Morning Wrap: Boom! ECHL Hit Shatters Glass

While attention getting, watching the glass surrounding a hockey rink shatter is also very dangerous.

A handful of Wichita Thunder fans were treated for minor cuts late Friday night after a hit during an ECHL game between the Thunder and Quad City Mallards.

You can watch as Todd Fiddler of the Mallards comes barreling towards Thunder forward Theo Peckham. Fiddler slams into Peckham sending him into the glass which shatters, raining shards on Peckham and the fans seated on the other side.

Like we said, no serious injuries, just some fans got cut--as did Peckham. The video itself is quite the sight.

Awesome: Charlotte Checkers and Bad Lip Reading

This is fantastic. We're suckers for any "Bad Lip Reading" video and the Charlotte Checkers of American Hockey League certainly did not disappoint.

Check out this series of videos produced by the team with a handful of players...a congested ref, a cheerleader and anyone else they could find.

They are worth your time and are only a minute or so long...

Morning Wrap: Calgary Hitmen and The Biggest Teddy Bear Toss Ever

((ht: cbssports.com))

This is too cool not to post.

If you've ever been to a minor league hockey game during the holiday season, you may have seen a promotional event many teams undertake.

The Teddy Bear Toss.

And it's pretty cool. The home team scores a goal and thousands of Teddy Bears rain down on the ice.

Mind you all the bears are collected and donated to a local charity for kids, so it's a great cause.

The Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League take the toss to new levels. They are your record holder for most Teddy Bears. By a large margin.

Check out the video from Sunday's game, the 20th time the Hitmen have undertaken this promotion.

According to the team, 25,214 stuffed animals rained down on the Scotiabank Saddledome ice after a goal by Radel Fazeelev. And yes, it took a few minutes to clean things up afterwards.

Morning Wrap: Bakersfield Condors Hold Seinfeld Night

((ht: cbssports.com))

While Seinfeld may have been a TV show about nothing that aired in the 1990's, it has never been forgotten. It's a legendary TV sitcom, quoted by many of us "older" folks, even today.

And every once in a while, it's been used as the base of one heck of a promotion.

Check out what the Bakersfield Condors did this past weekend.

They held a Seinfeld night promotion. Including wearing "Puffy Shirt" jerseys. And the jerseys featured character names from the show on the back. (Creative no?)

The team had a variety of related promotions and a guy dressed up like the Kramer character working the crowd.

Unfortunately the Condors lost the game, 2-1 to the Idaho Steelheads, but the promotions team will be what's remembered from the night.

After the game, the jersey's were auctioned off for charity, including one the went for a reported $1800.

Well done Condors and Condors fans, well done...

Some video from the Condors their own selves.

AHL Goalie Knocks Over Net to Stop Breakaway Attempt

((ht: cbssports.com))

Well, that's one way to stop a 2 man breakaway bearing down on you.

Take a look at what Bridgeport Sound Tigers goalie David Leggio did in order to prevent a 2 on 0 rush against him.

Uh, yeah. He pushes the goalie net off its mount.

Which is a penalty, even in the American Hockey League. And prevented a likely goal because the officials whistled the play dead at that point.

But...there's more.

The penalty meant that Springfield Falcons winger Dany Tyrell got a free shot on goal. A penalty shot.

But Leggio stopped that shot, saving his team a goal.

Alas, it did not prevent the loss. Springfield got the 4-3 win. But it has made the 30-year old Leggio quite the internet star.

Reason 427,000 That People Will Want To Ban Hockey Fighting

((HT: Some Hockey Videos))

It hasn't been a good few days for the Adirondack Flames...

First, the franchise introduced its new mascot to the world with a picture of a fallen firefighter at its feet...

Get it...??? Flames beat firefighter...

Yeah... it didn't go over all that well...

So, tonight A-Flames enforcer Trevor Gillies- a dimishing job idea- went against anyone willing to go...

Gillies found William Carrier and his head...


This won't go well with the AHL bosses at all...

The HQ is anticpating a big fine and suspension over this one...

ECHL and CHL To Merge...???

((HT: Pro Hockey Talk/Mahiban))

The HQ finds this interesting on a few fronts...

Dhiren Mahiban is rolling off a Tweet from agent Darryl Wolski that says the two leagues are in talk to come together.

Mahiban is maintaining that the Western Division of the ECHL- long an odd situation with regular season and playoffs with their four teams- could be losing them all to the American Hockey League so they could have a true Western Division base.

Which makes sense...

In return, the Central Hockey League, with ten teams of their own could help squinch the geography of the ECHL if they merge leagues.

