Sunday's Junior Spreadsheet

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Saturday
At Montreal 6, Val-d'Or 2
Moncton 5, at Chicoutimi 4 SO
Rouyn-Noranda 3, at Victoriaville 1
Prince Edward Island 3, at Cape Breton 1
At Drummondville 7, Saint John 6 SO
At Lewiston 2, Acadie-Bathurst 1
At Quebec 4, Halifax 1
Roundup is here.
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Sunday
Halifax at Rimouski
Cape Breton at Moncton

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Saturday
Saginaw 3, at Erie 2
At London 4, Sarnia 3 OT
Ottawa 4 at Sudbury 2
Kingston 3, at Belleville 0
At Plymouth 6, Barrie 2
At Owen Sound 8, Guelph 1
At Sault Ste. Marie 4, Niagara 2
Roundup is here.
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Sunday
Kitchener at Guelph
Barrie at Windsor

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Saturday
At Kootenay 4, Calgary 0
Saskatoon 6, at Prince Albert 5
Lethbridge 3, at Medicine Hat 1
At Red Deer 8, Edmonton 1
Moose Jaw 2, at Swift Current 1
Chilliwack 5, at Kamloops 2
At Everett 5, Vancouver 2
Prince George 6, Kelowna 2
At Seattle 4, Portland 1
At Tri-City 6, Spokane 3
Roundup is here.
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Sunday
Brandon at Regina
Seattle at Tri-City

The Early Show: Saturday in the KHL

KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Friday
No games scheduled

Saturday
Metallurg Mg 7, Metallurg Nk 2
Salavat Yulaev 4, Amur 0
Traktor 3, Sibir 2
Barys 3, Vityaz 1
UHC Dynamo Moscow 3, Avangard 1
Neftekhimik 2, CSKA 0
Dinamo Minsk 2, Avtomobilist 1
SKA 6, Dinamo Riga 4
Standings are here.

Saturday's Junior Spreadsheet

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Friday
Prince Edward Island 2, at Cape Breton 1
Acadie-Bathurst 4, at Lewiston 1
At Quebec 12, Rouyn-Noranda 2
Val-d'Or 6, at Victoriaville 5 SO
At Montreal 4, Saint John 1
Moncton 7, at Baie-Comeau 5
At Chicoutimi 3, Halifax 1
Drummondville 8, at Gatineau 3
Rimouski 5, at Shawinigan 4 SO
Roundup is here.
Standings are here.

Saturday
Val-d'Or at Montreal
Moncton at Chicoutimi
Rouyn-Noranda at Victoriaville
Prince Edward Island at Cape Breton
Saint John at Drummondville
Acadie-Bathurst at Lewiston
Halifax at Quebec

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Friday
At Sarnia 4, Windsor 0
Erie 5, at Brampton 1
At Guelph 3, Owen Sound 2
Mississauga 4, at Kingston 1
At Kitchener 5, Saginaw 2
At London 3, Plymouth 2 SO
At Sault Ste. Marie 6, Ottawa 5
Niagara 6, at Sudbury 2
At Oshawa 9, Peterborough 2
Roundup is here.

Saturday
Saginaw at Erie
Sarnia at London
Ottawa at Sudbury
Kingston at Belleville
Barrie at Plymouth
Guelph at Owen Sound
Niagara at Sault Ste. Marie

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Friday
At Brandon 5, Regina 4
Lethbridge 5, at Calgary 3
Red Deer 4, at Edmonton 1
Swift Current 4, at Moose Jaw 1
As Saskatoon 3, Prince Albert 2
At Kamloops 5, Prince George 2
At Vancouver 9, Chilliwack 4
At Everett 4, Seattle 3
Roundup is here.

Saturday
Calgary at Kootenay
Saskatoon at Prince Albert
Lethbridge at Medicine Hat
Edmonton at Red Deer
Moose Jaw at Swift Current
Chilliwack at Kamloops
Vancouver at Everett
Prince George at Kelowna
Portland at Seattle
Spokane at Tri-City

Friday's Junior Spreadsheet

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Thursday
Oshawa 5, at Peterborough 4
At Windsor 5, Plymouth 4
Roundup is here.

