The Unwanted Man

The image to the left is one that Jets fans know all too well. There were times when it appeared that Ondrej Pavelec was in excellent position and square to the shooter only to be fishing the puck out the net behind him moments later. That's not to say that Pavelec is a terrible goalie, but the Winnipeg Jets have decided to accelerate the timetable this season by placing Ondrej Pavelec on waivers while keeping Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson with the NHL club. Pavelec is expected to clear waivers due to his salary and report to the AHL's Manitoba Moose.

For a guy like me who looks at stats and tries to interpret the numbers a little more, Pavelec is, statistically, one of the worst starting netminders in the NHL. However, he's battled through some terrible teams in front of him to last nine grueling seasons with the Thrashers and Jets, but it appears his time is up. One year too soon, might I add.

The business side of the game is an easy explanation. Pavelec will be a free agent at the end of the season, and the Jets are hitching their wagons to Connor Hellebuyck in the near future. The Jets, however, needed some insurance in order to protect Hellebuyck in the Las Vegas expansion draft, so they went out and signed Michael Hutchinson - who was deemed to be expendable at the end of last season - to a two-year deal in order to expose Hutchinson in the expansion draft. Otherwise, this season would have seen Hellebuyck and Pavelec playing with the Jets and Eric Comrie and Jamie Phillips tending net for the Manitoba Moose. The Las Vegas expansion draft was the proverbial wrench in the gears for the Jets this season.

Had Winnipeg not had to expose a goaltender to the Las Vegas team, Hutchinson would have been very likely in another city this season. However, the cost of signing Pavelec to another one-year deal only to have to weather that storm if Las Vegas didn't select him - and why would they based on his stats? - was unlikely based on what his salary asks would have been. Therefore, signing Hutchinson to a very team-friendly deal and letting Pavelec play out his final season was an easy decision for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to make. It slowed the arrival of Eric Comrie by one season, but Comrie will get the bulk of the playing time in the AHL as it stands.

As we saw with the waiver wire today, there were a number of good players and veteran players cast aside by teams who are loading up on youth and speed. Ondrej Pavelec is literally caught in the numbers as he shows flashes of brilliance that have been marred with periods of inconsistent play. While it's difficult to bid adieu to a player who has been with the club for a decade at the NHL level, that's the business of sports and the NHL in today's reality.

However, Ondrej Pavelec, in my view, should not take this as a demotion or a setback. He's a professional when it comes to his job, and I have a feeling that he's prepared to head down to the AHL and do whatever may be necessary to keep his name on the Jets' radar. If he goes down to Manitoba and plays well in his starts to post some decent numbers, he'll be recalled by the Jets if there's an injury to Hellebuyck or Hutchinson. If he goes down to Manitoba and does all of that and acts professionally while helping Comrie elevate his game, I suspect that the Jets will do whatever they can to help him find a home before the end of the season. Character says a lot about a person, and Ondrej Pavelec has never been one to whine, bitch, and moan when it comes to his situation.

We always talk about the good guys in sports who deserve better. Ondrej Pavelec's career in Winnipeg is turning out to be one of those stories where had his numbers been a little better and had the Jets not drafted two blue-chip goalies in Hellebuyck and Comrie, the ending to this story could be much different. The NHL is as much a business as it is a game, though, and winning matters. Winning puts butts in seats, winning gets you home playoff dates, and winning attracts more fans. In all three of those cases, the bottom line usually sees a healthy return thereby justifying the business side of the game more than the loyalty side. That's the reality of pro sports in today's world.

Sometimes, sports can be cruel to guys needing a break. Ondrej Pavelec needed that break this season to really show future employers that he can post NHL-quality numbers. Instead, teams will take a chance on his character as he'll most likely be a backup for his next contract. That's not to say that he can't still win a starting job, but his work in the AHL will need to turn some heads if he hopes to continue his NHL career.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Rundown - Week 1

The Rundown returns on HBIC this season as I focus on women's university hockey in Canada once more. If there's one segment of sports that's woefully overlooked by almost all media in Canada, it's that of the CIS and particularly women's sports in the CIS. I happen to enjoy the hockey played by the women in the CIS because it has all the skill and action of women's hockey while being local to a number of cities and communities across this great nation. Honestly, do yourself a favor and get out to see some of the great women who have played hockey at your local university. You won't be disappointed!

