Game day

A little Halloween action tonight. The Canucks are in Sexsmith tonight to face the winless vipers. Tune into Peace FM tonight at 6:45pm for the pre game show with the opening faceoff set for 7:00pm.

Should be fun!

Power Rankings

Oct 29th

1. Whitecourt Wolverines (6-1-0) (LW: 1)
2. Dawson Creek Canucks (6-2-1) (LW: 2)
3. North Peace Navigators (7-3-0) (LW: 4)
4. Fort St John Huskies (7-3-0) (LW: 3)
5. Grande Prairie Wheelers (5-4-1) (LW: 7)
6. Beaverlodge Blades (4-4-1) (LW: 6)
7. Slave Lake Wolves (2-8-1) (LW: 5)
8. Sexsmith Vipers (0-8-0) (LW: 8)

Tuesday morning

I'm a little weak in the lips this morning.  If you were listening to the hit and miss morning show then you'd know what I'm talking about.  A little stutter during the events calendar provided a laugh at my expense.

My Titans are 7-0 after a big 31-21 win over Indy last night.  It's pretty nice to get to watch the Titans on MNF because you never see them any other time.

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Tonight it's the local all candidates forum for the upcoming election in Chetwynd so I'll be there tonight.

I'll be working on the power rankings this morning and possibly have them for you this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

Have a great day!

dd

Sportsline postponed

We hope to debut the show next week.  I'll work on the details and get back to you on what the plan is for next week.

Watching some MNF at the moment and my Titans are on.

Have a great night!

dd

Hit And Miss

It's the debut of the Hit and Miss morning show on Peace FM today and so far so good. As long as I don't mess things up too much I think I'll be alright.

Some quick observations from the weekend:

• Canucks new goaltender looked solid in his first start. Ricky made 20 saves and only allwed one goal. One thing to watch will be his rebound control. There was a bit of an issue but the Canucks defence was great.
• Wish I could update a bit more on the bus. I really need to get wireless internet for my laptop so I can update "anywhere". Anyone out there want to donate the internet access? There's advirtising space on the blog and the radio for a bit of trade. Just throwing it out there.

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It's the debut of Sportsline tonight as well on Peace FM. I'll have more on that in a bit but I'm pretty sure we are going at 7pm. Still trying to line up some guests for the show. You can call in and voice your opinion. 250.788.3694 or 1.800.788.5330.

More to come.

Have a great day!

dd

Canucks 7 Wolves 1

Slave Lake -- An offensive explosion led by four points from Reed Smith helped the Dawson Creek Junior Canucks snap a two game losing streak on Saturday night.

The Canucks were in Slave Lake for the 2nd game on the current road trip and after losing 5-3 to Whitecourt the night before, the Canucks were looking to turn things around.

The game didn't start the way Dawson Creek would have liked as , down a man early, Slave Lake took the lead on a one timer from behind the net that beat new Canuck goaltender Ricky Yamagouchi. The Canucks would answer quick. Less than a minute later Reed Smith (7th) (Charles Radke, Colter McLean) would score his first of the night to tie the hockey game.

Lacking the previous night was the ability for the Canucks to sustain the pressure and the momentum after getting on the board. The Canucks did that in a big way Saturday night. Lorne Weaver (Justin McLeod, John Howes) scored his second of the season and the eventual game winner at the 6:15 mark and Nathan Bomben (2nd) (Trevor Dahlen, Jason Higson) provided the "Safeway turning point" on the power play with 33 seconds left to make the score 3-1 after twenty minutes.

The Canucks continued their strong play early in the second when Evan Weaver (Ryan Walker) scored his first as a Canuck 4:17. Then late in the period Charles Radke (7th) (Mike Bouchard, Reed Smith) tipped in a Bouchard shot at the 17:14 mark to give the Canucks a 5-1 lead heading into the final frame.

Yamagouchi was tested several times in the third but turned each opportunity away to contribute to his 20 save performance and the Canucks added to the lead. Just a minute sixteen into the frame Charles Radke (unassisted) put his second of the game past the Wolves goaltender. Then Reed Smith (unassisted) made a beautiful forehand-backhand-forehand deak on a breakaway to round out the scoring at the 5:37 mark.

One bout on the fight card. Lewis Weaver and Nicholas Plourde. We gave Weaver the takedown and the decision in a pretty good tilt.

Head coach Duncan Redfearn stresses the first five minutes and the last five minutes of each period and his team delivered against the Wolves. Dawson Creek scored in the first five minutes in each of the three periods and also scored in the final five minutes in two of the three periods.

The power play went 1 for 5 while the penalty kill was 5 for 6.

The Brass Scissors three stars tonight were:
1st star - Charles Radke
2nd star - Reed Smith
3rd star - Lorne Weaver

After a weekend split the Canucks record is now 6-2-1 and they will continue their road trip with a pair of games away from the Memorial next weekend.

Canucks vs Slave Lake tonight!