Friday
Windsor at Sarnia
Erie at Brampton
Owen Sound at Guelph
Mississauga at Kingston
Saginaw at Kitchener
Plymouth at London
Ottawa at Sault Ste. Marie
Niagara at Sudbury
Peterborough at Oshawa

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Thursday
No games scheduled

Friday
Prince Edward Island at Cape Breton
Acadie-Bathurst at Lewiston
Rouyn-Noranda at Quebec
Val-d'Or at Victoriaville
Saint John at Montreal
Moncton at Baie-Comeau
Halifax at Chicoutimi
Drummondville at Gatineau
Rimouski at Shawinigan

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Friday
OPENING NIGHT
Regina at Brandon
Lethbridge at Calgary
Red Deer at Edmonton
Swift Current at Moose Jaw
Prince Albert at Saskatchewan
Prince George at Kamloops
Chilliwack at Vancouver
Seattle at Everett

The Early Show: Thursday in the KHL

A record attendance and a great starting point for keeping track of the KHL and action in Europe.

The KHL has proudly hailed a record attendance for the game between Dinamo Minsk and Ak Bars -- 15,531 to be exact. No word on what the previous mark was and as to where this game was played (we have a few ideas), but what a pretty picture of an arena. Brevity is not always your friend, KHL webmaster.

As for a more thorough and critical eye on the KHL and European hockey, you should make Puck Worlds a regular part of your hockey regimen.

And now, on with the countdown.

KHL
Thursday
Sibir 3, Metallurg Mg 1
Metallurg Nk 3, Salavat Yulaev 2 SO
Traktor 3, Amur 0
Avangard 4, Vityaz 2
Lokomotiv 4, SKA 1
Atlant 3, Severstal 1
UHC Dynamo Moscow 3, Barys 1
Torpedo 3, Spartak 2 OT
Ak Bars 4, CSKA 1
Neftekhimik 6, Dinamo Minsk 1
Avtomobilist 2, Dinamo Riga 1
The day's news recap is here.
Standings are here.

Friday
No games scheduled

Thursday's Junior Spreadsheet

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Wednesday
Acadie-Bathurst 4, at Prince Edward Island 1
Halifax 6, at Baie-Comeau 4
Moncton 5, at Rimouski 3
Roundup is here.
Standings are here.

Thursday
No games scheduled

Friday
Prince Edward Island at Cape Breton
Acadie-Bathurst at Lewiston
Rouyn-Noranda at Quebec
Val-d'Or at Victoriaville
Saint John at Montreal
Moncton at Baie-Comeau
Halifax at Chicoutimi
Drummondville at Gatineau
Rimouski at Shawinigan

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Thursday
Oshawa at Peterborough
Plymouth at Windsor

Friday
Windsor at Sarnia
Erie at Brampton
Owen Sound at Guelph
Mississauga at Kingston
Saginaw at Kitchener
Plymouth at London
Ottawa at Sault Ste. Marie
Niagara at Sudbury
Peterborough at Oshawa

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Friday
Regina at Brandon
Lethbridge at Calgary
Red Deer at Edmonton
Swift Current at Moose Jaw
Prince Albert at Saskatoon
Prince George at Kamloops
Chilliwack at Vancouver
Seattle at Everett

Hockey Previews? I'm Still Reading.

The beauty of the Internet age is the abundances of opinions, many free, on how your team and the rest of the NHL will shape up when we hit early April. And I am busy plowing through all of them.

Funny thing is that by the spring, most of us will not remember what was said or written over the summer and the next few weeks. Every website that is tied to a television network has their series of team previews, a hot topics list and a preview of junior prospects to watch for the next draft.

And then there are the blogger previews, which range from good to just plain uninformed. Funny thing is, that is the same range for those previews generated in print, and online, from newspapers.

In fact, most newspaper previews border absolutely worthless. There are one or two newspapers out there doing a great job of covering the league on a daily basis. (Thank you, Canada!) The rest? Get off the bus. You don't have a ticket to ride.

As for the preview magazines, many of them try to give you hope even as your team is rated as worthy of a ticket refund. They trade in optimism and the promise of another day. Fine, but the Lounge doesn't see life that way.

Starting this weekend, I will take a different approach toward the NHL season. I'll tell you why I don't like your team. On some level, your team is bound to have the odious stench of failure lurking. The question is whether your team keep the trouble spots in check until the Stanley Cup is awarded in June.