Canada West Results

ALBERTA at CALGARY: The battle of these two Alberta teams was certainly buoyed by the fact that Calgary had Sasha Vafina return for another season while Alberta recruited well and brought in some dynamic young players after a number of key graduations. The Dinos, who rallied to make the playoffs in the final weeks last season, got off to a hot start in this one!

Just 2:36 in, the Dinos were on the board. Rookie Kira Makuk netted her first CIS goal past Alberta netminder Lindsey Post on a nice spin that allowed her to sweep the puck past the outstretched netminder for the 1-0 lead! Two minutes later, the Russian phenom struck as Vafina beat one defender and then wired a puck into the top corner past Post at the 4:36 mark for a 2-0 Calgary lead! Rylee Smith assisted on both goals to put her on top as the leading scorer in Canada West early in this season!

For the next 35 minutes, there was little to talk about as both teams settled down and defended well. Alberta, however, seemed to carry the play in the second period more than Calgary, and they came close to scoring on a couple of power-play chances. If the tide was turning in this game, Alberta would need to carry that momentum into the third period.

The Pandas would finally strike at 3:58 into the third period. Alex Poznikoff, who had an outstanding rookie season last year for Alberta, buried a pass from Amy Boucher past Hayley Dowling, and it was suddenly a 2-1 game. Alberta continued to press throughout the period, but Calgary would only bend under the pressure as they continued to deny the equalizer. Howie Draper pulled Post from the net for the extra attacker, and his gamble would pay off in the final minute as Poznikoff found the puck in a scramble and dented the twine behind Dowling for her second goal of the game with 36 seconds to play! Canada West would see its first overtime game of the season on the first night!

In the extra frame, Sasha Vafina was whistled for using her body too aggressively just 28 seconds in, and that would be the opportunity that the Pandas needed. 1:04 later, Amy Boucher wristed a shot high on the blocker side that Dowling couldn't stop, and the Pandas captured their first win of the season with the 3-2 overtime victory for two important points.

CALGARY at ALBERTA: Game Two between these two rivals went Saturday in Edmonton for the first home-and-home series of the Canada West season. Despite the effort put in by the Dinos on Friday, Saturday's game was far different. The Pandas scored a pair of goals in each period as Sasha Lutz and Kennedy Ganser on the power-play staked the Pandas to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes, Amy Boucher and Ganser with her second of the game made it 4-0 after two periods, and Autumn MacDougall and Hannah Olenyk on the power-play gave the Pandas a 6-0 win. Dayna Owen had a fairly quiet night, needing just ten saves for the shutout while Hayley Dowling surrendered the six goals on 36 shots. Calgary's scoreless streak on the first weekend extended to 115:24 after scoring two goals in 4:36 in the opening game.

MOUNT ROYAL at REGINA: The Cougars opened their season by hosting the Cougars on Friday night, and... oh, I guess that's not really helpful when both teams have the same team name. Regina has a new starting netminder in Jane Kish after Toni Ross graduated last season, and the usual suspects of scoring threats is back with Magwood, Gavelin, and Waldenberger being the prominent names. Mount Royal, who battled hard only to miss the playoffs last year, returns with Emma Pincott between the pipes and the likes of Sarah Weninger, and Cylenna and Channia Alexander carrying the offensive load. In the first meeting between these two teams this season, which Cougars would prevail?

The opening goal for the Regina Cougars would come at 16:05 of the first period when Emma Waldenberger separated a Mount Royal defender from the puck, and Lilla Carpenter-Boesch scooped up the puck and went the opposite way. Waldenberger joined her to make it a two-on-oh from the blue line in on netminder Emma Pincott, and the two Regina forwards kept Pincott on her toes as they passed the puck back and forth before Waldenberger took the puck back at the top of the crease and slipped it past a prone Pincott for the 1-0 lead.

Rookie Elise Endicott made it a 2-0 game in the second period when a turnover in the Mount Royal zone that deflected off the skate of teammate Meghan Shervan found Endicott's stick, and her shot from the slot deflected off a defender's stick past Pincott for a 2-0 Regina lead at 12:40.

Mount Royal came out determined in the third period after posting few chances through the first 40 minutes. Jolene Kirkpatrick was forced to use the body to slow down a Mount Royal attacker, and that led to her watching from the penalty box at the 2:05 mark. She wasn't there long, though, as second-year player Gabrielle Seper found the back of the net off a scramble on a rebound in front of Kish at 2:40 to make it a 2-1 game. Regina's big line would answer back, though, as Jaycee Magwood's low shot was stopped by Pincott, but Kylie Gavelin was all alone to deposit the rebound in the back of the net for a 3-1 Regina lead at 11:01. An empty-net goal by Lilla Carpenter-Boesch with 14 seconds to play sealed the deal for the Cougars as Jane Kish picks up the 4-1 win while Emma Pincott suffers the loss.