Last night was one the Canucks will want to forget.  Out shot, out chanced and outscored the Canucks will look to rebound tonight.  I half expect that Dawson Creek will start Tyson York in goal.  Cody Garnett has played in each and every game for the Canucks this season and I think the coaching staff wants to give York a shot.

The Canucks are hoping to snap a 2 game skid and tonight they will be in Slave Lake to take on the Wolves.

Head to head:

The only meeting between these two teams came back on October 4th, 2008 at the Memorial Arena in Dawson Creek.  The Canucks won the game 5-4 after a 4 point night from Reed Smith.

The Canucks will want to shore up their power play a little bit as they allowed the Wolves to score a pair of short-handed goals.  The Canucks power play on the night was 0 for 4 while the penalty kill was 6 for 7.

Road trip:

This is game number two in the Canucks current road trip.  They are in the midst of four straight games away from the friendly confines.  They will head home, following tonight's game, for a week of practise and then back on the road next weekend.

The Canucks will need to really step up tonight and being able to build off momentum will be key.  Dawson Creek has been able to get a good shift here and there in there last two games and score some goals but they need to sustain that momentum shift after shift to generate success.

Game time: 7:00pm (Alberta time)

Pre-game Show: 6:45pm Peace FM

Enjoy the broadcast!

dd

Road Trip Blogging

Slave Lake -- Well the Canucks have now lost two straight after a 5-3 loss last night to the Whitecourt Wolverines.  The Canucks got a pair of goals from Charles Radke and one from Jason Higson in defeat.  This is the second straight loss for Dawson Creek, both coming at the hands of the Wolverines.

Some notes from the game:

• Trevor Dahlen was a phenom with several bone crunching hits.
• Evan Weaver was solid in his first game with the Canucks.  Got some work on the top line with Colter McLean and Reed Smith.
• Power play was 1/4 while the penalty kill was 7 for 8

We got into Slave Lake last night at around 2am.   Definitely enjoyed sleeping in this morning.

I'm working on the preview for tonight's game so you can stay tuned for that this afternoon.

Have a great day!

dd

Good morning

This was one of the hardest mornings to get up I think. I stood in the shower for 15 minutes in the dark because I couldn't adjust to the light.

Anyways, onto some scores from last night.

NWJHL

Slave Lake 1 Peace River 5

The Dawson Creek Jr Canucks are on the road this weekend and will be in Whitecourt and Slave Lake. Both games will be broadcasted live on Peace FM.

BCHL

Victoria 2 Salmon Arm 5

AJHL

Olds 2 Drayton Valley 1
Bonnyville 4 Lloydminster 1

WHL (7)

Red Deer 3 Calgary 4
Vancouver 6 Edmonton 0
Prince George 3 Medicine Hat 7
Moose Jaw 2 Prince Albert 5
Seattle 2 Kamloops 5
Portland 4 OT Saskatoon 3
Kelowna 5 Chilliwack 0

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Power rankings are coming later this morning. Stay tuned!

Have a great morning.

dd

Springs

Ok, so here it goes. If you don't want to hear about my new dog then you can stop now and look forward to the power rankings later this afternoon.

Springs was rescued from the Chetwyn Pound early in September and was about a year and a half old.

(Springs when we got her)

We had to get her groomed and her hair was very short. I was not impressed. I like her with the longer hair and can't wait untill it grows back out.

Springs is adorable (a word you won't see too much of on this blog) and a lot of fun. She can always be found at the radio station keeping me company and you can see her and I going for jogs up and down the South Access Rd in Chetwynd.

(Springs with slightly less hair)

Springs definetly keeps me busy and now has been mentioned in the blog.

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Power rankings to come!

dd

M.I.A.

When it comes to posting these past few days that is what I have been. (Missing in action) It's not that I haven't had the time to post but frankly there was a few other things that I felt like doing instead. For example on Sunday I watched a football doubleheader. First it was the Titans and the Chiefs and then a little CFL which included my Riders and the Tiger Cats.

To re-cap Saturday night, the Canucks lost for the first time in their last 6 games. Whitecourt visited DC and won 6-4. Colter McLean had a hat trick in the loss and Whitecourt fired over 50 shots in the game.

The Canucks will get a chance for revenge this coming weekend when they visit the Wolverines in the re-match.

If you are looking for a bit more on the Canucks and the NWJHL I will be compiling my weekly power rankings in the next day or two.

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I was told by a certain someone (you know who you are) that I have not posted about my new dog Springs when in fact there was a mention. It was a brief mention that "Springs" and I were going to relax one weekend. Apparently that wasn't good enough and you can now expect a full post coming to a computer near you soon. If you're not interested, TOUGH! But don't worry, the power rankings are on the way.

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It's a pretty sad day with the passing of DC Mayor Calvin Kruk. The funeral service will be Saturday morning at the Encana Events Centre at 11am.

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It's off to Shattering tonight. Shattering is a play put on my former addicts and family members of addicts talking about drug and alcohol addiction. It should be great and uses the audience to direct where the show goes. It's tonight at 8pm at the Chetwynd rodeo grounds. Only cost for admission is a non-perishable food item. I suggest checking it out.

