The Hockey Show - Episode 721

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back with some new introductions, some more hockey stories, and some opinions from our two hosts about everything happening in hockey. It's been a fairly quiet week for a lot of the hockey world as schedules were released for the NHL today which flooded social media, but there were still stories to hit the wires this week that need to be discussed. Our hosts will dive into those newsworthy pieces tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason will criss-cross the globe as they look at stories from a number of places. They'll discuss failed executives becoming senior advisors, Winnipeg locking up Cole Perfetti, a pile of notable Canada West and U SPORTS men's hockey players landing in professional leagues, Victory+ losing a major client, a weird situation in Ukraine, a potential new destination in Australia, and anything else that may cross their paths. There's lots to discuss and about which our hosts will opine including a few non-hockey stories, so make sure you're ready to roll for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat unearned jobs, good deals, good opportunities, bad economics, weird conscription, new venues, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: July 16, 2026: Episode 721

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 709

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight to set up another big show next week while chatting about all the news that came out of the hockey world this week. It looks like we'll have some Survivor: NHL Playoffs eliminations next week unless something dramatic happens in those playoff series, so be ready for the first wave of contestants who will make their home from Survivor Island. Beyond that, our hosts have a pile of hockey news to discuss, so make sure you're ready to go tonight for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason will likely spend a lot of time dissecting the words spoken by the man to the left at his season-ending press conference among the topics they discuss. There will be some chatter about cronyism in the KHL, some trademarked names for an AHL team, some European league winners, a quick AIHL update, a sledge hockey update, a Survivor: NHL Playoffs prizing update, a couple of quick hits about UMFM's Pledge-O-Rama that begins tomorrow, and we'll go over Kevin Cheveldayoff's words with a fine-toothed comb. It will be a busy hour of hockey chatter, so snuggle up to your radio or internet-streaming device tonight for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat bad hirings, bad names, big winners, Australian fun, sledge developments, Survivor updates, pledge drives, lots of verbal diarrhea, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: April 23, 2026: Episode 709

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Other Side Of The World

The goaltender to the left likely isn't going to be recognizable unless you're following the ECHL and SPHL closely. That goalie is Surrey, BC's Noah Giesbrecht, and he was trying to crack lineups in the professional leagues here in North America after finishing a solid university career that saw him play at three different schools including a U SPORTS school! One of the toughest things for any undrafted goalie to do is break into the ECHL with so few roster spots available, but Giesbrecht looked like he may get his shot with the Savannah Ghost Pirates after playing with the SPHL's Knoxville Ice Bears! That run with the Ghost Pirates ended early as he was released yesterday, but he found a new home very quickly for this summer!

Giesbrecht's hockey career saw him play in both the MJHL for two teams and the SJHL for Melfort Mustangs along with a cup of coffee in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. He put up very good numbers in 2019-20 with the MJHL's Portage Terriers, compiling a 12-4-0 record with a 1.86 GAA and a .925 save percentage. Those numbers attracted the attention of the OUA's University of Windsor Lancers, and Giesbrecht was off to play in southern Ontario!

After the COVID year in 2020-21, Giesbrecht was excellent with the Lancers as he went 7-1-0 with a 2.13 GAA and a .941 save percentage in the first half of the season before jumping south of the border as he enrolled at Ferris State where he joined the men's hockey team! In his time with the Bulldogs, Giesbrecht went 19-29-3 with a 3.35 GAA and an .898 save percentage. He'd play his final NCAA season with RPI where he was 11-19-0 with a 3.54 GAA and an .896 save percentage. Being undrafted, Giesbrecht looked to the ECHL as an option.

He spent more time on the bench than in a crease as two games with Tulsa and nine games with Savannah were the only opportunities he received this season. Combined with seven more games in Knoxville, Giesbrecht likely had his agent looking for other options as his 18 games of professional action didn't give him a lot to build on for next season. That's when another opportunity presented itself, and Giesbrecht took it as he'll pack his bags and head south!

Giesbrecht will suit up this summer - or, more accurately, this winter in Australia - for the AIHL's Melbourne Mustangs! The AIHL's opening games happen this weekend, and the Mustangs will be in action on Saturday as they host the Central Coast Rhinos. Giesbrecht gives them another solid goaltender along with Seb Woodlands and Tom Papas, and they may need the added experience as their opening night lineup apparently will not feature longtime star Ty Wishart! That could possibly change as there was no announcement of him retiring, so he could be back at some point. For whatever reason, though, the Mustangs will be without one of their best players to begin the 2026 AIHL season.

