After the first month of hockey season, I'm ready to commit some predicts. 

How can anyone not love this year's Colorado Avalanche?  what a bunch of crazy overachievers.  

It's no secret that this team is a classic case of Jekyll & Hyde as to which version shows up to skate each night.  

who will score the first goal for the Bruins of the 2009/2010 NHL season? 

ok, so Krecji is playing and Hamill (my pick to stay; must need some more seasoning) was sent to Providence along with other hopeful Brad Marchand and even Vladimir Sobotka was just sent down, which by my count equals only 12 forwards with no scratches and on defense Johnny Boychuk is the probable scratch.  

Just wanted to point out some of the players that are looking to score a spot on the opening night roster and making a good case for themselves.  no Krejci to start the season so there is one spot available.  

I'm starting all my picks earlier than previously this year.



NHL - Stanley Cup...this is a very tricky one to pick this year. first off, i think PHILADELPHIA FLYERS are the best team on paper but also like the formula BOSTON BRUINS have going for their team this year. that said, i'm reaching over to the Western Conference to select VANCOUVER CANUCKS as this season's champs with goalie Roberto Luongo as MVP.  

5/11: VANCOUVER CANUCKS ARE ELIMINATED BY CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS IN 6.  SHOCKING.



AHL - Calder Cup...lots of good teams could potentially win this league in '09, but i'm going with the locals, PROVIDENCE BRUINS to win it all against the newly moved to the Western Conference, IOWA CHOPS, who are their old rivals from PORTLAND.



ECHL - Kelly Cup...once they get the puck bounces heading in their direction (re: solidify their lineup), PHOENIX ROADRUNNERS look awfully good this season.


4/21: PHOENIX ROADRUNNERS POST ONE OF THE WORST RECORDS IN THE LEAGUE AND FOLD OPERATIONS AT THE END OF THE SEASON. FLORIDA EVERBLADES LOOK LIKE THE NEW TEAM TO BEAT FOR THE KELLY CUP. 5/6: THE EVERBLADES GET BOUNCED BY SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS.  DAMN.  



CENTRAL HOCKEY LEAGUE - President's Cup...i had ODESSA JACKALOPES before this season began (last week) but also really like CORPUS CHRISTI ICE RAYS, who are coached by my fave first year coach, Sylvain Cloutier and feature lots of old Adirondack Frostbite faces. and i have to state that i'm leery of the powerhouse that is COLORADO EAGLES this year too.  

5/6: TEXAS BRAHMAS (FORMERLY FORT WORTH) TAKE OUT MY PICK, ODESSA JACKALOPES IN A 7-GAME SEMI-FINALS SERIES ON THEIR WAY TO THUMPING COLORADO EAGLES FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 5.



IHL - Turner Cup...FLINT GENERALS have enough talent to take this Cup but FORT WAYNE KOMETS have the money to repeat as champs.


4/21: FLINT GENERALS END UP WITH THE WORST RECORD IN THE IHL. MY NEW VOTE GOES TO PORT HURON ICEHAWKS TO WIN IT.  5/8: THE ICEHAWKS GOT DROPPED BY MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS (formerly THE FURY) IN THE SEMI-FINALS AND THE LEAGUE POWERHOUSE FORT WAYNE KOMETS SKATE TO BACK-TO-BACK TURNER CUP CHAMPIONSHIPS BEATING THE 'JACKS IN 5.



SPHL - President's Cup...FAYETTEVILLE FIREANTZ all the way.


4/16: KNOXVILLE ICE BEARS REPEAT IN '09 AS WINNERS OF THE PRESIDENT'S CUP BEATING MY CHOICE, FAYETTEVILLE FIREANTZ IN SEVEN GAMES. THE FIREANTZ HAD THEIR CHANCE TO PUT IT AWAY IN GAME 6 BUT CAME UP SHORT.

the only one i can claim to have predicted at the beginning of the season but failed to put money on it with betonsports.com (or anything like that) is for the NHL. the other leagues were thought of within the last few weeks, which is still early. we'll see how they go in 5 months.

NHL - Stanley Cup...New York Rangers. Lundqvist will carry what is a super-talented, well put together team up front. i just think that when playoff time comes around, this is one team none of the others will want to play against.

6/04: NEW YORK RANGERS BEAT NEW JERSEY DEVILS IN ROUND ONE, THEN PITTSBURGH PENGUINS BOUNCED THE RANGERS OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS AND FOLLOWED THROUGH BY DOWNING PHILADELPHIA FLYERS ON THEIR WAY TO THE STANLEY CUP, WHERE DETROIT RED WINGS DESERVEDLY WON THAT CUP.

