Not so deep thoughts from my hotel room

• Welcome to Kennewick. It's a beautiful fall day here. The sun is shining and the wind is non existent. It still feels like summer here, not hockey weather.
  
• I decided to drive down yesterday rather than take the team bus. The radio station is always accommodating and being behind the wheel for the 5 and a half hour trip is relaxing. Once the weather turns nasty, I prefer to sit in the bus and let the professionals do the driving rather than white knuckling my way along the treacherous roads.
• I made it to the hotel without taking a wrong turn. This is a major accomplishment for me. One miscue can turn into disaster in these parts. I went by instinct this time. No map, no gps. I even ignored the signs. I felt like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars when he heard Obi-Wan Kenobi saying "use the force". After arriving at the hotel I felt like driving to the Kennewick Museum and running up the stairs in celebration like Rocky Balboa did at the Museum of Art in Philadelphia. I changed my mind in fear that I may get lost.
  
• I couldn't make it through Washington State without being stopped by a state trooper. I passed him going the other direction near Soap Lake and he quickly turned around with his lights flashing. He said he clocked me doing 67 miles an hour in a 60 mile an hour speed zone. After speaking respectfully to the officer for a few minutes, I was slapped with only a warning. No wonder every motorist in Washington State drives like a senior citizen though. Don't dare go over the posted speed limit, or you will be slapped with a fine.
• While the state trooper let me off the hook - this time - the border guard at the border crossing near Osoyoos was also in a good mood. He asked me where I was going and asked me who the Rockets were playing. After responding in a respectful manner, he laughed at me saying he has no clue who the Rockets are or what league they even play in. After three minutes of small talk, I was on my way. That's a far cry from five years ago where a border guard - or three - would have me signing a series of papers on my intent to cover a hockey game down in the U.S. Where did all of that paper work ended up? The garbage possibly?
• The Rockets are without Shane McColgan and Tyson Barrie tonight. Neither made the trip and won't be available until next week. McColgan is still out after getting his tonsils removed and Barrie is sidelined with a hamstring injury. The good news is the Rockets have essentially the entire week off after tonight's game, so those two should return when the team opens a three game in three night weekend next Friday in Vancouver.
• Where was Brent Bilodeau? Was the Tri City Americans assistant coach on the bench Wednesday in Kelowna? If he was, either he's changed or he isn't as big of a man as I thought. I first got to know Bilodeau as a defenseman with the Swift Current Broncos when I was a wide-eyed reporter many years ago. I will have to do a further investigation to see if he in fact was on the bench Wednesday night.
  
• Is it just me, or is Americans head coach Jim Hiller in a no-win situation? It's been suggested that Hiller found himself in an ideal situation when he took over the Americans last season. Sure he led them to the WHL finals, but skeptics said he didn't have to develop players because that was already done under previous coach Don Nachbaur. I don't buy that theory. Hiller is a good coach. Often times leading a team with high expectations from those outside of the organization is the hardest job of all. Hiller has to keep his team focused, reminding his players time and time again to avoid reading the press clippings that suggest his team is even a better bet this season to defend their Western Conference championship and compete for a league title. If you think Hiller can just open the gate and send out whoever he wants on the ice and the team will win, you are sadly mistaken. Hiller has a talented team, no question, but it takes a talented coach to get the most out of his skilled players. Hiller, in my opinion, has what it takes to get it done.
  
• Americans GM Bob Tory didn't make the trip to Kelowna Wednesday, so I will have to hunt him down tonight for a pre-game interview. I've gotten to appreciate the man more over the years with playoff battles between his team and the Rockets likely the main reason.
  
• I didn't mention this Wednesday, but the Tri City Americans handed me a new Americans media guide for the 2010-2011 season. Wow. Well done. Again, this 150 page guide has everything you would want to know about the team. This is not a low budget media guide folks. I wish more teams would follow the Americans lead. The fact that the team has it available this early in the season is impressive. Let's give a shout out to executive editor Dan Mulhausen for his work on the project.
• How valuable is the guide? A quick look shows me the Americans were a combined 17-3-0-0 in 20 regular season games against BC Division teams last season. The three losses came at the hands of the Chilliwack Bruins.