ECHL Update- The Conference Finals are Underway

As many regulars on this blog now, we have been posting more entries about sports since last year simply because I evolved into a bit of a couch potato, but I have yet to watch a single game of the NBA or NHL playoffs so far.

Nevertheless, we thought we'd post an entry about the East Coast Hockey League, which is one of the leading minor leagues in pro hockey.

Today, the impressive Idaho Steelheads, lead by goalie Richard Bachman who is only giving up 1.75 goals in the playoffs, host the Stockton Thunder in Boise, Ida., at 7:10 local time. The Thunder are based in Stockton, Calif. And, Richard Bachman was also a pen name that Stephen King when writing such novels as "Thinner." We think the Steelheads will win this series in five games as they are the top seed with a
48-17-7 record. The Thunder are the sixth seed, and they have a 33-29-6 record.

In the east (the ECHL used to only consist of east coast teams including our beloved Roanoke Express from my hometown of Roanoke, Va. The Express alas no longer exist), the fifth seed Cincinnati Cyclones host the seventh seed Reading Royals from Reading, Pa. The drop of the proverbial puck will be at 7:30 p.m.

My favorite hockey movie happens to be "Slap Shot," a 1977 film about a minor league hockey team with the late Paul Newman which takes place in Johnstown, Pa. One could argue that minor league hockey players don't curse as much as Newman's character did in the film, but somehow we sense this stereotype might actually be fairly accurate!

Congrats to 2010 NCAA Gymnastics Champ UCLA

Congratulations to the UCLA Bruins' women's gymnastics team as they won their sixth NCAA title earlier tonight in Gainesville, Fla.

The Bruins had stand-out performances from the likes of Anna Li (pictured), Vanessa Zamarripa, Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, Brittani McCullough, Aisha Gerber, Monique De La Torre and Tauny Fratone.

SIDEBAR- In other sports news, the Durham Bulls won their eighth straight game with a win over the Gwinett Braves (from Gwinett, Ga.) by a 5-4 margin.

In minor league hockey, the Idaho Steelheads swept the Utah Grizzlies with a 4-1 win in Salt Lake City tonight to advance to the Western conference finals in the ECHL. The Steelheads will start their next series in Boise, Ida., on April 30, against either Stockton or Bakersfield. The Steeleads were lead by star goalie Richard Bachman.

Silly Picture to Fill Space-Minor League Hockey Fight

Since we used an image of the Charlotte Checkers' mascot (a polar bear) for an entry in this series on our other blog, we thought we'd show the violent side of minor league hockey with this fight featuring a player from ECHL's Idaho Steelheads.

One of the Boys from Boise's next home game will be against the Boys from Salt Lake City (the Utah Grizzlies) when the two teams meet on the Steelheads' home ice on March 16.

The Steelheads have had an outstanding season from goalie Richard Bachman as has recent ECHL Player of the Week James Sixsmith of the Grizzlies.

In SLC, the Grizzlies will host the Stockton Thunder (from Stockton, Calif.) for three consecutive games starting on Friday. The other games will be on Saturday and Sunday.

The Grizzlies' actually have a Happy Hour, which seems startling considering that the team is in one of the reddest states in America. But, when one reads further they find out that in fact the Happy Hour means five-dollar concession meals from 6:00-7:00 p.m. only.

I could not deduce from the Grizzlies' web site if the team serves Bud Lite or any other alcohol products, not could I find out if Donnie Osmond has ever sung the National Anthem for them.

But, we wish the Grizzlies well against the Thunder. If I didn't live in Greensboro, NC, (which ironically no longer has a hockey team even though the city briefly served as home ice for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes before the tea permanently moved to Raleigh and won a Stanley Cup), I would be there to cheer on the Boys from Salt Lake City.

Besides, I don't care much for Bud Lite anyway.