Dog Pound Weekly

Published on February 2, 2005 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bozeman Icedogs News Release


This weekend, the ICEDOGS play back-to-back games against the Bismarck Bobcats on Friday and Saturday. Friday's game is sponsored by Reporter Office Products, while Saturday's is brought to you by Montana Furniture Galleries.

Starting next Wednesday night, the ICEDOGS will be on Television! Follow the link below the "Behind the Boards" section to the left for more information.

Next Tuesday February 8th is Coaches' Corner at Bennigan's Restaurant from 5:30 to 7:30. This is also the "For One Another Cancer Family Network" Coaches' Corner and the annual Tip-A-Dog event. If the ICEDOGS are able to raise $2,000 ($400 more than last year), Assistant Coach Tom Winkler will allow Rex the Wonderdog to shave his head during the intermission of the February 18th game against the Helena Bighorns.

Faced with an uphill battle to make the playoffs, the Bozeman ICEDOGS needed to come out of last weekend's games against Fargo and Bismarck with a winning record.

What they got was three devastating losses that all but extinguished hope for making the playoffs this season. The 'DOGS lost to Bismarck 4-3 on Thursday the 27th, then traveled to Fargo where they lost their next two games to the Jets, 3-1 on Friday and 4-1 on Saturday. The ICEDOGS finished out the month of January with a 1-7-1 record. In Thursday's game, the teams exchanged goals for the first two periods, and were tied 2-2 when Bismarck added two goals late in the second period to go up 4-2. The ICEDOGS would add another goal in the third when forward Filip Macejka scored his second goal of the night to bring Bozeman within a goal of tying the game. However, despite putting 14 shots on net in the third period, the DOGS' were unable to score and lost the game 4-3.

The team had less luck in Fargo, where the Jets jumped out to early leads on both Friday and Saturday. Friday's game saw the Jets score two goals before Macejka countered with a goal halfway through the second period that made the score 2-1. Fargo would go on to add another goal in the third period, and won the game 3-1. ICEDOGS goaltender Josh Kassel received a game misconduct in the final minutes for kicking a Jets player, but after officials reviewed the game tape, the misconduct was overturned.

On Saturday the Jets scored two goals early in the first period and added another at 13:46 of the second period to jump out to a 3-0 lead. The ICEDOGS scored two minutes later when Ross Johnson took a pass from Graham McManamin and beat Jets goalie Elliot Okland on a power-play to make the score 3-1. Once again the ICEDOGS came out strong in the third and out shot the Jets 16-9, but were unable to complete a comeback as Fargo's Tom Dickhudt scored at 11:28 of the final frame to finish the ICEDOGS off 4-1.

This weekend the ICEDOGS return to the Valley Ice Garden, where they hope to get revenge on the visiting Bismarck Bobcats. The teams face off on Friday and Saturday, with both games starting at 7:05.

Spotlight on Bill Leahy #21

Bill was the first member of the 2004-05 squad to make the commitment to play college hockey, and will be joining the Army squad this fall.

What skills do you bring to the ICEDOGS? Scoring power, energy, and physical play. What skills do you want to improve?I want to work on controlling my temper. What sports do you play other than hockey? I like to play football and basketball plus hunt and fish. What are your favorite teams? My favorite teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Cubs, and Green Bay Packers. I don't care about the NBA. My favorite players are those who have intensity, play hard, don't quit, and win games. What do you want to be remembered for by ICEDOGS' fans? I would like to be remembered for being a good leader and part of the community. What is your pre- game routine? I take a nap, and always put everything on starting on the left side...except for elbow pads.

What is your funniest childhood memory? I rember when my older sister had me marry her friend, and it was insane. I had a tux wedding complete with presents and a reception...and a video tape to remember the entire event. If you received $100 cash as a gift, what would you do with it? I'd probably buy a bunch of cassettes for my car. If you were granted any three wishes, what would you request? I would like a regular season championship, and both the Borne and Gold Cup championship titles.

What are five words people would use to describe you? Intense, Cheerful, Friendly, and Charming. Have you ever been a part of a championship team in another sport, if so what sport and when? Yes, we won a championship title following my first year of Midget AAA. What do like most about Bozeman? The relationships that I have built.

A Little Hockey Humor

What goes on inside the locker room?

In today's multifaceted "on the air--all the time" televised era of sports, focus on the athlete is everywhere, all the time. There are cameras in every imaginable location that a technician and producer can visualize placing them. This includes on the sidelines, in the penalty boxes, and in the nets, all showing the athletes and the action from any number of angles.

And though some cameras have been able to show sporadic action and jock-talk from the locker rooms, that prized vestibule remains the sacrosanct domain of the athlete. In the dressing room, the old cliche' rings true: "What you see here, what you hear here, when you leave here, it stays here."

Learning the Rules-Rule 607 Checking from Behind

The checking from behind signal is made by using a forward motion with both hands, palms open, extending from the chest.

(a) A minor penalty, minor plus misconduct penalty, double minor plus game ejection penalty, or major plus game misconduct penalty shall be imposed on any player who body checks or pushes an opponent from behind. When a player injures an opponent as the result of "Checking from Behind" the Referee shall have no alternative but to impose a major plus a game misconduct penalty on the offending player.

(Note) Checking from behind may also be treated as Attempt to Injure or Deliberate Injury of an Opponent under Rule 603.

(b) A minor penalty, minor plus misconduct penalty, double minor plus game ejection penalty, or major plus game misconduct penalty shall be imposed on any player who body checks or pushes an opponent from behind head first into the side boards, end boards or goal frame.

(c) If injury to the opponent results under sub- sections (a) or (b) of this rule, a major plus game misconduct penalty is required.

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North American Hockey League Stories from February 2, 2005


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