USA Hockey News

Jeff Hicks apparently has found out Cam Fowler and Jeremy Morin will not be named to the World Junior Team later today. I am not surprised about Fowler as I am with Morin. USA Hockey likes to take at least one maybe two players from the National Team Development Program. It seems that won't be the case this year (I am kind a glad because I am going to see both players when the Under-18 team plays Maine after the New Year.). Morin I thought would have a place on the team this season.

In other USA Hockey news, they have partnered with the NHL Network.

In each of the next three IIHF World Junior Championships, the NHL Network will provide live television coverage of all U.S. games and all games of the medal round, including all quarterfinal and semifinal games, the bronze-medal game and the gold-medal game.

That's very good news for American Hockey fans. I would think the tournament will get more popular in the States. Casual hockey fans will hopefully watch and see how great junior hockey is. Also in the press release.

NOTES: All games will be televised in high definition … In addition to the games mentioned above, the NHL Network will also televise all games played by Team Canada in the preliminary round of the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship … As part of the agreement, the NHL Network will produce at least two USA Hockey-themed programs per year.

That's very good news that Canada's games will also be shown. Both teams are in the same group which means we won't see Sweden or Russia until the Medal Round. Maybe TSN will broadcast some games from the other pool. I assume they would broadcast the Russia-Sweden game at the very least.

Finally I want to thank LearningXL as they ranked the blog as the 36th best college sports blog. The blog is ranked as the fifth in the college hockey catagory behind Western College Hockey, Western College Hockey II,College Hockey News Blog, and Inside College Hockey Podcasts. Michigan College Hockey and the College Hockey (& Other Stuff) Blog were also honored.

Thank You again.

That's My Take

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)