A Quick Lead on Monday Night

Just three games in the National Hockey League tonight, and the Lounge will have the Rangers at Winnipeg on the big screen, with the Panthers at Montreal on the medium screen and the Maple Leafs at Philadelphia on the smartphone. Yes, I can and will watch games on a smartphone.

Haha, I love life, and I will be sharing more of that love tonight in the Lounge during those games.

Now the downside. Both the AHL and the ECHL are dark tonight, as are the major junior leagues (QMJHL, OHL, WHL, USHL) and the NCAA.

As for going dark, the word is out that Alabama-Huntsville will lose it's varsity Division I men's program after this season. The program had some good years in Division II and made the NCAA tournament at Division I, but could not overcome the death of College Hockey America and the cold, cold heart of CCHA programs, which did not offer a life preserver when the UAH program needed it most.

All of which makes me feel less broken up about the impending death of the CCHA. Can't help others? Can't help yourself. Good night.

Another down note is the word from several quarters that Sarnia's Alexander Galchenyuk is most likely out for the year with a knee injury. Neate Sager over at Buzzing the Net looks at Galchenyuk's hopes of remaining a top prospect for the 2012 and studies the fate of a few others who were injured in their draft year.

Galchenyuk, who would have been eligible for Team USA at the world junior championships in December, was part of the Ontario Hockey League's top prospect tandem in Sarnia, where Nail Yakupov (video clip below) is projected as a possible selection at No. 1 overall.