Sporting an opinion

It was a strange game, one that didn't go to script in multiple ways, one in which the Reign "thought the game started at 8 o'clock, not 7," as Karl Taylor said.

Phoenix recorded the game's first 18 shots and two goals in the first 12-and-a-half minutes from the opening faceoff -- not what one would expect from a Roadrunners team that lost six times in seven meetings between the teams before Friday.

Once the Reign decided to show up, they showed up in a big way. Bud Holloway scored twice, including a short-handed goal that could have made SportsCenter's top 10 plays -- it was that good. Probably the best goal I've seen in the new arena. For the record, Holloway has seven goals and two assists in seven games since being sent down from Manchester.

And yet, after the Reign battled back to tie 4-4, Phoenix got two third-period goals that deflected in off Reign players. That was the difference.

Jeff Zatkoff took the hard-luck loss, making 39 saves, a few of which were downright spectacular. The big problem was the 45 shots allowed; the Reign had previously allowed 46 on three occasions, but there was little Zatkoff could do tonight.

More details in tomorrow's editions and an official scoresheet here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_11800991:

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden has been hospitalized since Feb. 13 because of pneumonia, school spokesman Marc Dellins said, confirming an earlier report on dailynews.com. Wooden, 98, is expected to make a full recovery, but no date has been set for him to leave the hospital.

"My father is doing well," said Nan Muehlhausen, Coach Wooden's daughter. "His lungs are clear and he has been eating well. We expect him to be released soon."

He did not attend UCLA's basketball games last week against Washington and Washington State, although he no longer attends every game. Wooden went 620-147 in 27 years at UCLA. He won 10 national titles, including seven straight from 1967-73. He retired after the Bruins won the 1975 NCAA title.

The family is asking people not call or visit to hospital so Wooden can rest. Also, the family is requesting fans refrain from sending mail to Wooden while he is hospitalized.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Slowly but surely, Bud Holloway seems to be punching his ticket back to the American Hockey League.

On Thursday, he recorded his first ECHL hat trick in the Reign's 4-2 victory over the host Phoenix Roadrunners. In five games since being reassigned from the Kings' AHL affiliate in Manchester, N.H., Holloway has five goals and two assists. Jon Rheault contributed three assists, and Denny Johnston had two in his first game back from injured reserve.

The Reign never trailed in a close game, and Holloway's third goal into an empty net with 11 seconds left provided the final score.

Andrew Martens scored the game's first goal, his ninth of the season for the Reign. Jeff Zatkoff got the win, stopping 27 of 29 shots. The Reign come back home tomorrow night to play the 'Runners for Part II of a stretch of three games in three nights.

The official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 8:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dennis Cook has been signed as the emergency backup to Jeff Zatkoff for tonight's game in Phoenix.

Meanwhile, Kellen Briggs got the start last night for the AHL's Portland Pirates (against former NHL netminder Danny Sabourin of the Springfield Falcons), and gave up a goal to (former NHL center) Gilbert Brule among three by Springfield in the first 23 minutes.

He then settled down and didn't allow another goal until overtime, as the Pirates lost 4-3. Briggs finished with 19 saves on 23 shots -- in all, not a bad debut.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 6:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kellen Briggs was signed to a pro tryout contract Tuesday by the Portland Pirates, the Buffalo Sabres' affiliate in the American Hockey League. Captain Jon Francisco also was placed on 7-day injured reserve, leaving the Reign without two of their better players for Thursday's game in Phoenix.

Fortunately for Karl Taylor, center Denny Johnston was activated off injured reserve, giving the coach a logical fill-in for Francisco. Francisco had been battling recurring back spasms that landed him on IR earlier in the season, and was given time off from practice recently. No word yet if this stay on IR is related to the first.

As for Briggs, his recall stems from the trickle-down effect of Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller's high ankle sprain. Miller's replacement, Sabres backup Patrick Lalime, came down with the flu recently, and Swedish goalie Jhonas Enroth got the call-up from Portland.

Presumably, the duration of Briggs' stay in the AHL - the first of his career - depends on three things:

1. The duration of Ryan Miller's high ankle sprain. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff told the Buffalo News recently that "an ankle sprain takes time and you don't know how much time it's going to take." In media-speak, Miller is out indefinitely.

2. The capability of Enroth as an NHL backup. Buffalo could find out soon; it's possible Enroth will start Thursday in Carolina if Lalime can't go because of the flu. If Enroth bombs, he could get sent back down, and Briggs could be returning to Ontario. Even if Enroth doesn't bomb, the Sabres might want to trade for an experienced goalie to complement Lalime in case Miller's recovery takes longer than expected. The NHL trade deadline is March 4.