The AIHL will continue with their ten-team setup as the action last season proved exciting down the stretch with teams pushing for playoff spots. The Melbourne Ice enter the season as the defending champions after defeating the Canberra Brave for the Goodall Cup last season, so those teams will come into this season with targets on their backs. The Mustangs finished in sixth-place which pitted them against the Perth Thunder in a play-in game for the playoffs, but Perth took care of business by a 5-2 score. Clearly, the Mustangs want to return to glory, so improved goaltending will help that cause!

Noah Giesbrecht has played in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Georgia in his hockey journey thus far, and he'll add the city of Melbourne, Australia on this leg of his hockey career! Where it goes from here is anyone's guess, but the summer of 2026 will see him in Mustangs' black and orange!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 676

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back with a pile of stuff to discuss thanks to several teams and franchises jumping into the fashion world with new designs and branding. I have no idea who is green-lighting some of these rather terrible ideas when it comes to how teams want to look on the ice, but people smarter than me must know fashion a lot better despite their final designs being totally unnecessary for the overall fit of their brand. In any case, expect some discussions on Back to School looks on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason get down to business by looking at the new branding and logo introduced by the Manitoba Bisons while discussing their thoughts on the rebrand. They'll also look at the Carolina Hurricanes' new road jersey, the Seattle Kraken's new alternate jersey, the official unveiling of the Ottawa Senators' alternate jersey, Quebec City being the place for international tournaments, the new NHL Stanley Cup salary cap, and there was a winner crowned in the AIHL. There's lots to go over as we summon our Mr. Blackwell-like fashion senses for some chatter and laughter tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat new jerseys, new logos, bad ideas, big tournaments, new rules, new champions, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: September 4, 2025: Episode 676

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 668

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight to take care of all the little notes and bits of news that have filtered in across our hosts' respective desks. As you may be aware, the offseason is when a lot of hockey business gets done that may or may not affect the product on the ice when things get rolling again, and we need to hit all of those small stories to get us ready for another summer of fun on The Hockey Show. Buckle up those seatbelts because we're going to jump from country to country as we cover all the news from a plethora of leagues tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight on the program, Teebz and Jason will get off of North American soil to bring you hockey news from other parts of the globe! They'll chat about hockey news in Germany, Finland had some hirings of people you know, Sweden has some big news for women's hockey coming this season, Switzerland is implementing a change for its women's league, Russia checks in with all sorts of signings and news, we have Australian hockey updates, and we may even slide a few North American news stories in if time allows. It's going to be a busy show with lots of discussion on players, coaches, management, strange decisions, and more tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat about Germany, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Australia, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: July 10, 2025: Episode 668

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 666

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back on the UMFM airwaves tonight to get things wrapped up with the 2024-25 season officially in the books for all North American teams. If it felt like a long season, no one will disagree with you, but that may get worse as you'll hear tonight in one of the stories. And before anyone loses their minds over the episode number at the top of this article, it's just a number. In fact, the number is considered to be lucky in China and it's a pretty special number in mathematics. While it has a noted use in popular culture, let's put the focus on the hockey stories and news that we're going to discuss tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

As stated above, the season has finally come to an end, so Teebz and Jason will wrap up the 2025 edition of Survivor: NHL Playoffs by having Jared and Will give us their exit interviews. After that, the hosts will discuss the Abborsford Canucks' win over the Charlotte Checkers in the Calder Cup Final, some of the NHL trades leading up to tomorrow night's NHL Entry Draft, Jonathan Toews choosing the Jets, the Jets paying him like he's 25, the 2026 Hockey Hall of Fame class, news that the NHL season could get longer, the newest ECHL team has narrowed down its team name choices, the PWHL Draft underwhelmingly happened, some AIHL news, and Canada West released its hockey schedules for the men and women! As always, it's another busy show filled with news, information, analysis, some laughs, and more as we move into summer tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason send off our final two Survivor entrants before chatting about big wins, player moves, new inductees, longer seasons, interesting names, bad television, rough months, looking forward, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: June 26, 2025: Episode 666

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 665

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight as we wrap up the NHL season after the Florida Panthers downed the Edmonton Oilers for the second-straight season to win their second-consecutive Stanley Cup. It's crazy to think that there's still one professional men's hockey final being played, but it will be the last one for the 2024-25 season to be completed as the AHL winds down as well. Our hosts will go over all that tonight and bring some additional news and chatter from other leagues and teams to the table as discussion points on another busy show tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Like the charging panther to the left, Teebz and Jason will charge into chatting about the Stanley Cup victory by the Panthers while touching on some of the highlights from their latest championship lap around the ice. Beyond that story, they'll also look at the AHL Calder Cup Final and who is doing what in that series, there were some new jerseys seen over the last couple of weeks that need breakdowns, they examine the two new PWHL teams that are getting close to full rosters, they discuss how Hockey Night in Canada needs improvement, there were some ECHL awards handed out and some news on the expansion front, Canada West broke some news this week, and the AIHL's Melbourne Mustangs saw history made this past week. Yes, it was busy and I'm not sure if we'll get through it all, but we're going to give it our best shot tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat about championships, heroes, fashion, entertainment, expansion, history, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: June 19, 2025: Episode 665

