Tuesday on Tap

KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Torpedo 3, Dinamo Riga 2 (video above)
At Lokomotiv 2, Donbass 1
Atlant 5, at Spartak 2 (Nikolai Zherdev video below)
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.
Roundup is here.



The QMJHL, OHL and WHL are dark today.

Here are the QMJHL players of the week, and here is the OHL player of the week. And here is the WHL player of the week.

For those of you who would like to know more about just whom you are reading about this season, here is a preview of the QMJHL by Hockey's Future. That site's preview of the WHL's Eastern Conference is here.

The Lounge will pass on more junior and European previews as they come in. Speaking of Europe, here are previews of the Czech Extraliga and Finland's SM-liiga, all by Hockey's Future.

Seattle, the Oilers and Monday's Leftovers

It was looking like a quiet day in the Lounge yesterday, what with no junior games on the schedule and the KHL action pretty much done by 2 pm Eastern.

But then, wouldn't you know it, here comes an owner who makes an implied threat of moving an NHL team to the United States from, wait for it, Canada.

Yes, Seattle is the bargaining chip, however much of a ruse it might be in this story, as Daryl Katz contemplates the best way to take public money from the city of Edmonton so that his Oilers, a private company, can have a new place to play hockey.

The best part of this silly game of dare, with the phony prospect of this team becoming the Seattle Snake Oilers, is that this move takes the beautiful world that some fans in Canada see regarding the NHL -- and the teams they believe deserve a spot in, say, Quebec City, Hamilton, suburban Toronto, etc., rather than in the United States -- and it shakes the whole thing like a snow globe.

Now, Mr. Katz, one of their own, not some smarmy American, is threatening to take his team south of the border. OK, not so much a threat, but the message is clear. Anyway, take a look at some of the comments at the bottom of TSN's post on the situation.

As you can see, this story was a punch right between the eyes. Public money as corporate welfare and the illusion of created jobs and revenue, meaning more low-paying seasonal jobs and the construction of a building that will most certainly be described as outdated before the next decade begins.

Then comes the remodel, the renegotiation and the reneging on the lease because, guess what, the amount of public funding is not enough to make the owner happy. But look at all the legal fees and construction overrun or late fees generated.

Beautiful story really. And who still thinks the owners have the fans' best interests at heart?

And now, time to put the soapbox away. On with the leftovers.



KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Amur 3, Vityaz 2
At Metallurg Nizhnekamsk 5, Dinamo Minsk 4
At Sibir 3, Severstal 0
Traktor 4, at Salavat Yulaev 1 (video above)
Metallurg Magnitogorsk 7, at Neftekhimik 2
At Ak Bars 6, Avtomobilist 1
At CSKA 1, Avangard 0
At Slovan 4, Barys 2
At Lev 4, Yugra 0
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.

The QMJHL, OHL and WHL were dark.

The View From the Stands

I really wish more players -- make that any players -- would take up a picket sign and walk around Ed Snider's playpen in Philadelphia or Jeremy Jacobs' vault in Boston and basically state: "We are ready to work."

Instead, some players are heading to Europe. Those that are not are no where to be seen. Sure the optics of rich men picketing against rich men may seem bad, but you have to let people see your face to know who is doing battle.

Getting out into the public would be the best thing for NHLPA members, because Ed Snider and the 29 other owners are not going to walk around in their cities pressing the flesh.

At least, I don't think the owners would hit the sidewalks to talk to their customers. I know my vote doesn't count in this fight, but I do pay to watch NHL-caliber players play hockey.

You could not pay me to watch Ed Snider or Jeremy Jacobs play hockey. Ever.

Monday on Tap

KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Amur 3, Vityaz 2
At Metallurg Nizhnekamsk 5, Dinamo Minsk 4
At Sibir 3, Severstal 0
Traktor 4, at Salavat Yulaev 1 (video above)
Metallurg Magnitogorsk 7, at Neftekhimik 2
At Ak Bars 6, Avtomobilist 1
At CSKA 1, Avangard 0
At Slovan 4, Barys 2
At Lev 4, Yugra 0
Summaries are here.

The QMJHL, OHL and WHL are dark.

Sunday's Leftovers

KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Torpedo 3, Spartak 0
At Lokomotiv 2, Dinamo Riga 1 SO
Donbass 3, at Atlant 2
SKA 3, at Dynamo Moscow 1
Summaries are here.
Roundup is here.
Standings are here.

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Halifax 8, at Prince Edward Island 1
Moncton 5, at Cape Breton 4 SO
At Quebec 5, Baie-Comeau 0
Drummondville 2, at Sherbrooke 1
Summaries are here.
Roundup is here.
Standings are here.

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
London 8, at Guelph 2
At Mississauga 3, Barrie 2
Kitchener 3, at Sarnia 2 SO
At Sudbury 4, Brampton 1
Summaries are here.
Roundup is here.
Standings are here.

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Edmonton 6, Red Deer 2
Prince George 7, at Everett 6 SO
Portland 4, at Tri-City 2
Summaries are here.
Roundup is here.
Standings are here.
The Buzzing the Net blog's three stars are here.

Sunday on Tap

KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Torpedo 3, Spartak 0
At Lokomotiv 2, Dinamo Riga 1 SO
Donbass 3, at Atlant 2
SKA 3, at Dynamo Moscow 1
Summaries are here.
Roundup is here.
Standings are here.

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Halifax at Prince Edward Island
Moncton at Cape Breton
Baie-Comeau at Quebec
Drummondville at Sherbrooke

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
London at Guelph
Barrie at Mississauga
Kitchener at Sarnia
Brampton at Sudbury

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Red Deer at Edmonton
Prince George at Everett
Portland at Tri-City

Saturday's Leftovers

KONTINENTAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Severstal 3, at Amur 1
Vityaz 3, at Metallurg Nizhnekamsk 0
At Sibir 2, Dinamo Minsk 1
At Salavat Yulav 2, Avtomobilist 1
Traktor 3, at Neftekhimik 1
At Ak Bars 2, Metallurg Magnitogorsk 1 SO
At CSKA 4, Yugra 2
At Slovan 4, Avangard 2
At Barys 4, Lev 2
Summaries are here.
Standings are here.
Roundup is here

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Chicoutimi 6, Gatineau 0
Rimouski 4, at Shawinigan 3 SO
At Rouyn-Noranda 2, Victoriaville 1
Blainville-Boisbriand 3, at Val-d'Or 2
Summaries are here.
Roundup is here.

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Belleville 3, at Plymouth 2 SO
Windsor 3, at Sault Ste. Marie 2
Peterborough 4, at Ottawa 3
At Owen Sound 5, Saginaw 2
Summaries are here.
Roundup is here.

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Calgary 5, Kootenay 1
Brandon 7, at Regina 4
At Swift Current 7, Moose Jaw 1
Prince Albert 5, at Saskatoon 2
At Medicine Hat 5, Lethbridge 1
Prince George 6, Everett 0
Kamloops 3, at Kelowna 2
Portland 6, at Seattle 2
Spokane 5, at Tri-City 2
At Vancouver 3, Victoria 2
Summaries are here.
Roundup is here.
Buzzing the Net's three stars for the night in the QMJHL/OHL/WHL are here.