3. Briggs' own performance in the AHL. He's never played at the next level before, but has posted very good stats in two years in the ECHL. Briggs becomes the eighth player signed by or assigned to the Reign to start the season (Zatkoff, Murray, Martens, Johnston, Rheault, Collins, Card) to get the AHL call.

A second goalie has not been signed to back up Jeff Zatkoff in Phoenix. We'll keep you posted.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Reign were automatically in the playoffs ... for a month.

But, if you caught my earlier blog post (which I didn't yesterday morning), you might have caught that they are no longer a shoo-in.

On Jan. 23, the ECHL announced that if the fifth-place team in the West Division has a greater winning percentage than the fourth-place team in the Pacific Division, the fifth-place team in the West will become the fourth seed in the Pacific. The Reign play in the four-team Pacific Division, so after Fresno folded they were in - until this announcement.

They *could* still miss the playoffs, but they're still in good shape, and the rest of this story is accurate.

Thanks to head coach Karl Taylor for pointing this out first, and please accept my apologies if you read the headline and made playoff-party plans for this weekend.

Throw a party anyway.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Reign were headed to a lopsided win, taking a 5-0 lead through two periods, before Victoria made it look somewhat respectable on the final scoreboard.

In reality, the Reign looked as dominant, for at least the first 50 minutes, as they had all year. Their 52 shots on goal were a season high, and Geoff Walker notched the first hat trick in team (and CBBA) history. (Walker was given credit for the Reign's first goal, then had it taken away upon review, then was given it back upon further review.)

It was Walker's first game back since he sustained a concussion on Feb. 13, which he said was his second in as many years, "but worse than the first." He had some gnarly symptoms, which are discussed in tomorrow's editions. The best side effect? His legs were fresher than his teammates' tonight, as were those of Ryan MacGregor, who was a healthy scratch last night against Alaska.

Victoria was just as tired, probably more so than the Reign; the Salmon Kings have been on the road for about a month and this was their eighth straight road game (Side note: They got kicked out of their home arena for a curling competition. Only in Canada.)

Jon Rheault and P.J. Atherton had the other goals, and Kellen Briggs made 30 saves. Your final scoresheet is here.

David Walker (hand) and Mike Howe (flu) were scratched, while Todd Jackson exchanged places with Walker on 3-day IR with an undisclosed injury.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Reign's four game win streak ends ... more details in tomorrow's editions.

Your official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

He becomes the first NASCAR driver to win the first two Cup events since Jeff Gordon in 1997. Gordon finished second and Kyle Busch, attempting to become the first driver ever to win all three races (Cup, Nationwide, Trucks) in one weekend, finishes third.

More in tomorrow's editions.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 7:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kyle Busch made history today at Auto Club Speedway: He became the first NASCAR driver to win a race in two of the three major series in the same day. Busch led 95 of 100 laps en route to victory in the Camping World Truck Series San Bernardino County 200, and led 143 of 150 laps to win the Stater Bros. 300. He'll go for the unprecedented triple in the Auto Club 500 tomorrow at 3 p.m.

More details in tomorrow's editions.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 7:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kellen Briggs did his best to make everyone forget about John Murray with a spectacular 33-save shutout, his first as a member of the Reign and the fourth of his pro career. Tomorrow's story in the paper will focus mostly on Briggs' performance and the Murray trade, so ... as for the rest of the game ...

It was a physical one. Fifteen penalties, two fights, and another Bud Holloway goal. Holloway has wasted no time endearing himself to the I.E., with two goals in two games since being sent down from Manchester.

Coach Taylor said that Holloway, who skated with Jon Rheault and Jon Francisco again, is "going to get lots of ice time and get his confidence going so when he goes back to Manchester hopefully he's a better player."

His goal was a very straightforward slapshot from the right faceoff circle. Neither Francisco nor the Phoenix player (I forget who) really won the faceoff. The puck squirted a couple feet away from the dot, just sat there, and Holloway swooped in and one-timed it into the top of the net.

Other than that, the highlights consisted of saves by Briggs, forechecks, backchecks and two fights - one involving Dan Knapp and the other involving Shawn Germain. Taylor said that Briggs "saved our bacon a number of times. (Phoenix) should have scored twice in the first period."

The official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Reign officially completed a trade today that will send goaltender John Murray to the Mississippi Sea Wolves for future considerations.

The trade relieved a longstanding predicament of what to do with the team's three goalies, which unexpectedly extended into February because of injuries to Kellen Briggs and Jeff Zatkoff, as well as Zatkoff's brief stint in the American Hockey League. Taylor said that since Zatkoff is on assignment from the Kings, his choice came down to Briggs or Murray and he had more confidence in Briggs.