That's how I'll sweet talk you into the new season. That starts Saturday.

The Early Show: KHL Finals for Tuesday

KHL
Tuesday
Salavat Yulaev 5, at Sibir 1
At Metallurg Nk 3, Traktor 2
At Yugra 2, Vityaz 1 SO
At Torpedo 2, Severstal 1
SKA 4, at Atlant 3 SO
Spartak 5, at Lokomotiv 3
CSKA 4, at Avtomobilist 0
Dinamo Minsk 5, at Ak Bars 4 OT
Dinamo Riga 6, at Neftekhimik 3
Standings are here.

Wednesday
No games scheduled.

Hitting the Ice, For Real and For Play

Boomtown Rats - Up All Night
Uploaded by epb21. - Explore more music videos.

The QMJHL and the KHL are in action, and the OHL and WHL will begin regular-season play this weekend, if not Thursday. And as for the big league, the NHL, well, the exhibition previews begin tonight.

I'm not a big fan of exhibitions, and the NHL's preference (or perhaps the individual teams' preference) for scheduling playdates with division rivals in many of these contests seem misguided.

Better to have more interconference games to at least give some face time to players and teams in markets where they come around once in a great while. But no, instead, you might get the Islanders and Devils, or the Devils and Rangers or ... you get the idea.

Still, I guess it's better than mowing the lawn. And for your convenience in the United States, the NHL Network plans extensive coverage of the exhibition season. Games, live or recorded, will be broadcast tonight and early this morning (all times Eastern)

The New Jersey Devils will face the Philadelphia Flyers live at 7 p.m. At 10 p.m., it's the Ottawa Senators against the Toronto Maple Leafs. And at 2 a.m., the Vancouver Canucks face the Calgary Flames. (That's 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. for those in the Pacific Time Zone. Ah, how I miss the Pacific Time Zone.)

The Daily Spreadsheet

KHL
Sunday
Avangard 5, at Salavat Yulaev 4 SO
Barys 4, at Metallurg Nk 1
Lokomotiv 6, at Atlant 5 OT
Neftekhimik 5, at Avtomobilist 4
At Torpedo 3, SKA 2 OT
UHC Dynamo Moscow 3, at Yugra 1
At Ak Bars 5, Dinamo Riga 4 SO
Standings are here.
Highlights are here.

Monday
No games scheduled

QMJHL
Sunday
At Acadie-Bathurst 4, Moncton 1
At Drummondville 4, Montreal 3 OT
Cape Breton 5, at Rimouski 4
At Victoriaville 6, Baie-Comeau 2
Saint John 5, at Prince Edward Island 0
Roundup is here.
Standings are here.

Monday
No games scheduled.

The Spreadsheet: Saturday in the Q

QMJHL
Saturday
At Chicoutimi 5, Lewiston 4 SO
Val-d'Or 4, at Gatineau 3
Rouyn-Noranda 5, at Shawinigan 1
At Saint John 5, Halifax 2
At Quebec 4, Cape Breton 1
Roundup is here.
Standings are here.

Sunday
Moncton at Acadie-Bathurst
Montreal at Drummondville
Cape Breton at Rimouski
Baie-Comeau at Victoriaville
Saint John at Prince Edward Island

The Spreadsheet: Friday in the Juniors

QMJHL
Friday
Moncton 5, at Prince Edward Island 3
Halifax 9, at Acadie-Bathurst 3
At Quebec 12, Lewiston 3
Drummondville 2, at Victoriaville 1
At Chicoutimi 3, Baie-Comeau 0
At Gatineau 6, Rouyn-Noranda 0
At Rimouski 4, Montreal 3 OT
At Shawinigan 5, Val-d'Or 2
Roundup is here.
Standings are here.

Saturday
Lewiston at Chicoutimi
Val-d'Or at Gatineau
Rouyn-Noranda at Shawinigan

Bad Second Period for Nabokov

Twenty shots, 17 saves, one loss for Evgeny Nabokov.

Nabokov, whom the San Jose Sharks allowed to go free rather than pay for a new contract, experienced one of those periods with which we are all to familiar when it comes to the former man in teal.

Severstal recored a 3-0 victory over visiting SKA in KHL action on Friday. We're starting to get up to speed on the league, and it is nice to have box scores in English to look at. (You cannot imagine what Web translators do with Cyrillic type.) And it's also great to have some video coverage from Russia Today, which has this feature, with video, on Ak Bars.