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Late-Night Hockey In The Early Afternoon

If you needed more hockey action following the Florida Panthers' Game Five win over the Edmonton Oilers, the AIHL was kicking off its Sunday games with a contest between the Perth Thunder and the Melbourne Mustangs. Depsite this game starting at 2pm on Sunday in Australia, we were treated to an 11pm start here in the Central Time Zone. That gave me enough time to settle in and cheer for the black-and-orange as the Mustangs looked to pull even with the Thunder at third-place in the AIHL while having a game in-hand. Who doesn't enjoy a little late-night Aussie hockey to cap off a Saturday night of hockey?

The broadcast began by announcing that there would be some history equalled tonight as Melbourne starting goaltender Tom Papas as the 16 year-old who played for South Alberta Hockey Academy in 2023-24 would be starting! Papas is seven days, at the time of writing, from his 17th birthday which means he could have his first professional hockey victory before he has his full driver's license in Australia. According to the broadcast, Papas' debut tonight would tie him with Fraser Carson as the youngest goaltender to play in the AIHL!

Obviously, the Mustangs have a lot of faith in their netminder as they got set to battle the third-place Perth Thunder, and it would be Perth who opened the scoring as Yannic Lodge ruined Papas' shutout just 2:24 into the game to put the Thunder up 1-0. Melbourne, though, wasn't going to let that goal stand as the only one of the opening frame. Melbourne's Dean Klomp scored at 10:17 to make it a 1-1 game before Kieran Webster scored with six seconds remaining in the period to send Perth into the intermission with a 2-1 lead.

Papas, for the record, stopped 10 of 12 shots as Melbourne held a 17-12 edge in shots on goal after one period. He looked more confident as the period wore on, but the Mustangs trailed by a goal.

Melbourne bounced back in the second period as Dean Klomp went off while killing a penalty. He scored his second goal of the game while shorthanded at 16:37 before capping off his hat trick - still while shorthanded - 14 seconds later as Melbourne grabbed a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes! Papas was solid through the middle frame as he stopped all 15 shots sent his way as Melbourne took the lead and a 32-27 shot edge into the third period. Could he pick up the win?

Papas would be victimized by Lodge once again as Lodge found the back of the net at the 7:27 mark to make it a 3-3 game. Melbourne would respond on the power-play 52 seconds later when Mac Roy scored his ninth goal of the season to put the Mustangs back up by a goal. From there, Papas and the Mustangs defence held the fort through the remaining eleven minutes as Tom Papas backstopped the Melbourne Mustangs to the 4-3 victory and his first AIHL win!

Papas also added his name to the AIHL record books as he becomes the youngest goalie to win his debut game in the AIHL as Papas stopped 34 of 37 shots for a .919 save percentage in his first AIHL win. Not that I'm complaining about Papas' performance in any way, but this was the picture they posted on Twitter prior to the game.

Yes, Papas wore #4 as he stopped pucks tonight for the Mustangs, but I have to say that the "4" on his back needs some better centering on the jersey because that looks way off. Technically, the number is in the proper spot on the jersey based on Barrett's jersey, but that gap of black fabric between his name bar and the number is massive!

In any case, Papas looked like a seasoned professional out there tonight in his AIHL debut, and the starting netminder for Australia's U18 National Team earned a major milestone with his first professional win in his home country tonight. The young man appears to have a big future in front of him when it comes to hockey, and there's no telling where he may end up in his career. It would be pretty incredible to see Tom Papas on an NHL roster one day, and I'm hopeful that he'll get a shot like fellow countryman Nathan Walker got. Starting his 17th year on the planet with a professional win in the AIHL with the Melbourne Mustangs under his belt is a good way to continue to chase that dream!

Congratulations to Tom Papas on his successful AIHL debut and to the Melbourne Mustangs on their win tonight/tomorrow afternoon! Considering that this is being finished on Sunday morning after a few more photos were published, the sleep I got wasn't nearly enough considering when this game ended in Nort America. In saying that, I'm going to squeeze a nap in today so I'm somewhat functional.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 661