"Future considerations" means the Reign will receive either some amount of money or a player from Mississippi before June 15, the last possible day of the postseason. Taylor also said he might have been able to obtain more in exchange for a guy who could start for most teams, but took less to give Murray a better situation.

But maybe not that much more, in spite of Murray's talent.

"It all depends on your situation, where you are with your roster," Taylor said. "Everybody knew I was over a barrel (with three goaltenders). I didn't hold the chips."

Murray himself had just returned from the AHL and found out Thursday night that he had been traded; however, the deal wasn't officially completed until today. Murray said his goodbyes to teammates on Friday morning before packing his bags for Biloxi.

In 24 games for the Reign, he went 13-8-3 with a 2.81 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. He started 10 straight games, and 13 of 14, for one stretch in December and January when Zatkoff was in the AHL and Briggs was still recovering from a preseason groin injury.

Murray also was an injury replacement for Zatkoff in the ECHL All-Star game. The Lancaster, Pa. native won over many fans for his durability, but was the odd man out with both Zatkoff and Briggs healthy and available.

The Sea Wolves are struggling at 22-25-6, fourth place in the South Division of the ECHL's American Conference. He won't face the Reign again unless the two teams meet in the Kelly Cup Finals. Mississippi had been using one goaltender, Ryan Munce, almost exclusively in February.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Looks like head coach Karl Taylor will keep three goaltenders for the time being: Forward Geoff Walker was placed on 3-day injured reserve today, while forward Denny Johnston was moved to 7-day IR. Neither injured player participated in practice earlier today, but all three goalies -- Jeff Zatkoff, John Murray and Kellen Briggs did.

Meanwhile forward Itan Chavira, still on 30-day IR with a lower-body injury, has been practicing all week.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In my first year covering the ECHL, and probably the first year watching the ECHL for a lot of Reign fans, it's beginning to look like one of the streakiest leagues on the planet.

You might recall the Victoria Salmon Kings did not lose for 15 straight games spanning December and January, including a sweep of the Reign in British Columbia Jan. 9 and 10, a pair of 5-2 losses. Well, after that they were a measly 4-12 coming into Wednesday's game; the Reign were getting hot, having won two straight (after losing three of four); and on Wednesday ... the streakiness continued.

Among the positives for the Reign:

• Jeff Zatkoff returned from his groin injury and got the win (one of the goals was really no fault of his own);
• Bud Holloway, whom Karl Taylor picked up at the airport a night earlier upon reassignment from Manchester, scored a goal in his ECHL debut;
• Dale Reinhardt scored two goals off two Mike Howe assists;
• Las Vegas lost earlier in the day, so the Reign are in first place in the Pacific Division standings by two points with a game in hand on the Wranglers

The unintentional highlight: Lakewood native Travis Ramsey accidentally scooping the puck between his own goalie's five-hole to give the Reign a 4-2 lead in the third period. "I just kinda looked down, scraped some ice away and all of a sudden people started cheering; I didn't know what happened until they showed the replay," said Zatkoff. The goal was credited to David Walker, the last Reign player to touch the puck (official scoresheet here).

Reinhardt's contribution was notable in that he was sort of a "bubble guy" when Denny Johnston came back from Manchester. That is, if and when Itan Chavira, and possibly Ryan Bowness, were healthy, he might have been among the players on the bubble for getting traded or released. Reinhardt - and Howe, for that matter - seem to be playing their way off the bubble.

Still, some tough roster decisions lie ahead - especially at goalie, where John Murray is back in Ontario but might get squeezed out of the picture. More on this in my next post.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Mike Whitmarsh, a legendary AVP volleyball player and Olympic silver medalist in 1996, died today. The Associated Press is reporting it as an apparent suicide due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Whitmarsh, from Spring Valley, also played briefly in the NBA.

Here is the AVP release. Here is the AP story.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 7:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Goaltender Jeff Zatkoff, who had been on injured reserve, and center Bud Holloway, who had been in Manchester, both took part in the pregame skate for the Reign tonight at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

Zatkoff, 9-6-1 with a team-best 2.25 goals-against average and .936 save percentage, hasn't played since re-injuring his groin Jan. 16 against Utah.

Holloway, a 6-foot-2, 192 pound center, has never played in the ECHL in his first professional season. He was a third-round draft pick by the Kings in 2006. In 38 games with the Manchester Monarchs, he registered 7 goals and 12 points.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 6:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From http://www.autoclubspeedway.com/Articles/2009/02/Reggie-Jackson.aspx:

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. (February 17, 2009) - Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, who earned the nickname Mr. October for his World Series heroics with both the A's and Yankees, will be behind the wheel of the Auto Club Speedway's 2009 Chevy Impala pace car as he leads the field before the start of NASCAR's 2009 West Coast Premiere - the Auto Club 500 - on Feb. 22.