MOUNT ROYAL at REGINA: Mount Royal would need to be better defensively on Saturday after a few key breakdowns on Friday night. Regina came in looking to wrap up a six-point weekend on home ice, and they got the start they needed at 4:54 of the first period when Bailey Braden pulled off a wrap-around attempt that got through Emma Pincott, but Melissa Zerr was on the far post to bang home the rebound for the early 1-0 Regina lead and her first CIS goal.

Jumping ahead to the second period, Mount Royal squared the score early after Alexis Larson was caught for tripping just 59 seconds in. The man-advantage saw Shawni Rodeback fire a shot at Jane Kish from the point, but it hit Gabrielle Seper's skate. Seper was able to kick it to her stick, wheel around, and slide a low shot that got under Kish's pad at 2:39 for her second goal of the season and the 1-1 tie. Another tripping penalty would result in a goal as Mount Royal's Rachel Piitz was sent off at 15:06 for two minutes or less, and it would be less. It took Regina 1:39 to find the back of the net on the power-play, but Krista Metz's shot from the wing was deflected in front by Jaycee Magwood past Emma Pincott, and the Cougars would go up 2-1 on he power-play marker at 16:45!

The two teams would play a little four-on-four after penalties 33 seconds apart negated a Mount Royal power-play, but it was the Megan Carver tripping penalty at 4:43 that would cost Mount Royal. From the top of the right circle, Alexis Larson wired home a high wrist shot on the glove side that Pincott couldn't corral, and the Regina Cougars jumped out to a 3-1 lead on the power-play goal at 5:46. From there, it was all about puck and zone management for head coach Sarah Hodges. Despite pulling Pincott, Mount Royal got no closer as the Regina Cougars took this game by a 3-1 score. Jane Kish earned the win while Emma Pincott took her second loss of the season.

SASKATCHEWAN at UBC: The Huskies and Thunderbirds met in Vancouver on Friday night to open the season. Saskatchewan has another strong team with a number of key returnees such as goaltender Cassidy Hendricks and forwards Kaitlin Willoughby and Lauren Zary. UBC, after earning a silver medal at the CIS Championship last season, saw a number of key players depart, but they'll be paced by Nicole Saxvik, Kathleen Cahoun, and Celine Tardif. Will the loss of Danielle Dube set the T-Birds back?

In Friday night's game, that answer was no. The first period was played without a goal, but the second period saw the Thunderbirds explode for three goals. Nicole Saxvik scored at 3:51, Alexa Ranahan added another at 6:37, and Cassandra Vilgrain made it 3-0 at 16:40. Add ina fourth goal in the third period by Madison Patrick, and the Thunderbirds had this one in the bag with a 4-0 lead. That would end up being the final score as Amelia Boughn earned her first CIS win and shutout in stopping all 17 shots she faced. Cassidy Hendricks was on the losing end of this one after allowing four goals on 23 shots. Saxvik and Vilgrain both had a goal and two assists in the efforts as UBC kicked off their Canada West Championship with an impressive victory!

SASKATCHEWAN at UBC: There was no doubt that the Huskies were going to need a better effort on Saturday. They would find that effort in a big way. With Madison Patrick off for interference at 13:35, Saskatchewan's Kaitlyn Willoughby went to work on the power-play! First, she found some room through Amelia Boughn to make it 1-0 at 14:56. UBC's parade to the sin bin continued as Kenzie Robinson was sent off for bodychecking at 15:37 and Kelly Murray joined her at 16:15 for hooking. With the Huskies playing 5-on-3, Willoughby struck again as she wired a wrist shot to the far side that Boughn couldn't knock away, and it was 2-0 for the Huskies at 17:15!

UBC cut the deficit to one goal early in the second period as Cassandra Vilgrain scored high on Cassidy Hendricks on a breakaway at 4:04, and it was 2-1. 1:04 later, a deflected puck found Saskatchewan's Brooke Patron all alone beside the UBC net and she made no mistake in burying the puck behind Amelia Boughn to make it 3-1. Vilgrain was back at it at 10:55 when she got Hendricks to open up along the ice, sliding the puck underneath the Huskies' netminder to make it 3-2.