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight with more hockey chatter and some fun as the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and, in turn, Survivor: NHL Playoffs continue! Both conference finals series are underway, the conference finals in the ECHL's Kelly Cup Playoffs are rolling, and the Division Finals in the AHL are going. The IIHF World Championship is halfway done, there has been some local hockey news, and there's the ongoing Hockey Canada investigation in London that likely needs an update. In short, there's a lot to cover tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Teebz and Jason will jump into a number of stories tonight including Tom giving his exit interview for the Winnipeg Jets, the current state of Canadian teams' championship chances in the three professional leagues, a new head coach hired for a local team, Hockey Canada's ongoing trial and some of the details, the IIHF World Championship and one team that is standing out against the field, the Melbourne Mustangs crushing dreams, and anything else we can squeeze into the hour! You may be asking where Travis (Vegas), Norm (Washington), and John (Toronto) are when it comes to their interviews, and they have all deferred to next week as they all have stuff happening this week. Nonetheless, we'll have a ton to talk about tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason send Tom and the Jets off NHL Playoff island, playoffs in all three leagues, new hires, new legal details, international success, Australian success, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: May 22, 2025: Episode 661

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 660

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight with all sorts of chatter and analysis from the last week in the hockey world. There are some new faces in new places as the teams who fell short look to find people who can push them higher, but one has to wonder if the people being hired are the right men for the jobs. Outside of that, one team is through to the NHL Conference Finals, three teams face elimination, the ECHL playoffs push on, there's a little tournament happening in Sweden and Denmark, and hockey news and stories are continuing to develop as we get set for some chatter tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight's chatter between Teebz and Jason will include Ken Holland being hired to replace Rob Blake in Los Angeles as the Kings' general manager, Rick Tocchet moving to Philadelphia as their new coach, Adam Foote getting the head coaching job in Vancouver, Mike Sullivan landing in Manhattan to coach the New York Rangers, and Joel Quenneville returning to the NHL in Anaheim while four teams continue their searches for new bench bosses. Beyond that, they'll look at Edmonton advancing to the Western Conference Final over Vegas, the possibility of three other teams joining the Oilers in what could be the same final-four teams in the conference finals from 2024, the end of the road for the Fort Wayne Komets this season, the IIHF World Championship, a potential international incident involving a Russian, the Melbourne Mustangs getting ready for more hockey, and anything else we come across before going to air! It's another busy show on the ol' flagship station as we cover as much as we can tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat new faces in new places, the same four back to where they were, a season ending, a championship rolling, a return to action, an accident blowing up, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: May 15, 2025: Episode 660

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 658

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is changing the game tonight as we break the laws of time and space! Ok, we're not going to be that dramatic, but we are adding an extra thirty minutes of hockey talk tonight as The Hockey Show will run from 5:00-6:30pm on UMFM as part of the Pledge-O-Rama spectacular that's happening right now! What's that, you ask? Read on for details about this annual event as we'll do some chatting about hockey while trying to raise some capital for improvements tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:00pm CT!

I wrote a big article all about the 2025 edition of Pledge-O-Rama yesterday, but this is one of the most important times of the calendar year for UMFM as the station runs a week-long fundraiser to help pay for capital improvements. Among the many projects that we've completed using these funds were a tower replacement, the purchase of mobile units for off-site broadcasts, and upgrades to both the recording studio for live bands and the electrical room where servers and audio equipment operate to put UMFM on the air! In short, this is an important week in UMFM's annual operations!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason will be talking about Pledge-O-Rama a lot between hockey news and information, and it's our hope that we'll reach the station goal of $32,000 by this evening. As of noon on Thursday, the station had already raised $26,139.80 from our generous listeners and supporters, so we're not far away from hitting the target! We've never broken the total while The Hockey Show has been on the air, so could tonight be the night where that happens?

When it comes to hockey chatter tonight, Teebz and Jason will update everyone on the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Survivor: NHL Playoffs content, there are some ECHL Kelly Cup Playoff results to discuss, there was another PWHL expansion team announced, Utah made a pretty big blunder, the Hockey Canada trial presses on, there's some AIHL news in the air, new coaches were named in Canada West, and we'll tackle anything else that comes up in hockey. As always, it's a news-filled show with lots of Pledge-O-Rama goodness mixed in, so have your phone handy, make a pledge, and enjoy the chatter tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:00pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have ways! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason will be looking for pledges while giving away a fantastic jersey and chatting about winning, losing, prizes, playoffs, expansion, logos, coaches, legal matters, Australian hockey, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: May 1, 2025: Episode 658

