Getzlaf vs Hamhuis......your thoughts? Variety Heroes with Hearts Friday, Midget Dogs update...

View the below video if you didn't see it last night. Would love to hear your thoughts on the play.



My thoughts?

You see this play wayyyyyy to often in the BCHL. And way to often a player making a good honest hockey play ends up hurting another player, and ends up being the villan. And when you are the villan, you get not only tossed out of the game, you also get suspended for a couple too, under the new anti-hitting rules that hockey has now, and under the new culture in the game of "every hit that sees someone go down is a bad hit"

I understand that Hamhuis plays the puck in that direction. You still CANNOT turn that way in that situation. He is well aware Getzlaf is coming. Spare me the fact Getzlaf leaves his feet. If anything, its on contact, and it's minor. It's not like he goes in there charging like a cruise missle. A la Matt Cooke. I'm well aware things happen fast. Things happen fast out there, I certainly get that. Hamhuis obviously made a bad decision, plain and simple. Not Getzlaf. At least in the NHL Getzlaf doesn't get kicked out of the game, and suspended for the next two, which is what would have likely happened if that hit occurred in the BCHL.

What blows my mind is that this clean hit will get WAYYYY more discussion going than the dirty and cheap slough-foot on Ballard, that no one really seemed to care about.

Which kinda blows my mind.

And now your thoughts in the comments below, if you will...

Heroes With Hearts Variety Dinner and Show is being held at the Best Western Barclay Hotel on Friday February 11th 2011. 

The event includes a Pasta Dinner  (6:30pm) , Variety Show  (7:00pm) , Silent and Live Auctions,  50/50 draws and a family dance.   Admission to the Variety Show is by donation to Variety.   Anyone wanting to enjoy the pasta dinner must purchase a dinner ticket in advance, $15, at the Best Western Barclay Hotel.    

Bring your family out for an evening of fun and become a hero to Variety's Kids at the same time.  The Alberni Valley Bulldogs , the Port Alberni Professional Firefighters and Port Alberni RCMP will be in attendance and are asking for your support.   NHL Legend Blake Wesley will be in attendance at the event as well. 

The Variety Show will feature local performers Morgan Buxton, Christina Wynans, Caitlin Royendyk , Sydney Reynolds, Lance Lapointe, The Shuddrbugs, Shaylene Balle, Caitlyn and Jenna Rigets, Lily Wallman and Angel Magnussen.  Families that have received help through Variety will also share their stories at the event. 

The event MC, Jolie McMullan, 93.3 The Peak FM radio personality, is sure to make the evening a very fun night out.  

Variety's Coin Drive Kids Angel Magnussen and Mackenzie Hale have some incredible items they will be auctioning off to raise money for their favorite charity.   Long Beach Golf and the Wickaninnish Inn are the donors of one of the hottest items up for bids; two spots on a golf team for the Wickaninnish Inn ProAm Tournament at the Long Beach Golf Course on September 16th, 2011.  The purchase includes entry fees into the tournament, one nights stay at the Wickaninnish Inn at Chesterman's Beach, attendance at the reception dinner on the 15th of September and a seafood banquet following the golf tournament.  The purchasers golf team will consist of Entertainment Tonight Canada's own Erin Cebula and a BC Golf Professional. 

Other great live auction items include a team autographed Calgary Flames jersey courtesy of Brendan Morrison,  autographed items donated by Canadian actor Barry Pepper, autographed neck ties worn by Global BC News Anchors Steve Darling, Squire Barnes, and Chris Gailus, along with some of Angel Magnussen's framed oil paintings. 

We would like to welcome  local schools, families  and  community groups to come on stage during the event and make a formal cheque presentation to Variety's Kids. 

Further event information can be found at  Heroes With Hearts Variety Dinner and Show on Facebook.

MIDGET BULLDOGS 2, OCEANSIDE 1

The Van Isle Ford Midget Bulldogs took a firm grip on the North Island divisional play-offs with an upset win over Oceanside in Parksville on Sunday.  Coach Brent Demerais commented that, ”The deck was stacked against us coming in, but the boys showed what they can do.  All the defencemen were strong today.  The penalty kill was huge and (Bryce) Dirocco was awesome in goal.”

In VIAHA regular season play Oceanside was on top of Division 1, four points ahead of Port Alberni.  But the Bulldogs beat them in pre-season play and knew they could do it again.