That's all for now.

Have a great afternoon.

Canucks 6 Huskies 2

A pair of goals from Jason Higson in his return to the line up helped give the Canucks their 5th straight victory.

It started just under eight minutes into the game with the Canucks shorthanded 4 on 3. Fort St John goaltender Zachary Blain came out of his net and misplayed the puck. Colter McLean ended up with the biscuit on his stick and found the back of the empty basket.

Kyle Porter tied it midway through the first and then Tyson Keen potted his first on a deflection from a Justin McLeod shot to give the Canucks the lead heading into the break.

After a power play goal from the Huskies Cody Kalb in the second, the Canucks responded just past the midway point with back to back goals from Gerritt Lacey (1st) and Jason Higson (4th).

The third was all Canucks as well and they put it away. Higson's power play goal, his second of the night, and Lorne Weavers first of the year made the final 6-2.

Near the end there were a few fights. It started with Lucas McKenzie and Jason Arnousee not getting much of a chance to throw any bombs. Call it a draw.

Then it was the main event. Reed Smith and Kyle porter went at it. A pair of heavyweights were throwing some bombs back a forth and landing them too. Credit Smith with the take down and at that point he took control. Give the unanimous decision to Smith.

The fight fest concluded with Apsassin and Hornland. Give Apsassin the take down and the decision in not much of a tilt.

Canucks were 1 for 7 with the extra man while the penalty kill was successful 9 of 10 times.

Three stars from the broadcast:

1st star: Jason Higson (2G 1A)
2nd star: Justin McLeod (3A)
3rd star: Cody Garnett (32 saves)

Canucks vs Huskies tonight

Game time is 8:00pm
Pre-game show 7:45pm
104.1fm/94.5fm
www.peacefm.ca

Offence

The Canucks are going to once again be looking to the line of Charles Radke, Colter McLean and Reed Smith to provide most of the offence. The Canucks top unit has scored 13 of the team's 25 goals (Smith has 6).

Head To Head

Only one meeting between these two teams this season which came back on opening night. The Huskies jumped out to a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes but the third was all Canucks. Four straight goals gave DC their first lead before the Dogs tied things late. FSJ went on to win in overtime on the power play after a very questionable call at the end of the third period. Final score: 6-5.

This will be a match up of two of the league's top teams as Dawson Creek is 4-0-0-1 to start the season while the Huskies are 4-1-0-0.

Last Game

The Canucks last game was a 6-2 win over North Peace. The victory is the Canucks fourth straight since the overtime loss to the Huskies. On the power play Dawson Creek scored once in four chances and they were a perfect 3 for 3 on the penalty kill including a huge kill in the third on a lengthy 5 on 3 advantage.

Cody Garnett was between the pipes and has played in all five Canuck games to start the season.

The winning streak includes wins over Grande Prairie (2), Slave Lake and North Peace.

Leaders

Goals - Reed Smith (6)
Assists - Charles Radke (6)
Points - Charles Radke (10)
GAA - Cody Garnett (3.40)
GWG - Reed Smith (2)
PPG - Colter McLean (2)

Again, game time at the Memorial Arena is 8pm. I will be on the air with the broadcast starting with the pregame show at 7:45pm on 104.1fm/94.5fm and www.peacefm.ca.

Power Rankings

A little late this week but issues with the NWJHL website made this a bit difficult. By the way, I'd like to get some input from media members around the league for the weekly power rankings. So, if any members of the media are reading this please fire me your contact info. darren@peacefm.ca.

On with the power rankings.

1. Whitecourt Wolverines (3-0-0-0) (LW: 1)

Whitecourt continues to be the class of the NWJHL and their GF/GA ratio is proof. 31-7! Enough said.

2. Dawson Creek Junior Canucks (4-0-0-1) (LW: 3)

The Canucks have put a string of 4 wins together to climb up into second place in the rankings. This weekend will be a very tough test for the nucks. Friday they have FSJ who beat them in overtime on opening night and on Saturday they'll tangle the top ranked Wolverines. The only plus is they'll be at home both nights.

3. Fort St John Huskies (4-1-0-0) (LW: 4)

The Huskies only have one loss on the record and that is to GP. The game with DC on Friday will be a huge match up that the Huskies will be hungry for no doubt.

4. North Peace Navigators (3-3-0-0) (LW: 2)

The Navigators are a team that is falling. Three straight losses for the club has them in fourth this week. Two things here: If Sexsmith ever thought they could beat NP this is the time. On the other hand this is a great opportunity for the Navigators to turn things around.

5. Slave Lake Wolves (2-3-0-1) (LW: 5)

A third straight week at #5 for the Wolves. A .500 week isn't great but it isn't that bad. Slave Lake better watch because Beaverlodge is now nipping on their heels.

6. Beaverlodge Blades (2-3-0-0) (LW: 7)

The Blades finally put it together for a win and they did it again. In their last three games the Blades are 2-1 and moving in the right direction. This is one team that will surprise some people moving forward.

