Thursday, September 20, 2012

The New Season Begins



Technically, the new season actually began Sept. 4 when the Kontinental Hockey League opened with Dynamo Moscow's 3-2 shootout victory at home against Avangard.

But then I went on vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina (Drive-through beer stands -- yes, you actually drive through the store. Great country or what?)

Upon my return to the Lounge, there were NHL previews, lockout updates and prospect scouting reports to read. And I needed to catch up on KHL action (that's Alexander Ovechkin, No. 32 in blue, of Dynamo Moscow making his debut with backcheck hit this afternoon in a 7-2 victory over visiting Dinamo Minsk. And now hockey in North America returns tonight with the opening games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.

The fourth elite junior league, the United States Hockey League, will start the regular season on Sept. 28. After that, the first Division I NCAA games will be Oct. 6. The NHL is supposed to open Oct. 11, but we're not holding our breath on that one.

But the AHL and the ECHL will start their 2012-13 regular seasons on Oct. 12.

So, this little eye opener at the bar should get you ready to search the web today for news and video/audio reports on today's games. It's time to see what the locked-out NHLers are doing in Europe and what the future stars are doing today in juniors (more on whom to look for and why you should care about the juniors in an upcoming post).

Before I run down the day's list of games, here is Metallurg Magnitogorsk's Evgeny Malkin, No 71 in white, being welcomed to the KHL in a game this morning against Salavat Yulaev. Salavat won in overtime, 4-3. Maybe this hit will get Pittsburgh's ownership group to consider pushing hard for a settlement in the CBA talks.



Thursday's games
KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Severstal 5, at Metallurg Novokuznetsk 3
At Sibir 3, Vityaz 2 SO
At Avtomobilist 4, Yugra 3
At Salavat Yulaev 4, Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3 OT
At Ak Bars 6, Traktor 2
At Dynamo Moscow 7, Dinamo Minsk 2
Barys 3, at CSKA 1
At Lev 3, Avangard 1
Roundup is here.
Standings are here.
Summaries are here.

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Acadie-Bathurst 3, at Saint John 1
Roundup is here.
Summary is here.

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Niagara 4, Erie 2
Barrie 6, at Ottawa 4
Oshawa 5, at Peterborough 2
Owen Sound 6, at Windsor 1
Roundup is here.
Summaries are here.

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Edmonton 5, Kootenay 3
Roundup is here.
Summary is here.

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