It's Official!

I'm not one to ever post things to social media. I find the idea of living my life through the approval of others to be an absurd concept, and I certainly never want to be an influencer. Frankly, the idea of celebrating anything online seems vapid to me when those moments should be celebrated with people who have a vested interest in my life. In short, this article already makes me uncomfortable, but today marked the first time that UMFM got called up to the big show!

If you were listening to The Hockey Show on Thursday, you may have heard that Jason and I have been credentialed for the upcoming Heritage Classic game taking place in Winnipeg. The entire idea started out as a lark because we never, in a million years, thought the NHL would consider us as a media outlet like 680 CJOB or CBC Radio One 98.3FM, but the NHL processed our application for access and we were approved for credentials to NHL events moving forward!

Both Jason and I have been credentialed before - we both were in the pressbox for the PWHL Takeover Tour game in Winnipeg - so this isn't like we're getting our first seat on media row. It does mark the first time, however, that UMFM has been invited to an NHL event, and we plan on covering the events this weekend as closely as we did during the PWHL's event. Expect photos and write-ups from both of us!

Today, I went down to Princess Auto Stadium to pick up those credentials in order to be ready for the weekend. I thought the place would be busier, but I was literally the only person there to acquire said credentials. There could have been media inside with NHL executives where they were going over rink dimensions and having questions answered, but I arrived at the pressbox at Princess Auto Stadium and it looked like a ghost town. There were a handful of construction guys working inside the gate and they asked me if was there to work. I had to respectfully decline that work, but one of the guys joked that working on the Heritage Classic venue was the only way he could it in-person. After a few laughs, I left them working on their project, headed back to my car, and sat there for a few moments examining the credentials.

The little yellow square had caught my attention because it gave us access to the players pre-game and post-game! I'll be completely honest in saying that I will not be heading to either locker room at any point on the weekend despite having access because I want to talk about the Heritage Classic experience from a fan's perspective. Fans don't have that kind of unfettered access, so I won't be taking advantage of it either. It's a surreal feeling knowing I could go down and chat with players, but that's not what this blog nor the radio show does unless it's a full interview rather than some quotable press snippets.

In any case, getting the opportunity to cover the Heritage Classic will be a fun experience where Jason and I can go behind the scenes for a major NHL event. We saw how Winnipeg came out and supported the PWHL's Takeover Tour, and it's pretty clear that Winnipeg has been wanting another outdoor game after the Oilers and Jets met here in 2016 and the Oilers prevailed 3-0. The Montreal Canadiens aren't going to be a pushover of any kind with how they're playing, so it should be a great game that features two passionate fanbases!

We'll have more about this on The Hockey Show this week, so make sure you tune in to hear what Jason and I will be doing as the big game approaches on Sunday. We will be going to different parts of the events all weekend, so find out which of us will be where when it comes to the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic in Winnipeg this weekend!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

History Tonight

There were a lot of firsts that happened tonight in Rio Rancho, New Mexico where the ECHL's New Mexico Goatheads took the ice in an ECHL regular season game for the first time. The Goatheads were hosting the Idaho Steelheads in their inaugural game, so there would be first saves, first penalties, first fights, and, hopefully, first goals scored by both teams. I watched the majority of this game with the camera positioned somewhere in the upper deck at the Rio Rancho Events Center, but we'd see history made on this night as the Goatheads took the ice!

We'll get a few easy historical moments out of the way as #88 Dakota Seaman recorded the first shot in Goatheads history 2:44 into the game. Idaho's Jaxon Fuder was turned away by #40 Isaiah Saville in the New Mexico net just 57 seconds in to record the first save in franchise history. #27 Lynden Breen was called for hooking at 4:54 of the first period as he was the first Goatheads player to visit the sin bin, and Idaho's #11 Angus MacDonell was the first person to light the lamp behind Saville at the 15:19 mark of the first period as MacDonell scored the first goal on the Goatheads. It was a busy opening frame.

