Next set has Helena/Eugene tilt.

I had real trouble trying to use the video feeds, but I am all wireless in my office and it may not have let it stream well enough. Anyone else trying to watch? What was your result.

Got to say that it is great that Eugene and Missoula are trying to bring vidstreams of the games. A for intent,at least.

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Butte took a 3-2 2OT win from River City. Frankly, 'Butte looked the better coached and harder worker of the two. It only got to OT because RC pulled their goalie and muscled a tying goal with under 30 seconds left.

Eugene fell to Helen 6-1, with the Generals only goal being one where the Helena net wss off the pins. Frankly, that game wasn't as close as the score.

Pacific division could go winless today, because only Puget and Rogue are left with games, and Puget has Missoula, which I don't think they can beat. Rouge V. Billings --

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As mentioned above, AW is 6-0. This mornings games are going the same way. AW way in the lead on the one they should win. In the other, Butte is playing Eugene, and - SHOCKER - the game is over half played and the 'Riders have it deadlocked at 3.

Very interesting, indeed!

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10 games in, it's 9-1 AW.

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So, AW had a lousy 5-1 day. With tomorrow's lineup of games, it could well go 6-0 AW, making the meeting a 17-1 near sweep. I have always thought the eastern side was a bit more skilled, but I am shocked.

Any observations as to what is happening here, AJ?

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I am amazed at how little anyone seems to care. I thought this board would be abuzz during the showcase. But only Love and Centerman seem to have even visited.

It seems that the time has come to blatantly state that the AW is better than the Pacific.

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Final Results:
Helena 3-0
Yellowstone 3-0
Missoula 3-0
Bozeman 3-0
Billings 2-1
Butte 2-1
Eugene 1-2
Puget Sound 1-2
Seattle 0-3
River City 0-3
Tri Cities 0-3
Rogue Valley 0-3.

Totals AW 16 wins
Pacific 2 wins.

Come playoff time, whoever emerges from the Pacific doesn't have a chance unless some changes are made.

Eugene gave up 18 goals, while scoring 10 (8 against Butte). Seattle didn't give up much, but couldn't score any. Puget got the same number of goals as the Totes did.
Bozeman scored 16 and gave up 7. Helena scored 23 and gave up only 4. The Quake potted 24 and gave up 5.

In short - it wasn't close.

I think this showcase should become an annual event. From watching it, it appears that it was reasonably well run. Kudos to NorPac for staging this; for providing all the streaming video, and for providing 3 days of interesting entertainment.

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I would argue that the best two teams should go to Natty's, and right now, it appears that the top three are Helena, Missoula, and Yellowstone. There aren't any Pacific teams on this short list.

I am not suggesting anything -- just raising the question for the furthering of discussion on this board.

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Was glad the showcase was here in Billings gave me a chance to see first hand the two different styles of play between the divisions. The most notable was the Pacific's style if we can't beat you with our play we will do it with our sticks our fist, elbow's you get the picture and the AW wanting to play run and gun.

I had always herd on here that Seattle was a bit of a goon squad but didn't really know the extent until they tried to get a bench brawl going after the final buzzer against Billings.

All in all though it was good hockey and whether the AW is better than the Pacific as the score sheet shows is still in the eyes of the beholder so IMHO ya the AW is on top for now.

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Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference

Grandpa said NO too

Double, double toil and trouble (slowly stiring)Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Since NorPac first got on my raday, I have believed that the east (whatever it was called) played a superior game to the west (whatever it was called.) The only year that was an exception was the infamous Ft Van year where the Pioneers has an outstanding team - but we all know at least a part of how that came about.

Maybe its because there are some many other things to do in the west, so the teams cannot recruit the best players where they will be small frog in big markets. In Helena, you can watch Carrol College, The Bighorns, or the legislature debate. In Missoula there is the U of Montana. In Cody you can go to the rodeo, debate whether the Yellowstone Volcano is going to blast, or watch the Hockey Quake. In each of these places, the players have stature and are recognized within their community.