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 655

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back with reminders, champions, and tournaments to discuss as the hockey world is looking to crown winners before the summer starts! Whether it be teams clinching playoff spots in their respective leagues, women's teams battling to find out which nation stands atop the podium, contests you can enter to win some prizes, or leagues wrapping up by crowning their best teams as champions, there is a lot happening across the globe on ice surfaces! Our hosts will take you through all the news from many corners of the globe on another news-filled, busy edition of the program tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Teebz and Jason will remind of you that Survivor: NHL Playoffs kicks off next week and how that ties into Pledge-O-Rama that starts on April 18! After they get through that jumble of info, they will chat about the IIHF Women's World Championship happening in Czechia, the IIHF Women's World Championship Division 1, Group B championship happening in Great Britain, a number of European leagues who crowned champions, some playoff scheduling for the ECHL, the Melbourne Mustangs getting off to a big start in the AIHL, the awful ending to Chaz Lucius's career, and there will be a shoutout to the Esso Cup representative from Manitoba and Saskatchewan! If there's enough time to squeeze all this news in, we'll get it done tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat contests and radio telethons, world championships, league championships, playoff schedules, AIHL results, being forced to retire, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: April 10, 2025: Episode 655

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 650

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is gearing up for another big tournament as the U SPORTS National Hockey Championships will take place five-and-a-half hours apart in Ontario this season with the cities of Elmira and Ottawa hosting the events! We're close to know who is going to both events as the men's and women's events nearly have their eight respective participants, and there have been some solid performances from teams who have already booked their spots at the tournaments. Of course, some of those players also got some recognition for their outstanding seasons, so it's going to be a very U SPORTS-centric episode tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason go over all the conferences to see who's still in it to win it as they get everyone set for one of the biggest weekends in Canadian university hockey. They discuss the four conferences and the playoffs for both the men and women, they look at who has already qualified for the National Championships, and they highlight the award winners for the conferences. Beyond that chatter, they have news on an international honour for a U SPORTS coach that was announced, and the AIHL season is less than a month away as our two hosts get set to cheer for another season of Melbourne Mustangs hockey! It's a busy show with a lot of U SPORTS action to discuss, so be ready to roll tonight for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat university playoffs, national championships, award winners, Australian hockey, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: March 6, 2025: Episode 650

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 633

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, kicks off November with a show containing all sorts of news after last week's incredible interview with Mount Royal Cougars captain Lyndsey Janes, and it will feature a little local, national, and international flavours in the chatter tonight. From teams playing well to teams that cannot score, wellness checks to changing rules, and new clothes to lawsuits, our hosts will take you through the news that stood out over the last week from the hockey world! We'll dive into these topics and anything else that comes up tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason get into the hockey stories by looking at the Winnipeg Jets and their 13-1 start to the season, the PWHL and their new looks as their jerseys debuted, Alex Formenton's laughable lawsuit, the AIHL making changes for its anniversary season next year, a KHL team that set a new record despite having a former NHL player on the roster, and anything else that we can squeeze into the hour. Some of the stories are fun and other will make your head shake, but we'll get you up to speed on what's happening in hockey tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat winning streaks, terrible efforts, bad advice, new rules, brutal records, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: November 7, 2024: Episode 632

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The 25th Season

As summer sets in on the other side of the equator, there's likely little thought being given to the AIHL right now. As you know, both Jason and I have thrown our collective fanship behind the Melbourne Mustangs of the AIHL, and we're hoping to see them rise to the top again like they did in 2023. With the Canberra Brave hoisting the Goodall Cup this past season, a number of teams will reload and try to replicate the Brave's success after they rose to the occasion in August. The AIHL will celebrate its 25th season next summer, so you likely knew that there would be some changes. We were told about a few of those changes today!

The AIHL will play 155 games next season across Australia as the action kicks off on April 5, 2025 for a number of the teams in the ten-team league. However, the standings will look different next season, and the playoff format will change as the AIHL looks to add some intrigue to its 25th campaign! The two major changes are as follows:

• The conference format has been removed and the league will revert to one standings board of ten teams.
• The AIHL playoffs will consist of the top-six teams progressing through to the finals with the playoff format to be confirmed by the Board of Directors before the end of 2024.

Clearly, one standings board makes playoff races between teams a little more fun. Last season, four teams finished between 50 and 58 points, but two were in one division and two were in the other. That race would have determined second-place through fifth-place with the Mustangs, who missed the playoffs, coming in as the sixth-placed team. As it's been said, all one has to do is make the dance for a shot at the championship, but Melbourne was denied due to the configuration of the old two-division league.

If you thought the fun ended there, the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division II, Group A tournament will be played in Melbourne, Australia from April 27 to May 5, 2025. The six teams competing in the tournament include host Australia, Belgium, Israel, Netherlands, Serbia, and the United Arab Emirates, and the AIHL has made it clear that neither the Melbourne Mustangs nor the Melbourne Ice will be anywhere near the O'Brien Icehouse during this period.

If you're wondering, Croatia was promoted from the 2024 Belgrade tournament while Iceland was relegated. Australia lost 4-2 to Serbia, lost 3-2 to Croatia, dropped a 5-4 overtime decision to Israel, defeated Iceland 3-2, and lost 5-4 to UAE in that tournament.

