Ladies and gents, off the next two days, so Stencils will ably take over this here blog and the print edition, which I know you all still purchase.

It’s a good thing I’m off, too. I have a splitting upper body ache.

I had to trim today’s Pavol Demitra story a bit. Here’s what I cut out for space:

Demitra wasn’t a fan playing center in Minnesota because he always had to be the high guy in the offensive zone. He plays center in Vancouver, but “I can do what I love, play around the net and make plays.”
Still, Demitra said “my biggest frustration” wasn’t playing center. It was playing with different linemates all the time.
“The only thing I didn’t like, I don’t like to play with new players,” Demitra said. “Playing with the same guys, that’s what I was used to when I was playing in L.A. and St. Louis.”
Still, Demitra said, “I had a great time in Minnesota. Jacques [Lemaire] was very good to me. It was just a good two years, and then I was looking for something new.”

Also, Willie O’Ree, the first black player in the National Hockey League, is making a special visit to Minneapolis today where he will be the honorary guest at the DinoMights youth hockey fundraiser. While in Minneapolis, O’Ree is also visiting with students from Richard Green Central Park Elementary.

From 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. tonight, O’Ree will attend the annual fundraiser for the DinoMights youth hockey program. Guests at the fundraiser will have the opportunity to bid on a lunch with the legend that will occur tomorrow. The DinoMights are a member of the NHL’s Hockey Is For Everyone program.

O’Ree, the NHL’s Director of Youth Development and ambassador for Hockey Is For Everyone, broke the NHL’s color barrier on January 18, 1958 with the Boston Bruins. He played 45 games with the Bruins from 1958-61. He played pro hockey for 21 seasons, mostly in the Western Hockey League, all while being blind in one eye. Last season, the NHL celebrated the 50th anniversary of O’Ree breaking the color barrier in hockey.

DinoMights was founded in 1995 to equip urban youth to develop physical, academic, social and spiritual excellence. The program has 95 year-round participants ages 5-18 and 150 seasonal participants in Spring Learn 2 Skate (all first graders at Richard Green Elementary and Andersen Elementary). DinoMights offers both ice and in-line hockey, while maintaining a strong commitment to tutoring and Academic enrichment for its participants. To learn more visit: http://www.dinomights.com

OK, without further ado, herrrrrrreeeeeee’s Stencils!!!!!!!!! Well, in five or six hours

This entry was posted on Monday, November 10th, 2008 at 9:09 am and is filed under Main. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.