Dog Pound Weekly

Published on March 2, 2004 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bozeman Icedogs News Release


The 'DOGS are definately enjoying their home game stretch, and making the most of opportunities to win games in the highly competitive NAHL-west division. With only four points separating second place from fifth place, every game is a "must win" for all four teams involved!

This week, the ICEDOGS have home games against Minnesota on Friday, and Bismarck on Saturday. Friday's game is sponsored by Yellowstone Harley- Davidson. Saturday's game is sponsored by AutoBody Experience...and is the much-anticipated sellout promotion with Big Sky Golf Course. AutoBody Experience will be giving away a golf car to one lucky fan. Big Sky Golf Course will be giving away one FREE round of golf if the ICEDOGS win in front of a sellout crowd of 3,200 fans! IF the ICEDOGS do not sellout or win on Saturday, all fans coming to Monday's game will get a FREE round of golf at Big Sky Resort as a consolation prize! Your FREE round of golf can be used from opening day through June 17, 2004. Special discounted ticket prices are being offered for next week's games...see below for details!

Got Milk? Poster Available

The ICEDOGS recently produced their annual "Got Milk?" poster and will be distributing 400 of them at Friday's game!

You can make this picture the background on your computer screen by right clicking on the picture and selecting "set as background."

Thanks to Got Milk?, Darigold, Yellowstone Harley- Davidson, Thibeault Studios, Karl Neumann Photography, and Colorworld Printers for their help in making this poster possible.

This Week For The 'DOGS

The ICEDOGS are preparing this week with a continued sense of urgency after putting a licking on Fernie last weekend in Bozeman! This week the 'DOGS play two teams who are also fighting for their playoff spots.

The ICEDOGS welcome the Minnesota Blizzard on Friday. Last weekend, the Blizzard beat Bismarck in OT and lost to Fargo. The Blizzard are 12 points behind the 'DOGS in the standings, but are always a dangerously competitive team. Minnesota is lead by a trio of forwards--Jake Nelson, Sean Fish, and Tony Selvog all find ways to put the puck in the net, or make plays for their teammates. Ricky Akkerman is a hard working defender that picks up a lot of penalty minutes.

On Saturday, Bismarck comes to the Valley Ice Garden trailing the ICEDOGS by one point in the standings. Last weekend, the 'Cats lost to Minnesota and then Billings...and will be playing in Billings again this Friday before coming to Bozeman on Saturday! Bismarck is lead by Jake Hipp and William Johnson, both of whom will be a key focus for the ICEDOGS defense.

Looking Ahead

Do you want to see ICEDOGS hockey for a bargain price? The 'DOGS have three home games next week, and you can come to every one of them for the economical price of $19 adult, $12 student/youth, and $10 child!

Monday, the ICEDOGS take on the Helena Bighorns. This game was previously scheduled for Thursday, but was moved due to the Jewel concert. Helena is currently in third place in the division--one point behind the Jets and two points ahead of the 'DOGS.

Friday and Saturday, the ICEDOGS will play the US Under-18 Development Team. This squad is made up of some of the finest Junior A hockey players in the country, many of whom have Division I college commitments already. Several of these players will eventually play in the NHL, so this is a great chance to see the 'DOGS test their skills against future superstars!

With the league standings so tight, we thought you might like a summary of where other teams fighting for playoff spots are playing. Here are dates for some of the other key games this week and next: 3/5-Bismarck at Billings and Fargo-Moorhead at Helena. 3/6- Minnesota at Helena and Fargo-Moorhead at Fernie. 3/7-Fargo-Moorhead at Fernie and Minnesota at Billings. 3/12-Billings at Minnesota, Bismarck at Fargo- Moorhead, and Helena at Fernie. 3/13-Minnesota at Bismarck and Billings at Fargo-Moorhead. Next week, we will preview the final two weeks of the regular season...hopefully with a stronger hold on a playoff spot!

Spotlight on #19 Joakim Eklov

Yoakim started playing hockey at the age of 6 in his hometown in Sweden. As a youngster, he tried playing goalie one game, but his team lost 15-1, so Yoakim decided to play forward so he could be on the other side of the puck.

Joakim got his first penalty at the age of 9 for tripping. After being sent to the "sin bin" he started crying, feeling guilty for what he had done. The crying only lasted for a little while, and was quickly covered up when re-entering the game.

Last year, he played for the Central Texas Blackhawks, his first time away from home for the entire season. This season, he started out in Sweden before coming to Bozeman in early February to join the ICEDOGS. ICEDOGS Full-Time Scout Rikard Gronberg convinced him to come to Bozeman, and he has never looked back.

Joakim loves playing in front of a packed house, and the energy that transfers to his game. Joakim has been a crowd favorite during shootouts, but admits that he is very focused on the trying to score a goal and does not pay a lot of attention to what is going on around him.

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North American Hockey League Stories from March 2, 2004


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