I Hate Writing These

I've always admired the way that Brendan Burke went about telling the world that he was quite the same despite being socially different. Brendan Burke, the son of Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke, was a caring individual who showed an incredible amount of courage in announcing that he was gay. I had a small mention of the interview that John Buccigross of ESPN.com did with Brendan Burke on December 1, 2009, and I stand by my last words: "Being gay doesn't change who he is or how much respect I have for him. Nor should it change you."

The reason I bring up Brendan Burke today is for a more tragic reason. According to reports, Brendan Burke was driving in his black 2004 Jeep Grand Caravan that was traveling through Indiana through heavy snow. The treacherous conditions of US Interstate 35 combined with the heavy snow caused Burke to cross the dividing line into oncoming traffic where his Jeep crashed head-on with a truck heading in the opposite direction.

Brendan Burke, 21, and his passenger Mark Reedy, 18, both died as a result of their injuries. The other driver, Michael Moreland, was not seriously injured in the crash.

Whether you like Brian Burke or not, this sort of tragedy is something that no one ever wishes on another individual. The Maple Leafs have asked for privacy for the Burke family, and I certainly believe that they deserve it.

There is nothing I can say except that I'm sorry for their loss, and that the Burke family will need time to overcome this. Losing a son in the prime of his life is something I've never experienced, but the hole left behind will never be completely filled.

Take care, Burke family, and take your time in sending off Brendan. His life was only beginning, but he was already an inspiration to thousands of men and women across the world for his courage in bringing homosexuality to light in the sports world.

Rest in peace, Brendan. You will always have my respect for speaking out and helping other gay men and women in their efforts to be accepted in the locker room. You were a great man, a better son, and a superb human being. I can only hope to be as brave as you one day.

Raise you sticks high, readers, in honour of Brendan Burke, a man who deserves respect for being true to himself. And please keep the Burke family in your thoughts and prayers tonight. They can use your support in their time of sorrow.

Everybody Blogs Kovalchuk

There's your story for the next three days: Ilya Kovalchuk is now a New Jersey Devil. There are already dozens of stories on blogs and sports sites that talk about how Dvils' GM Lou Lamoriello fleeced Thrashers' GM Don Waddell, and, to some degree, you could make that case. The return of Oduya, Bergfors, Cormier, and a first-round pick seems a little low for the scoring prowess that Kovalchuk brings to the table, but this is a rental by all definitions. If GM Lou wants to sign Kovalchuk in the off-season, there will have to be some salary moves to make that happen. Since there will be a bazillion sites talking about Kovalchuk, I'm simply going in another direction. No Kovalchuk trade talk from me aside from posting a few links. Let's get at it.

• Blueland Blog talks a little about the trade. Kukla runs down the Twitter back-and-forth. Leahy posts the info on Puck Daddy, while Wyshynski's view of the trade has him already awarding the Stanley Cup to his beloved Devils. He could be right, but enough of the trade chatter. The trade happened. Let's play hockey.
• Something interesting brought up on Uni Watch Blog today. Ray Whitney has been bucking the corporate trend by altering his jersey. There's no NHL logo on his collar. From my estimation, he's been doing this since December 2008. Can anyone shed any light on why he may be doing this? Is it a comfort thing with his jersey? Stick tap to Matt Kuekes for finding this gem.
• March 12, 2010 will see the Las Vegas Wranglers don another fabulous promotional jersey. This time, the Wranglers will honour the Girl Scouts of the USA by donning this uniform for their game against the Bakersfield Condors. An interesting choice of uniform. I wonder if there will be girl scouts selling cookies in the concourse instead of 50/50 tickets?
• Nice to see Brampton Battalion forward and former Moose player Cody Hodgson on the ice tonight in the OHL. The Brampton captain, wearing #19 again tonight, had been out all season thus far with a back injury, but returned tonight against the Erie Otters. Hodgson recorded two assists, and looked very comfortable out there. Great news for a kid who missed a lot of hockey this season.
• Marco Scandella, another of Canada's World Junior team members, will join Patrice Cormier on the sidelines as he awaits a decision after he threw a hit that made contact with the head of a player from the Rimouski Oceanic. The Val-d'Or Foreurs defenceman will most likely get some time off, but it will be interesting to see how the QMJHL rules on this hit after Cormier's punishment.
• Mike Komisarek's season is over after he was told he'll need season-ending shoulder surgery. Komisarek will also miss the 2010 Winter Olympics, ending what might have been the biggest year of his career thus far. As much as I dislike the Leafs, I have no ill will towards any injured player, and I hope Komisarek makes a full and speedy recovery.
• The 1-0 victory by the Edmonton Oilers over the Philadelphia Flyers last night had some history to it. The longest game in AHL history was decided by the same player against the same goaltender. Philadelphia's Michael Leighton was the goaltender for the Albany River Rats while Edmonton's Ryan Potulny was the shooter for the Philadelphia Phantoms. Here's the video of how that one ended. After three full periods and four overtime periods, Potulny rips the winner past Leighton in the fifth overtime period. Potulny solved Leighton again last night to give the Oilers the win.

