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lingzi
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Oct 24 2012, 07:42 AM
Post #1
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They celebrated in Winnipeg when the Jets returned and on a per capita population basis the noise was as least as loud in the furthest easterly Canadian province of Newfoundland. Reggie Wayne Jersey . You see, the move back to Winnipeg also meant the move back to St. Johns and the return of the American Hockey League to that provincial capital. In fact, it is a near duplication. The Jets returned to Winnipeg, making them a rare team in recent memory to come back to the NHL (Colorado came back having the Rockies before the Avalanche) and the St. Johns franchise became the first team to make it back to an American Hockey League city, a city where they had success. The St. Johns IceCaps were announced on June 9 by the folks in Winnipeg. A day later they sold a thousand season tickets to kick off the season ticket campaign and they have been riding high since. "Its been quite a season," Glenn Stanford, the Chief Operating Officer of the franchise, told TSN.ca. "We got word on June 9 and having been running full throttle ever since." They certainly have. They have played 22 games thus far this season at home and have recorded 22 sellouts at Mile One Stadium, which holds around 6,400 per game. Even though that is not the biggest building in the AHL the IceCaps are leading the entire league in total attendance. On the ice the teams ranks first in their Atlantic Division and third in the entire 30-team league. The American Hockey League was in Atlantic Canada from 1971 with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs until 2005 when the St. Johns Maple Leafs left. A total of 34 years went by and at times had as many as six teams in. The AHL basically did not work attendance-wise in Halifax, Moncton, PEI (Charlottetown), and Fredericton but did have success in Sydney (Cape Breton Oilers) and the Johns (Saint John Flames and the St. Johns Leafs). In fact, St. Johns is the place where the AHL may have excelled the most. With standing room only and two or three rows deep of fervent fans the AHL came to St. Johns in 1991. They played at the old Memorial Stadium; a relic that was built in 1948 and still had old wooden bleachers when the St. Johns Leafs came into the AHL in 1991. In their first year the Baby Leafs went to the AHL Calder Cup finals, losing in game seven. All seven games saw the visiting team win the games, a bit of an oddity. Mile One Stadium came into being in May of 2001 and hosted the Baby Leafs from 2001-05 and for a few seasons, the defunct St. Johns Fog Devils of the QMJHL. The IceCaps have sold over 3,500 season tickets, which may be a record for an AHL team. Most teams holding a hockey game have a 50/50 draw. Some places raise a couple of hundred dollars - a few, a thousand bucks or more. But the average 50/50 draw so far this season is $30,000, giving $15,000 as a prize. "Imagine that, some guy pays a few bucks for a ticket and walks about a couple of hours later with 15 thousand," says Stanford. The AHL never really left Newfoundland and of all the centres in Atlantic Canada that had a team in the AHL this could have been its best franchise. "John Ferguson, then General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, pulled the farm team from St. Johns for player development reasons," says Dave Andrews, president of the AHL. "It certainly wasnt a case of people not supporting the team." Robin Short, the sports editor of the St. Johns Telegram, told TSN.ca that people missed pro hockey and wanted it back, and the sellouts demonstrate that. "These people here love the American Hockey League. It is between us and Saint John as to the best franchise ever. Fans here will not let this opportunity go by. Its pretty hard to have a team move when they are sold out every game." Advertising dollars, which mean so much, are coming in and they may lead the league in "rink board" advertising. "Clients are supporting this team and there is a feeling that the IceCaps lead the league, if there is such a distinction, in rink board ads." The IceCaps have a very popular figure as President of the team. "The former and perhaps the most popular Premier ever in Danny Williams is our president and he is doing a great job. Everybody does know of the ex-Premier and he sells and sells this team. Its been a great start," Stanford tells TSN.ca. The games are broadcast home and away with former Baby Leaf play-by-play man Brian Rodgers behind the mike and the interest is great. Many years ago while watching a St. Johns Leafs game, then-Leaf employee Bill Watters told me "St. Johns may be the best place to have a farm team. The people are passionate about hockey here and this place is small enough that players are recognized all over the place. They are scrutinized just like in Toronto. Its a great training ground, not only for NHL hockey, but for dealing with fans, media and other factors." The first season is half over and its been a dream ride so far. For TSN.ca Im Alex J. Walling. Alex J can be reached via email at: ajw@eastlink.ca Andrew Luck Jersey . Unfortunately, it was usually at a member of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. Andrew Luck Womens Jersey . In this case, the journey comes with a Canadian chequebook thanks to well-heeled owner J. Paul Reddam of Windsor, Ont. And a helping hand from Vancouver, where upstart Mexican jockey Mario Gutierrez found a second home. http://www.nikeindianapoliscoltsproshop.com/pat-angerer-jerseys .J. -- Darrelle Revis still is upset with Bill Belichick. Dwight Freeney Jersey . "Its in the best interests of myself and the England team that I dont carry on into next year," Johnson said at a news conference at Twickenham. Appointed without any coaching experience in 2008, he didnt want to renew his contract which expires in December. Robert Mathis Jersey .ca looks back at 10 memorable storylines from the history of the event in 10 days.