"In my lifetime I've played in six World Series, hob-knobbed with movie stars and been a part of the excitement of New York and the Yankees," said Jackson. "With all that, it's hard to get excited over many things. But being behind the wheel of the pace car for the Auto Club 500, is right up there with some of the most exciting things I've ever done."

I can't help but recall his cameo in "The Naked Gun" and hope this isn't part of some assassination plot.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

John Murray has been released from his pro tryout contract by the AHL's Syracuse Crunch, and the goalie is once again property of the Reign. Here's the full release from the Crunch Web site: http://www.syracusecrunch.com/News/Detail/2298

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 5:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The former Chino Hills and Riverside resident, who won the pole at Daytona two years ago but was squeezed out of the Yates Racing lineup to start this season, will drive the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet at his home track Sunday.

From http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=518797:

Gilliland, who was not on the preliminary entry list for the Auto Club 500, drove the No. 38 Yates Racing Ford last season. He remains under contract with Yates, which approved his driving for TRG. Since TRG is outside the top 35 in owner points, Gilliland must qualify based on speed to make the race. Slugger Labbe will be the crew chief for the team.

TRG Motorsports officials say they plan to enter the No. 71 Chevrolet in the next four races in an attempt to lock into the top 35 in owner points, a position that would guarantee the car a starting spot in races. The team attempted to make the field for the season-opening Daytona 500 with Mike Wallace driving but missed that race.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Reign are back in first place.

Playing their third game as many days, you'd think they would play their best hockey early rather than late. Instead, the Reign worked back from a 2-0 deficit, getting the game-winning goal on a penalty kill, from P.J. Atherton at 7:48 of the third period.

Thanks to Utah's 4-1 victory over the Las Vegas Wranglers earlier in the day, the Reign moved a point ahead of Las Vegas (58-57) in the ECHL's Pacific Division standings. Stockton (53 points) remains in third place.

With the Reign on a power play, Jon Francisco made it 2-2 at 0:51 of the third with his team-leading 19th goal of the season. Dale Reinhardt began the comeback with a goal at 10:25 of the second period.

Danny Roy, who has served as the emergency backup for home and away teams in Stockton in the past, was the backup to Kellen Briggs, who stopped 32 of 34 shots.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tim Kraus put in a rebound of a Chris Curran wraparound 90 seconds into overtime, bringing the Reign back within one point of first-place Vegas in the Pacific. A big game against Stockton looms tomorrow, and the Reign are heading north tonight.

Because they were loading the busses almost as soon as the game ended, I couldn't grab too many players for their reaction, but P.J. Atherton confirmed what seemed to be true at a glance - it was a big win. Bakersfield helped the Reign's aspirations to regain separation in the standings by posting four goals in the third period to upset Stockton. In Stockton, no less.

Curran notched a "Gordie Howe hat trick" - a goal, assist and a fight - and was generally outstanding. So was Kellen Briggs, who stopped 24 of 25 shots, including plenty from close range in a game that was tied for all but five minutes, 31 seconds of its duration. Mike Howe, Dale Reinhardt and Andrew Martens had the Reign's other assists.

Reinhardt (a healthy scratch in recent weeks) and Howe (who missed 10 games with an upper body injury) haven't contributed much lately. But both were summoned tonight, a day after Geoff Walker sustained a concussion in the second period against Bakersfield. Walker, whose 14 goals and 34 points rank second on the team, will also miss Sunday's game in Stockton and said he won't play until Wednesday (against Victoria at CBBA) at the earliest.

Game summary here; more details in tomorrow's editions.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Coach Matt Thomas, whose Stockton Thunder host the Ontario Reign on Sunday, gave some insights to NHL.com today about why his former team, the Fresno Falcons, folded operations on Dec. 22, 2008.

"I think it was a lack of marketing in Fresno ... a lack of sales staff," Thomas said. "We didn't have offices. Everyone had to work from home. It was as poorly run as you can run it. It was real frustrating. Even in Atlantic City when we knew we were done, it was still professional. We had an office, people worked and there were expectations. People weren't held accountable in Fresno. There was no office environment."

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

For the second straight week, the Reign will play a Saturday night home game desperately trying to forget a loss the night before. The second period was their achilles' heel tonight, when the Condors turned a 2-2 game into a 5-2 game, essentially sealing the victory.

It's another head-scratching loss, considering they outshot an opponent for the second straight game (once a rare occurence in these parts) yet still lost their third game in their last four.