I'm sure there will be all sorts of breakdowns, examinations, and chatter about the trade in the next couple of days, but I'm not very excited about this. Kovalchuk's game is the square peg trying to be pounded into New Jersey's defensive scheme's round hole. While they may be fine during the regular season, it's the playoffs where Kovalchuk will show his mettle. Four playoff games in his career, and only two points to show for it?

That's hardly New Jersey playoff hockey.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Antler Banter: Volume 14

The Moose return home from an east coast roadtrip that saw them stop in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania with less than stellar results. However, with the number of players that have been shuffled through the Moose dressing room this season, it could almost pass as a hostel for hockey players as players travel between leagues and cities. There was more player movement this week as the Moose continue to piece together a semi-permanent lineup, so we'll take a look at the new arrivals and departures. For all of your Manitoba Moose news and information, don't forget to check out the Moose website. If you're interested in attending a Manitoba Moose game, please click here for seating information, ticket pricing, and availability. Let's see if the Moose can get back to playing Hardcore Hockey!

With four games to include on this week's Antler Banter, I'm going to run through each one quickly. I don't want to elaborate a lot, so I'll keep the recaps short and sweet. Well, maybe not so sweet. You'll see why.

Blood In The Water

The Moose came into their Wednesday night game against the Worcester Sharks having lost to the Hershey Bears in a rather ugly manner, running their losing streak to four games. There was some hope that the Moose could turn it around against one of the AHL's hottest teams. Cory Schneider got the start for Manitoba against Worcester's Alex Stalock in Manitoba's first-ever trip to Worcester.

Brandon Mashinter of the Sharks opened the scoring at 17:05 of the first when he zipped a loose puck through Cory Schneider's legs. The Moose defencemen had collapsed on Dan DaSilva who had tried to split the defence, causing Dasilva to lose the puck, and Mashinter found paydirt in the slot with his 13th goal of the year to give Worcester the 1-0 lead.

The Herd were overwhelmed as the Sharks mounted a furious offensive attack to start the second period. The Sharks were rewarded at the 1:45 mark when Benn Ferriero fired a laser of a wrist shot over Schneider's right shoulder for his 11th goal of the season, and the Sharks opened up a two-goal lead.

The game was back-and-forth in the second period as both teams had chances, but neither team could solve the other's netminder. The Moose actually won the period in shots-on-goal with a 15-14 margin, but trailed 2-0 on the scoreboard and 23-21 in SOG.

The Moose successfully killed off two early penalties in the third period, and it appeared the Hockey Gods were willing to reward their hard work. With a pile of players heading towards Desbiens who was standing in the left corner with the puck, Moose newcomer Nikita Kashirsky was left wide-open in front of the net. Desbiens found Kashirsky with the pass, and the Russian netted his second goal of the season. With 7:26 to play, the Moose trailed by a 2-1 score.

The teams battled to the final minute where, in an attempt to even the score, head coach Scott Arniel opted to pull Schneider for an extra attacker. With three seconds to play in the game, a turnover in the Sharks' zone led to Steven Zalewski firing the puck the distance of the ice into the yawning cage.

Worcester picked up the 3-1 victory, and pushed the Moose's record to 23-20-4-1. Despite losing, the Moose appeared to be a much better team than what they showed the previous weekend in Hershey.

Shark-Infested Waters

Game Two of the two-game set against Worcester went Friday night at the DCU Center. This game marked the first of a three-games-in-three-days set for the Moose, and Friday night at the DCU Center was "Guaranteed Win" night. The Moose wanted to ruin "Guaranteed Win" night for the Sharks while snapping their five-game losing streak. Schneider and Stalock got the starts in net for their respective teams again.