Kieran Webster, who skated for the Perth Thunder, led Australia with two goals and three helpers while Mac Caruana, who skated for the Melbourne Ice, had a goal and four assists. Sydney Ice Dogs centerman Cameron Todd finished the tournament 68/110 at the faceoff dot to tie for the most faceoffs won while placing third for faceoff winning percentage at 61.82%. Australia may want to push for Nathan Walker to join them if possible.

Thanks to the World Championship being played in Melbourne, the Mustangs will play their second home game of the season on April 16 against the Brisbane Lightning before heading on the road for nearly a month! They won't play their third home game until they "host" the Melbourne Ice on May 13! The Ice, for their part, play their their second home game against those same Lightning on April 12 before finally hosting a game at the O'Brien Icehouse on May 17 when the Sydney Ice Dogs visit. Those are quite the gaps between games playing in front a friendly crowd!

With the changes in the AIHL, the league celebrating its 25th season, and the IIHF and the world coming to town, it's a big year for hockey in Australia in 2025! It looks like the AIHL is ready to make this season memorable, so here's hoping that the teams, the players, and the fans turn out in droves to support hockey in a big way in the land down under in 2025!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

An AIHL Winner!

Do you recognize the goalie to the left? If you've followed U SPORTS men's hockey for the last few seasons, the pads he's wearing are a major giveaway. The Saskatoon native played one game with the Abbotsford Canucks and was an EBUG with the Vancouver Canucks before attending a number of ECHL camps over the last few years, but nothing seemed to stick for the former UBC Thunderbirds netminder. Well, he found his place this season in Australia when the Adelaide Adrenaline inked Rylan Toth to a contract, and he had himself another award-winning campaign as Toth was named as the 2024 Goalie of the Year in the AIHL!

Toth played in 24 games for the Adrenaline this season, finishing with a 6-12-5 record, a 2.92 GAA, a .906 save percentage, and two shutouts. Those numbers may not sound like "Goaltender of the Year" numbers when you look at them, but we need a deeper look here because the numbers at face value admittedly aren't that great. Let's look at those other numbers.

The Adelaide Adrenaline finished this season with a 5-17-2-6 record, so Toth was involved in a lot of those decisions. He was the goalie of record in six of seven games that the Adrenaline won and he helped them earn at least one additional point in five of six extra time losses. Yes, he was in the net for 12 of 17 losses, but considering that goaltending partner Matus Trnka was 0-3-0 with a 2.94 GAA and an .882 save percentage. Clearly, the Adrenaline weren't scoring a lot of goals when one considering both netminders had sub-3.00 GAA, but only won seven games all season long.

The Adrenaline never averaged more than 2.5 goals-per-game this season at any point past April 27, so unless the Adrenaline goalies were allowing one goal or less, the chances of them winning were low. From May 11 forward to the end of the season, the Adrenaline never averaged less than 3.0 goals-against-per-game, but that average never exceeded 4.0 goals-against-per-game all season long. The goaltending was good for the Adrenaline, but they just needed more goal-scoring to back up that puck-stopping.

Where things make a little more sense is when you look at the goalie stats leaderboard. Toth was third-overall in the AIHL for goals-against-average, putting him ahead of 18-game winner Leo Bertein of the Perth Thunder and 11-game winner James Downie of the league-leading Sydney Bears. He finished just 0.11 behind 17-game winner Tatsunoshin Ishida of the Melbourne Ice. It's hard to argue that Toth didn't deserve the award when he faced so much more rubber than Ishida and Bertein yet kept a ton of those pucks out of the net, but we'll continue building the case.

Toth's .906 save percentage puts him fourth-overall in the AIHL behind the men mentioned above - Ishida at .920, Bertein at .914, and Melbourne Mustangs' Logan Flodell at .908. He was one of four goalies who played more than 22 games who finished with a save percentage above .900, and one of six goalies to finish the season with a save percentage above .900. His team finished second-last in points in the AIHL this season, yet Toth being one of the top netminders statistically, again, makes it hard to argue against his case as being the top goaltender.

Of course, if you had watched any Canada West men's hockey a few years ago, you already know how much Toth's goaltending affects a game. Twice, he backstopped the Thunderbirds to a berth at the U Cup National Championship. In 2021-22, he was named as the Canada West Goaltender of the Year and the U SPORTS Goaltender of the Year. His five-year university career saw him finish with a 30-29-7 record, a 2.82 GAA, and a .906 save percentage, but it was his growth as a player that saw him improve from a 2-7-0 rookie campaign in 2017-18 to an 11-5-1 record in 2021-22. In each of his five seasons, he lowered his goals-against average each season as he got better each and every season.