AHL - Calder Cup...my gut says Chicago Wolves will take it this year, if they can stay healthy and continue to ride Fred Braithwaite and/or whomever fills in as his back up. but i also see Providence Bruins being a ridiculously high energy team that might just ride rookie goaltender Tuukka Rask to the Cup. i could easily see Providence and Chicago playing the finals for it too.

6/10: CHICAGO WOLVES WON ITS' SECOND CALDER CUP BEATING WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS IN SIX GAMES. ROOKIE GOALTENDER ONDREJ PAVELEC WAS IN NET FOR THE SERIES, BACKSTOPPING HIS TEAM TO THE FINALS' VICTORY.

ECHL - Kelly Cup...it goes again to another newer addition to the league from the west.
i'm a little tossed up but i'll say Las Vegas Wranglers with the Ferraro twins. my being a pussy back-up pick would be Victoria Salmon Kings with the level of scoring talent they have. we'll see who the ultimate netminders for both teams will be down the stretch and of course that will matter.

6/05: CINCINNATI CYCLONES, WHO WERE THIS YEAR'S BRABHAM CUP WINNERS (MOST POINTS IN THE REGULAR SEASON) BEAT MY PICK TO WIN THE KELLY CUP, LAS VEGAS WRANGLERS 4-2 IN THE ECHL FINALS. DAMN. I WAS THIS CLOSE.

CHL - President's Cup...Rocky Mountain Rage look unbeatable early in the season and Youngstown Steelhounds sure look good too, but i'm going to give it to one of the proven elite teams of the league, Laredo Bucks. 12/9 prediction update: if Arizona Sun Dogs carry Tyler Redenbach, Alex Leavitt, Olivier Latendresse, and Sean Sullivan playing for them come playoff time, all bets are off for any other team.

5/09: ARIZONA SUN DOGS BEAT LAREDO BUCKS IN THE SOUTHWEST DIVISION FINAL, GIVING THEM THE RIGHT TO PLAY LAST YEAR'S PRESIDENT'S CUP CHAMPS, COLORADO EAGLES FOR THE TITLE. THE SUN DOGS COMPLETED THAT TASK IN A FOUR GAME SWEEP. SULLIVAN AND LATENDRESSE (HE WON THE KELLY CUP WITH CINCINNATI IN THE ECHL THIS YEAR) NEVER RETURNED TO THE TEAM. IN EXCHANGE FOR LATENDRESSE, ARIZONA WAS GIVEN ANOTHER GOAL SNIPER GUY WITH AHL/ECHL EXPERIENCE IN CORY URQUHART. HE ENDED UP WITH 17 GOALS IN THE PLAYOFFS, THE MOST OF ANY PLAYER.

IHL - whatever they are calling it: Turner Cup...this league is even more of a joke than the SHPL. Fort Wayne should just get smart and defect for the CHL or ECHL. the rest of the league will just fold. Fort Wayne Komets will win it and leave the league much like Rockford did last year from the old UHL.

5/12: FORT WAYNE KOMETS WON GAME 7 OF THE TURNER Cup FINALS AT HOME IN FRONT OF 10,000+ FANS VS. PORT HURON ICEHAWKS IN 3OT TO CAPTURE THE SIXTH CUP (5 IHL, 1 UHL) IN THEIR 56-YEAR HISTORY. IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THEY WILL DEFECT FOR ANOTHER LEAGUE QUITE YET THOUGH.

SPHL - President's Cup...Knoxville Ice Bears will win their second in a few years. i don't follow this league too closely this year though.

4/14: KNOXVILLE ICE BEARS WON THEIR SECOND PRESIDENT'S CUP IN 3 YEARS BEATING JACKSONVILLE BARACUDAS FOR THE LEAGUE TITLE.




FOR THE 2007/2008 HOCKEY SEASON, I MANAGED TO PICK THE CUP WINNERS IN THE AHL, CENTRAL HOCKEY LEAGUE, IHL, AND SPHL. I MISSED THE ECHL WINNER PICK IN THE FINALS, AND WASN'T REALLY TOO CLOSE IN THE NHL THIS YEAR. 4 OUT OF 6 (ALMOST 5 OUT OF 6) LEAGUE CHAMPS ISN'T A BAD TRACK RECORD. HAVE A GOOD SUMMER AND SEE YOU NEXT SEASON!

the Cups

before i completely forget.

here's my predictions of who will win the various professional hockey leagues' Cups:

NHL - Stanley Cup...Anaheim Ducks. picked when the season started. can't beat the skill of the veterans and all those former Portland Pirates skating their first full season in the NHL.

ANAHEIM DUCKS WON THE STANLEY CUP IN FIVE GAMES OVER OTTAWA SENATORS. IF I BET THIS LIKE I SHOULD HAVE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON, THE ODDS WERE 15-1. DUH ME.