7. Grande Prairie Wheelers (2-4-0-0) (LW: 6)

The losing streak has now hit 4 games and the 9-5 loss to Beaverlodge is more salt in the wound. The Wheelers need to find a way to get back to their winning ways or they could be prime for the picking on Friday Oct 24th when they are in Sexsmith.

8. Sexsmith Vipers (0-4-0-0) (LW: 8)

Averaging just 2 goals per game will not produce wins. Especially when you have given up a league worst 37 goals. To date, their best game was a 6-3 loss to NP on opening night. They play the navigators Friday.

This and that

The Dawson Creek Junior Canucks have a big weekend ahead of them as they try to keep their current 4 game winning streak alive. I'll have more on that in a bit as this week's power rankings will be released this afternoon.

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Remember Mike Danton? Or how about David Frost?

There was a great documentary on CBC about how Danton tried to hire a hit man to kill Frost (his agent) and how Frost controlled Danton's life. It was pretty good and if it ever airs again I suggest watching it. Danton is currently in prison serving a 7 and a half year sentence while, today, Frost is in day two of court on sexual exploitation from the incident.

Lock this guy up!

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Want to know the best part of living in BC (ok well maybe one of the better things)? Sportsnet Pacific. Yep, it's a real plus having Sportsnet Pacific available and getting to watch Don Taylor every night. What a gem.

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Work on a new Junior Canucks website is steadily moving forward. I was quoted by a company in Vancouver on how much it would cost to have a website custom designed for me. Guess how much they quoted? 10 grand! I dropped the phone when I heard that. Needless to say I'm working on one that's much more affordable and hope to have it up and running in less than 2 weeks. That's a tight schedule.

I'll post again later today with the power rankings and tomorrow a preview for the Canucks.

Stay tuned!

dd

Rise and shine

Another early morning and not much new. As we wake up today the conservatives are still in power following last night's federal election. But for those of us who would rather read something else, here are some scores from last night.

BCHL

Quesnel 3 Salmon Arm 4

Games tonight: (3)
Langley @ Burnaby
Alberni Valley @ Nanaimo
Quesnel @ Vernon

AJHL

Calgary Canucks 5 Calgary Royals 4
Bonnyville 4 Drayton Valley 0
Okotoks 3 Drumheller 6
Brooks 1 Olds 6

Games tonight: (4)
St. Albert @ Spruce Grove
Bonnyville @ Grande Prairie
Camrose @ Lloydminster
Calgary Royals @ Calgary Canucks

WHL

seven games tonight:
Prince George @ Calgary
P.A. @ Kelowna
Everett @ Vancouver
Chilliwack @ Lethbridge
Portland @ Spokane
Regina @ Edmonton
Saskatoon @ Swift Current

Snore lore: 5 facts about snoring

If you're like me, then you or someone you know is an excessive snorer.  For me it's my aunt Ger.  Here is a little non-sports piece I found on the subject while surfing the web this morning.

The size of the snore

If we were to combine the sounds of all the world's snorers on any given night, you'd hear the snorting, snuffling symphony of roughly 25% of the adult population. Considering the average snore can reach 60 to 90 decibels, we're talking a seismic event here.

The source of the snore

You can usually blame snoring on some kind of obstruction in your nose or throat. Stuffy noses from allergies, congestion from a respiratory infection, swollen tonsils or adenoids, and even excess weight can all lead to snoring. Likewise, an oversized tongue or long uvula, that dangly flap of tissue at the back of your mouth, may be to blame. Tongue and throat muscles made weak by alcohol or certain medications can also slacken the tongue or cause the throat to close in on itself. When air tries to pass through any of these obstacles as you sleep, the result can be that sonorous snoring sound. Researchers have recently revealed a possible genetic component to snoring. So, if your dad kept you awake at night sawing logs, your chances of being a snorer may be higher.

The significance of the snore

Yea, snores get laughs on TV (think Homer Simpson), but there's a serious side to snoring. Often unnoticed by the snorer themselves, these nocturnal noises can signal serious health conditions, most notably sleep apnea. Those with sleep apnea experience repeated loud snoring followed by breathing pauses as they sleep, and each pause can last 10 to 30 seconds. Waking between episodes means those with sleep apnea can get a pretty crummy night's sleep. Risks of daytime sleepiness, memory loss, high blood pressure, and heart problems can all result. When children snore, it can indicate risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The spin-offs of the snore

Author Anthony Burgess wrote: "Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone." As spouses and roommates around the world can attest, snoring doesn't just disturb the sleep of the snorer. It's estimated that those who (attempt to) sleep near snorers can lose an hour of sleep per night and may even experience higher blood pressure due to the noise.

The solutions to the snore

Your approach to soothing snoring will depend upon the severity of the problem. Treatments range from nose strips that hold airways open, to dental devices that reposition the jaw, and surgeries that remove the uvula or tighten the muscles in the throat. Some researchers have even found that playing wind instruments, particularly the Australian aboriginal instrument called a didgeridoo, can strengthen the muscles of the upper airway so it won't collapse and lead to snoring.