Here is a statistical recap of the day's action.

KHL
Friday
At Dinamo Minsk 4, Amur 2
At CSKA 2, Sibir 0
At Salavat Yulaev 6, Barys 5 SO
Metallurg Mg 4, at Ak Bars 3
At Atlant 3, Vityaz 1
At Severstal 3, SKA 0
At UHC Dynamo Moscow 4, Spartak 3
Standings are here.

Saturday
No games

Sunday
Avangard at Salavat Yulaev
Barys at Metallurg Nk
Lokomotiv at Atlant
Neftekhimik at Avtomobilist
SKA at Torpedo
UHC Dynamo Moscow at Yugra
Dinamo Riga at Ak Bars

Welcome Back, NHL Campers

Much thanks to Florence & the Machine for "Dog Days Are Over," my new official salute to the end of summer. Good riddance. No time for daydreaming or gawking at clouds. The pace is picking up, the comfort zone has evaporated. There are fewer seats on the bus or train. And the one that's left won't be had without a fight.

It's time for hockey. NHL training camps are open and the Lounge will start a regular schedule of service this weekend. Posts, quips, complaints and good topics from other writers will all make an appearance along the brass rail here in the Lounge.

Much more to come. Thanks for dropping in.

KHL at a Glance: Sept. 15

Still trying to get a handle on who is who and what is what in the KHL.

Keep in mind September finds me trying to hold down a day job and working the Lounge, trying to process previews for the NHL, the juniors, the minors, the NCAA and Minnesota High School hockey.

So, we are in a bit of training camp right now. It's a long season, but we will get there. No problem.

KHL
Wednesday
At Dinamo Riga 4, Amur 3 SO
At SKA 4, Avangard 2
Metallurg Nk 3, at CSKA 2 SO
At Dinamo Minsk 4, Sibir 2
Barys 5, at Spartak 0
At Metallurg Mg 4, Traktor 3
At Severstal 2, Yugra 0
At Lokomotiv 3, Torpedo 2
Standings are here.
Recap is here.

Thursday
No games scheduled.

Two for Tuesday in the KHL

KHL
Tuesday
Avtomobilist 4, at Vitayz 3 OT
Ak Bars 3, at Neftekhimik 1
Standings are here.

Wednesday
Amur at Dinamo Riga
Avangard at SKA
Metallurg Nk at CSKA
Sibir at Dinamo Minsk
Barys at Spartak
Traktor at Metallurg Mg
Yugra at Severstal
Torpedo at Lokomotiv

Doing Shots After Midnight

Finally getting around to reading some of the things I have saved up over the last week or two.

And here, because I am reading it now, is the best shot of the night, from the Puck Daddy blog over at Yahoo.

Some have argued to me that they look football for the strategy of it all, and they love seeing a defensive playcall that puts four linebackers within three inches of the quarterback's face the second the ball is snapped. I get that, but I'd also be willing to bet the average football fan can't read the difference between a nickel and a 4-3. So what gives?

It's not as if strategy doesn't go into hockey. These guys aren't out there skating around with no system telling them where to be and what to do at all times unless they're coached by Wayne Gretzky.

That was Ryan Lambert writing his weekly What We Learned column for Puck Daddy. His shot at Gretzky was, well, probably within range of what we might call a blindside head shot.

I'm not saying he's wrong, but you don't expect to get a rip on Gretzky when you are early into a post on why the NHL remains far superior to the NFL.

He's made the right call on that one. But someone needs to check the vitals on Gretzky. He just got tagged.

Now if you don't mind, Kristen Bell has just walked onto the "Tonight Show." She's a Red Wings fan. I'll overlook that.

Monday in the KHL

A very busy Monday in Europe and Asia, with 16 KHL teams in action. The roundup will come later today and will be added to the post when it is available. For now, here's a good primer from Hockey's Future regarding prospective NHL talent currently playing in the KHL.

This type of information always makes combing through the box scores more enjoyable.

And now, it's time for the results (two goals today for Avangard's Jaromir Jagr) and the players of the week.

