The Hockey Show - Episode Fifty-Six

The Hockey Show is going to busy tonight as we have a ton of stuff to cover. Tonight's show might be the most jam-packed show we've had since moving to the one-hour format as the NHL is back, the KHL is rolling, the Canadian Hockey League is underway, and the CIS kicks off this weekend. We also have a pile of updates from players around the globe that used to call Manitoba home, and we'll be discussing Pledge-O-Rama and the NHL '94 Tournament that will accompany our involvement that week. Get your buckets on and strap on the skates because this will be a busy show!

Last week, Beans and I went over "the code" that fighters in the NHL are supposed to follow. Again, as a set of unwritten rules, there is no one to enforce these rules per se except the fighters themselves, so it's a code of honour to which these men adhere. With the fallout from the George Parros-Colton Orr fight dominating the headlines over the last couple of days, Beans and I will talk a little bit about this fight and why flying off the handle when it comes to fighting in hockey is a bad idea. Tune in for this discussion because there might be some fireworks.

We're also going to look at the opening few days of the NHL. The Maple Leafs are on pace for a perfect season thus far, and the Winnipeg Jets are tied for top spot in the Western Conference! It might be the only time I write that sentence this season, so I had to get it on paper now. In any case, we'll look at some of the teams that surprised us - Colorado? Washington? TORONTO? - and some of the players who are making an impact thus far. We'll talk about the KHL in terms of Ilya Kovalchuk's injury and how that may affect SKA St. Petersburg. We'll talk about the CHL and, specifically, the WHL and some of the teams making waves there - the Prince Albert Raiders and Kelowna Rockets are still without a regulation loss - and some of the players who are making noise early in the season. Finally, we'll be looking at last weekend's preseason action for the Manitoba Bisons as the CIS weekend kicks off this weekend with the men hosting the Golden Bears at home and the women spending their weekend against the Pandas in Alberta.

I also want to throw out a stick-tap to the always-awesome Lisa McRitchie over at Oil Patch on Kukla's Korner. It wasn't show on TV, but the Edmonton Oilers had this little two-minute video about the Oilers-Jets rivalry dating back to the WHA days before their game on Tuesday. I have to say that this is an awesome video, and kudos to Lisa and the Edmonton Oilers for putting it out on the 'net.

Great video, great setup to the game on Tuesday, and a great game between the two teams. That's how it's done, kids. The quality of the videos being produced at the team level is getting better and better every year. And this video goes to show that despite the NHL not giving a hoot about the WHA, the former WHA teams still respect their foundings. Well done, Oilers!

Tune in tonight at 5:30pm on UMFM for all the chatter! You can reach us by phone at (204) 269-8636 (269-UMFM) to weigh in on the fighting debate, the NHL season thus far, or anything else we bring up tonight. Tweet me at @TeebzHBIC and I'll get your comments on the air as well! It should be a fun show, so give us a call or tweet!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!