It would project out to something like this in the ECHL/CHL of 2015-2016.

Northeast Division

Brampton
Reading Royals
Wheeling Nailers
Elmira Jackals
Kalamazoo Wings
Cincinnati Cyclones
Toldeo Walleye

Southeast Division

Fort Wayne Komets
Evansville IceMen
South Carolina Stingrays
Orlando Solar Bears
Greenville Road Warriors
Florida Everblades
Gwinnett Gladiators
Indianapolis (expansion)

Central Division (All CHL)

Allen, Texas
Missouri
Rapid City
Quad City
Tulsa
Wichita
St. Charles

Western Division

Denver
Arizona
Alaska Aces
Utah Grizzlies
Idaho Steelheads
Colorado Eagles

And they'd all be chasing what Alaska did last season
((HT: Alaska Aces their own selves))


This is contingent on the Western Division currently all being taken as a block- leaving the four teams currently in the projected West.

And it also presents an interesting issue when it comes to talent. The Central Hockey League is considered, in some circles to be more like single-A baseball while the ECHL is double-A. How would the ECHL front offices mesh with their triple-A brothers and how would the single-A front offices mesh with their double-A brothers...???

Both financially and in personnel matters...
Food for thought for all of the teams in the three leagues to figure out if this comes to pass...

Canucks Prospects Survive Grouse Mountain

((HT: Sportsnet))

The Vancouver Canucks like to send draft and minor league prospects up Grouse Mountain as kind of a rite of passage

All of them eventually make it, but some don't know what they're getting into until they start

EVERYBODY'S THE THIRD MAN!!! Early Contender: Brawl Of The Year

((HT: Puck Daddy))

The HQ will admit to being a fan of the Danbury Trashers from the UHL and the Danbury Whalers in their current Federal Hockey League. They can add the Danville Dashers to all their fun- and they had their claim to fame against the Watertown Privateers over the weekend...

This happened in the third period...


And local announcers in these situations are awesome, aren't they...???

Here's the breakdown for all the fisticuffs- 30 penalties overall for 170 minutes...

Watertown - Kris McCarthy - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 7:08
Watertown - Kris McCarthy - (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 MIN, 7:08
Watertown - Jeff Dill - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 7:08
Watertown - Jeff Dill - (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 MIN, 7:08
Watertown - Dustin Skinner - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 7:08
Watertown - Dustin Skinner - (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 MIN, 7:08
Watertown - Colby Spooner - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 7:08
Watertown - Colby Spooner - (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 MIN, 7:08
Watertown - Liam Tully - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 7:08
Watertown - Liam Tully - (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 MIN, 7:08
Danville - Jamie Zaleski - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 7:08
Danville - Jamie Zaleski - (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 MIN, 7:08
Danville - Dustin Henning - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 7:08
Danville - Dustin Henning - (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 MIN, 7:08
Danville - Ryan Huggett - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 7:08
Danville - Ryan Huggett - (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 MIN, 7:08
Danville - Justin Barr - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 7:08
Danville - Justin Barr - (Fighting) (Game Misconduct), 10 MIN, 7:08
Danville - Nick Niedert - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 7:08
Danville - Nick Niedert - (Roughing), 2 MIN, 7:08
Danville - James Robbins - (Leaving Players Bench) (Game Misconduct), 10 MIN, 7:08

Danville is still at the bottom of the table- 15 points behind Watertown

Goalie Fight! Goalie Fight! Everybody Dance...

And for that... we go to the Central Hockey League...

Fort Worth and Allen went at it the other night...

The game was 6-1 at the 6:28 mark of the 3rd for the Brahmas when the following went down...
((HT: Moezilla2k))


The end result...??? From the Central Hockey League their own selves...

Allen Americans forward Alex Penner, defenseman Trevor Hendrikx and Head Coach Steve Martinson have all been suspended for their part in the incident that occurred at the 6:28 mark of the third period of the Fort Worth Brahmas 6-1 win over Allen on Saturday night (Feb. 23).

Penner has been suspended indefinitely upon further review and will begin serving his suspension today when the Americans host the Brahmas. Penner received an instigating minor penalty, five minute fighting major, fighting instigator misconduct and two game misconducts. The final determination on Penner’s suspension will be announced after further review.

Hendrikx has been suspended one game (1) for his actions in multiple altercations in last night’s game and will also miss this afternoon’s game against Fort Worth.

Martinson has been suspended one game (1) for failure to control his team given the score of the game and time remaining. He will not be behind the bench for today’s re-match.

Further penalties, fines and suspensions that arise after further review will be announced at a later time.