At 15:05, Saskatchewan's Rachel Johnson was hauled down on a breakaway, so that meant one thing: penalty shot! Johnson made no mistake as she went five-hole on Boughn to make it a 4-2 lead for Saskatchewan. With 52 seconds remaining in the second period, though, UBC would pull within one goal again when Kenzie Robinson split the Huskies defenders and found the back of the net to make it a 4-3.

Things seemed to settle down in the third period, but there was one moment of craziness when Elizabeth Salyn scored a goal off a puck that took a crazy hop and settled on the tape of her stick where she fired home her first of the season at 13:34 to make it 5-3. The final horn would show that same score as the difference as Saskatchewan rallied back on Saturday for the win. Cassidy Hendricks stopped 24 of 27 shots she faced while Amelia Boughn was on the losing side of the ledger on this day.

MANITOBA at LETHBRIDGE: Manitoba comes into the season hungry after losing in Game Three of the Canada West Final last season, and they've added a number of skilled players to their roster. Lethbridge, after taking Canada West by storm in the first-half last season, is looking for consistency as they push for a playoff spot in 2016-17. Would we see them start the same way as they did last season with an upset over UBC?

No. No, we would not. Both teams came out of the gates firing, but neither team could find the scoreboard despite there being 26 shots fired at the two nets. Manitoba led 14-12 in shots through the opening frame, but the two teams remained tied at 0-0.

Amber Yuha was sent off at the 5:03 mark for tripping, and Manitoba would break the stalemate. After a couple of chances by Courtlyn Oswald and Karissa Kirkup, Alana Serhan picked up the loose puck off Jessica Lohues' pads and found room to slide the puck into the net for the Bisons at 6:27 for the 1-0 lead. The two teams traded chances and power-play opportunities through the remainder of the period, but the Bisons would enter the intermission with the one-goal lead, having outshot the Pronghorns by a 19-5 margin in the stanza.

The penalties would continue into the third period as these two teams continued to play physical. At 10:49, Mattie Apperson would be called for cross-checking, and it would prove costly. Alanna Sharman, Manitoba's leading scorer the last two seasons, took the puck off the wall, skated into the face-off circle, and fired a shot that found room on the short side for the 2-0 lead with 8:30 to play. Head coach Jon Rempel effectively swapped lines and kept the Pronghorns off-kilter for the rest of the game as Rachel Dyck closed out her first win and shutout in stopping all 23 shots in the 2-0 victory. Jessica Lohues stopped 46 of 48 shots in the loss.

MANITOBA at LETHBRIDGE: The second half of this weekend's clash between the Bisons and Pronghorns was less competitive than Friday night's tilt. Manitoba jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period off goals by Lauren Keen at 10:37, a power-play goal by Alana Serhan at 17:59, and a marker by Erica Rieder at 18:10. Venla Hovi would score her first of the season at 19:12 of the second period to make it a 4-0 game. Alanna Sharman would add a power-play goal at 1:19 and an even-strength goal at 4:51 to make it 6-0 for the Bisons before Sarah Spence broke Amanda Schubert's shutout at 7:31. That would be all the scoring, though, as Manitoba rolls to the 6-1 win. Schubert stopped 10 of 11 shots she faced while Jessica Lohues was under fire once more, stopping 43 of 49 shots sent her way.

CWUAA WOMEN'S HOCKEY

School	Record	Points	GF	GA	Streak	Next
Manitoba	2-0-0-0	6	8	1	W2	@ MRU
Regina	2-0-0-0	6	7	2	W2	vs LET
Alberta	1-0-1-0	5	9	2	W2	@ SAS
British Columbia	1-1-0-0	3	7	5	L1	vs CAL
Saskatchewan	1-1-0-0	3	5	7	W1	vs ALB
Calgary	0-1-0-1	1	2	9	L2	@ UBC
Mount Royal	0-2-0-0	0	2	7	L2	vs MAN
Lethbridge	0-2-0-0	0	1	8	L2	@ REG

Ontario Results

The Ontario University Athletics Conference has played just one game thus far, so there wasn't much happening there.

The Western Mustangs beat the Guelph Griffins 3-2 in overtime on goals by Shana Alexander, Amanda Pereira, and the winner from Marlowe Pecora at 1:59 of the extra frame. Guelph had goals scored by Kelly Gribbons on the power-play and Mackenzie Wong in the loss. Katie Jacobs stopped 20 of 22 shots for the win while Valerie Lamenta stopped 36 of 39 shots in the loss.

