LIVE TweetCast / Stockton Thunder Press Conference With Oilers and Sharks

Welcome to another LIVE TweetCast presented by OilersJambalaya.com and OilFieldHockey.com.

Today the Edmonton Oilers and the San Jose Sharks will be announcing that they will be affiliated with the Stockton Thunder ECHL hockey club.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LIVE TWEETCAST

Slow Days in the Oilogosphere / Jeff Deslauriers / Stockton Thunder Affiliation

With the Oilers news at an almost standstill, the good folks of the Oilogosphere are running out of things to write about, myself included. It's not an easy gig right now, but we keep plugging away.

Here's what's happened lately.

Yesterday the Edmonton Oilers came to terms with restricted free agent, Jeff Deslauriers. He signs a 1 year, $1.05 million dollar contract and I think it's a great deal for both. I don't expect JDD to be an Oiler by next season so a 1 year deal is good enough for now. And at the $1.05 price, that's not bad either. As a comparable, Devan Dubnyk was just signed to a 2 year $800,000 contract not long ago.

Tomorrow starting at 12:00 noon MDT, the Edmonton Oilers and the San Jose Sharks are holding a press conference together to announce a joint agreement with both teams using the Stockton Thunder as their respective ECHL affiliate. We will see what we can do... maybe a LIVE TweetCast???

On a side note, this new twitter account started following us two days ago and it looks like it is going to be a good one to follow. It is publishing 20 Oilers blogs on it's feed, including Oilers Jambalaya. Follow @Oilogosphere.

For all the OKC Barons fans out there, Jen Sharpe from the EdmontonOilers.com has written a good Barons report about the team and what's on the go right now. Go here to read it.

As the boring days of summer continues... we will be here.

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Edmonton Oilers / San Jose Sharks / Stockton Thunder Press Conference on Monday

Press Conference - Monday at 11:00 a.m.

WHAT: The Stockton Thunder, Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks are scheduled to host a news conference ON MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 2010 AT 11:00 a.m. PT to make a significant hockey announcement at Stockton Arena.

The news conference is open to the media and public.

WHO: The following are scheduled to be present at the event:

Dan Chapman, Thunder president and alternate governor
Rick Olczyk, Oilers assistant general manager
Dan Rusanowsky, Sharks radio play-by-play announcer
Doug Wilson, Sharks executive vice president and general manager (available via live conference call)
Matt Thomas, Thunder head coach
Matt O'Dette, Thunder assistant coach

WHEN: 11:00 a.m. PT

WHERE: North Entry Conference Room, Stockton Arena (King's Room)

Specific, one-on-one interviews immediately following the news conference can be arranged by contacting Thunder media relations at 209-373-1520 and by emailing mbenton@stocktonthunder.com.

Parking for media attending will be available free-of-charge at Stockton Arena's "ring road" entry, accessible off Fremont Street.

Doors will open at 10:30 a.m.

Smokin' Ray Says: I was told this May from a great person in Stockton that the Sharks wanted in on the Thunder as it is close for the Sharks to have their players located. I asked the Stockton Thunder a month ago about this, and they politely declined to comment.

It looks like it's going to be official and the info and the suspicions were right.

The Oilers and the San Jose Sharks will be sharing the ECHL's Stockton Thunder.

Who The Fu*k Is Ralph Krueger? Oilers Hire New Associate Coach

Photograph by: Christian Charisius, Reuters

Who the fu*k is this Ralph Krueger fellow the Oilers hired (two year deal) as Associate Coach you ask?

I don't know either. But I did look him up and from the articles that I have read and the way Dan Tencer has talked about him (see below), it seems like he's a very smart and well detailed coach.

He's been coaching the Swiss National team starting in 1997/98 right up until now. When you look at his National achievements with a lower rate team like the Swiss team (no offense to the Swiss), he's done well. I think he will be good or our kids.

THIS IS WHAT DAN TENCER SAID ABOUT KRUEGER

Krueger and Renney both tell me that Ralph's #1 job is to challenge Tom and bring a different perspective to the coaching staff.

Krueger says his best assets all involve building team concept...motivating players, keeping morale high, getting them to buy in etc.

This move was out of the blue for everybody including the media. No one had a sniff of this that I know of.

So what now? *shrugs shoulders* I guess we see what he's like in October and go from there.

I am curious to know how he got the associate title and not just a regular assistant coach title. Is he the successor?

What I do know... I like him more than Steve Smith already.

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Benton's Blog / Euro Trip / Stockton Thunder Loses Players

EURO TRIP

07/29/2010 10:06 AM - Benton's Blog

Didn't we document in this blog space several weeks ago about the lure of Europe?

It's happening. The lure of big money, less games and international competition has taken some bite out of the Thunder roster from 2009-10:

- Chris D'Alvise (pictured) - Italy
- Justin DaCosta - Czech Republic
- J.F. Caudron - Italy
- Colin Hemingway - England

Andrew Perugini, Kelly Czuy and Bryan Young have also signed overseas, but they're asterisks in the "players leaving" category because they were under an NHL or AHL contract last season, not an ECHL contract.

That's now seven players from last season's playoff roster we can address as "the departed."

Now, stop before you hit that big, red, shiny, imposing panic button.

1. As we've said many times, don't forget how much the ECHL is now a "step-ladder" league where you celebrate your favorite player moving up, not witnessing the huge chunk of veterans whose careers are dying. Europe, as much of the AHL and NHL, is part of that.

2. Don't overlook the leadership core retained from last season (Valette, Marcoux) - with Steve Vanoosten already inked for next season. Anthony Aiello, Garet Hunt and Trevor Hunt have expressed their interest in returning, so we'll see how those play out. Assuming those potentials come to fruition, you have six returners back into the mix.

3. There's also rights retained to Aiello, Ryan Constant, Jason Pitton and more - making the potential returners at eight.

4. There are 19 teams this season - meaning - less jobs, meaning - more premium players available on the free agent market.

5. The affiliation factor and how much it can provide you with supplemental, elite-ECHL level talent and lure more potential free agents with the possibility of playing in front of said affiliated team's scouts and upper brass.

With all those factors, eight returners in a roster of 20 active players isn't a bad ratio in a league that can often serve as a revolving door, year-after-year.

It's still only late July, and the hot stove season hasn't even kicked into fifth gear. Enjoy it and with how the Thunder roster for 2010-11 is continuing to evolve!

Mike Benton has served the Thunder as radio broadcaster since the team's inception. Got a question or comment? E-mail Mike at mbenton@stocktonthunder.com

-Written by Mike Benton of the StocktonThunder.com-

*reprinted by OilersJambalaya.com with permission from the Stockton Thunder hockey club*