They Seattle Totems aren't even in Seattle, they are in Lynnwood. Portland doesnt' have a team, - River City plays in the 'burbs at a lousy facility. Nobody in these towns cares much except parents and girlfriends. Tri-Cities, Seattle, and Portland all have WHL teams, so the Totes, Titans, and Jaguars aren't even the best game in town (well, maybe that's not true - have you seen this year's version of the Thunderbirds? Glad we didn't get season tickets this year!)

Anyway, the eastern teams have a better story to tell.

Then, of course, there is the amount of effort that ownership puts into selling their product. The only places that really put forth effort on a consistent basis are Eugene, Missoula, Yellowstone, and Helena. Some of the teams don't even try to let the public know where the rink is. This shows in the attendance. It is also telling that 3 out of the 4 mentioned are in the east.

In any event, we do miss the input from the few team officials that used to play on this site. We also miss rabble rousers like John Meisner; knowledgeable sources such as Mark and his blog; and a number of other notables. So far as I can tell, we no long have a participant from most of the teams. Miss Kitty is gone. Haven't had anything from Milkshake in forever, and his kid's still playing. Other participants have had their kids age out or drop out, and they dropped off of here. Even DAD has abandoned us as to boring to warrant attention.

I haven't had a good argument in months and have largely been relegated to being a reporter. This takes more energy than it's worth for me, as my kid got fed up with the BS and quit hockey - despite still having eligibility. I am sad for that, but understand why. It was probably a mature decision on his part, as he recognized that he was never going to cash in at the NHL.
My only regret was all the money I spent along the way. If I had saved it, he could be going to Harvard or Princeton or Stanford. On the other hand, hockey did keep him off the streets and out of trouble. And mom and I certainly enjoyed his venture onto the ice. It was a difficult transition for him, as he started on in-line skates in speed skating, played some roller hockey, and moved to the ice when he was 11 or 12 -long after most of the kids got their start.

In any event, I guess it is time for me to follow his lead and retire from hockey - other than an occasional drop in. If this board cannot even exhibit a bit of passion over a long-awaited set of crossover games, nothing short of another Ft Van hoorah can bring it to life. Since a haven't had a 'dog in the fight' for over a year, I guess it is beyond time for me to move on.

Still, I will follow the 'further adventures of NorPac" on Pointstreak and occasionally drop in here to see if anything is fogging mirrors.

It's been real, it's been fun, but lately it hasn't been real fun.

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I thought that maybe some of the Pacific division teams might wash out on Thursday after the long trip but I believed that most would bounce back on Friday but it never happened. Plain and simple the contrasting styles of play favored the AW teams, even on the soft ice at the Metra. The only times the AW teams struggled were when they fell into the "lets take it to the alley" style of play. Yellowstone was the only truly physical team from the AW and they took LOTS of liberties with Eugene once they were up on them.

Seattle was tame as thats the way they are built this season and the so called "bench clearing" against Billings was caused by a Bulls player cheap shotting a Totems player at the end, totally uncalled for.

Helena just took care of business as usual and was gone, no doubt the most professional acting group there. Yellowstone is this seasons Totems but not nearly as tough as either of the last 2 seasons Seattle teams. Missoula and Bozeman both benefitted from 2-3 loaners from Wenatchee. Billings played well but they also had all 3 of their games in the 7:30pm slot on their home ice. Butte played real well and no doubt if they had played Adamo vs Eugene they would have beat them.

