Dog Pound Weekly

Published on November 17, 2004 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bozeman Icedogs News Release


With a 6-9-2 record that puts them at the bottom of the league standings, the Bozeman ICEDOGS are officially having a slow start to the 2004-2005 season. Following an impressive showing at the NAHL showcase, the team has gone 1-6 and hasn't scored a single power play goal. To make things worse, their conference rivals, the teams that the ICEDOGS know they should be keeping pace with, have been pulling away.

"Our guys have to get their confidence back," Said ICEDOGS Head Coach John LaFontaine. "Every game has been close; we just haven't been finding ways to win." While things may be bad for the time being, there is a glimmer of hope on the hockey horizon. The ICEDOGS have a winning record on the road, which is where they'll be for the next five games.

Starting with a pair of games on Thursday and Friday against the Bismarck Bobcats, who also have been struggling as of late, the ICEDOGS will hope to get a couple of wins under their belt. This might start the ball rolling again for when they take on the Minnesota Blizzard before heading back west to Billings for a match up against the rival Bulls.

"The next few games are pivotal from the standpoint that we get to get away," LaFontaine said. "In the next couple of weeks we can filter out all of the distractions and get the winning feeling back."

The reason for optimism is easy - of their 9 losses on the season, most of them have come in one-goal games, something the team agrees will come in handy later on in the season.

"There's no question that playing the close games can only be a positive for us down the road," said LaFontaine, "It teaches our guys that they cannot take any team lightly." On Monday, the coaching staff put the players through a rigorous, yet short, series of practices - something LaFontaine says will help keep the player's spirits up while maintaining sharpness and readiness.

"The idea is to pick the tempo up as high as we can get it without seeming to come down on the guys too hard. The quicker the pace we establish, the better." The ICEDOGS hope their high tempo play will help them this weekend against Bismarck, who is five points ahead of the ICEDOGS with an 8-7-3 record.

The ICEDOGS are approaching a must-win weekend, as teams in the NAHL-west continue to tighten their grip on their respective positions in the standings. Even though the playoffs are still several months away, the 'DOGS know they are reaching a critical stage in the season where they must start making a move upward.

This week, the 'DOGS play two games in Bismarck on Friday and Saturday followed by two games in Alexandria, MN against the Blizzard.

Next week, the ICEDOGS play in Billings on Friday 11/26 and host Bismarck on Saturday 11/27. Don't forget about the Moonlight Basin sellout promotion on December 4th against the Bulls! Get a FREE lift ticket to Moonlight Basin with a sellout and win! Tickets are starting to sell, so get yours early.

Spotlight on Jack Day #9

Jack Day has taken the ICEDOGS by storm his first year in Bozeman. From the start, Jack has led the team in points, and compliments the veteran forward leadership very effectively. Jack was born in 1986, so we can look to see him in an ICEDOGS jersey for a year or two to come.

What skills do you bring to the ICEDOGS? The biggest skills I bring are speedy, creativity, and scoring. What skills do you want to improve? Everything needs a lot of work. What sports do you play other than hockey? I really just like hockey. What are your favorite teams? My favorite teams are the Tampa Bay Lightening, Detroit Pistons, Houston Astros, and Detroit Lions. My favorite players are Martin St. Louis (because he was always told he was too small), Ben Wallace, Roger Clemens, and Brett Favre. Why Did You Start Playing Hockey? My best friend played and I wanted to join him. What do you want to be remembered for by ICEDOGS' fans? I think the most important thing to me is people remember my work ethic, and competitive spirit. What is your pre-game routine? I have to eat at least three times throughout the course of the day. If I don't eat, I play terrible.

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? A scholarship to play Division I hockey and an NHL career.

What are five words people would use to describe you? Competitive, sarcastic, and funny. Have you ever been a part of a championship team in another sport, if so what sport and when? No. I want to get one this year though. What do like most about Bozeman? My teamates.

A Little Hockey Humor

Four guys are climbing up a mountain. One is from Philly, one is from Calgary, one is from Carolina and one is from Detroit.

Each climber happens to be a rabid fan of a different NHL team. As they climb higher and higher, they argue more and more about which of them is the most loyal to their particular team.

Finally, as they reach the summit, the climber from Philadelphia takes a running leap and throws himself off the mountain, yelling, "This is for the Flyers!" Not wanting to be outdone, the climber from Calgary throws himself off the mountain, shouting, "This is for the Calgary Flames."

Seeing this, the Carolina climber walks to the edge of the mountain, yells, "This is for hockey fans everywhere!" and pushes the Red Wings fan off the mountain.

Miscellaneous News & Notes

Ryan Kim has left the team effective Monday 11/15.

Jerry Perkins, owner of Karst Stage is forced to cope with very high demand for their ICEDOGS' season tickets within his business. Because of this, he has developed a unique strategy to ensure they are used by those who take them: Employees are welcome to the tickets for FREE, but must agree to buy them at face value if they do not go to the game. His employees love being able to go to games with their families for free, and Jerry enjoys being able to give them this perk. So far he has handed out about 140 tickets and collected $0 in return. What are you doing to make sure your tickets are being used? Do you have a unique system for passing out tickets? If so, send us an e- mail!

This Holiday season, the Bozeman ICEDOGS Booster Club will be raffling off a 6 foot Christmas Tree with handmade ICEDOGS-themed decorations personally made by Booster Club members. Fans can purchase raffle tickets 11/27, 12/3, and 12/4 prior to the winning raffle ticket drawing. Tickets are 1 for $1 or 10 for $5.

Darigold's give-a-ways were a HUGE success at the game last Friday night. Fans were clamoring for inflatable cows, T-shirts, keychains, frizbees and more that were thrown during the intermisssions. If your business wants to take advantage of the opportunity to get our fans thinking about your business, call the Valley Ice Garden at 585-1415.

ICEDOGS' Assistant Coach Tom Winkler has agreed to shave his head during an intermission if enough money is raised for the For One Another Cancer Family Network. We will be working with this group for February's Coaches' Corner and developing a fund raising plan which will be released toward the end of January.

The Holidays are right around the corner! Consider ICEDOGS flex packs as the gift that keeps on giving. They are easy, economical, and take the risk out of finding that perfect gift! Call 585-1415 or visit our website for ordering information.

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 17, 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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