Season starts TONIGHT, BIG PEAK ANNOUNCEMENT #1 + THE CHAMP epidsode for Bob Phillips!

Thanks for visiting the blog today....Very busy day, Game Day #1, a Friday for "Fall Fair" here in Port Alberni. It's a beauty of a morning and I hope the rest of the day shakes out!

It's Game #1 tonight, with an anticipated pre-game show start time at 7:20pm, with the puck drop somewhere around 7:40 to 7:45 as there will be pregame festivities a-plenty with the Clippers raising their 06-07 Championship Banner. Tonight's "feature guest" in our second intermission will be new Clippers play-by-play caller Dan Marshall. I hope you tune in, and it you do, send an email to the pressbox to let us know how it sounds, to answer our trivia question, to see if we might get a "shout-out" on the air for you. Click here to email us in the PRESSBOX

BIG NEWS FROM THE PEAK REGARDING BULLDOGS HOCKEY

After broadcasting all 60 games last season without a colour analyst as my teammate, I have company again!

Of course Alf Thompson was my "partner in crime" for three years on the broadcast. (after he did the Jr. B. Bandits and the first year of Bulldogs before I arrived) Ace stepped down last year to focus his time and efforts into the Midget Rep program as their Head Coach.

Please join me in welcoming RICK SCHIEVINK as colour-analyst for all 30 Bulldog home games. I'm very excited for this after going it alone last year, and I hope the fans are excited too. For those that don't know Rick, he has been involved in hockey at many levels throughout his life. As a player he suited up locally here in the Valley, and even as a pro in Europe. As a coach, he is coming off of three years as Assistant Coach with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, and further involvement with Team BC and the "Best Ever" Program.

Rick stepped down from his Bulldogs duties in August to focus his time with his new big responsibility- Head Instructor with the Alberni Valley edition of the Hockey Canada Skills Academy.

The best news is that Rick still has free time at NIGHT. Not too much free time now Rick!

Rick brings a great knowledge of the game of hockey and the BCHL, and he will be a true professional in the booth. Rick has an incredible work ethic that he put into everything he does that I have seen FIRST HAND over the last three years. I look forward to Rick bringing this to the broadcast booth!

Welcome Rick! It will be no easy process but in no time I'm sure Rick and I will be working together like a well-oiled machine!

THE CHAMP does an episode for Bob Phillips

This could be about the coolest thing EVER to end off the post today. You might have heard of THE CHAMP. AKA Bro Jake from Rock101 in Vancouver. If you haven't heard of THE CHAMP, where have you been?

I will give you some advice- The Champ is....well...THE CHAMP. The best boxer that has ever lived. He's a bit tempermental now that he has retired and he isn't in the ring much anymore. It seems each and every single week SOMEONE is stupid enough to say SOMETHING to the champ that has some naughty innuendo involved. About his wife, about him, WHATEVER. And the Champ always loses it, SNAPS, and OVERREACTS on said person. After some upper-cuts and some flurries....He's THE CHAMP and the show ends.

Well this show isn't about THE CHAMP losing it, it's about giving some nice words to someone who is in his corner- Bob Phillips.

(Pictured above with his wife Star, the absolute MOMENT that Andrew Ella scored the OT winner over the Nanaimo Clippers for the 18th WIN IN A ROW for the Dogs. It's quite possibly the best picture ever. Great job BIG DOG on getting that pic)

Speaking of BIG DOG and this special edition of THE CHAMP. It seems Big Dog might've been in the Champ's corner back in his hey-day, and he called in a special favour for his friend Bob Phillips.

And THE CHAMP delivered.

Bro Jake, you ARE the CHAMP.

Big Dog, you are the champ too.

Bob and Star, YOU are the REAL champs.

Ladies and gents, I give you THE CHAMP for Bob. A warning- It brought a tear to my eye, and it might do the same for you! Click the link below to listen!

THE CHAMP FOR BOB

I was hoping to be able to play it on the air today on my morning show, but I couldn't get permission in time. I hope I'm not pushing it by putting it on the blog!

For more on THE CHAMP, please visit his official website HERE

And of course Bro Jake (Jake Edwards) The 'Stro (Martin Strong) and The 'Co' (Corrie Miller) are on Rock101 HERE

Some of my favorite CHAMP episodes we used to run when I was the Morning Man at CJ1240am in The Pas, Manitoba, include:

The Old Log Inn, The BlackHawks AND last but not least- Brett Hedican. Enough of those though, as this is a FAMILY SHOW!

For Bob Phillips' ALS Blog and to learn more about this horrible disease, please click below:

FU-ALS Blog

ALS British Columbia

FU ALS (Friends United, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)

That's about all I have for today. Hockey game #1 tonight, and #2 tomorrow. Off to work for me.

Thanks for checking the blog!

Hammer