The best first steps would be to treat the source of the snore: clear up congestion, lose weight if you're overweight, or talk to your doctor about other treatment options. For light snorers, the solution may be as simple as a change in sleeping position. Snoring is more common when sleeping on your back, so shift to your side. Lifting the head of your bed a few inches, or propping your head up on a pillow may help, too. Also, try avoiding alcohol for at least 4 hours before bedtime and try to avoid medications such as sedatives and antihistamines before bedtime. Heavy snorers, those whose snoring is intense and causes disruption to their sleep and their family life, should see a doctor to check for signs of sleep apnea or nasal obstruction.

Back to work Tuesday

Back in the saddle from a long weekend and it was a busy one.   But a little Turkey, a little family and a little hockey is a pretty good way to pass the time.

We'll start today with some scores from last night.

WHL

 

Brandon 5 Edmonton 6

P.A. 3 Kamloops 2

Regina 2 Lethbridge 3

Kootney 4 Medicine Hat 3

NHL

STL 5 TOR 4 s.o.

BUF 7 NYI 1

NJ 1 NYR 4

MTL 5 PHI 3

DET 3 CAR 1

VAN 1 WSH 5

NSH 3 CHI 2

 

MLB

Tampa Bay 9 Boston 1

Philadelphia 7 L.A. 5

CFL

Hamilton 11 Montreal 42

Saskatchewan 5 Calgary 42

NFL Monday Night'er

NY Giants 14 Cleveland 35

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With the Giants win my Tennessee Titans are now the only undefeated team in the NFL (5-0).  They enjoyed their by-week on Sunday.

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Did you hear about the tragedy in Russia?  New York Ranger prospect Alexi Cherpepanov collapsed on the bench during a KHL game and later died.  He was on a 2-on-1 with Jagr before heading to the bench where he collapsed and medical personal were unable to revive the young star.

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Chow down champ Joey Chestnut has done it again, this time proving he's a pizza powerhouse.

Chestnut downed 45 slices in 10 minutes Sunday to win the first Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship in Times Square.

He says he fasted for more than a day to prepare for the contest, and he folded and squeezed the slices to make them easier to swallow.

The 24-year-old rocketed to competitive-eating celebrity when he won Coney Island's July Fourth hot-dog eating contest in 2007. He took the title again this summer by gulping down 59 dogs in 10 minutes.

Last month, he consumed 93 Krystal hamburgers in eight minutes to win a contest in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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That's enough for this morning... I'm going to go and have some pandcakes and then think about voting.  There is a federal election going on that we need to think about.

Have a great morning!

dd

Canucks 6 Navigators 2

Canucks sweep the weekend with a 4-3 win over Grande Prairie Friday and then a 6-2 win over North Peace a night ago.

The Canucks were led by Reid Smith who had quite a game Saturday.  Smith got the old "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" (A goal, an assist and a fight.  Well actually his line was two goals one assist a fight and two goal posts).

The turning point on Saturday was big penalty kill midway through the third period.  The Navigators had nearly nearly 2 full minutes of 5 on 3 but were unable to capitalize.  There was also a 3 min power play attached to that as well.

Full marks to the Canucks to battle back this weekend.  After giving up a shorthanded goal in the first they responded to tie the game less than 3 minutes later.

The same thing happened in the second when North Peace took the lead 2-1.  Dawson Creek took their first lead of the game when Lewis Weaver beat Stewart for the eventual game winner.

Canucks still have not lost a game in regulation but have a very big weekend ahead.

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Not much of an update today as there are some thanksgiving festivities going on so I'll keep this one short.  I'll do some photo blogging tomorrow as there are some good shots from this weekend's games.

Happy Thanksgiving!

dd

Game Day Politics

Go figure. A sports guy busting his butt with politics. I don't get it either but there is a federal election on Tuesday and that has been consuming most of my time lately. Interviews with candidates and trying to learn enough about the candidates to make an educated vote really has taken its toll. Personally I can't wait until it's over.

Candidates will be featured on Peace FM news all day.

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The 2008 Northeast British Columbia Community Coal Forum is taking place here in Chetwynd. It started yesterday and will wrap up this afternoon so I have been there as well. Yesterday was a field trip for me out to the Peace River coal mine. Pretty neat stuff. I'll post pictures at another time.

Roman Danylo was the entertainment last night at the Forum and was hilarious. Highly recommended for your corporate function by this broadcaster.

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With all the goings on around here it's hard to think about hockey but it's game day and the Canucks are looking for their third consecutive victory tonight.

The Canucks will be facing a fast falling Grande Prairie team who have lost three straight (5-2 to DC, 4-1 to FSJ, 9-5 to Beaverlodge).

Game time at the Memorial Arena in Dawson Creek is 8pm. I'll be on the air with the Broadcast on Peace FM (94.5, 104.1 and www.peacefm.ca) starting with the pre-game show at 7:45pm.