With only one game being played this weekend, I'm not posting the standings. There is a full schedule of games next weekend as the OUA officially kicks off the season, so I'll have a full rundown of those games next week.

Quebec Results

The regular season for the RSEQ doesn't start until Friday, October 14. Ottawa will play Concordia on Friday, and Montreal meets Concordia on Sunday as the only RSEQ games for next weekend. I'll have info on both games next weekend.

Maritime Results

The Atlantic University Sports Conference starts their regular season on Friday, October 14, so stay tuned for those results. There will be a pile of scores as the Atlantic teams get their seasons underway.

The Last Word

When was the last time I could proudly say that Manitoba is the best team in the country statistically? With Regina facing Lethbridge and Manitoba facing Mount Royal next weekend, the October 20 home opener for Manitoba against Regina could be an early battle of undefeated teams. As we saw in Canada West last year, no lead in the standings is ever safe, so circle your calendars on that date as we might be previewing the Canada West Championship on that night!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Monarchs Musicians And More

I really appreciate the effort that SNHU Arena puts into taking photos and posting them on their website. The arena, like most in North America, plays host to a number of concerts and events every year, and they often have big-name musicians roll through town. When they do, they routinely award these musicians a Manchester Monarchs jersey and capture the jersey exchange in a picture! If you've been following the Musicians In Jerseys series, you know that there is an entire section dedicated to the Manchester Monarchs because they churn out so many photos, and today I add a few more as we look at the next wave of Monarch jersey-clad musicians!

Again, if you want to see the full collection of musicians wearing hockey jerseys, you can find the photos here. I'm always looking for your photos as well, and I will credit you for the pictures if you send me any, so snap a picture at the next concert when you see a musician in a jersey and send it here!

Without further adieu, let's check out who traveled through Manchester, New Hampshire!

Among the various concerts that passed through the SNHU Arena were Ariana Grande, Miranda Lambert in 2013 and again in 2015, Alice Cooper, Dierks Bentley, Rob Zombie, Michael Bublé, Thomas Rhett, Lee Brice, Eric Church, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean in 2014 and again in 2016, and, of course, Justin Bieber!

Ok, so there's everyone who toured through New Hampshire according to SNHU Arena. Before we get started, I want to remind everyone that this examination is about musicians wearing or holding jerseys. It's not about just producing a jersey with a musician's name on it. If there's no proof of holding or wearing the jersey, it does not get included in this series of articles. In saying that, let's take a look at the rest of the world and who went where when it came to getting hockey jerseys while touring!

We'll start in Montreal where the Imagine Dragons were given their own individual jerseys! We'll follow the band as they move across the country to the XCel energy Center in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and the Minnesota Wild welcomed them with their own personalized jerseys as well! The Imagine Dragons were off to the Pepsi Center in Denver where they received one jersey? Seriously? The band is four members deep, yet the Avalanche cough up one jersey? Wow.

In one of the cooler moments from recent concerts, Canadian Michael Bublé was in Raleigh, North Carolina for an evening. During his concert, he was present with a Carolina Hurricanes, only it wasn't for him. Instead, it was presented to him for his new-born son, Elías! Dad happily accepted the gift for his son! Well-played, Carolina!

I had to do some searching for why the Columbus Blue Jackets have never delivered a jersey to any musicians that have come through Nationwide Arena. It turns out that they do something very unique: they provide customized robes to musicians! That's Elle King in her jersey-robe! Pretty cool, right? It turns out, however, that they did give the Dixie Chicks personalized jerseys, so there are your first Columbus Blue Jackets musicians!

It's rare to see both home and road jerseys given to musicians, but Cage The Elephant visited Buffalo and came away with some Sabres jerseys! Looking good!

I'm not aware of American country music star Easton Corbin, but the musician met up with fellow country music star Carrie Underwood in Buffalo and endeared himself to the pro-Sabres crowd very nicely! Word out of Buffalo is that Underwood called Easton a "traitor" for wearing the shirt, so he must have pledged his allegiance to the Predators at some point!

As surprising as it may be, Miley Cyrus has not appeared on any of these musicians articles. Well, that streak comes to an end tonight as she visited Minneapolis/St. Paul in 2013, and the Wild presented her with her own jersey. At least she didn't shred it to show more skin.