The Generals came out hard in the opening minutes and Dirocco was called on to make some big saves early in the game.  Oceanside scored first with a man advantage at 10:14 in the first period.  The Bulldogs had to wait until the second period to even it up.  Marino Somerville passed to Tyler Wilhelm in the high slot at 16:38.  Wilhelm faked, then ripped a shot to the high right corner.

From that point on, it seemed that every time the Bulldogs took control of the play the whistle would blow and another penalty would be called.  45 penalty minutes were assessed to Alberni players in the last 30 minutes of play, so they were killing penalties for most of the remaining game.  In one of the few even strength moments, Carson McCulloch set up the winning goal with a pass from the end boards across the slot.  Speeding in, Brady Janzen dove towards the net and, as he went down, was able to flip the puck over the goalie’s outstretched leg.  Colby Lim and Nathan Read assisted.  There were so many stoppages in play that the ice time ran out and the Bulldogs were awarded the victory with seven minutes left on the clock.

The Bulldogs have one more game in the North Island series, Saturday February 12 in Campbell River at 6:15 PM.   A win there will clinch first place for the North Island and home ice against a South Island team in the semi-final the following weekend.

Grizz 5 Dogs 4

Another heart breaker for the second game in a row as the Dogs comeback in the third to erase a two goal deficit, only to see a late goal by the opposition stand up as the winner.

It was 1-0 Victoria just short of 5 minutes in on a Mitch Labreche goal on a broken play. The Dogs tied it later in the period on a beautiful Casey Bailey goal on a nice set up by Josh Mitchell. Just three minutes later the Grizz were back on top though, as Wesley Myron tapped in a cross-crease feed on the powerplay.

Victoria took a 3-1 lead on a 5 on 3 powerplay early in the second on a Justin Fillion blast from the slot, and then 4-1 on a Taylor Pernerowski shot from the right point. Frank Slubowski came up with a huge save on an unguarded Kyle St. Denis at the top of his crease with less than a minute to go in the second to keep it close. That would be big just seconds later when Josh Mitchell was sent in alone on a long stretch pass by Connor Varley where he beat Matt Ginn to make it 4-2 Victoria after two.

The Dogs came out with good urgency in their game in the third, making it 4-3 just short of six minutes in when Mike Puddifant pinched in to find a puck thrown deep on a great keep by Lars Hepso. He would throw it at the net where Brandon Adams deflected it home. The Grizzlies would have several outstanding chances to get some insurance, but Frank Slubowski was huge on several great chances including a Kyle St. Denis breakaway to keep his team in it. They would reward him with the tying goal with 8:22 to play as Josh Mitchell fed Kyle Weber coming off the left point where he blew a slap shot home to tie it at 4-4.

And then the dreaded official placed his influence on the outcome.

Tanner Hicks was tripped up by Kyle St.Denis from behind coming out of the corner of his own zone with a stick in his feet, directly in front of the official. It was the second such trip on the same shift on a Bulldog player.Despite the powerplays at this point being 6 to 1 in favour of the Grizzlies, and the Dogs not having a powerplay chance since the 24 second mark of the first period they couldn't get a break from the official.

There would be no call, and 10 seconds later it would be 5-4 Victoria as Mitch Labreche found a Kyle St. Denis rebound and fired it home.

I think I described it as garbage at the time. Still seems fitting now, although sometimes calling a spade a spade in this league reflects badly on you, as I've touched on more than a few times this season.

Just one minute later (what a coincidence!) the Bulldogs went to the powerplay for the first time since the game was 20 seconds old. Another huge even up a minute later saw the Dogs go to a 5 on 3 powerplay, as the Grizzlies were penalized twice in 60 seconds, after only being whistled for one infraction over the previous 57 minutes of hockey.

Unfortunately the damage was already done as the Dogs couldn't come back one more time.

Shots favoured the Dogs 37-32.

The Dogs went 0 for 3 on the powerplay.

The Grizzlies went 2 for 6.


My prediction - this will be coming to a BCHL rink near you pretty soon as the last games of the regular season play out and the playoffs begin- recently seen in the SJHL, and around the country on TSN




Hammer

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Grizzlies add coach, Dogs lose jerseys....

