Seawolves Practice: Day 2

I went to a doctor when I was 19 to see about getting my deviated septum (crooked nose) fixed. The one I ended up with was in his 70's. After doing a complete EENT examination he informed me that he believed the sort of septum surgery I wanted would be a potential long term problem. He said it would weaken it my nose. He offered to take out my tonsils instead.

They'd always been an issue for me so I said sure. During the post-exam discussion I asked him how long he'd been a doctor. He said, "I've been practicing medicine for 45 years." I immediately responded with, "Isn't it about time to stop practicing and step up to the plate in a real game?" Needless to say, I spent 3 days in the post-surgery unit getting IV Penicillin.

There is never much to glean from an early season practice. It was the same story today at the Wells Fargo Sports Center. There were lots of drills. Most of those I saw (I didn't stay for the full practice) were focused on neutral ice and transition. There were of course a few flubs and some sloppiness. But everybody looked focused and attentive. I saw a few moments where vets were being cool to rookies as they waited their turns in the drills. I don't have a lot of specific comments regarding any of the new players. They all looked like they belonged for the most part.

After the players had done a couple of minutes of warm-up skating, Shyiak called everyone to the board for a chalk talk and to explain the upcoming drill. I'm not sure of the particular infraction but Curtis Leinweber was required to take a lap. As he cut around the first net he promptly stepped on a loose puck and went down like a sack of potatoes. I mention it only because when the rest of the team saw it they gave him a good razzing. Curtis did have to take another lap when they gathered for the 2nd chalk talk. He didn't fall down that time.

I'll see about getting to another session sometime next week before the preseason game versus SAIT in Wasilla (October 2nd, 7:07pm @ the rink near Sarah's hovel).

Speaking of the SAIT game in Wasilla. The UAA Sports Information desk issued a release today announcing that tickets for the preseason game are on sale.

Individual tickets for the game are priced at $10 and can be purchased in Anchorage at the UAA Athletic Department (Room 220 of the Wells Fargo Sports Complex), and at the Silva Saddle (2808 E. Tudor Rd.).

Tickets can be purchased in the Valley at KMBQ 99.7-FM (2200 E. Parks Highway), at the Curt Menard Memorial Ice Arena rink office during daytime hours, at the Action Pro Shop, and at Mr. Lube.

I don't know yet if I'll be able to attend. It's my daughter's 17th birthday and while I'm reasonably certain she won't have any overwhelming desire to spend any extended amount of time with her old pops on that day, I thought I'd keep my calendar clear. That doesn't mean that I'm not going to the Wasilla game though.

While at the WFSC, I picked up my shiny new 2009-10 non-transferable media credential. It's #005. I met and spoke briefly with Derek Donald. I didn't yet suggest it to him, but at some point in the next couple of weeks perhaps I can do some sort of interview with him so he can describe any plans to help improve the attendance this season.

The WCHA is conducting it's annual Media Teleconference on Tuesday October 6th at ZERO DARK THIRTY Alaska Standard Time. The WCHA press release says,

The teleconference will begin with results of pre-season polls, followed by remarks from the Commissioner, an update from the Supervisor of Officials, and then a question and answer session with the men's head coaches. The coaches portion of the teleconference will begin with the defending MacNaughton Cup champions and then proceed east to west to best accommodate the five time zones. Each coach will give a brief presentation, followed by questions from attending media.

It looks to last about an hour and a half. I'd imagine that my cell battery will last that long, but I'll probably keep it on the charger so I can put it on speaker mode. Naturally, I'll have all the details here.