Chris Jericho, lead singer of Fozzy, was in Los Angeles for a wrestling event, but the Los Angeles Kings presented him with a retro "Irvine" jersey. As you may be aware, Chris' real last name is Irvine and his dad, Ted, played for the Kings during his career! Kudos to the LA Kings for giving Chris a jersey that also honours his father's career!

I'm pretty sure that Ireland is not a hockey hotbed. In fact, I'd bet that soccer, hurling, and golf are bigger sports than hockey. That being said, Irish rockers U2 have played across the globe and in many hockey rinks as they have toured. In Boston, U2 was given a Bruins jersey as well as a commemorative banner! I guess that makes Bono and the boys Bruins fans!

If you were a fan of the hip-hop movement in the 1990s, you knew the names Bell Biv Devoe and Bobby Brown. I wasn't aware that they were still making and performing music in the new millennium, but it appears they made a stop in Tampa Bay where the Lightning presented them all with personalized jerseys!

I know he's a die-hard Nashville Predators fan and attends their games as often as he can, but Vince Gill was a hockey fan long before the Predators rolled into town. Here's an old picture of Gill wearing an Edmonton Oilers jersey! How about that hair?

Speaking of Edmonton, we've already seen Keith Urban wearing the new alternate jersey that the Oilers have, but Keith Urban has also worn Edmonton's white jersey as well! Keith Urban might be a true Oilers fan!

We all know how revered The Tragically Hip are in Canada. The band has songs about hockey, they've featured Don Cherry in a music video, and they hail from Kingston where the OHL Frontenacs are beloved. It's almost surprising that they aren't featured wearing hockey jerseys more often, but here is the legendary band being presented with Winnipeg Jets jerseys during their stop in the Manitoba capital!

Country singer Blake Shelton has toured all over North America, and his stop in Minneapolis/St. Paul in 2013 resulted in Shelton receiving a Minnesota Wild jersey!

Drake's tour is taking him all over the land, and he seems to be accumulating jerseys in every stop. His tour took him through Edmonton recently, and he took to the stage in an Oilers alternate jersey!

Joining Drake on the tour has been fellow hip-hop artist Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn, better know by his stage name Future. Future has taken to the stage in a Colorado Avalanche jersey, a Los Angeles Kings jersey, and a Tampa Bay Lightning jersey! Looks like we have another closet full of jerseys developing on this tour!

American rock band Papa Roach doesn't have a ton of tie-ins to the sport of hockey, but the Winnipeg Jets made sure they made this list. While Papa Roach was in Winnipeg, they were given their very own Jets jerseys!

Ed Sheeran has made an appearance on a few of these articles, and he'll add his name a couple more times tonight. Ed Sheeran got a Washington Capitals jersey during his appearance in DC, and he added a Tampa Bay Lightning jersey when stopping in the Florida city!

Rockers from the 1980s going out on tour is nothing new, but it's surprising that British rockers from the 1980s are collecting hockey jerseys as they tour through North America. Duran Duran now has a second set of jerseys from when they stopped in Minneapolis/St. Paul!

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are currently touring across North America, and they have been collecting hockey jerseys as well. Their stop in Winnipeg was no different as the Winnipeg Jets presented each of them a jersey! Jets President Mark Chipman is looking dapper on the right!

The Backstreet Boys have repeat appearances on these articles, and tonight's article will include them again as they found themselves as recipients of Minnesota Wild jerseys after an on-stage performance at the XCel Energy Center! Is Nick Carter really wearing a Los Angeles Lakers jersey while in Minneapolis/St. Paul? AWK. WARD.

Charlie Wilson, better known as Uncle Charlie, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, producer and the former lead vocalist for The Gap Band. The guy has been nominated and won a pile of awards including Grammys, and he is highly respected within the music community. Needless to say, when Charlie Wilson comes to town, you roll out the red carpet and get him in a jersey as the Tampa Bay Lightning did!

I have to say that sometimes you'll find a disgraced artist or a one-hit wonder on these lists. They live life to the fullest for the 15 minutes they're in the spotlight, and occasionally you'll see them in hockey jerseys. One such case is Robin Thicke as he toured through Minneapolis/St. Paul in 2013, and I'm pretty sure his music career is dead at this point. He may make a comeback, but the chances of seeing him atop the charts again is pretty low.