The Moose got off on the right foot in this game as they opened the scoring. The Moose won a defensive zone face-off, and got the puck to Guillaume Desbiens who sped up the left wing. Across the rink, Mario Bliznak tore up the right wing, and the Moose had themselves a two-on-one. A saucer pass from Desbiens past the sliding defenceman gave Bliznak the open cage, and he buried. Bliznak's sixth goal of the season put the Moose up 1-0 just 53 seconds into the game.

The Sharks tied up the game just past the midway point of the first period. A point shot was knocked down by Schneider as the Sharks crashed the net. Schneider couldn't control the rebound, and Lawrence Nycholat fanned on the clearing attempt. The puck found its way onto the stick of Brandon Mashinter who backhanded it past a screened Schneider for his 14th of the season. The Sharks drew even at 1-1 at the 13:21 mark.

With a mere 25 seconds to play in the first, Manitoba grabbed the lead. Guillaume Desbiens cruised into the Sharks zone on the right wing before turning on the afterburners against defenceman Michael Wilson. Alex Stalock had wandered a bit too far out of his crease, and Desbiens wired home a wrist shot from a bad angle along the goal line that found enough room between Stalock and the post. With Desbiens' 10th goal of the season, the Moose took a 2-1 lead into the intermission.

Early into the second period, Brandon Mashinter took a stretch pass as he crossed into the Moose zone. Mashinter patiently waited for an open man on the half-boards, and spotted Frasier McLaren cruising into the slot area. Mashinter fed McLaren nicely, and McLaren wired a puck past Schneider on his right side. McLaren's second goal of the season evened the game at 2-2 just 1:13 into the second.

Guillaume Desbiens was sent off for roughing at 9:10, and the Sharks capitalized on the powerplay. Jamie McGinn took a pass at the point before dancing along the blueline and dishing the puck to Benn Ferriero. Ferriero sent a return pass to McGinn in the slot, and McGinn blasted home a one-timer past Schneider for his sixth goal of the season, and a 3-2 lead, at 10:42. The two teams couldn't find the net in the last ten minutes, meaning Worcester led 3-2 after two periods of play, and had a 23-21 advantage in shots.

The third period didn't see any scoring until there was less than five minutes left. Worcester's Michael Wilson sent a low wrist shot in from the point that hit a fallen John McCarthy. McCarthy promptly got up off the ice and fired the puck past Schneider as he was searching for the puck. McCarthy's eighth goal of the season at 15:26 of the third period gave Worcester a 4-2 lead.

The Moose didn't stop digging, however. 1:26 after McCarthy's goal, the Moose closed the gap. Brian Salcido's point shot eluded Stalock, finding the twine. Salcido's seventh of the season made it 4-3 in favour of the Sharks.

Guillaume Desbiens had a glorious opportunity to tie the game up when he was awarded a penalty shot at the 17:22 mark when he was upended from behind. Desbiens deked to his right, but Stalock stayed right with him and stoned him on the free shot attempt.

The Sharks iced the game with four seconds to play when Dwight Helminen scored into the empty net as Manitoba had six skaters on the ice. Helminen's eighth of the season made it 5-3 for Worcester.

With the loss on Friday, Manitoba's losing streak was extended to six games, and pushed their record to 23-21-4-1 on the season. The Moose had little time off, though, as they were scheduled for a game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Moose Show Some Fight

The Moose were looking to snap what was becoming an ugly losing streak in Saturday's game. Cory Schneider started again for the Moose while Brad Theissen got the start for the Baby Penguins at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.

The game's scoring opened on a powerplay after Manitoba's Matt Pettinger was sent off for interference. On a two-on-one, Luca Caputi feathered a gorgeous pass across to Dustin Jeffrey, leaving Cory Schneider with no chance as Jeffrey tapped in the gift from the left post. Jeffrey's 14th of the season at 4:13 gave WBS the 1-0 lead.

Captain Mike Keane got the Moose on even terms a few minutes later. Lawrence Nycholat's initial pass to Keane on the right side was blocked, but the puck came right back to Nycholat who fired a low wrist shot on net. Thiessen was unable to corral the puck, and Keane headed straight for the net where he poked the loose puck past the goaltender. Mike Keane's ninth goal of the season evened the game at 1-1.

