Paajarvi Starts Off Fast / Oilers Rookies Win First Young Stars Game

No need for a parade yet, but it sure was damn nice to watch an Oilers game again. The win was a bonus. The Oilers rookies beat the Canucks rookies 4-1 with 2 goals from Magnus Paajarvi. Tyler Pitlick and Jordan Eberle each scored one goal. For those wondering, Taylor Hall had the assist on the Eberle goal.

Well the feed for the game was terrible. Gene Principe sounded like he was yelling all the time and his yelling was squealing. Ugh! It was ear bleeding terrible. But to see the Stockton Thunder's Mike Benton there with Gene was cool. Mike is a good guy and it was nice to see him included in the Young Stars tournament.

At one point the Canucks website said to clear your cache and the stream would work better. I tried it and it did work better. So remember that for Tuesday's game against the Flames.

Paajarvi was very good. His speed made him hard to contain. This guy is going to make the team for sure this year. He looks determined and ready.

Tyler Pitlick was also good tonight. Very noticeable. Great draft choice by the Oilers.

Alex Plante played in all types of situations and didn't look out of place. He's very much improved from the last time I seen him and is looking like he's going to be a force with the OKC Barons this year.

Eberle and Hall garnered a lot of attention from the Canucks but still managed to hook up for a goal. In the early part of the game Hall looked like he was in a playoff game but faded near the end of the game. Good chemistry with Eberle. No doubt they play on the same line when they make the Oilers.

Olivier Roy made some huge saves, but the goal that the Canucks scored was a terrible softy. While Roy did play well and looked good, he was shaky on the soft low shots.

Last thoughts. I found it dumb that Hall wasn't wearing #4, that Eberle isn't wearing #14 and Paajarvi didn't wear #91. Why not? It's their numbers.

Can't wait till Tuesday. Make sure you come back and enjoy the TweetCast vs the Calgary Flames.

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Day 1 of the YoungStars Tournament

Welcome to the first day of the YoungStars tournament.

Barons hire Assistant Coach Rocky Thompson

Late tonight, Dean Millard of The Pipeline Show reported that the Barons have signed former Edmonton Oil Kings assistant coach Rocky Thompson for the same position in Oklahoma City. Thompson had been with the Oil Kings for three years before being let go this past offseason.

Thompson was a RW and was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 1995. In 25 games in the NHL, Thompson tallied 117 penalty minutes. He spent most of his career in the AHL, having played 566 games and scoring 69 points while totaling 1,919 penalty minutes.

This will mark his third stint with the Oilers organization. Having played two seasons with the previous incarnation of the Barons, the Road Runners, and then coaching with the Oil Kings who are owned by the Oilers.

Thompson said to Millard that coach Todd Nelson wants him to be down in Oklahoma City as soon as possible to start getting things ready. With both Nelson and Gerry Fleming in Canada for the Prospects Tournament and training camp, I would venture a guess that he'll be receiving the players in as they're cut from the Oilers training camp and preparing them for the Barons camp starting Sept. 27.

-Written by Eric Rodgers-

Ales Hemsky, The A or Not the A?

I kind of started to pipe off today (what's new) on twitter about who deserves to wear a letter this year for the Oilers. Steve Tambellini said today on the team 1260 that there will be a captain this season. So why not start some speculation?

So...

I started thinking about the current roster and really, you can hate Horcoff's contract all you want, but you can't hate his work ethics. He does give it his all and he never quits. He is IMO the best veteran guy to help these kids grow. Shawn Horcoff is going to be an Oiler for a few more years and I can see Tom Renney going with a solid all around guy like Horcoff to lead this team. He wouldn't be a bad choice at all. He's the logical choice.

But the fan in me screams Gagner. I think it would be a good choice to pick Sam Gagner as the captain this year, right now. The Oilers are a rebuilding team and this is the first year of many (hopefully only two years till this is a playoff team) and why not have him "grow" into this much like Towes is doing n Chicago. I know that they are two complete different payers and I am not comparing them to each other. I was just comparing the ages. I think if you let Sam learn on the job so to speak he will be a great captain for the Oilers. I know a lot of you think I'm nuts for saying that but I really do think Gagner is going to be the leader of this young squad now, and into the future. So why beat around the bush?

As much as I think that's a great idea to pick Sam (I'm sure it won't happen, no need to worry), I'm going all in on Horcoff with the C.

I said on twitter today that Horcoff should get the C and Penner, Whitney and Gagner should wear an A this year. Just a guess. Purely me taking a shot in the dark.

I'm not a fan of the four assistants rotation, I like just two or three A's that are permanent. Maybe I'm just too old school, but I didn't like that four guy rotation. It was 2 home assistants and 2 road assistants.

A few of my tweeps reminded me that I forgot Hemmer when I made my comment.

I had this to say about it. I said, "I did forget Hemsky for an A. But does he really need/deserve it? He's not a leader on the team so why give him the A?" Then I continued with, "I am talking about helping the guy next to you type of leadership. Yes he's a good player and he puts up the points. But he's not "the let me help you leadership kind of guy". Unless he blows my mind this year, I'm ready to move on."

Bruce McCurdy from Copper & Blue replied to me with this about Hemsky, "Maybe Ales needs to feel like he's a leader on this team. I'd give him an A for sure."

My answer to that was, "If giving an A to Hemsky is solely for the purpose of making him feel good, then it's a waste of a letter. It means nothing."

Bruce once again countered with, "No, it's more than making him feel good. It's expectation and responsibility and a vote of confidence all in one."

Damn. I can't argue with that at all. Bruce is right. It is what it is. Hemsky is that kind of player. It doesn't matter how I feel about giving out letters to players that don't really lead a team, he is at this moment, an Edmonton Oiler. And if we want him to try his ass off and play his best, having an A on his jersey might just do that.

So I'm torn. Do you appease Hemsky and sew on another assistant captains letter A on his jersey to make him feel wanted, needed and like he's important to the team?

Or do you not give it to him at all and let the real team leaders lead like Horcoff, Penner, Whitney and Gagner have it with no rotation and take Hemsky for what he is? With no A.

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Thunder Well Represented at Rookie Tourney / #StkThunder

Thunder Well Represented at Rookie Tourney

09/10/2010 10:49 AM -
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MORE: ECHL.com coverage
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MORE: Edmonton Oilers official website coverage
MORE: San Jose Sharks official website coverage

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Thunder will be represented by two players and a staff member at the NHL Young Stars Tournament in Penticton, BC from September 12-16, 2010 at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

The eight-game tournament will feature players from the Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks and host team Vancouver Canucks.
Goaltender Bryan Pitton and defenseman Jordan Bendfeld will be suiting up for the Edmonton Oilers.

Pitton has played for Stockton the last two years, going 9-9-3 with a .921 save percentage in 2009-10, and on two occasions was named ECHL Goaltender of the Week. The 22 year old was a fifth round selection (133rd overall) of the Oilers in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Bendfeld also has played for Stockton each of the last two seasons. He appeared in 52 games with the Thunder in 2009-10 notching 10 assists and added five points (1g-4a) in 15 Kelly Cup Playoffs games as the Thunder advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time in team history. The 22 year old was selected by the Oilers in the seventh round (193rd overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Thunder radio play-by-play announcer Mike Benton, who is entering his sixth season with the club, will be serving on the broadcast team for webcast coverage for five games during the tournament, while also contributing with video and written features for the official website of the San Jose Sharks, http://www.sjsharks.com/ .