Look, I've thrown a lot of numbers at you to justify Rylan Toth's award this season, but there's one thing that's clear: Rylan makes not-so-good teams much better when he's in the crease. It's hard not to argue how important he was for the Thunderbirds in their successes, and it's pretty clear that the Adelaide Adrenaline may have been much worse off this season without Toth stopping pucks for them. That alone puts him in the conversation for AIHL Goaltender of the Year, and it's pretty clear that his numbers carried him to the top of that discussion.

Congratulations to Rylan Toth on another major accolade in his illustrious career, and here's hoping that a few North American teams come calling this season when they need a goalie. Signing Rylan Toth should be a no-brainer considering his body of work, and it's my hope that we'll see those blue-and-yellow pads in a North American professional league this winter!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 620

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back in the cozy confines of the UMFM studio tonight with stories from a number of leagues around the world. There usually isn't a lot to break down in the month of August with training camps getting set to open in September, but our hosts found some news into which they can dig. There are stories from the NHL, ECHL, KHL, AIHL, ACHA, and more as we get closer to the return of hockey to your local rink! Join us for all the chatter tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason jump into some rather goofy news stories that may give you a chuckle. There's one about the Maple Leafs creating their own brand of controversy where there is one. There's an update on the Melbourne Mustangs and their playoff push for a title defence. There are a piling of signings in the KHL and ECHL that should be highlighted. They'll chat about the coaching changes in Columbus and why things are still a gong show there, and they have a fun story from the University of Kentucky with which they end the show. It's a fun show with all sorts of weird news tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason chat jersey controversies, pressure in Australia, new faces and teams, Columbus' forever problem, scheduling quirks, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: August 8, 2024: Episode 620

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 615

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back to our pandemic setup as we record from home. There's no pandemic at the radio station, thankfully, but there is some construction that requires asbestos removal so the station is currently unoccupied while this work happens. As such, our hosts are recording from home as they did when the pandemic had the world shut down. This doesn't change the show in any way, and there's lots of hockey stories for them to discuss tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

As stated, Teebz and Jason are recording from the comforts of their individual homes, but they get into some hockey chatter as they discuss the 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame members that were elected, chat a little about the new MFHL team, celebrate a new coach in the NHL, dive into the Melbourne Mustangs "Team Canada" game, mention the curious signing of a player in the KHL, dissect the NHL reinstating the Blackhawks' three former bosses, and examine the poor messaging from the Winnipeg Jets over one of their newly-selected players. It's a full hour without free agent signings or trades since you can find that anywhere as Teebz and Jason get into the bigger hockey stories tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The new UMFM website's online streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason put the spotlight on Hockey Hall of Fame members, new teams, new coaches, AIHL games, curious signings, terrible decisions, bad messaging, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: July 4, 2024: Episode 615

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Team Canada Down Under

I stayed up late last night because there was some hockey to watch. As you're likely aware, the Melbourne Mustangs are my chosen squad that I'm following in the Australian Ice Hockey League, and they're struggling with consistency this season as they look to defend their Goodall Cup championship from last season. Having a long weekend in Canada means I can squeeze some extra sleep in this weekend, so I committed to staying awake to watch Melbourne battle the league-leading Sydney Bears while honouring the Canadian players on the roster with the jerseys above! Would the Canada Mustangs erupt for goals like they did two nights earlier?

Just for the record, the Mustangs showed up in a big way on June 28 against their archrivals in the Melbourne Ice. The Ice had yet to lose on home ice at the O'Brien Icehouse, so the Mustangs - who share the rink - were looking to erase that perfect record sported by the Ice at home. After being tied 1-1 after the opening frame, the Mustangs exploded for six goals in the second period as Hayden Dawes recorded a hat trick, and the Mustangs would indeed end the Ice's dominance at home with a 7-3 win. The win pushed the Mustangs to a 9-11-1-0 record where they'd face the Bears on Sunday.

The game against the Bears appeared to be one that the Mustangs would need to take very seriously as the Bears have been averaging 5.8 goals-per-game this season while surrending just 3.3 goals-per-game. Defence and goaltending would have to come up big for the Canadian Mustangs, and that goal-scoring shown on Friday would need to show up again on Sunday!

After falling behind 1-0 through 20 minutes, the fans who showed up wearing red-and-white had a little more to ponder after Sydney's Noah Moncrieff and Christopher Eaden made it a 3-0 game for the Bears at the 13-minute mark with two goals in 1:44 of play. The Canadian Mustangs would respond while down a player, though, as Vadim Virjassov scored his seventh goal of the season while shorthanded, closing the gap to 3-1 with eight minutes to go. That would be the score when we hit the second break, and it was clear the Mustangs had some work to do in the third period.