Lawrence Nycholat wasn't done there. On the powerplay a few minutes later, Nycholat unleashed a rocket that hit the crossbar behind Thiessen, and landed behind the goaltender. Sergei Shirokov zeroed in on the loose puck and slid it home behind Thiessen to give Manitoba the 2-1 lead. Shirokov's 15th goal of the season came at the 12:23 mark.

Shirokov liked the first one so much he went out and got another. Shirokov started the play off by chipping the puck in deep where Matt Pettinger went and got it. As Pettinger battled behind the net, he got the puck to Marty Murray in the left corner. Murray didn't have the puck long as he fired a pass into the slot where Shirokov was arriving. Shirokov beat Chris Connor to the puck and redirected the puck past Thiessen's left pad to give Manitoba a 3-1 lead. Shirokov's 16th of the year came with 3:13 to play in the period.

The Penguins started off the second period with a goal. Just 49 seconds in, Luca Caputi deflected a Dustin Jeffrey shot past Cory Schneider to cut the Penguins' deficit to one goal. Caputi's 16th of the season made it a 3-2 game.

The Moose didn't sit back, though. At 3:25, Marco Rosa backhanded a rebound from the top of the crease past Thiessen. Pettinger's shot from the high slot was stopped by Thiessen, but Rosa was on the doorstep and was able to whack it in past Thiessen and a defender. Rosa's 14th of the season made it a 4-2 game in favour of Manitoba.

The Penguins rallied again a few minutes later. Off a scramble, Zach Sill teed up a loose puck that Schneider blocked, but the rebound fell beside him. It appeared that Travis Ramsey tried to shovel the puck towards the boards, but Eric Tangradi was standing at the bottom of the right face-off circle. Tangradi took the gift that Ramsey gave him and deposited it in the back of the Moose net over Schneider's glove. Tangradi's 10th goal of the season at 7:23 brought the Penguins within one goal at 4-3.

The Moose rounded out the scoring in the second period when Dusty Collins got on the scoresheet. Taylor Ellington chipped the puck back into the Penguins' zone to keep the play alive, and Collins grabbed the loose puck. Collins skated the puck towards the left corner before firing a shot from a bad angle that found its way through Thiessen's pads. Collins' second goal of the season at 16:22 made the score 5-3 for the Moose.

The Penguins closed the gap once again at the start of the third period. With Evan Oberg off for tripping at 3:33, Luca Caputi potted his second of the night. Some great work along the boards by the Penguins' powerplay unit resulted in a pass from Chris Connor to a wide-open Caputi at the top of the slot. Caputi one-timed the puck past Schneider, and the Penguins trailed 5-4. Caputi's 17th goal of the season came just 4:41 into the third.

However, the Moose restored their two-goal lead off Matt Pettinger's empty net goal. With Thiessen on the bench for an extra attacker, Jannik Hansen stole the puck at the Moose blueline from defenceman Chris Lee. As Lee was hauling down Hansen, he shoveled the puck over to Pettinger who fired it into the unguarded net from just outside the Penguins' blueline. With Pettinger's ninth goal of the season, the Moose wrapped up a 6-4 win.

The Moose improved their record to 24-21-4-1, but, more important, snapped their six-game losing streak. With one game to go, there was hope the Moose could start their own winning streak as the same teams clashed on Sunday afternoon.

No Afternoon Delight

The Moose looked to build on a positive, while the Penguins looked for the split against the Moose. Daren Machesney drew the assignment for the Moose while the Penguins responded by sending John Curry to the blue paint.

The Moose got started early in this game. Before the majority of the crowd had even sat down, Sergei Shirokov picked up a loose puck and fired a low shot towards the net. The puck was picked up on the way to the net by Matt Pettinger who slid it backhand from the top of the crease under Curry's leg to give the Moose a 1-0 lead just 1:07 in. Pettinger's 10th goal of the season was pretty.

At the 14:04 mark, Tom Galvin was given two minutes to think about what he did wrong in earning a delay-of-game penalty, and the Penguins capitalized. Robert Bortuzzo slid the puck across the blueline to defensive partner Ben Lovejoy, and Lovejoy wired home a slapshot past a screened Machesney. Lovejoy's fifth of the season came at 15:21, and the teams were tied at 1-1.

