Updates

Hey, boys - a couple of important updates - mark 'em in your calendars:

1. Ringers Summer Season: Final regular season game next week at 7:30pm against O'Dwyers. Family night. Pilkington will be bringing the beer. Sean, you'll have to pretend you're someone else next week.
2. Summer Season Playoffs: No, we can't win it all, but we can still save our dignity. Playoff schedule is out, but final positions won't be set until the dust has settled. Since we'll likely be in the 7th or 8th place, we'll be playing after 9pm on Aug 22 and Aug 29.
3. Next Season - B/C League will be alternating on Tuesdays AND Thursdays, and first game starts September 5 - we'll need to have final confirmations for our roster no later than Monday, August 22!!!
   
4. Labatt's Tourney - September 22-24. Cost per player will likely be in the $65 range for at least 3 good games, beer, and a hat. As soon as you check in with your head offices, SEND ME AN EMAIL to confirm - please include your date of birth and level of play you've been to in the past (high school, rec only, NHL, whatever...)
5. USA Hockey Registration - To play next season and/or the tourney, you'll need to register for 2006-07 to play. (Everyone's current USA Hockey registration ends August 31.) You can sign up any time before you play, but you'll need to print out the confirmation page and bring it before the first game. I just signed up - took about 2 minutes, $38. Go here to register.
6. Shooting Clinic at the Sportsplex - Mark "Hammer" Hamlett is now running the Triangle Sportsplex in Hillsborough (just beyond Chapel Hill). Bit of a drive, but a great facility. Of note, they'll be hosting a shooting clinic by Players Edge on August 28 and the 29th from 7:15pm – 8:45pm. Check out more about this "On Net" Shooting Clinic by clicking here. All ages welcome, $95 for players, $60 for goalies.
   
   

That's all for now, kids!!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

The seven Canadians on our team can relate to the fact that we all feel a calling to return to the old country each summer. Maybe it's to visit with relatives or maybe it's to reacquaint ourselves to Tim Hortons, butter tarts, and real beer. Or maybe it's a mandatory debriefing with the RCMP on what we've learned about Americans in preparation for our eventual invasion. Er, ... liberation.

On our way to the beautiful Bruce Peninsula, The Fam and I decided to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) in downtown Toronto. It was gratifying to see all the Hurricanes gear and an actual Stanley Cup display case featuring lots of details about our beloved 2005-6 team.
It felt so overwhelming that when my youngest spilled his Dr. Pepper on the floor, I insisted that my wife clean it up at once, so as not to sully this hallowed hall.

All was not glory and grace, however. It was my sad duty to debunk what I suppose now was a family myth - that my great Uncle Les' name was on the cup. I was told that he played on the Red Wings team one of the 2 times they won it in the late 30's. Searching HockeyDB, I only found Les Tooke playing for the '38-9 Hershey Cubs. Convinced that the hardware would prove otherwise, I eagerly scanned all of the retired rings...but found nada. Nothing. Nyet. Bupkiss.

My whole Canadian hockey heritage gone up in smoke - like my skills would magically reconnect with the dormant hockey genes deep within... But all is not lost - my grandfather (Bert Tooke) played a couple of seasons with professional teams until a skate sliced his knee and prevented him from continuing.

Our trip to Canada was beset by waiting, delays, and obstacles, and even resulted in a missed-plane layover in Buffalo (me having nothing to wear but a Brind' Amour T-shirt). Got up at 4:30a this morning, but determined to play tonight. And as if the Hockey Gods wanted to punctuate my disappointment a little further, I managed to ruin our chances to beat the league-leading Eye Care Center by centering a pass right to an opponent's tape, which he promptly delivered to the back of our goal. Final score: Ringers 3; Eye Care Center 5.

Maybe a trip to Tim Horton's would make me feel better...