Things looked good when Rylan Freed scored his fifth goal just 5:03 in the third period to cut the Bears' lead to 3-2, but the Bears locked things down over that final 14:57 despite Team Canada Melbourne applying all sorts of pressure at times. Despite the spirited effort from the home side, the Bears would prevail by that 3-2 score.

The loss drops Melbourne to 9-12-1-0 on the season, and they get a few weeks to regroup as they won't play again until July 13 when they visit the Perth Thunder, a team they trail by nine points. The two games against the Thunder could close the gap to three points which would go a long way in improving Melbourne's chances at playoff success this season, but winning those two games would set up a very interesting July that ends with a home game against the Thunder on July 28. Third-place is not out of the question.

If there was one thing that was certain in staying up to watch that game that ended at 1am CT here, it was that the Mustangs were the best-dressed team on the ice by a kilometer. While the result wasn't worth staying up for, watching the players buzz around in the familiar colours of Hockey Canada was pretty cool to see. Well done, Melbourne Mustangs, on another incredible promotion!

With Canada Day passing tomorrow, settle into July by playing some winning hockey, Mustangs! Third-place can be had by showing some consistent play, and the title defence will begin after August's remaining games are played. Make it happen, and go Mustangs!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Hockey's Sorta Done?

With hockey in North America officially coming to an end on Monday, I often get asked what I do in the summer on both the blog and radio show. The answer is easy: I still cover hockey. Yes, there are fewer stories from hockey to cover thanks the sport slowing down for a couple of months, but there are interviews and historic stories to explore. One of the best ways to get into those stories is by reading books about hockey, and that's what the rest of my summer will entail as I sit on the patio with a cold beverage and flip pages.

With as busy as life gets sometimes, I haven't been able to crack the spines on the stack of books I want to tackle that are sitting on my bookshelves. These are stories from across the hockey world as well as I have Hayley Wickenheiser's story to read, Mike Eruzione's tale to take in, and a few others that piqued my interest when I saw the book. My goal is to start this weekend with it being a long weekend as I put a significant dent into that stack of books begging to be read.

I do have one book that I've been dying to read since I received it, and I want to thank Peter, a reader of HBIC, for sending me this book. I have very little reference points for the Kansas City Scouts because they had come and gone from that market long before I was born, but Steve Currier's book, When the NHL Invaded Japan, has me very curious about this jump across the ocean where the Scouts and Washington Capitals played for the Coca-Cola Bottlers' Cup in 1975-76. To be very honest, I had never even heard about Coca-Cola Bottlers' Cup or any tournament where NHL teams competed for it, so this topic is one I want to explore in greater detail. Thank you, Peter for this great book, and expect a review shortly on it as Teebz's Book Club goes into summer reading mode for the next few months!

Some of the other stuff I'll be doing this summer is watching more movies, so there will be some additional movie reviews here on HBIC. I'm excited for a few that I haven't seen plus a few coming up this summer. I do have to watch If with Ryan Reynolds, and Inside Out 2 will get seen because the first one was so good. Reynolds will get a second review this summer with Deadpool & Wolverine debuting this summer, and I'm sure I'll discover a few more than get added. I don't follow TV series very closely, but Season four of The Boys is currently running and I'm loving every second of it, and I just discovered WondLa through AppleTV which has been excellent. When the sun goes down, I know I'll have a few things to watch and review.

Finally, there may be a few late nights on the weekend where I stay up and watch the AIHL and NZIHL as their season winds down and gets into the postseason. I'm still hoping the Melbourne Mustangs can turn their season around with some consistent play, but the race for first-overall in the AIHL between the Sydney Bears and the Melbourne Ice may come down to the final game of the season for the Bears on August 10 when they host the Ice. As it stands, the Bears play the Ice this weekend with first-place on the line as both teams are tied in the standings, but the Bears could be as many as six points up by the time the weekend's over.

I haven't watched as many New Zealand Ice Hockey League games, but the Botany Swarm and Skycity Stampede appear to be the front-runners for the top spot in the NZIHL regular season. Two teams - the Canterbury Red Devils and Phoenix Thunder - have yet to record a win in seven games, but the Red Devils have lost in overtime to sit one point ahead of the Thunder. The team in third-place of the five teams is the West Auckland Admirals, and they've only beaten the Red Devils this season so far. Just for the record, the NZIHL is more like watching North American junior hockey than professional hockey, but it's fun summer hockey nonetheless.

It's still going to be a busy summer as I'm scoring professional baseball, playing slo-pitch, reading about hockey, getting caught up on movies and TV shows, and watching some hockey from the Land Down Under, but I guess I'm saying that this blog won't be exclusively devoted to hockey this summer. Yes, the hockey stories will continue, but there will be more variety in what you find on HBIC.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!