In the west Seattle struggled but left Billings with Stormy Night on the bus. He will help them but he still skates like he has concrete in his hips. They could have beat Missoula but couldn't buy a goal. Eugene still needs to find their identity, lots of skill but they don't use it. They skated around aimlessly all weekend, more consumed with delivering a cheapshot than driving to the net. Reminded me of a poor mans version of Seattle in years past then sang the blues when the Quakeoneers gave them a beatdown. Tri just isn't the same without Sponny at the helm and when Doubrava ran Mills of Helena from behind and got the gate it was over for them, they just grabbed the gaspipe and sucked. River City is a mess, they are done. Rogue Valley worked hard but they looked more like a midget AA team then a junior team, slow and unskilled but they gave it all they had. Puget comes out the big winner in the division with the come from behind victory over Billings. They played smart the last 2 periods and took care of business.

Lots of drama but tons of fun. One of the things that was very apparent was the fact that most of the AW teams were really pulling for each other to prove that their division was better but the Pacific teams would rather see each other get beat. It was soooooo apparent when the Seattle players hit the ice at the end of the Billings game and at least 3 team officials from other Pac teams said to our group from AW "See, thats them, they are so classless". Jealousy is a sad sad thing, but then again so is those 3 teams records in wins and player advancement. Now they can go back to their intra-divisional games and wait for the Seattle vs Eugene finals.

Billings did a fantastic job putting this on and from what I was told so did the 2 broadcast groups. Great job NorPac, can't wait til next year. Hopefully it's somewhere a bit warmer then 6 degrees.

Enough said

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As everyone knows I am not a fan of that side of the league; I do feel they improved as the weekend progressed. Though they still have a long way to go to be considered equal. They have the skill, but need the intensity and conditioning to complete the package. At the end of the day, my hope is that the GM's and coaches see where they need to get to before it is too late.
NF's points on best representation at nationals must be heard. I would like to see a cross playoff system so that the best could potentially represent at the national level. The ever lovin' $ is the hold back. I get it. If only there could be some way to get it done............

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This game was probably the highlight of the showcase. Despite numerous chances at both ends, the score held. Both teams had chances to either tie it or put the game away and despite it being a 3 in 3, both teams played with gas in the tank.

This game was a tight-checking, ebb and flow game and I can see how a lot of so called experts could get lost in the score.

One thing that was a disappointment was to see teams add new players or have some on loan just before this event. While many of you think I lack class in my comments, I simply speak in simple terms. So, in simple terms, teams that sat kids that have been there all year for loaners from Wenatchee are just as guilty as the dinks in Wenatchee for even suggesting that teams do this. While I once thought that this outfit was good for our region, these guys have clearly shown how they plan to use this league for whatever means they have, despite the moral and ethical consequence.

It should be noted that the new player that was added came from the MJHL by way of.....that's right...the good 'ol Fort Vancouver Pioneers. For those who are new to this board allow me to simplify the Ft. Van story. They had a team that couldn't win by the normal channels so they cheated. They allowed players to play for free and were said to even pay a few. Alas, they got caught and were banashed from hockey. And sad but true, all players who played for them have spent their days trying to clear their names. In this latest deal, I don't think acquiring a player in a 2.5k fee league and inserting him in a 5k play league will do much to squash the chit chat.

All in all, the showcase was a good affair. Sure the Pacific didn't do as well as hoped but despite the long trip, it was worth it. The players seemed to really enjoy it and it gave both sides a chance to see where they were at. It also gave some of us the chance to meet other parents and others teams' officials. I met the folks from all the AW teams and aside from the arrogant dude from the Maulers, all of them seemed pretty cool.

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SweetyPee, why can't I let it go???? Are you kidding me? At the national level this was the biggest black eye on the league possible. They speak of the Ft. Van group in the same light that they speak of your beloved Hoody and the PB's. Believe me, it's true. The fact that USAH didn't get behind the league as they said they would and banish these mugs from the national tournament was a travesty. The players on that team lost all of their NCAA elegibility both on facts just on the chance that any of these players accepted money to play. Nobody would touch these players. Sad but true.

Now go back to your saturated, watered down 3 team league and leave this alone.

BTW- I wonder if Wenatchee is covering the fees for their rental boys in Ol' Miss and Bozo? Ya right.