Jon Rheault, Shawn Germain and P.J. Atherton scored the goals, and Kellen Briggs took the loss, stopping 24 of 29. Game stats here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Terry Wheaton, a 42-year-old goaltender from Corona, must have impressed Karl Taylor enough during the team's open tryouts back in September to earn a second shot. After practicing with the Reign yesterday, Wheaton will be the emergency backup goaltender to Kellen Briggs tonight in Bakersfield.

His stay could be short, depending on how long it takes John Murray to get from Syracuse, N.Y. to Ontario. Murray hasn't hit the transactions wire yet, but since the Columbus Blue Jackets activated goalie Steve Mason for their game tonight with the Red Wings, and sent Dan LaCosta (whose roster spot Murray was filling) back to their AHL affiliate in Syracuse, it's probably just a matter of time.

(As an aside, Steve Mason and Terry Wheaton will probably never meet each other. Wheaton is even old enough to be the 21-year-old Mason's dad. But for one day their paths intertwined quite a bit. Because of Steve Mason's bout with mononucleosis, Wheaton gets to live his dream of being a pro hockey player for a night. It simply doesn't get any better than that. That's what I love about sports.)

Also, Mike Howe was activated from 3-day IR and traded places with Denny Johnston. Howe has missed 10 games with an upper-body injury.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reports out of Columbus, Ohio are that rookie goalie Steve Mason is set to return to the Blue Jackets for tomorrow's big game against the Detroit Red Wings. Mason has been battling mononucleosis, while Dan LaCosta has been filling in admirably in his time up from Syracuse of the American Hockey League. The rookie stopped 59 of 61 shots in wins against San Jose and Colorado.

It won't be enough to keep LaCosta from going back to Syracuse at some point, however. As for when, well, the Blue Jackets aren't making things any easier on John Murray. Word out of New York is that the Reign netminder might remain with the Syracuse Crunch rather than fly back to California, because the Jackets are holding onto LaCosta until the last minute to make sure Mason is indeed healthy enough to play 60 minutes against Detroit tomorrow night. They might not assign LaCosta to Syracuse in time for their game tomorrow against the Grand Rapids Griffins (coincidentally, the Red Wings' affiliate), in which case Murray stays in the AHL another day.

Still, the Reign opened the door for Murray to return by releasing emergency backup Dennis Cook today. Cook was going to be released regardless, since the ECHL emergency backup contract lasts only a maximum seven days and it had been a week since they signed him. The question is, who will be the backup goalie when the Reign travel to Bakersfield? Probably not Murray. Stay tuned.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

If John Murray indeed comes back to the Reign from the AHL any time soon, it will not be without any game experience.

Last night, Syracuse Crunch starter Spencer Dahm was assailed for four goal on his first 10 shots in the Crunch's loss to the Toronto Marlies. Murray came on in relief and played the final 36 minutes, 45 seconds, allowing two goals on 13 shots - not amazing, but good enough to slow the damage and get a feel for the next level.

In other Reign alumni news, Dusty Collins played last night for the Manitoba Moose and the Sean Avery-led Hartford Wolf Pack. As expected, however, Avery didn't play. Collins did, was held scoreless with one shot on net and a minus-1 rating for the game. In eight games with Manitoba, Collins has a goal and an assist.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Reign match their largest defeat of the season but, as Jon Francisco said, "we didn't play as bad a game as the score said we did."

Scoring chances were close to even tonight and the Reign actually led in shots on goal, 35-30. But thanks in large part to Vegas goalie Matt Keetley, fresh off an AHL demotion, only one went in - Ryan MacGregor's third-period power play deflection of a nice Geoff Walker pass in the crease.

The Reign got torched for three goals in the first period, all by the same forward line. That put them in a 3-0 hole that may have been easier to make up if they had scored the game's fourth goal, but they didn't. Kellen Briggs looked OK in stopping 25 of 30; the defense let him down on a few plays and one of the goals went in off Shawn Germain's skate. But the official scoresheet reflects it was another Shawn (Limpright) who scored it for Vegas.

Two significant developments from this one:

1. The Reign are no longer in first place; Las Vegas (which won its 8th straight) moved two points ahead in the Pacific Division standings.

2. Chris Curran got a game misconduct and could face an additional suspension upon review of his second-period boarding infraction. Karl Taylor declined to theorize whether the league would punish Curran because he didn't see the play. The coach did offer, however, that he thought "an instigator penalty should be called in that situation," as the Wranglers' Jason Dest - who wasn't the victim of the boarding - skated over to fight Curran immediately after the play.

More details in tomorrow's editions.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Reign fans, rejoice: Your team is 4-1-1 against Stockton in its inaugural season. Sure, a few more fans show up for the Thunder's home games (6,301) than yours (5,398). But at least your team doesn't play in the worst city in America.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Light-scoring defensemen Darren McMillan and Shawn Germain gave a lot of interesting insights into their jobs that I wasn't able to include in today's story about the Reign's light-scoring defensemen.