Idaho would add a pair of goals in the second period to lead 3-0 after forty minutes, and there was some trepidation that the Goatheads may not solve Jake Barczewski on this night. However, we'd see the Goatheads make a push in the third period where this moment was captured and posted on the New Mexico Goatheads' Twitter account!
The very first Goatheads goal in the ECHL belongs to #18 Cameron Buhl who found room past Barczewski at 7:34 of the third period while on the power-play to cut the Idaho lead to 3-1 as #27 Lynden Breen and #12 Saige Weinstein collected the first primary and secondary assists, respectively, in franchise history! Idaho's Charlie Dodero was in the penalty box for the goal after being called for interference at 6:11. Clearly, Buhl's goal was a big moment in the franchise's history, but there was still hockey to be played as points were on the line as the Goatheads looked to rally for a win!

Unfortunately for the Goatheads and their fans, Idaho was in a stingy mood as they shut the door after that goal. Mason Nevers would score an empty-netter with eight seconds remaining, and the Steelheads downed the Goatheads by a 4-1 score in New Mexico's inaugural game. In watching this game, I wanted to see New Mexico put more pucks on net as they were outshot 35-25, but had multiple opportunities to send pucks to the net with players heading towards the crease. I'll let head coach Zack Stortini sort that out, though.

While the fans may have left disappointed in the result tonight, the Goatheads sold out tonight's inaugural game and there are a limited number of tickets available for tomorrow's rematch. No one should be celebrating this expansion as an unquestionable success just yet, but two sellouts against a division rival to start the season is a good way to impress the ECHL brass. Here's hoping the fans keep coming back!

Winning would certainly help, and the Goatheads will go into Saturday 0-1-0 after a spirited, but unsuccessful, first game. Can they bounce back and win the back-half of the two-game set against the Steelheads? We'll find out tomorrow when Idaho and New Mexico meet again at the Rio Rancho Events Center at 7pm MDT!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 734

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back with our two usual gunslingers as Sophie is already booked as she tries to take over the world. That leaves our two opinionated hosts to discuss a number of hockey topics from this past week, and they may even chat about something fun as well! What may that be, you ask? Well, you're going to have to find a seat, a radio or internet-connected device, and tune into The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason will look at what seems to be a "canary in the coalmine" situation when it comes to the Vegas Golden Knights' sellout streak ending. There are lots of reasons for it, but the comments on one blog along with comments collected by the author might surprise you when it comes to why Vegas saw a pile of empty seats last Thursday. Beyond that, our hosts will chat about a coaching being dismissed, the continued misuse of public funds to help billionaires, a significant drop in fans in one market, and something big happening in the Winnipeg market near the end of October! It's going to be a busy show with lots of chatter, so make sure you're ready for the discussion 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.

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 examine a harsh reality, a vacant job, misappropriation of funds, empty seats, a fun event, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A Fun Side Quest

I don't normally spend a lot of time pouring over the transaction list in hockey, but I do keep an eye on the ECHL transactions during this time of year to see if any U SPORTS players have been added or released. One name on the list jumped out to me on October 10, and I decided to look into this person because I don't know many men named "Colleen" who play hockey. Might we be seeing the Stingrays with a female goalie?

Before we get into this, let's just remember that an EBUG in the ECHL is a contract that guarantees nothing more than a few days of working in practices. They are vitally important, though, because they fill in when goalies are moving between leagues or when a netminder gets injured. We saw how important the EBUG was to the Fort Wayne Komets back in 2002 as they earned a win with EBUG Joe Franke between the pipes! Clearly, EBUGs serve an important role.

