Things That Make Me Go Hmm...

• Congrats to the Spokane Chiefs for winning the WHL title. But now that the Chiefs are off to the Memorial Cup as league representatives, let's not **it on them if they struggle at the tournament. Trust me, the Memorial Cup is a crap shoot, and often times the best teams just can't find their game during the week long tournament. Look at it this way. After an emotional playoff, teams are required to get a hate-on for an opponent they frankly know little about. On top of that they have to adjust to OHL and QMJHL officiating, and all the distractions that come with playing in a tournament of that magnitude makes it a huge struggle for many teams that fail to adjust. I'm not here to make excuses for the Chiefs should they falter, but if they do, let's be cautious about how critical we are about the team that is representing 'our' league, the Spokane Chiefs who accomplished a great feat - winning the league title.
• Josh Gorges is back on Kelowna soil today. I spoke to the Montreal Canadiens defenseman Thursday, who told me he was flying back to the Okanagan today. Gorges will spend the summer in K-Town relaxing, before getting back in the gym to improve on a season which saw the former Kelowna Rocket elevate his play in the post season.
• The Lethbridge Hurricanes have lost a member of their coaching staff. Assistant Coach Jeff Battah has taken a job as GM/Coach with Drayton Valley of the AJHL. I don't know Jeff well, but he is a reader of this blog. I appreciated his comments about the verbal diarea I spill out on this blog when we spoke this season, and wish him the best in his new capacity.
• To my surprise Debi Spurgeon and her husband failed to take in the two games that were played in nearby Lethbridge during the WHL final. The mother of Chiefs d-man Jared Spurgeon was busy working during those weekday games, meaning Shaw cable was the only way she could get close to the action. If Debi can't get some time off for a trip to the Memorial Cup in Kitchener Ontario, somethings wrong with her employer. Come on, give this lady a break!!
• My conversation with Jeff Truitt this week was an interesting one. Truitt, an assistant coach with the AHL's Springfield Falcons, says his team is so well situated in the AHL that the team spent just 8 nights in a hotel the entire season. That's a far cry from the Kelowna Rockets, who spend close to 20 nights minimum in a hotel over the course of the season.
• I thought it was interesting that Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller won't be in attendance when the Jazz face the LA Lakers in a playoff game on Sunday. A devout Mormon, Miller won't break a law that forbids him to attend Sunday games, which would be considered work. It got me to thinking about a WHL team drafting a player, who's beliefs forbid him to play Sunday games. If he was a Kelowna Rocket, he would have missed just 6 games. The saving grace for this player would be the fact that the Rockets do not play a game on Sunday's on home ice.
• I read the Prince George Cougars are looking for a new trainer. David Michaud, it's time to step up to the plate!!!