The Dogs in some sharp lookin' Habs unis, Len Barrie on the Grizzlies bench. No word about the building tonight on whether this is a temporary measure, or a permanent one.

The Dogs jerseys were left behind at the Dog Pound as the team departed today. I wouldn't want to be the trainer or rookie or vet responsible for that one....it happens....but it's never happened in a game that I have been involved in over the decade-plus that I have been doing this job. The Vancouver Giants recently left their sweaters behind, and the Cowichan Valley Capitals also had to play a game in some smart Mustard yellow unis this year in Penticton. As my Dad was a Montreal Canadiens Draft Pick way back when pucks where square...I'll take the Habs jerseys anyday.

Dogs @ Grizzlies tonight

The Dogs are once again right back at it after a three-in-three weekend, playing on the road on the ensuing Tuesday as they visit the Grizzlies tonight at Bear Mountain Arena.

Read all about it from the Bulldogs website and my Weekly Preview article HERE

If you missed last night's edition of  "Around the Pound" on 93.3 The Peak, you can get more response from the team regarding the weekend from the Alberni Valley Times HERE

Catch the pregame show tonight at 7:00 with the play-by-play to follow at 7:15 on 93.3 The Peak FM and online at www.933thepeak.com

My 2nd Intermission feature guest tonight is former Bulldog Brian Stewart, currently with the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors


Hammer

"Around the Pound" , live tonight on 93.3 The Peak

Here's the guest list for "Around the Pound" tonight on 93.3 The Peak FM - in order of appearance, and always subject to change:

Bulldogs Assistant Coach and Assistant GM Kevin Hasselberg

Bulldogs players Konrad Litke and Dylan Nowakowski

Coquitlam Express Play-by-Play voice Eddie Gregory

Bulldog Alum Matt Hatch

Get it all on 93.3 The Peak FM from 6pm to 7pm tonight!

Cents 4 Dogs 3

The Dogs have now lost three in a row after dropping todays game in heartbreaking fashion in Merritt.

If the Dogs weren't flat in this one, they were certainly on the wrong end of most races and puck battles more often than not as the Cents looked like the hungrier team.

It was scoreless after one, with the Dogs not doing themselves any favours killing off six minutes in penalties. Merritt took a 1-0 lead three minutes into the second on a point shot from Steve Tresierra off of a faceoff win in the Dogs zone. The Dogs would battle right back though, tying the game just seconds later as Casey Bailey fired a loose puck home from the side of the net. Merritt went up 2-1 three minutes later on a Jeff Jones goal from the slot, and 3-1 exatly three minutes later again off a point shot from Tresierra again, this time on the powerplay.

Frank Slubowski would keep the Dogs in it in the third with a huge save on Jeff Jones who was left all alone in front of the Dogs net. That would be huge as the Dogs battled back to tie it with a 5 on 3 goal and a 5 on 4 powerplay goal, both by Dylan Nowakowski, both just seconds apart, to make it 3-3.

The Centennials would find the winner with just over two minutes to play on a goal similar to the Jones' marker when they just plain outworked the Dogs in their own zone and won an extended battle that saw Evan Stack center the puck to Stephen Wall who one-timed one past the glove of Slubowski for the 4-3 final.

The Dogs return home with zero points from the three game trip - as far as I can remember, this might be the first time this has happened since I started covering the team in 2003-2004.

It was nice to see Nowakowski rewarded with the goals, as I was talking about him throughout the earlier parts of the game as he was far and away the teams hardest working player. Take all the skill away, and its the will that makes the difference, in my humble opinion.

Here's hoping that his effort rubs off on the other guys.

No offence to the other guys, but Nowakowski stood out today like a Fighter Jet in a blimp race.

Don't forget to catch "Around the Pound" on 93.3 The Peak tomorrow from 6pm to 7pm.
Hammer

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Dogs Cents

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"Rossie" and "Hatchie"

Pretty cool picture message I just got on the ole' Blackberry from Kevin Ross. A couple of former teammates, who just finished being enemies on the ice as Princeton took on Union.


Friends when the game was over once again of course! Last laugh for now goes to Matt Hatch, as Princeton blew a 3 goal lead and Union emerged victorious. Hatch had 2 assists as well.


Thanks Rossie!


Hammer


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Merritt

The famous organ at the bottom of the broadcast booth stairs, and the infamous heaters you have to look around.