With ECHL teams currently running through training camps and preseason games, EBUGs become important as teams wait for goalies to arrive from AHL clubs or release goalies who may not be ready for ECHL action. There have been a handful signed in the last week as teams sort out their rosters, and the South Carolina Stingrays appeared to need one on Saturday as they tapped into their local Charleston Youth Hockey Association where Colleen Jacoby was working as the association's goalie coach! The Muskegon, Michigan native last played competitive hockey in 2015-16 for the ACHA Division II University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, but she was on the ice this weekend stopping pucks in an ECHL crease as she broke out the pads and mask for the Stingrays! How cool is that?

It should be noted that Colleen Jacoby wasn't likely looking for an ECHL job as she currently works as an attorney at Tecklenburg, Jenkins & Jacoby. She keeps her skills sharp through coaching and playing adult hockey around Charleston, though, so it's not like the Stingrays were throwing an untrained, unprepared player in the crease. She's still a Red Wings fan in terms of her hockey love, and her goaltending numbers at both Gustavus Adolphus College and the University of Minnesota-Duluth shows she knows how to stop pucks!

Jacoby was splitting goaltending duties over the weekend with Ben Kraws who played with the Idaho Steelheads last season, and it's expected that there will be a goaltender sent to them eventually by the Hershey Bears as they're currently carrying three goaltenders on their roster. Until they do, though, it seems that Colleen Jacoby will be wearing a Stingrays jersey! For how long is the big question.

South Carolina doesn't play a game until Friday when they travel to Jacksonville to meet the Icemen to open the 2026-27 ECHL season. On Saturday, October 17, they'll be back in Charleston for their home opener against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, and I'll be keeping my eye on the transactions records for the next few days to see if Colleen remains with the club. It's very likely that she'll be released before the team travels on Thursday, but any injury in Hershey or Washington may change those plans. Such is the nature of hockey.

You might be thinking that the Stingrays would be taking it easy on our lawyer-turned-pro-goalie, but it looks like Jacoby is holding her own in camp to the delight of her new teammates and coaches!
It's always awesome to see head coach Jesse Kallechy and the team's starting netminder and Jacoby's goaltending partner Ben Kraws excited about how she's been playing in camp, and that will only extend her stay with the Stingrays. Again, I'm not saying she'll be on the opening night roster or anything, but the fact that she can hang with ECHL shooters shows she has the talents to be in their camp.

I love stories like this and I'm glad that Jacoby's getting her chance to shine. She's a successful lawyer who clearly loves the game, but it seems she's living a dream this week as she's in a professional training camp with the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays. Even if she is released by the team, she showed she can do the job if needed. Perhaps there's some room on the Stingrays' payroll for an EBUG who is skilled enough to negotiate her own professional hockey contract?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

***UPDATE: Colleen Jacoby was released as the EBUG with Hershey assigning Garin Bjorklund to South Carolina late on October 12. As a result, Jacoby will not be on the Stingray's official roster for this week's opening games in Jacksonville and against Greenville.***

Just Dumb Scheduling

I know this seems like I'm already breaking my plan of not posting daily, but I did something last night that I haven't done in a while: I watched a hockey game without looking for a story angle. Being that I was switching into fan mode for the first time in a long time, I decided to tap into my roots by watching the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins. I grew up a Penguins fan and I still quietly cheer for the team, but last night was where I just wanted to watch Crosby, Malkin, and Letang potentially play together for one final season. Instead, play-by-play announcer Josh Getzoff dropped some peculiar news during the broadcast that left me scratching my head when it comes an oft-heard reason for ticket pricing and playoff format from the NHL's head honchos. And quite honestly, it doesn't make much sense from a fan's point of view.

The NHL has claimed over and over that the reason for not seeding playoff teams from one through eight is due to developing the natural rivalries between teams. By having stornger local rivalries, the NHL believes that more people will buy tickets to see games in-person, thereby justifying the supply-and-demand angle of raising ticket prices, specifically for certain games. After all, a rivalry between two teams generally gets the blood pumping in those fanbases.