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Megan's family is on their way down for the weekend and I need to try to find a bit of time this afternoon for some visiting before tonight's game so blogging will have to be put on the back burner until another time.

Hope to post following tonight's game.

Have a great afternoon!

dd

Power Rankings

Updated Oct 8

1. Whitecourt Wolverines (1-0-0-0) (LW: NR)

This just made sense to me. In their first game of the season they knock off the previously undefeated Navigators 5-1. Can't ask for a much better start to the season than that.

2. Peace River Navigators (3-1-0-0) (LW: 2)

Last week's number 2 holds down the spot this week. Their only reason for not being number 1 is the 5-1 loss to Whitecourt. They'll be tested again when they play the Canucks this weekend.

3. Dawson Creek Jr Canucks (2-0-0-1) (LW: 4)

The Canucks stormed back after an opening night overtime loss to FSJ. Dawson Creek went into Grande Prairie and defeated the Wheelers 5-2 and then followed that up with a come from behind victory over Slave Lake. Peace River will be a tough test for this club on the weekend.

4. Fort St John Huskies (3-1-0-0) (LW: 3)

It was a coin toss for third place and it made sense with DC and FSJ needing overtime on opening night. Fort St John will take 4th this week simply because of their 3-2 loss to Grande Prairie and the Canucks win. I know FSJ did beat GP 4-1 but this week they'll settle for fourth.

5. Slave Lake Wolves (1-2-0-1) (LW: 5)

A .500 week keeps the Wolves stable at #5. They pushed the surging Canucks to the brink losing 5-4 and hammered Sexsmith 8-1.

6. Grande Prairie Wheelers (2-2-0-0) (LW: 1)

Grande Prairie is this week's "biggest bust" falling into #6 after back to back losses. These were losses of 5-2 and 4-1. The Wheelers need to keep the wheels on the bus and turn things around.

7. Beaverlodge Blades (0-2-0-0) (LW: 6)

Beaverlodge is still winless but remains leaps and bounds ahead of Sexsmith. The Blades are not too far off the mark with a pair of two goal losses to FSJ and GP. They've got GP on Wednesday and another tough test on the weekend in Whitecourt.

8. Sexsmith Vipers (0-2-0-0) (LW: NR)

Outscored 14-4 in two games to open the season isn't a great start and the 8-1 loss to Slave Lake will sting. They have a rematch with SL on Saturday and play Beaverlodge Sunday in what appears to be their best chance to put some points on the board.

Canucks recap // NWJHL results

Dawson Creek -- The Canucks followed up their victory in Grande Prairie with a come from behind 5-4 victory over the Slave Lake Wolves Saturday night at the Memorial Arena.

 

A pre-game ceremony was held in memory of former trainer Vince Scheck and game announcer Jim Johnston, both of whom passed away this past summer.

 

On the ice the Canucks didn't quite have the start they envisioned.  The Wolves led 1-0 after twenty minutes thanks to a power play marker from Niklas Plourde.

 

The Wolves and Canucks traded goals a couple times in the second period.  John Howes got the home side on the board less than a minute after Slave Lake score short handed to take a two goal lead.  The teams then traded goals midway through the period and before forty minutes was up the Canucks had tied the hockey game.  With three and a half minutes to play Charles Radke finished off a nice passing play to beat Wolves goaltender Nico Perry and the teams went to the locker rooms tied at three.

 

Dawson Creek kept the pressure up in the third and took their first lead of the game just over seven minutes in.  Justin McLeod beat Perry and then the JC's Reed Smith added an insurance marker just past the midway point of the period.

 

Slave Lake made things interesting at the 16:51 mark when Tyson Price beat Cody Garnett to cut the lead to one but that's as close as the Wolves would get.  Dawson Creek held on for the 5-4 win

 

The Canucks were 0 for 4 on the power play with two short handed goals against while the penalty kill was 6 for 7.

 

Three stars of the broadcast:

* Reed Smith (DC)

** Charles Radke (DC)

***Kurtis Kubel (SL)

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Results from this past weekend in the NWJHL

Friday Oct 3

Grande Prairie 2 Dawson Creek 5

Beaverlodge 3 Fort St John 5

Peace River 6 Sexsmith 2

Saturday Oct 4

Whitecourt 5 Peace River 1

Fort St John 4 Grande Prairie 1

Dawson Creek 5 Slave Lake 4

Sunday Oct 5

Sexsmith 1 Slave Lake 8

Canucks 5 Wolves 4

Drove back to Chetwynd following the game and I don't think the spedo climbed a tick past 60km/h.  Fog covered the road and created zero visibility.  What a crappy ride!  It took forever!

Needless to say I decided to have a Darren day and watched my Titans beat Baltimore on CBS and then took in a double header.  The theater was playing The Dark Knight so a few of us from work decided to catch the flick.  FANTASTIC.  Two and a half hours well spent.  Then I got home and flipped Batman Begins into the DVD player.