Pregame at 1:45 play-by-play at 2:00 on 93.3 The Peak.


Trent Dorais is my 1st Intermission guest, while former Dog Matt Hatch is up in the 2nd.


Hammer


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En route to Merritt

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'Backs 9 'Dogs 2.....

Yeeeeeouch.

Not a lot I can say about that game other than that.

The Silverbacks entered the game red hot and kept it going to win their sixth straight. The Bulldogs looked awful, giving up several breakaways and umpteen odd man rushes. They further compounded their problems by taking penalties, as the Silverbacks went 4 for 5 on the power play while the Dogs went 1 for 4.

Time to move on and look forward to tomorrow afternoon as the Dogs face the Centennials. Tomorrow's game became that much more important tonight with the Bulldogs loss combined with wins by Coquitlam and Cowichan, as they both closed the gap on the 6th placed Dogs to just three points. The Centnnials are the opposite of the Silverbacks as they are struggling right now, losers of six in a row and winless in seven.

The Nicola Valley Memorial Arena is never an easy place to play with it's smaller than regulation ice surface. Take a look on the video.

Catch the pregame show on 93.3 The Peak FM at 1:45 with the play-by-play to follow at 2:00pm.

Don't miss the 2nd Intermission show, as my guest is former Bulldog Matt Hatch.


Hammer

Connor Varley, A News MVP of the week....

Special thanks to Bulldogs Volunteer Bill Morin for sending me a heads up on this one....


Hammer

Dogs @ Silverbacks, Alberni Invitational concludes today, Skating on the Highway....

The Bulldogs are back at it tonight as they face another top Interior Conference team in the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. The 'Backs are just two points back of the Penticton Vees for 2nd place in the Conference after the Silverbacks topped the Capitals 6-3 at home last night while the Vees lost 6-0 at home to the Trail Smoke Eaters. Salmon Arm has a game in hand on Penticton. The Silverbacks are red hot, winners of five in a row.

A win by the Clippers opens their lead on the Dogs to 8 points. While the Dogs still have a couple games in hand, they are running out of opportunities to make up that ground. Losses by Cowichan and Coquitlam mean the Dogs continue to lead both clubs by 5 points for 6th place in the Conference.

Catch the pregame show on 93.3 The Peak FM and online at www.933thepeak.com from the Sunwave Centre at 6:45 with the play-by-play to follow at 7:00

Tonight's 2nd Intermission feature guest is Merritt Centennials play-by-play voice Alex Grebenyuk.

If you are looking for some entertainment today, why not head down to the Alberni Valley Multiplex for the finals of the Alberni Invitational - admission is FREE!

How this for cool - gotta love Manitoba people - skating on the highway. How they are driving on it I have no idea!



 Hammer

Vipers 4 Dogs 1

A 2-1 game with eight mintes to go was blown open by the Vipers with two goals two minutes apart as the Dogs dropped just their second game in regulation time to an Interior Conference opponent all season.


The Dogs led the shots on goal count most of the night, but the Vipers capitalized on their chances and got some breaks while the Dogs didn't. While the shot total favoured the Dogs I think the Vipers had the better of the chances through the game as Frank Slubowski was his regular stellar self giving his team every chance to win into the back half of the third period.


The Vipers led 1-0 after one on a Dylan Walchuk powerplay goal 10 minutes into the first. It was 2-0 Vipers early in the second on a tough luck goal as a centering pass out of the right corner hit the stick of David Robinson and ended up going up and over the shoulder of Slubowski. The Dogs answered quickly to make it 2-1 when Nowakowski and Bailey won a battle on the half wall in the Vernon end and found Josh Mitchell who walked into the right circle and beat Kirby Halcrow high short side.


The best chance for the Dogs to even it up came on a Dylan Nowakowski shorthanded breakaway in the third period, but Halcrow came up with a big save to preserve the lead. Minutes later it was 3-1 Vipers when Darren Nowick converted a cross ice pass on an odd man rush. It was quickly 4-1 on a giveaway by the Dogs in front of their own net as Kyle Murphy one-timed a Bryce Kakoske backhand pass from the slot.


The Dogs outshot the Vipers 29-22. The Vipers went 1 for 4 on the powerplay while the Dogs went 0 for 2.