For one, both guys have been pretty much doing what they do for the Reign all their hockey lives.

"When I was like 15, I played a little bit more an offensive game, but I was playing in a town of 5,000 people (St. Paul, Alberta) -- I was one of the better all-around players," said Germain, who . "When you go to a certain level, you almost have to decide what you're going to be. When I played juniors, I was pulled aside and told, 'this is what you're going to do' ... kill penalties, block shots."

Said McMillan: "I always just wanted to do whatever I could to help whatever team I'm on win. That's omeething I paws prtty good at doing. It's good to know you can help in ways other than scoring. That's one thing I can do. I've always been good at it."

Since they don't score goals, notch a ton of assists, or even have that great of a plus/minus rating, I asked each how he knows that he played a good game after it's done.

"I wouldn't say there's any number you can put on it. It's just a feeling you have," Germain said.

For McMillan, "it's just when I'm on the ice, stopping the other team from scoring, or having a good day penalty killing, making good passes out of my own zone, I feel I had a good game. That's how I judge if I had a good game."

Germain, however, did throw out one number that was somewhat of a marker of success: Stitches. This season, the 26-year-old said he's had to get about 10 stitches to his face, "and this is one of my slower seasons." In his life, Germain estimated he has received more than 200 from the back of his head to the front. "One year in juniors," he recalled, "I had to get 40 in my ear on one shot."

"I don't mind the stitches to the face, it's the blocked shots when you can't feel your leg the next day. You become numb to it, to be honest."

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 7:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jeremy Lusk, a Temecula-based motocross rider, has died in Costa Rica as the result of injuries sustained in a stunt attempt earlier today. From Yahoo! sports:

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP)--Jeremy Lusk, an American freestyle motocross rider, died of head injuries Tuesday after crashing while trying to land a backflip in competition. He was 24.

Jorge Ramirez, chief of the intensive care unit at Calderon Hospital where Lusk was taken, said the motocross racer suffered severe brain damage and a possible spinal cord injury.

Lusk won a gold medal at the 2008 X Games. He was injured Saturday night when he failed to complete a full rotation while attempting a Hart Attack backflip and slammed headfirst into the dirt. Lusk crashed in almost identical fashion in the freestyle semifinals at the 2007 X Games but was not hurt.

He had a successful 2008 season, winning Freestyle gold at the X Games and silver in Best Trick when he landed the first double-grab Hart Attack backflip. He won a bronze helmet in Freestyle at the Moto X World Championships in his hometown of San Diego.

Ramirez said Lusk died with his parents and his wife, Lauren, at his side.

Here is the YouTube clip of Lusk trying the same move at the X Games in 2007.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

John Murray's stint with the AHL Syracuse Crunch could end within the week. At least, it's looking that way after reports that Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason is targeting a Friday return against the Detroit Red Wings. Columbus recalled goalie Dan LaCosta from Syracuse to take the place of Mason, thus creating room for Murray in Syracuse. If/when LaCosta goes back to Syracuse, Murray could be on his way back west.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Jim Short at Orange Show Speedway:

The Orange Show Speedway informational meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 11, has been rescheduled due to unexpected delays in the finalization of the agreement between new OSS promoter Rick McCray and the National Orange Show board of directors.

The meeting will be held on at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, under the pit row grandstand at the speedway, and will be open to all racers, sponsors and interested parties. Applications will be available for anyone interested in becoming a track official. Open practices tentatively have been scheduled for March 7 and March 14 at times to be announced. Further information will be disclosed when it is available.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A somewhat obscure ECHL deadline passed under the radar a week ago today, the final day teams could add players playing overseas to their roster for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. Karl Taylor said today that he had taken a look at players currently in Europe, but "timing and deadlines" prevented any from signing with the Reign.

"You've got to sign them three weeks prior to the deadline because you've got to do immigration on them," Taylor said. "Same if they're Canadian, you've got to do immigration on them. On that day, they have to be immigration compliant, have a visa, be here. It takes a lot."

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Laura Johnson up in Wrightwood:

The 11th Annual $25,000 Cholula Triple Air Show went off Saturday, February 07, 2009, at Mountain High in Wrightwood, CA. 75 riders from across the country threw down for their share of a huge $25,000 cash purse. The weather held off just enough for Danny Toumarkine to stake his claim on a hot $10,000 in cash with Stacie Anderson pulling in $4,000 for the girls.

