Yup... new O/A player...

All credit to Steve Ewan and Marc Weber over at "The Dub Hub" for the scoop.

Seattle has claimed 20 year old Chris Cloud off of waivers from the Vancouver Giants. With Seattle being the only team in the WHL to not have a point they had first selection on the waiver wire where apparently several teams put in claims for Cloud.

Cloud is from Waywayseecappo, Manitoba (that is the last time I type THAT one out) and is a 5'11" 186 lb Left Winger who shoots left handed. Last season with the Giants, Cloud had 8 goals and 11 assists to go along with 105 PIMs. Cloud fought 15 times last season, 18 the year before and 10 the year before that... so he adds what I consider to be some much needed punch to the lineup

More details can be found in the entry from the Dub Hub here.

This leads me to believe that though the Tbirds may not announce is (and likely won't) that Ashton Hewson is in fact gone.

Changes?

Ashton Hewson is no longer listed on the TBirds roster on the WHL website....

I'm assuming this probably means he is no longer with the team but that is speculation on my part at this point. That would leave the Tbirds with an open O/A spot....

Monday Morning....

I'm back to work now (gimpy arm in all... not that anyone cared) and it is back to the grindstone.

The couldn't really be off to a worse start after 4 games and their trademark Sumner defense apparently is lost in translation somewhere. This team seems to be waiting on hope that Thomas Hickey is coming back... but newsflash here folks even if Hickey comes back it might not be until November 1st!

The Kings could give Hickey a 9 game tryout before returning him to Seattle and their 9th game isn't scheduled until October 30th.

This team better figure out how to play without Hickey and figure out how to be a top quality team on the chance that Hickey never comes back.

The schedule gets no easier this weekend with a trip to Vancouver followed by their home (KeyArena) opener on Saturday before a 3 in 3 road trip to Everett, back down to Porland and back up to Chilliwack.

In other news.... Bud Holloway was reassigned to Manchester of the AHL. We knew Bud was not coming back but this is the confirmation, congratulations Bud, story here.

Why this team is 0-4...

Here is the link to the stats....

-59 in 4 games.... wow that is bad.

WTF... ok guys its time to start playing...

these games actually count...

EDIT: ok thats a little better...

Tbirds remain winless and pointless...

Tbirds drop to 0-3 tonight at the Toyota Center 5-3 to the Tri-City Americans. Seattle led this game 2-1 in the 1st period but then gave up three straight goals to trail 4-2 in the 3rd period.

Seattle then pulled to within one goal as David Richard got a power play goal to make the score 4-3... but the deficit would last only 12 seconds as the Americans pushed the score back out to 5-3.

Jim O'Brien gets into a fight with the more experienced Mitch McColm with 3 seconds left in the game and something about it did not sit well with the Tbirds as Acolatse proceeded to get an USC penalty during the dead whistle before coach Rob Sumner was also tossed from the game and Jonathan Parker fought Jason Gardner at the buzzer. Jared Jagow also managed a Game Misconduct in the scrum as well. Because the WHL TV and Insinc have such horrible reception... I could not tell exactly what the Tbirds were upset about. Hopefully someday the league will upgrade these video feeds.

Tbirds managed only 13 shots on goal in the game... I'm sorry that just isn't going to cut it.

Hockey tonight... finally...

I'm still a little drugged up, a little groggy... and chances are I might fall asleep during a part of the game but after not being able to watch the games up in P.G. last weekend I am really excited to finally get to watch some hockey tonight.

The Tbirds will almost be back to full strength tonight as Warg and DeSerres have been returned. Seattle is waiting only for Hickey to hopefully be returned to the team. I'm basing this purely on circumstantial evidence but it appears that Matt Hallick was released as he is no longer being listed on the Tbirds roster. As well with DeSerres back I would assume that Kyle Jahraus has been reassigned.

Deserres and Warg returned

Both Stefan Warg and Jacob Deserres will return to the Tbirds and be ready for action this weekend (I presume).

Warg story can be found here.

Deserres story can be found here.

Down but not out

I won't be updating for a few days after having shoulder surgery this morning. Typing with the left hand takes forever! I should be dialing up the games on the computer this weekend and might be able to write on Monday. Go Birds!

Well that didn't follow the script...

Tbirds lose both games over the weekend and start the season 0-2. This wouldn't be that bad if the losses on the road had come at the hands of say... Vancouver and Kelowna.... but losing to Prince George up there twice is certainly not the way anyone wanted the season to start when you are facing all of these road games in the first half.


TBirds score only twice in the two games, both by Jeremy Boyer... but both also coming on the Power Play, so at least that can be seen as a positive.

Obviously it was a bad weekend for the boys, but Jim O'Brien has been returned to the team and they will look to rebound next weekend in Tri-City and Everett.

A few other stats from the weekend... Dillon was -4, Acolatse, Leblanc and Nielsen were all -3 for the weekend. Sena and Leblanc end the weekend with 9 PIM's each and 4 players registered points. Boyer with 2 goals, Nielsen 2 assists and Leblanc and Richard each with an assist.

In other news... on Friday the Tbirds cut Mike Krgovich from the active roster. I would think with players coming back from NHL camps there are going to be some more moves coming.