Next up, Salmon Arm tomorrow.


Hammer
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Sunwave Centre....Game Day Video

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Game day skate in Salmon Arm

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Alberni Invitational...

Thanks Charles for the pics!!


Hammer


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Nice view...

Out of the hotel room window in Salmon Arm.


Hammer



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Dogs @ Vipers, Alberni Invitational underway...

The Bulldogs open up a three game swing tonight in Vernon as they face the defending back-to-back RBC Cup Champion Vipers.

The Dogs sit in sixth place in the Coastal Conference, six points back of the Nanaimo Clippers - with the Dogs holding two games in hand. The Dogs lead the Coquitlam Express and Cowichan Valley Capitals by five points in the standings with the Express having a game in hand on the Dogs, and the Dogs having a game in hand on the Capitals.

The Bulldogs and Vipers meet for the second time this season after they played to a 1-1 deadlock at the Dog Pound on December 11th. The Vipers are in a battle of their own, to claim the Interior Conference Regular Season Banner, and the 1st round bye that goes with it. They are four points up on the Penticton Vees heading into tonight, with the Vees holding a game in hand.

I don't imagine a lack of emotion heading into this one with former Vipers Trent Dorais and Sawyer Mick visiting their hometown and facing their old team. On the other side of that Ryan Renz will face his old team for the first time since not returning to the club following the Christmas Break. 

Catch the pregame show tonight on 93.3 The Peak FM and online at www.933thepeak.com at 6:45 with the puck drop and play by play to follow at 7:00.

Tonight's 2nd Intermission feature guest is Salmon Arm Silverbacks Play-by-Play Broadcaster Patrick Haas.

Don't forget to check out the Alberni Invitational today and tomorrow at the Alberni Valley Multiplex. This tournament has gone on for 28 YEARS now, which is quite the feat for Alberni Wrestling.

Visit their website here alberniwrestling.ca or just get down to the Multiplex to catch the action if you are fighting your regular weekend urge to get down to the RINK. It truly is a Multiplex on weekends like this one! Admission is free!

Hammer

Nice day for a drive...

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Hello from the bus...

Good AM to you all. On the road again. I think that's a picture I took when we RETURNED from our last trip. The bus is sparkly clean. For now.

Sitting at the Departure Bay Ferry Terminal. Gotta love free public internet.

Click to read my Weekly Preview article from the Bulldogs website HERE

Hammer

Nanaimo Clippers ownership change confirmation

The rumours of a Nanaimo Clippers ownership change, first reported Monday by Mira Laurence on A News Vancouver Island are no longer just that, they are confirmed.

What has been confirmed so far - Bill Bestwick is out as an owner.

 The new group own 1/3rd of the team.

The group is comprised by former NHL tendy and HNIC Personality Kelly Hrudey (loved the blue headband - apologies to Mr. Hrudey but as my father was drafted by the Habs I was a diehard fan growing up...I more liked the red light on the headband, especially in the '93 Cup Final)

Hrudey is joined by two more individuals - one of which is also a HNIC staffer -in a role that I'm told is a behind the scenes.The other individual is an Alberta based businessman.

This is somewhat interesting as Bill Bestwick was originally made an owner during the last ownership change to ensure the current structure retained a portion of "local" ownership. Maybe something has changed with league regulations/beliefs in this area, or something has possibly changed with the status of the remaining owners.

As I write this I see there is now an official update on the Clippers website HERE

For audio coverage on this story, tune in to our sister station 106.9 The Wolf in Nanaimo - online at http://www.1069thewolf.com/

Thanks to Dominic Abassi for chasing this in the WOLF newsroom and for keeping me updated!

Hammer

Thanks Groundhogs! Superbowl Golf Tournament, 'Nucks at 'Yotes tonight on THE PEAK

An early spring is on its way!

This is always a good time. A GREAT time even. I'm very upset I will be in Merritt and as a result will miss the tourney and the game.....

Super Bowl Scramble

On Sunday February 6th is the annual Super Bowl Scramble and party.
Please register in the Pro. Shop, or you can phone 724-5422 with your 4,5, or 6 person teams or as a single. The teams can consist of all Men all Ladies or a mixed team. There will be very few rules, just a fun day. Both golfers and non golfers are welcome to join in the activities. If you prefer not to golf come out for the lunch and watch the game on one of two big screen TV’s.