R&B and hip-hop artists are always on these lists. And yet it still makes me smile when one of the artists in the upper echelon of these genres accepts a jersey. Usher, who has a ton of hits and is known across the world, hit Minneapolis/St. Paul in 2014 for his tour, and the Wild provided him with his own jersey!

If there's one person who always infiltrates these lists, it's Justin Bieber who claims to love hockey as much as he loves making music. Ok, I don't know if that's a real claim, but he must like it a lot with all the jerseys he is adding to his collection. He's already appeared up above, but he took home a Martin St. Louis jersey while on tour in Tampa Bay at some point. On his current tour that has taken him through Europe, he's been dropping in on European teams to have a skate, and Jokerit in Finland was no different as he met GM and hockey legend Jari Kurri while getting his own jersey!

In recent years, the Minnesota Wild have been giving hockey sticks to musicians to commemorate their trip through the Twin Cities. It seems to be a unique idea from the Wild as there aren't as many jerseys being given away, but a few lucky bands still get them. One such band was Twenty-One Pilots who received their jerseys! As a new band on the music scene, it's nice to see them join the jersey club!

Congratulations, readers, you made it! There were a lot of musicians up above, but you made it to the end! Of course, I found more instances of jerseys for musicians - Bruno Mars, Demi Lovato, and 5 Seconds of Summer - but if they aren't holding or wearing them, I can't be sure they ever got them. If anyone has photos of those three bands wearing or holding their jerseys or any other band doing the same, please send them in! It's time for me to retire backstage for the night, though. Thanks for reading, everyone!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

"Russian" To Make A Deal

Peter Chiarelli finally pulled the trigger. It had been rumoured for nearly a year that the Oilers were leaning towards delaing former first-overall pick Nail Yakupov after it seemed that he never fit into their system. It was thought he might be moved at last season's trade deadline, but he remained with the club. There were rumours of a possible draft day deal, but that never materialized yet. With chatter picking up that Chicago's Stan Bowman had been trying to pry Yakupov away from Edmonton in a cost-shedding move, Chiarelli made his move today in sending Yakupov to St. Louis for a prospect and a conditional draft pick. Yakety-yak, don't look back, Nail.

There's no denying that Nail Yakupov has a pile of untapped potential. TJ, our Oilers fan on The Hockey Show, has always maintained that the Oilers were using Yakupov wrong in their system and that he had produced fairly well when teamed with offensively-minded players. Yakupov's drawback, however, was that the defensive side of the game never really seemed to interest him, and this is a large reason why he was used in the bottom-six in order to reduce his ice time both in the offensive and defensive zones. Had the Oilers listened to TJ or The Hockey Show even once prior to the trade, they may be reaping some rewards for the former first-overall pick.

Instead, Yakupov will go to St. Louis and get a chance to play alongside some solid offensive players. While head coach Ken Hitchcock will still demand defensive responsibility - even moreso that Yakupov saw in the always-competitive Central Division - Yakupov might find himself a little more leeway if he scores a few goals for St. Louis. Vladimir Tarasenko had some of the same defensive concerns when he joined the Blues, and he's turned into one of the best goal scorers in the game. While I doubt that Yakupov will become the next Tarasenko in St. Louis, getting anything more than the 11 goals he's averaged over the last three seasons is better than what Edmonton's failed attempts got out of him.

What gets harder to quantify is that Nail Yakupov was a factor in this trade as well. Edmonton has long preached better defensive responsibilities for their club, and they began to build towards that goal with some of their signings last season and carried it forward with their free agent activity this season. While I understand that Yakupov may not have been happy with his situation in Edmonton, he often looked disinterested and unmotivated at times. Statistically, his numbers have declined in all four years he was in Edmonton and, while some will say that's a reflection of his linemates, a good leader and player helps to elevate his linemates' play as well. Yakupov never once did this, and that's entirely on him when it comes to his play.

Yakupov won't get a first-line setting in St. Louis, but he'll be given every opportunity to earn a spot on the second- and third-lines. He needs to show Hitchcock and his staff that he has the ability to work hard at the very least as Hitchcock rewards hard work. He needs to show an ability to backcheck as well as he skates up the ice. He needs to prove that he's not afraid to take a hit to make a play. And he has to be able to contribute by bringing energy, speed, and a few goals to the ice. If he can earn Hitchcock's trust by incorporating all this into his efforts in St. Louis, he'll be a regular player who will compete with the likes of Schwartz, Jaskin, and former Oiler Magnus Paajarvi for a top-six winger slot.

