Whalers Alumni Game

Is it October yet?

Sadly no - but it is August 1st so we are one step closer to the start of the NHL Regular season. It is now August and we haven't seen a live hockey game played since June and Kovalchuk still doesn't have a home. What are we going to do with ourselves?

Well those that are in Plymouth, Michigan area I have a game for you!

This coming Saturday (August 7th) the Plymouth Whalers are having an Alumni Game.



The Whalers are a member of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and play out of the Compuware Arena in Plymouth, Michigan.

Saturday's game will feature cu rent NHL players: James Neal from the Dallas Stars, Jared Boll from the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Justin Peters in net from the Carolina Hurricanes. Along with hometown players like James Wisniewski from the New York Islanders who grew up in Canton, Fraser-native Chad LaRose from the Carolina Hurricanes and David Legwand the Grosse Pointe Woods-native who plays for the Nashville Predators.

Game starts at 4:30 p.m. on August 7th and tickets are $10 and proceeds go to the Hope for Autism Foundation and Autism Compass. Before the game there will be a meet-and-greet with the players that you will need a game ticket to attend.

An added bonus is that ticket stub from the Alumni Game can be redeemed for tickets to the Whalers home opener.

To purchase tickets for the Alumni Game (or the home opener or heck any other game this season) stop by the Compuware Arena Box Office or call (734) 453-8400

Going, going, gone!

It is upon us, the dawning of the Free Agent Frenzy and already it feels like it has begun.

Last night the Nashville Predators traded soon-to-be Unrestricted Free Agents Dan Ellis and Dustin Boyd to the Montreal Canadiens for Sergei Kostitsyn. It looks as if signed Ellis will be part of the Goalie 1A/1B combination in Montreal along with Restricted Free Agent Carey Price (this after the Habs traded the rights to goaltender Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues earlier in the off season).

Will there be more trades today? My guess is probably. Now that the Habs have a head start to talk to Ellis and his agent odds are he will probably sign. Ellis had this to say via Twitter:

Very excited about the trade! Its an honor to be part of a team with such great tradition and passion! Hope we can figure something out!

and...

Hello and Bonjour to all my recent followers! Have not taken French since 9th grade so please give me some leeway!

after an influx of followers on his Twitter account after the announced trade (you can find Dan Ellis on Twitter @dellis39 ).

In other hockey news yesterday the Dallas Stars officially announced that they do not have any plans to offer Mike Modano a contract. After such great send offs both in Dallas and in Minnesota (where the played his last game this past season and even threw on a North Stars jersey) it is possible he will retire. There is no topping the way the fans in both cities treated him (except maybe going out with a Stanley Cup win but then you don't have that individual acknowledgment that he received).



It is possible that this image from the game in Minnesota vs the Wild is the last image we will have of Mike Modano playing in the NHL. Kind of reminds me of another famous picture of a players final step...



Tomorrow's Free Agent Frenzy brings with it the hope for the future and the memories of the past of those players decide to leave the ice.

Blake Geoffrion signs with Predators

The Hobey Baker winner has confirmed via Twitter that he is signing a two year deal with the Nashville Predators and there will be a press conference on Tuesday.