KHL
Monday
Amur 4, at CSKA 3 OT
Avangard 5, at Severstal 1
At Dinamo Minsk 5, Metallurg Nk 2
Sibir 3, at Dinamo Riga 2
Barys 4, at SKA 3
Salavat Yulaev 6, at Metallurg Mg 5 OT
Yugra 4, at Spartak 1
At Lokomotiv 2, Atlant 0
The standings are here.
The recap is here.

Tuesday
Avtomobilist at Vityaz
Ak Bars at Neftekhimik

Sunday in the Juniors

Just four games in the QMJHL on Sunday, with plenty of offense on display in the Montreal-Gatineau game.

Philippe Lefebvre led the Montreal Junior with four goals and an assist, which came on a goal by the much watched Louis Leblanc, who bolted the quiet college life in Harvard Yard to play junior hockey under the intense spotlight that one expects to find when a top prospect of the Montreal Canadiens plays so close to the mothership.

Leblanc assisted on three of Lefebvre's goals. Philippe Halley had two goals for Gatineau.

While were at it, here is a quick rundown of some early storylines for the QMJHL season from the Buzzing the Net blog over on Yahoo.ca.

QMJHL
Sunday
At Motnreal 7, Gatineau 6
At Baie-Comeau 3, Shawinigan 1
At Drummondville 5, Chicoutimi 2
Prince Edward Island 5, at Moncton 2
Roundup is here.
Standings are here.

Monday
No games scheduled

This Weekend in the KHL

Just trying to play catchup with the two leagues in session. Earlier, the Lounge put the QMJHL on the bar.

Now it's time for the KHL.

KHL
Friday
At Sabir 3, Amur 2
Ak Bars 5, at Vityaz 3
Neftekhimik 4, at UHC Dynamo Moscow 3
Roundup is here.

Saturday
Avangard 4, at Spartak 3
At Severstal 5, Barys 2
At Dinamo Riga 3, Metalurg Nk 0
At Traktor 4, Metallurg Mg 3
At SKA 6, Yugra 2
At Torpedo 1, Atlant 0 SO
Dinamo Minsk 3, at Lokomotiv
Roundup is here.

Today
Avtomobilist 5, at UHC Dynamo Moscow 4 OT
Neftekhimik 2, at Vityaz 1 OT
Roundup is here.
The weekend summaries are here.
The standings are here.

This Weekend in the QMJHL

The new QMJHL Web site leaves a lot to be desired. Now you have to know that I was not a big fan of the last one, which was far below the standards of the WHL and the OHL.

This year, the CHL, which is the umbrella organization for the top three junior leagues in North America, decided to bring all three league sites under one format. Hopefully it will work when the WHL and OHL open the season.

Too bad that the QMJHL has to be the patient that undergoes all the testing, both good and bad.

Oh well, while I try to successfully navigate the choppy seas of the QMJHL site, here is a look at what has been going on this, the first weekend of the QMJHL's regular season.

QMJHL
Friday
Cape Breton 3, at Halifax 2
At Lewiston 8, Rimouski 3
Shawinigan 5, at Montreal 4
Chicoutimi 4, at Baie-Comeau 1
At Drummondville 2, at Gatineau 1 SO
Quebec 4, at Rouyn-Noranda 0
At Saint John 6, Prince Edward Island 4
Victoriaville 4, at Val d'Or 3
The roundup is here.

Saturday
Acadie-Bathurst 5, at Halifax 3
Rimouski 3, at Lewiston 2
At Saint John 7, Cape Breton 2
At Val d'Or 3, Quebec 2
Victoriaville 6, Rouyn-Noranda 3
The roundup is here.
Summaries for Friday and Saturday are here.
Standings are here.

Today
Gatineau at Montreal
Shawinigan at Baie-Comeau
Chicoutimi at Drummondville
Prince Edward Island at Moncton

KHL Finals for Sept. 10

Just three games in the KHL today. Here are the results:

KHL
Friday
At Sibir 3, Amur 2
Ak Bars 5, at Vityaz 3
Neftekhimik 4, at UHC Dynamo Moscow 3
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

Saturday
Avangard at Spartak
Barys at Severstal
Metallurg Nk at Dinamo Riga
Metallurg Mg at Traktor
Yugra at SKA
Atlant at Torpedo
Dinamo Minsk at Lokomotiv

How's Your Russian? KHL Is Talking to You.