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Jay Bruce isnt analyzing his career-best hot streak. Hes too busy enjoying it. Bruces fourth home run in four games lifted the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-5 comeback win over the Houston Astros on Sunday. Bruce hit reliever Fernando Rodriguezs (0-3) first pitch 381 feet into the right field seats for his seventh homer of the season. Bruce has hit home runs in a career-high four consecutive games, one short of tying Cincinnatis club record. "This is what you play for," said Bruce, who leads the Reds in homers. "This is a hard game. There are a lot of times when its not too much fun." Joey Votto drove in four runs with a home run and a double to help the Reds capture their third consecutive series and finish the month of April with a .500 record (11-11) after losing eight of their first 12. "The way we started was really ugly," Votto said. "It was a shock to everybody. It was humbling, but I think it was a good thing, too. Im a firm believer in that, while you dont want to start bad, it doesnt hurt. It makes you concentrate on fundamentals. I think a losing record early in the year can be a good thing." Logan Ondrusek (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth to get the win. Sean Marshall earned his fifth save in six tries, capping what manager Dusty Baker described as a "great job" by a bullpen that went into the game ranked third in the league in earned-run average. "Im going to enjoy this one and the way we won it," Baker said. "We can enjoy the off day tomorrow, too." Houston starter Jordan Lyles was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City before the game. He lasted six innings, allowing four hits and three runs with three walks and four strikeouts. He was optioned back to Triple-A after the game to make room on the roster for infielder Marwin Gonzalez, who was reinstated from paternity leave, but manager Brad Mills hoped he left with a good feeling. "He threw the ball well," Mills said. "He threw the ball so well that we wanted to get him out of there with a lead." The 10 hits allowed by Reds starter Mat Latos matched the career high he set last June 21 at Boston while with San Diego. Latos allowed no walks and struck out four while giving up five runs in 6 1-3 innings. "They picked me up when I was feeling a little under the weather,&" Latos said.dddddddddddd "I just tried to grind through it." Houstons Jordan Schafer singled in the second to extend to his streak of consecutive games reaching base at least once to open the season to 22, the longest by an Astro since Ricky Gutierrez put together a 23-game streak in 1998. The club record is Denis Menkes 25 in 1969. Houston jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Jose Altuves double and Jed Lowries single with one out in the first inning. The Astros made it 2-0 in the second on Chris Johnsons one-out double, Jason Castros single and Lyless suicide-squeeze sacrifice bunt. Lyles didnt allow a hit in his first run through the Reds lineup, but Zack Cozart reached him for a double to left with one out in the fourth and Joey Votto slammed the next pitch 438 feet over the centre field fence for his second home run of the season and first since April 7 during an 8-3 loss to Miami. The Astros regained their two-run lead in the fifth on Altuves two-out single and Lowries 378-foot home run into the right field seats, his second of the season and the road trip. The Reds cut the deficit to 4-3 on Ryan Hanigans infield single, Latoss sacrifice and Cozarts two-out double in the fifth, but Matt Downs countered with a 362-foot, opposite-field liner into the right field seats with one out in the sixth, his first home runs since last Sept. 26 against St. Louis. The Reds tied the game in the seventh singles by Hanigan and Chris Heisey as a pinch-hitter and Vottos two-out double up the right-field line. "I was only part of this comeback," Bruce pointed out. "We were never out of it." Notes: Infielder Brian Bixler was optioned to Oklahoma City to make room on the roster for Lyles. Bixler had just been recalled from the Redhawks on Friday. Hes batted .143 in six games over two stints this season with the Astros. ... Vottos homer was his 117th as a first baseman, tying Sean Casey for fourth in career homers by Cincinnati first baseman. Lee May is third with 139, behind Tony Perezs 141 and Ted Kluszewskis 249. ... Hanigan extended his hitting streak to eight games, matching the career high he set in 2009. ... Schafer was ejected by second-base umpire Marvin Hudson after arguing about being caught stealing to end the second inning. Brian Bogusevic replaced Schafer in the lineup. ' ' '
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