Riders were stoked on one of the most unique setups the contest has ever seen; a sick hip to double jump line built by Mountain High's Faultline Terrain Park Crew. Standout riders included Spencer Link, Nick Sibayan, Tyler Flanagan, Ian Thorley, and Laurie Currier with the top 16 men and top six women advancing to a best of two run finals.

Toumarkine threw down a back rodeo seven melon over the hip, to back seven indy, to front nine lien for his ten grand. Anderson got her four g's with a huge nose grab over the hip, to indy nose poke, to front three mute. West coast shreds came from spots like Mammoth and Tahoe, while others came from Park City and as far away as Europe , to enjoy the packed powder conditions from the recent three foot storm.

Thanks to Monster Energy, Powder & Sun Boardshop, Jarritos Soda, and title sponsor Cholula Hot Sauce for turning Mountain High's biggest event of the season into the hottest big air event north of the border.

Catch the webcast of the Cholula Triple Air from REELcomp.com at 4:00pm on Tuesday, February 10. REELcomp's webcast includes audio commentary from the announcers, four camera angles on the course, a live chat room for at-home observers, interviews with athletes, and award ceremony coverage.

First held in snowboarding's method-grabbing heyday of 1998, the Cholula Triple Air Show was created as a corner-stone event for Mountain High. The legacy of big-name competitors who have stepped up to the hottest big air event north of the border include Shaun White, Kevin Pearce, Matt Hammer, Keegan Valaika, Hana Beaman, and Laurie Currier.

11th Annual $25,000 Cholula Triple Air Results

Men
1st $10,000 - Danny Toumarkine
2nd $ 3,000 - Brode Merrill
3rd $ 1,500 - Brandon Cocard
4th $ 1,000 - Jye Kearney
5th $ 525 - Spencer Link
6th $ 500 - Nicolas Sibayan
7th $ 300 - Cody Rosenthal
8th $ 275 - Zack Hale
9th $ 250 - Alex Dawooud
10th $ 225 - Ian Thorley
11th $ 175 - Greg Bokenkamp
12th $ 160 - Brandon Reise
13th $ 150 - Danny Thomas
14th $ 150 - Matt Guntent
15th $ 150 - Tyler Flanagan
16th $ 150 - Steven Brown

Women
1st $4,000 - Stacie Anderson
2nd $2,000 - Elise Borelli
3rd $1,000 - Laurie Currier
4th $ 500 - Nicki Slechta
5th $ 350 - Dana Treland
6th $ 150 - Isabelle Lalive

Best Trick
$ 1,500 - Danny Toumarkine

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Reign get their second win against the Aces this year in seven tries, holding steady on defense (8-for-8 on the PK) until the offense caught up ... and who should do the honors of tying the game at 1 but defenseman Chad Starling, scoring his first goal in his 46th game.

Jon Rheault deflected in a deep slapshot by P.J. Atherton with 20 seconds to play for the eventual game-winner. Both goals, in fact, came as a result of pucks sent in low from just inside the blueline, giving the Reign little excuse for not firing away more often (on top of the "20 times a day" Karl Taylor has exhorted them to shoot more). Alaska pulled its goalie for the final 20 seconds and Denny Johnston skated almost the length of the ice to notch an empty-netter, his first goal as a member of the Reign.

You could say it was a day of breakthroughs on "Pink at the Rink" night (the Reign players were all wearing pink-tinged jerseys, which were auctioned off after the game). More details in tomorrow's editions.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When they talk about the "rich getting richer" in NASCAR, this is exactly what they're talking about. From http://www.scenedaily.com/:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - In recognition of its 25th anniversary season, all four of Hendrick Motorsports' NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers took a lap around Daytona International Speedway Saturday in four specially designed silver race cars.

Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson joined team owner Rick Hendrick in a special ceremony to celebrate the occasion and kick off the 2009 NASCAR season.

"We started this organization back in 1984 with one team and five full-time employees, and it's amazing to me that we're here celebrating 25 years," Hendrick said. "I'm proud to look back at what our people have accomplished together, but I'm even more excited about what the future holds."

In 25 years, the team has secured eight Cup Series championships, three Truck Series titles and one Nationwide Series crown while recording more than 200 combined victories.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 7:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Reign will be wearing pink uniforms tonight against the Alaska Aces. No, they didn't accidentally mix them in the washing machine with the red practice jerseys - it's a promotion called "Pink at the Rink" to raise money for breast cancer.

The first 5,000 fans receive a commemorative puck, and afterwards the jerseys will be auctioned off to benefit the Mary Kay Ash charitable foundation. Tickets start at $12 and a few are expected to be available at the box office. More info here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Reign match their largest margin of defeat ever before 6,569 -- not including two lineup scratches and five Zooperstars. Coach Taylor says it's "the first time all year we didn't show up to play." Geoff Walker scored on a redirect of a P.J. Atherton slapshot late in the second period, and that was the lone scoring highlight for the Reign.