A full wrap of the Canucks/Wolves game will come in the morning.

DD

Sports update

Just a quick recap of all your Friday night scores...

One more score in from the NWJHL

Grande Prairie 2 Dawson Creek 5
Peace River 6 Sexsmith 3
Beaverlodge 3 Fort St John 5

BCHL

Langley 4 Alberni Valley 1
Nanaimo 6 Surrey 3
Cowichan Valley 3 Victoria 8
Merritt 1 Prince George 2 OT
Trail 3 Salmon Arm 5
Penticton 3 West Side 2
Powell River 5 Quesnel 3

AJHL

Drayton Valley 1 Bonniville 0
Calgary Canucks 4 Okotokes 1
Fort McMurry 0 Olds 2
Calgary Royals 2 Canmore 3
Lloydminster 3 Brooks 6
Grande Prairie 3 OT Drumheller 2

WHL

Prince George 4 Chilliwack 1
Vancouver 10 Seattle 2
Everett 0 Spokane 5
P.A. 2 Tri-city 3
Kelowna 1 Medicine Hat 4
Kamloops 5 Edmonton 2
Brandon 3 Red Deere 1

NHL Pre-season

Minesota 3 Columbus 5
NYI 3 New Jersey 2
Anaheim 4 Phoenix 1
Chicago 7 Colorado 4
Edmonton 2 Calgary 3 OT
Nashville 6 Atlanta 4
Detroit 5 Toronto 3
Phillidelphia 1 Washington 5

MLB Playoffs

Boston 7 LAA 5 (bos leads 2-0)
Tampa Bay 6 Chicago Sox 2 (TB leads 2-0)

CFL

BC 24 Toronto 20 (BC clinches playoff spot)
Calgary 34 Saskatchewan 37 (Sask clinches playoff spot)

Canucks 5 Wheelers 2

Grande Prairie -- A pair of Jason Higson goals paved the way for Dawson Creek's 5-2 victory over Grande Prairie Friday night.

Luca McKenzie opened the scoring at the 8:35 mark of the opening period and Higson quickly made it 2-0 on a nice passing play from John Howse and Charles Radke at the 10:56 mark.

Dawson Creek carried over their hot start into the second period when Reid Smith put a Colter MacLean pass home to stretch the lead. The 3-0 lead held up until midway through the frame when Ryan Vekved beat Cody Garnet on a breakaway to start a pretty crazy couple of minutes. A minute later another partial breakaway for the Wheelers and with a great deak around Garnett the puck missed a wide open net and hit the goal post. Grande Prairie felt that they had scored but play continued and the Canucks nearly capitalized.

3-1 into the third when Higson scored his second of the game at the 9:56 mark and Colter McLean added another at 12:17 on the power play to end the Dawson Creek scoring. The Wheelers would add a power play marker late to make the final score 5-2 for the Canucks.

The Canucks were 1 for 5 with the extra man while the Wheelers ended the game a disappointing 1 for 10.

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If you're looking for an idea as to what type of roster the Canucks are icing here is a look at the Roster from Friday night's game.

# Name
1 Cody Garnett
29 Cody Gayse
3 Tyson Keen
4 Tyson Stefanyk
7 Colter MacLean
8 Lewis Weaver
9 Nathan Bomben
10 John Howes
12 Alex Hornland
14 Reed Smith
15 Blaine Rogers
19 Justin McLeod
20 Jordon Clement
21 Mike Bouchard
22 Lucas McKenzie
24 Gerrit Lacey
27 Jason Higson
44 Charles Radke
2 Russell Weaver 'AP'

Next up for the Canucks is the home opener against the visiting Slave Lake Wolves Saturday night (tonight as it's 1:56am) at the Memorial Arena. A pretty nice tribute planned for the pre-game at the arena so pack the stands for, what should be, a pretty good hockey game.

The Canucks are hot and have been on quite a tear dating back to the third period last Friday in Fort St John.

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Bedtime for this broadcaster. Springs (our dog) and I have the day to ourselves tomorrow so we have big plans of doing nothing all day. Maybe some time to blog. Preview for tomorrow night to come.

Opening weekend recap // Thursday scores

To recap the Canucks lost a heartbreaker 6-5 in overtime to the Fort St. John Huskies.

Elsewhere around the league here's what happened during the opening weekend:

Friday night Sept 26

Peace River Navigators 5 Slave Lake Wolves 4
Grande Prairie Wheelers 7 Beaverlodge Blades 5

Saturday Sept 27

Fort St John Huskies 2 Grande Prairie Wheelers 3
Slave Lake Wolves 3 Peace River Navigators 7

We never saw Whitecourt Wolverines or the Sexsmith Vipers.

Both teams open their seasons this weekend.