The second period only saw one goal scored, and the home team earned the marker. A turnover cost the Moose dearly. Casey Pierro-Zabotel fired a pass into the slot from the left corner and found Tim Wallace with no one near him for miles. Wallace pulled the puck from his backhand to his forehand around Machesney, and tucked the puck into the cage. Wallace's pretty 13th goal of the season came at 12:26 to give the Penguins the 2-1 lead.

The two teams appeared to be a little less energetic as the game wore on, and we didn't see another goal until the end of the game. For the fourth straight game, an empty net goal was scored. With Machesney on the bench for the extra attacker, Luca Caputi won a race for a rolling puck and swept it into the Manitoba net for his 18th goal of the season, and the 3-1 Penguins' victory.

With the loss, the Moose drop to 24-22-4-1 on the season. The 1-for-6 roadtrip didn't help them at all in the North Division standings as the Moose still sit in third-place, only three points ahead of Lake Erie, and four ahead of Abbotsford. However, they trail second-place Rochester by seven points, and are a full 18 points back of first-place Hamilton. Ouch.

How Long Are You Here For?

Lots of player movement in Moose-land again. However, a couple of big names come to the Moose via the Anaheim Ducks, so there is some rejoicing in Moose-ville tonight.

• Jannik Hansen - assigned by Vancouver. The Canucks sent Jannik Hansen to the Moose on a reconditioning assignment, so he's only wearing antlers for a couple of weeks at the most. However, head coach Scott Arniel wants to see offence out of the Danish skater.
• Eric Walsky - assigned to Victoria. The plucky forward couldn't seem to put points on the board, so the Moose sent Walsky to the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL in the hopes that he'll regain some confidence and his scoring touch.
• Dan Sexton - assigned by Anaheim. The scoring forward was a welcomed addition the first time he was in town, and this time is no different. Sexton had a great run with the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL, but the addition of Jason Blake meant someone had to be demoted. Sexton is more than welcome on the Moose roster in this writer's eyes.
• Chad Painchaud - released from PTO. With the addition of Sexton, there were too many Moose in the pasture. Painchaud was released from his contract and will return to the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL.
• Nick Boynton - assigned by Anaheim. This addition is gigantic. With the Moose missing five defencemen to injury or having been recalled by Vancouver, getting a veteran like Boynton is huge. Boynton brings the experience of over 500 NHL games to the Moose, and makes the Moose a much scarier team when guys like Mathieu Schneider, Nolan Baumgartner, and Nathan McIver return.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The Moose welcome the San Antonio Rampage to MTS Centre this weekend for a two-game set. The Rampage currently sit in last place in the West Division, and are 3-4-0-3 in their last ten games. The Moose need to capitalize on this matchup to start putting some space between themselves and Lake Erie and Abbotsford.

It needs to be said that the Moose cannot take the Rampage lightly. The Rampage have a lot of young talent that can score, so any sort of disrespect that the Moose show could hurt them badly. Brett MacLean leads the Rampage in scoring with 20 goals and 25 points. Sean Sullivan is right behind him with 34 points. Josh Tjordman doesn't have the record that he'd like at 9-11-2-0, but his 2.74 GAA and .912 save percentage say that he's certainly capable of shutting down a team if given the chance.

The Moose should aim for all four points this weekend. A split with an inferior team in the standings should be nothing less than a failure, and the Moose need to gain the maximum number of points that they can at this juncture.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

This Ain't No Will Smith Song

That's a pretty good start for Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Giguere did something last night that only one other goaltender in the Toronto Maple Leafs' history has done. "Giggy" posted a shutout in his very first start in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform, equaling the mark set by Ed Belfour in 2002. No other goaltenders in the Leafs' history have recorded a shutout in their first starts except these two men. Not a bad way to start your career in the Centre of the Hockey Universe if you JS Giguere at all. However, what was more impressive was the play of the entire Toronto team tonight against New Jersey.

I spoke the other day of how Dion Phaneuf's career needed to be defined clearly by both Ron Wilson and Brian Burke if he were to remain an elite player. I compared Phaneuf to Scott Stevens in that Stevens was a feared scorer at the start of his career before becoming the most dominant physical player of his generation. When that change was made, Stevens achieved the highest honour: hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Dion Phaneuf's play tonight had me seeing shades of Stevens again. Phaneuf was a physical force out there, punishing New Jersey's stars every time they crossed the blueline. And when Colin White took exception to Phaneuf's physicality, White took the full wrath of a renewed Phaneuf. Much like Stevens, his physical play was backed up by his gloveless fists, as White found out.