If you're an Oiler fan, though, you want to cheer for Yakupov's success with the Blues. Yes, that seems wrong to suggest after seeing him leave through four frustrating seasons, but doing so will benefit you. The conditional draft pick that the Blues traded for Yakupov is a third-round pick in 2017, but if Yakupov scores 15 goals next season with the Blues the pick becomes a second-round pick in 2018. In other words, if Yakupov has an Oilers-like season, you're holding another third-round pick. Hope for an un-Oilers-like season!

The other piece of the trade coming back is an interesting, if not curious, piece. The Blues sent prospect Zach Pochiro back to the Oilers as well. Pochiro is a right shooting centerman who was drafted 112th-overall in 2013. The former Prince George Cougars centerman has played 61 ECHL games with Kalamazoo, Alaska, and Quad City while suiting up for a single game with the Chicago Wolves. In 44 games with the ECHL Mallards last season, he posted 9 goals and 17 assists. In other words, he might play in Bakersfield at some point.

You might be chuckling at the return for Yakupov, but it was established at the deadline last season that the value for Yakupov was a third-round pick. Edmonton had orchestrated a deal that would have sent Yakupov to New Jersey last season for Eric Gelinas before the Devils accepted a deal from Colorado for a third-round pick. Therefore, Yakupov is worth a third-rounder.

The fact that his stock fell from being a first-overall pick to being footnote on an off-season's worth of deals is troubling when you consider that the Oilers have now dealt Taylor Hall and Nail Yakupov - two first-overall picks - for Adam Larsson, Zach Pochiro, and a third-round pick. It has always been my thought that general managers are hired to improve their teams, yet it seems that the two major moves that Chiarelli has made this off-season have significantly worsened the team's outlook. He traded his leading scorer for a defenceman who still appears to be finding his legs in the NHL, and followed that trade by dealing an unhappy Russian for what amounts to an alright pick and a career minor-league player. I'm not sure that either trade has improved the Oilers at all unless Chiarelli is planning another five year rebuild starting in two years.

I have a feeling that Yakupov will become a very serviceable player in St. Louis. It won't happen overnight, but I'm guessing that we'll see his game evolve under Ken Hitchcock and Mike Yeo. The Oilers will draft someone else next season or the season after who will most likely become another piece of a trade under Peter Chiarelli.

Yakety-yak, Nail. Don't look back.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 211

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced hockey radio show, returns tonight on the eve of a big day in Canadian university sports as hockey season gets underway in the Canada West Conference tomorrow night! I can honestly say that these next couple of weeks might be the best time of the year with all the leagues getting going and fans getting back into the game. I will fully admit that winning the Canada West crown on the women's hockey side might be harder than ever with all the great teams in the conference, and tonight we are lucky enough to have one of last year's best players join us for the hour!

We don't usually make a point in having the competition on The Hockey Show, but the woman to the right was all sorts of impressive in CWUAA play last year. The Hockey Show is proud, honoured, privileged, and humbled to welcome former Regina Cougar and current Calgary Inferno netminder Toni Ross to the program! Miss Ross is pretty much the best goaltender that the University of Regina has ever seen, and her familiarity with Canada West makes her an ideal interview. Add in the fact that she was drafted by the CWHL's Calgary Inferno this summer to continue her career at the professional level, and she's exactly the kind of person we're looking to interview on The Hockey Show! We have a pile of questions about her career and accomplishments, so tune in tonight to meet Toni Ross!

If you're not in the Winnipeg area and you're a Toni Ross fan - meaning you're probably from Sasaktachewan or Calgary at this point - AND you're a proud owner of an iPad, iPod, or iPhone AND want to listen to The Hockey Show, you can easily listen to the show by downloading the UMFM app! Just follow this link on your iDevice and get the UMFM app! It's never been easier to tune into The Hockey Show!

If you're an Android user, we've had the app out for a few weeks already so you should already have it on your phone or tablet. You do have it, right? What do you mean you don't have it? Why not? Look, get yourself on the right path by following this link and getting the Android app so you can listen too!

You can also email all show questions and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter. You can also post some stuff to Facebook if you use the "Like" feature, and I always have crazy stuff posted there that doesn't make it to the blog or show.

Tonight, we welcome one of Canada West women's hockey's all-time best players in former Regina Cougar Toni Ross to the The Hockey Show only on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM app!

PODCAST: October 6, 2016: Episode 211

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!