What's worse is that Stockton was down three players to start, down four to finish, and still dominated end to end. Kellen Briggs was a perfect 17-for-17 stopping pucks in a brutal first period for the Reign, but just 13-for-18 afterwards.

Denny Johnston made his season debut in limited playing time and flashed some speed and tenacity. Other than that, it was a game to forget. The game report is here; more details in tomorrow's editions.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 8:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Syracuse decided to wait until today to type up its press release on John Murray and, from the looks of it, Murray might not be in the AHL very long. It will probably depend on how much time Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason needs off the ice to recover from the mononucleosis he's been battling for some time now. (Syracuse is Columbus' AHL affilaite.)

From http://www.syracusecrunch.com/News/Detail/2280:

The Syracuse Crunch announced today that the Columbus Blue Jackets have added goaltender Dan LaCosta to their roster on emergency recall. In addition, the Crunch have signed goaltender John Murray to a professional tryout contract.

A native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Murray, 21, has appeared in 24 games for Ontario (ECHL), this season, going 13-8-3 with a 2.81 goals against average and .917 save percentage.

The Crunch's next game is Friday, February 6 as they travel to Cleveland to take on the Lake Erie Monsters.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Syracuse Crunch's scouting department must have liked what it saw from John Murray recently, as they signed the Reign netminder to a pro tryout agreement Thursday that will give the 21-year-old his first shot at the next level. Dennis Cook has been signed as the emergency backup to Kellen Briggs for tomorrow's game against visiting Stockton.

The promotion comes, interestingly enough, during Murray's worst stretch of the season. He went 3-4-2 in the month of January with a hefty 3.59 goals-against average. It's possible (if not likely) that a coach or scout for Syracuse saw Murray at the recent ECHL all-star game in Lancaster, Pa.

Syracuse is the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Murray will be bumping elbows with No. 6 overall draft pick Nikita Filatov, who was just sent down by the NHL club.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 6:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Didn't get a chance to see Geoff Walker, Tim Kraus and John Murray in person at the recent all-star game? From http://echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi?action=show_news2&cat=1&id=17728:

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The ECHL announced that a DVD of the 2009 ECHL All-Star Game presented by Guardian Wear is now available for $15.

The DVD features the television broadcast with Jack Michaels of the Alaska Aces doing the play-by-play with veteran National Hockey League analyst Neil Smith providing color commentary and Adrian Denny of the Utah Grizzlies doing ice-level interviews.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...and the three-game losing streak ends in dramatic fashion, on a goal by Jon Rheault with three seconds left in regulation off a David Walker assist. Kellen Briggs put together easily his best effort in a Reign uniform, stopping 45 of 46 shots -- breaking John Murray's team record of 42 saves in a game.

Walker also had the Reign's first goal, which made it 1-1 with 3:07 left in the first, off assists from Andrew Martens and Tim Kraus. Also noteworthy: Kimbi Daniels scored the game's first goal on a power play, but Phoenix couldn't score during seven other man-advantage situations. Briggs was perfect in a third period that saw the Roadrunners outshoot the Reign 20-8, as Phoenix had three power plays in the final period but couldn't convert.

Be glad you weren't in the Phoenix locker room after this one.

The Reign move to 24-16-3-1, seven points ahead of second-place Stockton, who come to town Friday night.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There will be an informational meeting for all Orange Show Speedway drivers and other interested parties on Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held under the pit side grandstands. Applications will be available for anyone interested in becoming a track official.

Open practices tentatively have been scheduled for March 7 and March 14 at times to be announced.

San Bernardino businessman Rick McCray, a former competitor at Orange Show Speedway and in the NASCAR West and Craftsman Truck series, will be the promoter pending the completion of a multi-year agreement with the National Orange Show board of directors.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 6:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The word on Itan Chavira is a lower-body injury, sustained in the second period of Friday night's 7-6 loss in Alaska. Chavira said he will be out of action for two weeks. No more specifics on the exact locale of the ailment, though it's not an area that has bothered Chavira before. The Phillips Ranch resident isn't eligible to play until the 30 days are up -- so basically, March -- but expects to be fully healthy by then.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 7:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Super Bowl weekend spent largely out of town, and thus no updates 'til now. So forgive me -- all you Reign fans really need to know is that a 2-0 loss Saturday night ensured a 3-game sweep out of Alaska. Briggs got the start and gave up one goal, the second was an empty-netter late.

Also, Ryan MacGregor came off injured reserve before the game, and Itan Chavira went on 30-day IR before the game. No report on what the injury was; we'll find out tomorrow.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 10:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)