Fredrik Sjostrom, part of the deal to bring Phaneuf to Toronto, also helped out his new team when his shot was stopped, but Nikolai Kulemin pounced on the rebound to give Toronto the early 1-0 lead. Sjostrom looked comfortable in a Leafs uniform, and could start producing with lowered expectations put on him. Sjostrom's speed and puck pursuit were evident on the Leafs' penalty-killing unit that prevented the Devils from scoring with the man-advantage.

However, there needs to be something said about Giguere's play tonight. He is now tied for the team-lead in shutouts this season (that's not saying much), but his 30-save performance was certainly reminiscent of the old Giguere that carried the Ducks to the Stanley Cup Finals.

"I was nervous tonight, to be honest, I didn't feel very good out there," Giguere told the Jeremy Sandler of the National Post. "The last two days were really tough, just a lot of things going on, a lot of people to talk to and stuff like that. I'm looking forward to the next couple of days her to kind of settle down and get ready for the next game."

While the Leafs only have 47 points, they sit 35 points away from 82 points. 82 points is, of course, the magical point total that they need to achieve for me to give away a Leafs jersey this season. With a mere 25 games remaining in the NHL season, the Leafs will have to go 17-7-1 in those last 25 games to make it to 82 points.

I'm confident that this Leafs team won't make it to 82 points this season, but they looked just good enough last night to put a little bit of fear in me. The Leafs jersey that is sitting in plastic on my desk right now wants to be given away, and the Leafs looked like they want me to give it away tonight. It's the first time all season that I've felt like the Leafs want me to award the jersey.

Here's hoping they can make it interesting down the stretch. Their magic number is sitting at eight losses. If you want a chance at a free Leafs jersey, now might be the best time to start cheering them on.

And if the Leafs can continue getting "Giggy" with it, they may just scare a few teams along the way too.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Digging Through The Internet

I really don't feel like yapping about the new Flames who are on the ice against the Flyers tonight. All four players that the Flames acquired from the Leafs are in the lineup, but I want to bring everyone up-to-date on some other leagues that are out there. The NHL gets a lot of coverage across the Internet, but the other professional leagues don't seem to get the same coverage. In saying that, here are updates from the other leagues across the globe.