AHL - Calder Cup...Chicago Wolves. picked when the playoffs started along with
Manchester Monarchs in the East. initially i had the Monarchs winning the whole thing, but have since changed my mind to go with the Wolves, because of goaltending and overall roster.

CHICAGO WOLVES AND MANCHESTER MONARCHS BOTH MADE IT TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS BUT WERE BEAT BY HAMILTON BULLDOGS AND HERSHEY BEARS RESPECTIVELY. THE BULLDOGS WENT ON TO WIN THE CALDER CUP, WHICH I'M SURE NO ONE HAD PREDICTED.

ECHL - Kelly Cup...Idaho Steelheads. have been contending since close to the end of the season that this team will be tough to play against in the playoffs with a strong, brutal team up front and a hot goaltender in Steve Silverthorn in net.

IDAHO STEELHEADS MAKE IT PAST STOCKTON, LAS VEGAS, AND ALASKA TO FACE DAYTON BOMBERS IN THE KELLY CUP FINALS AND TAKE THEM IN FIVE GAMES. PRETTY HAPPY WITH MY ABILITIES TO HAVE PICKED THIS WINNER. I HAD EMAILED THE PLAY-BY-PLAY GUY FROM STOCKTON DURING THE SEASON WHEN THE TWO TEAMS FACED ONE ANOTHER AND TOLD HIM THAT I WOULDN'T WANT TO FACE THE STEELHEADS IN THE PLAYOFFS. STEVE SILVERTHORN WAS THE PLAYOFF MVP.

CHL - President's Cup...my initial pick, which i should have thought twice about, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs got bounced by Memphis RiverKings, who i should have went with all along to win it. Jason Sessa and Phil Aucoin will carry this one.

JUST BLEW THIS PREDICTION ALTOGETHER. COLORADO EAGLES, WHO SELL OUT EVERY GAME THEY PLAY OUT THERE AT 5,289 TICKETS, WON IT AGAIN.

UHL - Colonial Cup...Rockford IceHogs take it in their last season with the league prior to defecting for the more pro pastures of the AHL, landing Chicago Blackhawks as their next door neighbor, NHL affiliate.

ROCKFORD ICEHOGS WIN IT IN 7 OVER KALAMAZOO WINGS BEFORE THEY MOVE UP TO THE AHL NEXT SEASON. WITH ALL THE TALENT ON THIS TEAM, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A NATURAL CHOICE FOR THEM TO GO OUT AS CHAMPS.

QMJHL - President's Cup....Lewiston Maineiacs. #1 all season long and are the hometown favorites this year. it's a no-brainer. Cape Breton will likely give them a good run.

MAINEIACS WON AGAINST VAL-D'OR FOREURS, WHO DROPPED CAPE BRETON. MAINEIACS WENT ON TO PLAY FOR THE MEMORIAL CUP AGAINST VANCOUVER, MEDICINE HAT, AND PLYMOUTH, BUT DIDN'T FARE TOO WELL IN THAT FINALS TOURNAMENT OF MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY IN CANADA.

NOT BAD OVERALL. I PICKED 4 CUP WINNERS AND AT LEAST PICKED TWO OF THE FINAL FOUR IN THE AHL. I'M NO JIMMY THE FUCKING GREEK, BUT PRETTY HAPPY WITH MY RESULTS.

ON TO NEXT SEASON...

before i completely forget.

here's my predictions of who will win the various professional hockey leagues' Cups:

NHL - Stanley Cup...Anaheim Ducks. picked when the season started. can't beat the skill of the veterans and all those former Portland Pirates skating their first full season in the NHL.

AHL - Calder Cup...Chicago Wolves. picked when the playoffs started along with
Manchester Monarchs in the East. initially i had the Monarchs winning the whole thing, but have since changed my mind to go with the Wolves, because of goaltending and overall roster.

ECHL - Kelly Cup...Idaho Steelheads. have been contending since close to the end of the season that this team will be tough to play against in the playoffs with a strong, brutal team up front and a hot goaltender in Steve Silverthorn in net.

CHL - President's Cup...my initial pick, which i should have thought twice about, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs got bounced by Memphis RiverKings, who i should have went with all along to win it. Jason Sessa and Phil Aucoin will carry this one.

UHL - Colonial Cup...Rockford IceHogs take it in their last season with the league prior to defecting for the more pro pastures of the AHL, landing Chicago Blackhawks as their next door neighbor, NHL affiliate.

QMJHL - President's Cup....Lewiston Maineiacs. #1 all season long and are the hometown favorites this year. it's a no-brainer. Cape Breton will likely give them a good run.