There will be 9 holes of golf with many on course obstacles to overcome. The beverage cart will also be out and about. It all begins with a shotgun start at 12 noon and the kick off at 3PM. After golf enjoy one of Alberni Golf Course’s world famous lunches, served by the greatest staff to be found anywhere.

There will be 3 or 4 meat draws, at ½ time courtesy of Rick Paul of Double R Meats. The price for this fun filled day is $30 for members and $40 for guests. This entry fee includes Golf, Lunch, ½ time appy’s and lots of prizes. If you come out just for lunch and the game the price is $ 15.
See you on Sunday.

Also don't forget the Alberni Invitational starting tomorrow - more in the post below this one

The FIRST OVERALL in the NHL Vancouver Canucks visit the Coyotes tonight in Phoenix. Catch the action on 93.3 The Peak and online at www.933thepeak.com with the pregame show at 6:00 and the play-by-play to follow at 6:30



From the Canucks website, click to read the  PREVIEW GAME NOTES and LINE UP



Hammer

Alberni Invitational coming up

PRESS RELEASE

ALBERNI INVITATIONAL WRESTLING TOURNAMENT

GEARS UP FOR FEBRUARY 3-5, 2011

This Year Featuring a new Grappling Division open to all Comers

The 28^th Annual Alberni Invitational Wrestling Tournament is scheduled for the Alberni Valley Multiplex February 3-5, 2011.  The Invitational will bring over 600 competitors from all over B.C. to the Valley for three days of intense wrestling action in five different age groups plus another 200 in categories such as the Open, Elementary and a new Grappling division.  .

The Alberni Invitational is widely considered the most prestigious high school wrestling tournament in B.C. and has received recognition across Canada.  The tournament begins on Thursday, February 3^rd  with weigh-ins for boys and girls in the 3 middle and secondary aged divisions at 7:00 p.m. at Glenwood.

The Alberni Invitational tournament action will run all day on Friday, February 4^th from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Alberni Valley Multiplex.  There are age groups for School Age (gr 6-8), Cadet (grade 9-10) and Juvenile (grade 11-12). There will be lunch (11:30 am-12:30 pm) and dinner (4:30-5:30 pm) breaks. An Elementary Division returns this year with over 100 local youngsters expected to participate. The Elementary division runs from 12-3 pm Friday.

Friday night at 7:00 p.m. will feature the ever-popular semi-finals. Friday night will also feature the Open division where alumni and college wrestlers can test their skills. The North Island College team will have wrestlers entered.  The conclusion of the rest of the preliminary matches in the age class divisions will begin Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m.  Medal matches will start at about 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning.  The finals in the Schoolboy/girl division (grade 6-8) and Cadet (gr 9-10) will start at noon on Saturday. The Juvenile (grade 11-12) finals start at 2:30 pm on Saturday and wrap up by 3:30 p.m.  There is not cost for spectators for the preliminaries and the finals are by donation.

One exciting addition to this year’s Invitational will be the new Grappling division that will run on Saturday. Grappling is another variation of wrestling that is now sanctioned by the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association. It combines many of the techniques and actions of wrestling with various martial arts disciplines. Alberni Wrestling has partnered with Dragon Martial Arts to add this new dimension to the Alberni Invitational this year.

Registrations for grappling are open to all interested participants of all ages. Registration and weigh-in for grappling will take place Saturday morning at the Multiplex at 7:30 am with grappling action starting soon after 9 am. There will be a grappling official’s clinic Friday evening at 7 pm and an athlete’s rules clinic at 8 am Saturday after registration. Make sure you come out to watch this exciting new action.

Not only do local fans have an opportunity for some great competition at the Invitational, you also will once again see very competitive Alberni wrestlers.  The ADSS Boys team is currently ranked #6 in the province and will likely battle it out with over 60 other schools for the team title in the Juvenile and Cadet divisions. These teams include #1 ranked Guildford Park of Surrey and other top teams such as Abby Traditional, Burnaby Central and WJ Mouat Secondary both of Abbotsford.  

In the Juvenile Girls division ADSS is ranked # 4 in BC with Carson Graham of North Vancouver #1.   Yale and Terry Fox round out the top 4 girls teams.   In the Schoolboy/girl division Alberni will have strong teams from Neill and Dunn Middle Schools and both schools should be in the top 10. Ucluelet Secondary will also have wrestlers in most age divisions.