In saying that, it left me wondering who was designing the NHL's schedule because Getzoff, during a discussion of Igor Shesterkin's season-ending injury, mentioned that the Penguins will not play the New York Rangers this season until January 29, 2027! How on earth in this age of the NHL do two divisional rivals not see each other in the first three months of the season? Who came up with this idea?

The catch, though, is that it's not just the New York Rangers. The Penguins have a deep-rooted rivalry with their Pennsylvania cousins in the Philadelphia Flyers. The Penguins opened the season by laying a 7-0 beating on the Flyers which will surely amp up the rivalry for this season when the two teams meet again, right? Except that doesn't happen until January 31, 2027 - exactly four months after that season-opening game! Does anyone feel like that 7-0 score, which helps to fuel the rivalry, won't be as fresh in anyone's mind?

The New York Islanders, who share a long and storied rivalry with the Penguins, won't see the Steel City team until January 13, 2027 this season either. And while I get that playoff races are more fun with in-division games later in the season, there's also a chance that one of these four teams will not make the playoffs nor be in a playoff race at the end of the season. I'm not here to speculate on which team(s) that might be, but one team just lost a world-class goaltender for the season and another has only scored seven goals in six games.

If the NHL wants rivalries within divisions to grow, sprinkle in the hatred throughout the season more. I want the bad blood, the hurt pride, and the general dislike to carry over week to week so that when that logo pops up on the calendar, both teams' blood starts to boil. I want the chirping and the face-washing and the slashes across the back of the legs to be a way of life when two divisional rivals meet. I want fanbases that breathe fire towards the other city.

That doesn't happen if teams don't play each other in meaningful games. No players are willing to put life and limb on the line if there's no chance of playing in the postseason. Alternatively, there might be more reason for players to take cheap shots against good players if those players aren't heading towards the postseason because the race already doesn't matter if he gets suspended. That will develop bad blood between teams, but that's not how one fosters a burning rivalry. That's why playoffs SHOULD feature rivalries.

The Penguins will play the Rangers three times between January 29 and April 6, and those games may not matter if they can't find decent goaltending to replace Shesterkin. They'll play the Islanders three times between January 13 and April 1, and those games could potentially be interesting if both the Penguins and Islanders stay healthy. And they'll play the Flyers three times between January 31 and April 3, and those games may not matter if the Flyers continue to struggle to score. That's not how to build rivalries between teams.

I clearly don't understand what goes into scheduling the entire NHL season because rivalries should be built and cultivated with games more often than the last three months of the season. Right now as a Penguins fan, the Rangers and Islanders are just two teams in the division. There isn't a rivalry there because there's nothing between the teams that would foster any sort of dislike other than past games and transgressions. After a summer apart, though, I need something to spark that hate again. Waiting until January isn't that spark.

Like a fire, you have to feed it fuel and stoke it every once in a while to have it burn hot. The NHL, it seems, believes that pouring gasoline onto a fire will make it burn hotter which is true, but only for short periods of time until that fuel is burned. That's the problem with how the NHL is treating these rivalries - it's a long-burning fire that requires fuel and stoking rather than an immediate, flammable fuel source. Unless that flammable fuel source is being used to re-ignite a long-burning fire that already existed, there's nothing there to stoke.

Penguins and Flyers fans will still dislike the other's team. Rangers and Islanders fans will never mix like oil and water. But the rivalry between the Penguins and Islanders won't get better or run deeper without playing one another more often. The same goes for the Rangers and, to some extent, the Flyers, yet the NHL will tell you that these rivalries have never been stronger at any time in history.

It's just not true, though, and their scheduling is part of the problem because I don't hate the Islanders like I did in 1993 when David Volek ended the Penguins' shot at a three-peat. That hatred doesn't exist with Bo Horvat, Matthew Schaefer, or Ilya Sorokin like it did with Volek, Rich Pilon, and Darius Kasparaitis. And squeezing three games into three months won't re-ignite that hatred for the Islanders in me.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!