• Don't look now, but it's a three dog race over in the KHL for the top spot. SKA Saint Petersburg is currently in first place with 111 points by virtue of having more wins, but Salavat Yulaev Ufa has the same number of points despite having less wins. Hot on their heels is Metallurg Magnitogorsk with 106 points.
• Alexei Yashin, Maxim Sushinsky, and Sergei Mozyakin lead the KHL in scoring with 58 points apiece. Yashin and Sushinsky both play for SKA St. Petersburg while Mozyakin plays for Atlant Mytishchi. It's hard to believe that Yashin is at the top of the scoring list, but there he sits. Sorry to all Islanders and Senators fans.
• Marcel Hossa sits by himself at the top of the goal-scoring list. Hossa has lit the lamp 31 times for Dinamo Riga as they cling to the eighth-place spot in the Western Conference. You wonder if these former NHL players are better for having played in the NHL, or if this is pure talent alone. Personally, the former seems more believable in terms of their "newly-found" talents. Hossa also leads the league in powerplay goals with 13.
• Darcy Verot, the man who was a major player in the Vityaz Chekhov-Avangard Omsk brawl a few weeks ago, leads the KHL in sin bin time. Amazingly, Verot has recorded 345 PIMs in 33 games this season - an average of over 10 minutes in penalties per game! Second-place Evgeny Skachkov of Traktor Chelyabinsk only trails Verot by a mere 208 PIMs! Is there really any need for Verot in the game of hockey at all?
• Robert Esche is the top goaltender in the KHL with a record of 26-8-4 for SKA St. Petersburg. He has one of the top GAAs at 1.94, and his six shutouts is second in the KHL. Not bad for a guy that both Phoenix and Philadelphia were courting this past off-season.
• The Hershey Bears are the top team in the AHL right now with 76 points off a 37-9-0-2 record. The Bears are the best offensive team in the AHL by a wide margin, having scored 211 goals-for thus far this season. The Bears also sit with the second-best goals-against total in the AHL with only 112 GA. The Bears are literally a juggernaut this season.
• Keith Aucoin of the Hershey Bears is your leading scorer in the AHL. Aucoin has 71 points, including a league-best 28 goals thus far this season. What might be more impressive is that Alexandre Giroux of the Bears sits second in league scoring, while Andrew Gordon sits sixth. That's three players in the top-six scorers. Now you see why the Bears are sitting in first-place overall.
• The debate about the top goaltender in the AHL is a little more complicated. Peter Mannino of the Chicago Wolves has the best GAA at 1.76, but has only played 18 games with a record of 13-3-0. Braden Holtby of the Hershey Bears has the best winning percentage as his 16-2-1 record is impeccable. However, Alex Stalock of the Worcester Sharks has the most wins with a 26-11-1 record thus far.
• In continuing the legacy that the Washington Capitals and its affiliates are building, the Bears lead the AHL, and the ECHL is led by the South Carolina Sting Rays. The Rays have a total of 68 points on a record of 30-12-4-4, good for first overall right now in the ECHL. However, the Rays' lead may be short-lived once the schedules begin to even out. The Idaho Steelheads have a record of 30-11-0-2 for 62 points, and have seven games in-hand on the Rays. It appears there may be a race for first-place in the ECHL this season.
• Ryan Kinasewich of the Utah Grizzlies and Justin Donati of the Elmira Jackals lead the ECHL in scoring with 64 points. Justin is one point ahead of teammate and identical twin Tyler Donati who has 63 points for the Jackals this season. These three men have a ten-point cushion on their closest rival. Kinasewich leads the AHL in goals with 31 as well.
• Again, goaltending is a little cloudy as to who is the best netminder. Barry Brust of the Florida Everblades leads the ECHL in GAA with a 2.24 average, but he has only appeared in 16 games. David Shantz of the Victoria Salmon Kings had the best winning percentage as his 18-5-4-0 record was tops in the ECHL before he was recalled by the AHL's Abbotsford Heat. Timo Pielmeier of the Bakersfield Condors has the most wins with 19 thus far.
• The IHL's top team right now is the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Muskegon's 30-10-0-3 record has them sitting with 63 points, four points better than the Port Huron Icehawks who have a record of 28-12-0-3.
• Muskegon has two players who are running away with the scoring lead. Robin Bouchard currently leads the IHL in scoring with 68 points, while teammate Todd Robinson sits with 64 points. Robinson is 15-points better than third-place Mickael Bedard of the Port Huron Icehawks. Bouchard is the top goal-scorer in the IHL with 36, and he has a ten-goal lead on Bedard as well.
• Goaltending stats are always a little more difficult to pinpoint, but Tim Haun of the Fort Wayne Komets leads the IHL with a 2.27 GAA. However, Sebastien Centomo of the Muskegon Lumberjacks leads the IHL in wins with 20, and in winning percentage in posting a 20-7-0-2 record, and would be my pick for the top goaltender in the IHL right now. Centomo is tied for the lead in shutouts with Derek MacIntyre of the Dayton Gems. Both goalies have three shutouts this season.
• The Odessa Jackalopes are the top team in the Central Hockey League right now by a comfortable margin. Odessa has built up a 13-point lead as they jumped out to a 34-6-4 record thus far. They have 72 points, and look to be the class of the league.
• Kevin Ulanski of the Colorado Eagles holds the scoring lead in the CHL right now with 67 points. Ulanski has an eight-point lead over teammate Riley Nelson in the scoring race. Chad Woollard of the Corpus Christi IceRays leads the CHL in goal-scoring with 24. However, there is a tight race for this accolade, so keep your eyes on this one. Woollard also leads the league in powerplay goals with 13.
  
• Once again, we wade into the murky goaltending stats. Jean-Philippe Lavasseur of the Laredo Bucks leads the CHL with a 2.31 GAA, but has only appeared in 16 games this season. However, the man who appears to be the best goaltender thus far is Odessa's Joel Martin. Martin has put together a season-best winning percentage with his 18-3-2-1 record. The man with the most wins thus far this season is Chris Whitley of the Allen Americans. Whitley has 20 wins to his name this season so far.

There are your updates from the pro leagues around North America and that other "big" league across the pond. I'm absolutely impressed with the work being done by the Washington Capitals and its affiliates in each of their respective leagues. Washington is near the top of the NHL standings, the Hershey Bears are leading the AHL in a number of stats, and the South Carolina Sting Rays are tops in the ECHL. That's outstanding!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!