The AV Times will feature pictures and write ups next week on all the top local wrestlers to watch at the 2011 Invitational.  It will be an exciting few days of wrestling action in the place many observers call “The Wrestling Capital of BC – Port Alberni! “

For more information contact Tournament Director

TOM McEVAY--- Phone home:724-0577 or work: 723-3744; email tmcevay@sd70.bc.ca

 

"Around the Pound" tonight, Midget Bulldogs top Powell River

Catch "Around the Pound" the Bulldog Hockey Show , tonight from 6pm to 7pm on 93.3 The Peak.


We'll be talking about the week that was - four out of six points with resounding wins over Nanaimo and Penticton, and a resounding loss to Victoria sandwiched in between. We will also talk about the upcoming road trip that sees the Dogs in Vernon, Salmon Arm, and Merritt Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Tonight's Guest List - in order of appearance, as always, subject to change:

Bulldogs Head Coach and GM Paul Esdale

Bulldog Players Trent Dorais and Sam Mitchell

Rob Shick - by very popular demand, a replay of the Interview from Tuesday night

Salmon Arm Silverbacks Play-by-Play Voice Patrick Haas

Highlights from the week that was

Send in your questions for myself or any of the guests by CLICKING HERE

MIDGET A BULLDOGS WIN FIRST PLAY-OFF GAME

The Van Isle Ford Midget Bulldogs won their first play-off game, beating Powell River Kings 5-1 on Saturday at Weyerhaeuser Arena.

Alberni had a slow start and goalie Bryce DiRocco had to be sharp to keep Powell River from taking an early lead.  Head Coach Brent Demerais said “Big saves by DiRocco, especially in the early going made the difference.”  In spite of keeping play in the offensive zone most of the time, the Bulldogs had a hard time finding a way past the Kings defence and goalie.  The first period was scoreless and they only managed 12 shots on goal by the ice clean.

The first goal of the game came after several intense shifts, with 5:39 left in the second period.  Brady Janzen got a backhand through on the short side.  Ryan White and Carson McCulloch assisted.  The Bulldogs stepped up the pressure, but the spectators were kept on the edge of their seats as Powell River had several good scoring chances.

The insurance goal didn’t come until the middle of the third period.  Tyler Wilhelm battled the puck over the blue line, then slipped a pass to Marino Somerville who found Sam Visona on the open side of the net to one time it in.  At 10:12 McCulloch led a pass to Colby Lim who timed a pass precisely for Janzen’s second goal as he jumped behind the defence on the left side.  Late in the third period, the Bulldogs successfully killed off their fourth penalty.  Seconds later Nolan Jarvis passed to Beau Wilson who dished to Dustin Diemert in the slot to score top shelf.  Powell River converted their next power play opportunity, robbing Dirocco of his shut-out with only 37 seconds left.  Lim replied with a backhand fake to a forehand shot that found the top right corner as the clock hit 18 seconds.  In the end shots were 34-19 in favour of Alberni.

After the game, Demerais complimented the team effort.  He said “The defence was good.  Visona and Somerville’s checking on the penalty kill was important.  So was winning most of the face-offs, and the stepped up production from the Lim, Janzen, McCulloch line.”

With one win in hand, the Midget Bulldogs will play their next North Island play-off games away against Oceanside at 1:45 PM on February 6, and then Campbell River on February 12 at 6:15 PM.  The top two North Island teams will advance to the Vancouver Island semi-finals.

 photo: Dave Cusson

________________________

Way to go Dogs!

Hammer

Dogs 7 Vees 2

Wow, what a game. Read all about it from my Weekly Recap article from the Bulldogs website HERE


Too bad that we didn't get to see Mark MacMillan back at the Dog Pound. Hopefully Tyler Berkholtz is ok after taking a nasty hit from Derik Johnson that drew a match penalty for the Vees Captain.


More to come on "Around the Pound" from 6 to 7pm tomorrow on 93.3 The Peak FM.


Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.

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Dogs 7 Vees 2

Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

Nice day for a game - update - Mark out.

Beautiful day here in the Alberni Valley.


As surmised earlier, Mark MacMillan is out of the line up today.


Hammer

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Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

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