The KHL has bridged the gap between my lousy Russian skills and my tenuous grasp on English, producing an summary of the night's events, in English, along with fully translated boxes.

The boxes for Sept. 9 were on the blog yesterday afternoon. Here is the recap of that day's events.

What's on tap today in the KHL? Just three games and one is already finished.

Ak Bars is at Vityaz and Neftekhimik is visiting UHC Dynamo Moscow. Sibir won its second game of the season, defeating visiting Amur, 3-2.

The box scores from Friday in the KHL will be served up in the Lounge later today.

Titan Wins QMJHL Opener

Acadie-Bathurst has begun what is expected to be a highly successful campaign with at 2-1 shootout victory on Thursday night at Moncton, the defending QMJHL champion.

The Titan has been picked as the ninth best team in the CHL in the Sept. 13 issue of The Hockey News. The CHL, for you newbies out there, comprised the WHL, OHL and QMJHL. Mississauga St. Michael's Majors(OHL) is ranked No. 1 by The Hockey News, followed by the Saskatoon Blades (WHL), Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL), Portland Winterhawks (WHL), Windsor Spitfires (OHL), Montreal Junior (QMJHL), London Knights (OHL), Swift Current Broncos (WHL), Acadie-Bathurst and Oshawa Generals (OHL).

QMJHL
Thursday
Acadie-Bathurst 2, at Moncton 1 SO
Summary is here.
Recap is here.

Friday
Cape Breton at Halifax
Rimouski at Lewiston
Shawinigan at Montreal
Chicoutimi at Baie-Comeau
Gatineau at Drummondville
Quebec at Rouyn-Noranda
Prince Edward Island at Saint John
Victoriaville at Val d'Or

The Early Show: KHL Finals for Sept. 9

Thanks to the time difference, results from Russia and the KHL come early enough to get them on the Lounge board before the evening rush. Still you have to remember that someone is translating the box scores into English. It's a time-consuming process that means you may have to keep updating until the particular box score of interest is complete.

TODAY
KHL
At Sibir 5, Amur 2
Metallurg Mg 2, at Avtomobilist 0
Salavat Yulaev 7, at Traktor 2
At Dinamo Riga 5, SKA 4 OT
At Spartak 5, CSKA 1
At Torpedo 3, Dinamo Minsk 1
Summaries are here. Standings are here.

The Spreadsheet Returns

Yes, with games on the slate, it's time for your server in the Lounge to post the results and put up a menu of what is to come today in hockey.

The KHL has already opened the regular season and the QMJHL will begin the regular season tonight. The Lounge will do its best to get the results and any notes we can from the NHL, AHL, ECHL, QMJHL, OHL, WHL, USHL, the NCAA and the KHL.

Just to spice things up, the Lounge will also take regular looks at the premier high school action, which is in Minnesota. All that, a plate of wings and a cold adult beverage coming your way each.... morning? Well, you have to start sometime.

Order up!

WEDNESDAY
KHL
At UHC Dynamo Moscow 3, Ak Bars 1
Summary is here. Standings are here.

THURSDAY
QMJHL
Acadie-Bathurst at Moncton
KHL
Amur at Sibir
Metallurg Mg at Avtomobilist
Salavat Yulaev at Traktor
SKA at Dinamo Riga
CSKA at Spartak
Dinamo Minsk at Torpedo

Hockey Today! It's About Time

Yes, after a long summer that moved much too slowly for my taste, it's time for hockey. The National Hockey League, which opens training camps in fewer than nine days, has the Traverse City prospects tournament starting Saturday, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League begins its regular season tomorrow night with Acadie-Bathurst visiting Moncton.

And right now, on a beautiful Wednesday morning in New York, some of us are trying to keep with/translate the updates from Ak Bars at UHC Dynamo Moscow, the only game on opening day in the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia and the former Soviet satellite republics.

The KHL has updated its Web site, adding an English version. The downside is that for those of us who still fumble with translation sites to determine who is doing what, the KHL has not added an English version of its in-game updates.

I am hoping for better once the game is over and the box and recap is posted. Otherwise, it's back to the translator.

The Lounge doors have been unlocked for another great season. We'll miss the presence of Pablo the Hockey Pug, who was always good for a hard charge into the corners for carmel corn. Ahh the memories. We'll deal with those throughout the season. Still, it's a great day for hockey.

What are you having?