Of course, they will...
But what is minor league hockey without something like this... and that's why the HQ has its affinity for it...

Donald Brashear's Cheap Shot

((HT: The Score))

So, let's get in the mood for hockey season by focusing on the bad...

Shall we...???

And this wasn't even in the minor leagues that are attached to the major leagues here in North America...

Donald Brashear has been playing in the LNAH (a minor league based in Quebec province) since he's on the downside of his hockey-playing Laffer Curve...

He felt compelled to do this the other day...
((HT: Raph2117))


People are already comparing it to the Bertuzzi-Moore hit from a few years back...
Let's hope Gaby Roch isn't as injured...

What should Brashear's future be, dear reader...???

More when we know more...

Another Donnybrook In The SPHL

((HT: Puckdaddy/brett959))

The HQ admits that we take in the every-once-in-a-while ECHL game to see the fight night...

We also know that the lower you get on the professional totem, the more fighting there is since guys feel more compelled to prove their overall worth for promotion up the chain.

The Southern Professional Hockey League could be considered Single-A in baseball vernacular...
And the fights are a level above double-a... think inverse proportionality...

The Huntsville-Mississippi fight from the other day is a good example of how things can get out of control since the level of officiating matches the lack of professional play...


129 minutes of penalties alone...
Here's the rundown...

Huntsville - Aaron McGill - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 15:03
Huntsville - Aaron McGill - (Continuing Altercation) (Game Misconduct) (46.5), 10 MIN, 15:03
Huntsville - Chapen LeBlond - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 15:03
Huntsville - Chapen LeBlond - (Continuing Altercation) (Game Misconduct) (46.5), 10 MIN, 15:03
Huntsville - Bill Baker - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 15:03
Huntsville - Bill Baker - (Continuing Altercation) (Game Misconduct) (46.5), 10 MIN, 15:03
Huntsville - Sam Cannata - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 15:03
Huntsville - Sam Cannata - (Continuing Altercation) (Game Misconduct) (46.5), 10 MIN, 15:03
Huntsville - Corey Fulton - (Leaving Players Bench) (Game Misconduct) (70.3), 10 MIN, 15:03
Mississippi Surge - Reid Edmondson - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 15:03
Mississippi Surge - Reid Edmondson - (Continuing Altercation) (Game Misconduct) (46.5), 10 MIN, 15:03
Mississippi Surge - Anthony Collins - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 15:03
Mississippi Surge - Anthony Collins - (Continuing Altercation) (Game Misconduct) (46.5), 10 MIN, 15:03
Mississippi Surge - Branden Kosolofsky - (Fighting) (Major), 5 MIN, 15:03
Mississippi Surge - Branden Kosolofsky - (Continuing Altercation) (Game Misconduct) (46.5), 10 MIN, 15:03
Mississippi Surge - Branden Kosolofsky - (Spearing) (Double Minor), 4 MIN, 15:03
Mississippi Surge - Branden Kosolofsky - (Throwing Equipment) (Match) (53.5), 10 MIN, 15:03

The HQ is really fond of the "continuing altercation" rule...

The rematch, for those of you who want to travel to Biloxi, is January 20th...

Stupid Youth Hockey Coach injures kid deliberately

((ht: prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com))

Sometimes brilliance is captured in a statement. Sometimes it's captured in a quote. And sometimes you capture it on video.

We say brilliance with complete and utter sarcasm.

And we bring it up because of this.

Check out this video of a handshake lineup at the end of a Canadian Youth Hockey League game. The two teams shake hands on a line as is custom in the sport. The coaches are at the end of the line.

Watch what happens when UBC Hornets coach Martin Tremblay gets towards the end...he trips one of the kids. Look how his leg swings out.

The kid now has a broken wrist and Tremblay was briefly detained by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Tremblay claims he slipped on a wet spot on ice. Nobody is buying it.

Here is your video courtesy: TheProvinceOnline and YouTube:

Fight starts before ceremonial puck drop

((ht: puckdaddy))

Haha! They didn't even wait for the opening faceoff. No, the CHL (Central Hockey League) 1st round playoff game 4 between the Allen Americans and Texas Brahmans got off to a rousing start.

That's because while waiting for the "Ceremonial" puck drop to get the game started...Ryan Hand and Brett Clouthier got into a bit of a tussle.

It wasn't a "Pier 6, slobberknocker", but it was something you just don't see everyday to start a game either. We're guessing it set a tone of some sorts, but but since there were no other major "YouTube" moments, they weren't as funny as this.

Thanks Puck Daddy (Greg Wyshinski) for the heads up: