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Please visit the links and support my friends and supporters!!!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Dogs host Vees, Mark returns - or does he?


I thought there was no better picture for Mark MacMillan's return to Alberni. Above is a picture from :LAST years home opener. First time in the Dog Pound in a Dogs jersey. And now tonight its the first time in a Vees jersey. To me, it just won't look RIGHT. That's how it goes in this game now a days though.

Will Mark even play today? He's questionable after an injury last night - more from Ryan Pinder's blog HERE

Who ever would have thought at the time of the photo above that Mark would go on to have an incredible season, putting up 26-54-80, getting a schollie to North Dakota, and finally capping it all off by becoming the first ever Bulldog drafted, by the Montreal Canadiens in June?

More importantly, who would have ever thought that after the season he had here last year, after the schollie and drafting, that he would be told that he would be best served developing playing at home? Or so the story goes?

I certainly didn't see it coming. The most disappointing thing about the whole split was the fact that the fans in Alberni, and myself personally, didn't get to see Mark's further development as a player as he was very fun to watch.

His development was stunted with a first-game wrist injury in Penticton that saw him out for a considerable period. Now - would you believe that he's on the exact same pace he was last year with the Bulldogs? He had 1.4 points per game last year in the regular season, he has 1.4 points per game so far this season. 

Mark is a great kid and comes from a great family that I still call friends. I wish him no ill will, and wish him nothing but the best of luck - just not today on the good luck part.

Not lost of me is the fact that this is one individual (albeit a special one) out of 39 other guys playing a TEAM game this afternoon. Points are huge for both teams - the Dogs are holding down 6th and attempting to fight off Coquitlam and Cowichan while chasing down Nanaimo for 5th. The Vees lost 3-2 last night in Victoria, and are 2-1-0-1 on their trip so far with wins over Nanaimo and Cowichan and a loss to open the trip in Powell River. They are two points back of Vernon with a game in hand for 1st place in the Interior Conference and the 1st round playoff bye that comes with it. 


Catch the pregame show on 93.3 The Peak FM and online at www.933thepeak.com at 2:15 with the puck drop and play-by-play to follow with Rick and I at 2:30.

Tonight's 2nd Intermission feature guest is Port Alberni Native and former Bulldog - and Brown University Captain - Devin Timberlake, now playing with the ECHL's Reading Royals.

Drop the puck already!

Hammer

4 comments:

fresh prince of sproat lake said...

Maybe he's too busy putting on weight at mommy and daddy's house so MacMillan won't play?

That should give whiner Ryan Pinder more things to complain about.

Anonymous said...

It's funny how no one mentions Nolan leaving the team ....if Nolan was still here there would have been up to six returning that chose to leave because he left.

Did you just say what I think you said...

Well that says a whole lot about the players then doesn't it? Me first, Me first!!! It doesn't help when meddling parents with a mealticket mentality stick their noses where they don't belong - like in the GM's office. Coddled or what?

Kaicee said...

I got to talk to Mark and told him congrats on getting drafted and that he'll always have my support!