Friday Oct 3

Fort St John Huskies @ Beaverlodge Blades
Sexsmith Vipers @ Peace River Navigators
Dawson Creek Jr Canucks @ Grande Prairie Wheelers

Saturday Oct 4

Peace River Navigators @ Whitecourt Wolverines
Grande Prairie Wheelers @ Fort St. John Huskies
Slave Lake Wolves @ Dawson Creek Jr Canucks

Sunday Oct 5th

Slave Lake Wolves @ Sexsmith Vipers

Wednesday Oct 8th

Grande Prairie Wheelers @ Beaverlodge Blades

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We still won't know what to expect from each team in this league as rosters continue to be worked as new players become available. The Canucks had a 3rd goaltender at practise this week but I don't expect him to crack the line-up. I guess we'll see tonight.

It's game day and there is much to be done. Good news is our new broadcast equipment arrived late yesterday and we WILL be on the air tonight with the broadcast. I promise. Pre-game show at 7:45pm and puck drops at 8:00pm on 94.5fm (Chetwynd) 104.9fm (Dawson Creek) and http://www.peacefm.ca/ (everyone else).

More of a preview later in the day.

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Scores from Thursday night.

WHL

Lethbridge 2 Calgary 4

BCHL

Nanaimo 7 Langley 3
Powell River 3 Prince George 6

AJHL

Spruce Grove 7 St. Albert 4
Okotoks 6 Camrose 0
Sherwood Park 2 Lloydminster 0

MLB

Chicago WSox 4 Tampa Bay 6
Milwaukee 2 Philadelphia 5
LA Dodgers 10 Chicago Cubs 3

NHL Pre-season

Buffalo 5 Columbus 2
Carolina 4 Nashville 2
Chicago 4 Dallas 3
San Jose 2 Vancouver 3

Mt. Baldy

looking up at Mt Baldy

As promised (a few days late) here are some shots from my climb of Mt. Baldy. Carly, Jacob and I took a climb up Mt. Baldy on Sunday afternoon. It didn't take too long to reach the top but it was work out that's for sure.

A shot from the top overlooking the town

Me at the top

A shot around the corner to the North West. (It's such beautiful country)

I love this shot of the mountains in the distance.

I'm pretty sure Megan's going to make the climb next time. (I might have to strap her to my back though!) The entire time we were on the lookout for bears and cats and thankfully we ran into neither!

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On another note, be careful! A person riding a motorcycle in downtown Chetwynd was hit by a vehicle today and sent for a bit of a ride. The rider appeared to sustain some minor injuries but should be ok. Just another reason to pay attention when driving. This kind of thing can always be avoided.

Canucks on the ice again in a couple days. I'll talk more about the weekend later.

dd

NWJHL power rankings Oct. 1

Here are my first unofficial North West Junior Hockey League power rankings. Keep in mind these power rankings are made with no prior knowledge of seasons past.

1. Grande Prairie Wheelers (2-0-0-0)

The Wheelers are out of the gate quick to start the 2008-2009 season. It started with a 7-5 win over Beaverlodge and a 3-2 win in Fort St. John. The Wheelers will be tested on Friday when they host Dawson Creek. This will really test what the Wheelers are made of.

2. Peace River Navigators (2-0-0-0)

Like the Wheelers, Peace River has also started the season with a pair of wins. (5-4, 7-3 over Slave Lake) The Navigators next two games come against Sexsmith and Whitecourt, two teams who have yet to play a regular season game. It's early in the season but offence doesn't appear to be an issue with this club. (12 goals in 2 games)

3. Fort St. John Huskies (1-1-0-0)

The Huskies opened the season with a victory over Dawson Creek (6-5 in overtime). They are ahead of the Canucks for the sole reason that they won the hockey game but the way they finished the game should have a few people worried. Up 4-1 going into the third the Huskies gave up 4 straight goals before tieing the hockey game late and winning in overtime. The dogs followed that up with a 3-2 loss to Grande Prairie. They play Beaverlodge on Friday and the rematch with GP is on Saturday.

4. Dawson Creek Jr Canucks (0-0-0-1)

A loss on opening night is never something to be proud of but the way the Jr Canucks played in the third period has left a lot for the club to be excited about. Down 4-1 the Nucks netted 4 straight goals to grab the lead before the Huskies tied things late. A very questionable call at the end of regulation led to the game winner for FSJ. The Canucks are in Grande Prairie on Friday for possibly the game of the week and then at home on Saturday.

5. Slave Lake Wolves (0-1-0-1)

A pair of losses to Peace River to open the season isn't a great .way to start. The team did salvage a single point sending one of the games to overtime so all was not lost. Slave Lake will need to dig in this weekend with a pair of games on the road. They are in Dawson Creek Saturday and in Sexsmith on Sunday.

6. Beaverlodge Blades (0-1-0-0)

An opening night loss to Grande Prairie (7-5) really shouldn't mean that they are all the way in 6th but that's the way things go in hockey sometimes. Beaverlodge should be happy with offensive production but giving up 7 goals against will make the coaching staff really concentrate on their own zone this week. They are home to Fort St. John Friday.

7. Sexsmith Vipers (0-0-0-0)

No games to report

8. Whitecourt Wolverines (0-0-0-0)

No games to report