Dog Pound Weekly

Published on November 10, 2004 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bozeman Icedogs News Release


Greetings!

The ICEDOGS have one game at home this weekend, against the rival Helena Bighorns on Friday!

Friday's game is brought to you by Darigold, and will include an avalanche of comlimentary T-shirts, frizbees, key chains, and more! Kids can bring in a Darigold label and get in FREE, play in an inflatable bouncer, and get custom balloons.

It is also Family Night, where you can get 4 tickets, 4 Pepsis, and a large bucket of popcorn for $25! Fans can also stick around afterward for the FREE post-game skate with the ICEDOGS, and meet and mingle with their favorite players.

If the Bozeman ICEDOGS were talking revenge last weekend, the theme for this week will be desperation. After losing two straight games in Billings over Halloween weekend, The Bozeman ICEDOGS were poised and ready for payback last Friday and Saturday against the Bulls and the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. Two wins would have put them one point out of second place in the conference and established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. What they got instead was disappointment in the form of two losses. Regardless of whether these dogs are old or new, they need to learn some new tricks as soon as possible.

"Right now the problem is execution," said Icedogs assistant Coach Tom Winkler. "We've got skill, but we're not showing it. We need to get back to basics. We're creating but not finishing."

The statistics from last weekend paint a dim picture. A .14 team shooting percentage and an 0-for-17 powerplay that gave up a shorthanded goal won't win games anytime soon - something ICEDOGS forward Filip Macejka thinks his team can change. "We need to talk more," said Macejka. "Right now we're trying too hard and if we just get some ugly goals instead of trying to be too pretty, we'll see some results."

Fortunately for the ICEDOGS, the season is still relatively young and there's light at the end of the tunnel. This weekend features two conference games against the Helena Bighorns, who are tied for second place. Should the ICEDOGS take both games and the Billings Bulls split their weekend series with the Bismarck Bobcats, the ICEDOGS will find themselves in the middle of the conference pack with four and a half months left in the season - plenty of time to make a playoff run.

"We've had some tough games with (Helena)," Macejka said. "We can step up and start winning this weekend - it's a realistic goal for us to be regular season champs. We need to believe in each other, not worry about not making playoffs."

Spotlight on Ryan Bunger #28

Ryan is in a veteran ICEDOG, and is one of those non- flashy players who is very productive on the ice. This season, he has played in 11 games, scoring 3 goals and 6 assists for a total of 9 points. Ryan also seems to find the penalty box fairly frequently, but that is a result of his aggressive play and hard work.

What skills do you bring to the ICEDOGS? The biggest skill I bring is speed, hard work, and playing physical. What skills do you want to improve? This year I am working on improving my hands and shot. What sports do you play other than hockey? I like to play golf. What are your favorite teams? My favorite teams are the Detroit Redwings, Seattle Supersonics, Boston Red Sox, and Seattle Seahawks. You can even look on my bio I filled out before the season, it confirms I am not a fair weather fan, I do like the Red Sox. Who are your favorite players? I like Marion Gaborik, Ben Wallace, Barry Bonds, and Terrell Owens. Why Did You Start Playing Hockey? I wanted to try something that looked like fun. What do you want to be remembered for by ICEDOGS' fans? I would like to be remembered for my hard play and stunning features. (Ryan is a model for Abercrombie & Fitch) What is your pre-game routine? I take a pre- game nap, and watch "Slapshot" with a plate of spaghetti.

If you received $100 cash as a gift, what would you do with it? Put it in the bank. If you were granted any three wishes, what would you request? One Billion dollars, my own island in the Carribbean with a mansion on it, and Jennifer Aniston as my wife.

What are five words people would use to describe you? People would describe me as I don't know. Have you ever been a part of a championship team in another sport, if so what sport and when? Yes, in baseball. We won districts when I was 11 years old. What do like most about Bozeman? I love the snow in the winter and our rink is amazing and fun to be at.

A Little Hockey Humor

A child stands in court before a judge. His parents are divorcing and the judge is asking him which parent he would like to live with. "Would you like to live with your mother?" the judge asks. "No! she beats me every night I dont want to live with her!". So the judge says "Ok, you can go live with your dad then." The child replies, "No! he beats me every night as well! I dont want to live with him!" and the judge replies "Well if both your parents beat you, then who do you want to live with?". The boy responds "The Toronto Maple Leafs." The judge is puzzled. "Why would you want to live with them?" he asks. The boy then can't hide it any longer, "Because they don't beat anyone!"

Ryan McKelvie Setting Great Example For Zach and Chris

Ryan McKelvie, the older brother of ICEDOGS' Zach and Chris McKelvie, is a junior at Minnesota State University. Last season, he earned the team's Best Hustle award at the end-of-the-year banquet. He was also an assistant captain, which was awarded to him for his leadership abilities and work ethic. Along with his success on the ice, Ryan was a WCHA All- Academic selection. Keeping his grades up is even more impressive when considering the fact that he was one of only three players that played in all 39 games last season.

The next paragraph is an update from Ryan himself.

I'm still playing hockey and going to school at MSU- Mankato. I am a junior here, assistant captain, and am majoring in phy ed teaching. Last season I was WCHA All-Academic and made the dean's list. The hockey season has pretty much just started. I have an assist in two games played. I guess that's pretty much all of the good stuff that I've got going on.

7th Annual Holiday Ice Show Scheduled

The Bozeman Figure Skating Club will be presenting the 7th annual holiday ice show entitled "On Broadway" on Saturday, December 11th at 7:00 pm and Sunday, December 12th at 1:00 pm.

This show will feature Elvis Stojko, three-time world champion, two-time Olympic silver medalist, and seven time Canadian champion. There will also be special performances by the Bozeman Figure Skating Club and other regional skaters.

Ticket pricing is as follows: Reserved Seats (with backs): $15, General (bench): Adult $10, Children 12 & under: $6, and Children 4 & under: FREE. Tickets may be purchased at the Valley Ice Garden, Smiths, Town & Country, Safeway, and Lee & Dads IGA in Belgrade. These shows are very popular, so get your tickets early!

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North American Hockey League Stories from November 10, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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