UFA Laperriere re-signed

(AP) Denver, CO, USA

Today the defending CCHL Champion Denver Spurs re-signed checking forward Ian Laperriere to a 3 year contract worth $3.3M usd.
At the news conference GM Poelker said, "We are happy to bring Lappy back as he was an integral part of our club last year in winning the CCHL Cup. Ian, I and the entire management team of the Spurs congratulate you and are extremely pleased we were able to offer you a contract that brought you back to the Spurs. We hated to release you to free agency but you were a true professional in understanding the business side of our great sport. We've decided to sew the 'C' on your sweater! Thanks for re-signing and welcome back Captain Laperriere!"
Ian exclaimed, "Wow! Thanks so much! Captain! Iam honored. I will do my best to fill Joe's shoes, but it will be tough. I hope to finish my career with the Spurs and will do my best to represent our club in a professional manner on and off the ice."
As far as this writer is concerned, that won't be a problem, as Ian has been known for his charity work throughout the Rocky Mountain Region in the short time he's been here. As far as on the ice, he always goes above and beyond and also stands up for his 'mates. Everyone around the CCHL knows that Ian doesn't back down from anyone.
Sports journalist Terry Frei of the Rocky Mountain News asked,
"So, I take it that this means you won't be offering Captain Joe Sakic a contract that would bring him back for his final year or two? How can you do that?!?! He's the heart and soul of this club! You had him signed for another year and dumped his contract. You've talked about player loyalty in the past. Where's management's?!?!"
To this GM Poelker replied, "Now Terry, calm down. We've had this discussion before. What are you trying to stir up? We met at length with Joe and being the professional he is, he fully understood why we released him and his $10 million usd contract. We certainly know Joe was a great leader for us and primary to winning the Cup this past May. However, Joe understands the financial landscape being what it is and that when the league offered every club the opportunity to cut one contract this off season, that we simply had to cut his for the future financial health of the organization. We understand that Joe has received a top UFA offer from the Hamilton Predators. We wish him well and can tell the Preds they'll be getting one of the classiest players in the CCHL. But hey, everyone knows that about Joe....eh! We do hope that when the time comes that Joe will enter the CCHL Hall of Fame as a Spur. But that, of course, is entirely up to him."
Dasher Notes
The Spurs had made offers to 7 other unrestricted free agents but it appears at press time that those 7 will be signing elsewhere for much higher contracts than what management was willing to offer.
With the release of Joe Sakic, it's obvious that youngster Paul Stastny will be given the job of pivoting the 2nd line. His linemates project to be Ryan Smyth & Marek Svatos at this time. It is hoped that Svatos will adequately replace the departed Teemu Selanne (ufa). The 1st line of Lecavalier-Tkachuk-Hossa is back intact for the upcoming season while the 3rd line shakes out to be Peca-Guite-Laperriere at this time.
The defense corps looks like Liles, McCabe, Finger, Staios, Malik and Sauer. Bergeron, Paetsch & Skrastins will most likely play secondary roles. Between the goal posts will be all world netminder Martin Brodeur who was re-signed to a hefty $5mil+ per year contract for the league minimum raise. Management couldn't pass up that deal. But you never know what may happen between now and the drop of the puck on opening day!

SPURS WIN CCHL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

-Denver Coliseum- Denver, CO

The Spurs won the coveted CCHL Cup tonight at the Coliseum in Denver! They took Game 6 by a score of 7-4 in winning the Championship Finals in 6 games over the Wisborg Donuts. It was a hard fought series for both clubs with injuries, unfortunately, playing a factor. Donuts' starting netminder Mason went down early in the 1st with a recurrence of the injury he sustained earlier in the playoffs. Of course, Ryan Smyth whacking away at a loose puck just might have had something to do with it....eh. In the game Marian Hossa, Keith Tkachuk and Mark Parrish all scored 2 goals for the Spurs with Smyth chipping in with one. The final series was offensive with the Spurs scoring 28 goals in the 6 games and the Donuts 22. Awarding the Conn Smythe Trophy (MVP of the Playoffs) is going to be tough as several players are worthy. In the Playoffs, Hossa (15g-19a-34pts) led the Spurs in scoring, with Keith Tkachuk (16g-17a-33pts), Joe Sakic (8g-25s-33pts), Teemu Selanne (11g-20a-31pts) and Vinny Lecavalier (8g-22a-30pts) close behind. Ryan Smyth finished the playoffs with 15g-9a-24pts along with 4 game winners.
So, all are certainly worthy of consideration. Being the modest guys they are, they will all say it was a team effort. Of course, this is so true as it always is when any team wins a championship. Not to be overlooked is the defense corps led by Bryan McCabe (4g-10a-14pts +12) while averaging 27 minutes per game, John-Michael Liles (2g-13a-15pts +13), Marc-Andre Bergeron (4g-13a-17pts +14) and Steve Staios (2g-7a-9pts +15).
Netminder Marty Brodeur played in 22 of the 23 playoff games posting a 3.23 gaa, .909 SvPct with a 15-6 won-loss record.
Dasher Notes
You can be sure the CCHL Cup celebration will be going on for days in Denver. The Mile High City has never seen the type of celebrating these Spurs fans have begun. It's a sight to see! The fans are certainly a mile high in their happiness in the Mile High City! Congrats to the Wisborg Donuts on a great series and season! Congrats to all the CCHL clubs on a fine season and thanks to Bill Corfield, Paul Canosa, Dave Kehler, Jason Mote, Johan Kallum and Johan Eriksson for all they do in bringing us the CCHL each season. Of course, especially Bill & Paul!

Spurs Sweep Jazz Conference Finals!

(AP) Denver, CO

Last night the Spurs swept the Hawaii Sandblasters at the Denver Coliseum. Game 4 was won in OT 6-5 on Ryan Smyth's 9th of the playoffs. It also completed a hat trick for Smyth in the game! The Spurs had also took Game 1 in Hawaii in OT. In the Jazz Conference Finals the Spurs scored 21 goals in the four games while the Sandblasters netted 12. Only Game 2 in Hawaii was won by a wide margin, that being 8-2. The other three games were all one goal affairs with the aforementioned two going to OT. These three games could easily have gone either way. It appears the Spurs may have just caught 'blasters netminder Henrik Lundqvist on some 'off' days.
Leading the Spurs in the scoring department so far in the Playoffs are Tkachuk (11g-15a-26pts), Selanne (11g-14a-25pts) and Captain Joe Sakic (6g-19a-25pts). Marian Hossa is second in the goal scoring department with 10 to date. Selanne leads the team with 3 game winners while Tkachuk and Lecavalier have two.
Dasher Notes
The Blues Conference Finals are currently tied at 2-2 between the Wisborg Donuts and the Karlstad Killers.
The Spurs will get some much needed rest while waiting for the outcome of the hotly contested Blues Conference title. It's a hot time in Denver while the fans
and the Spurs wait for the CCHL Finals for the first time in the history of the Yellowknife/Denver franchise!

Spurs Advance To Conference Finals

- Denver Coliseum - Denver, CO

Sunday night the Spurs defeated the defending CCHL Champion Dayton Musicmen 5-3 and in doing so advanced to the Jazz (USA) Conference Finals. This will be the Spurs second consecutive appearance in the Conference Finals. Last year the Spurs advanced to the World Conference finals being in the other conference prior to league realignment. It was a nail biter of a back and forth 7 game series with two games being decided in OT. Dayton won Gm2(road), Gm3(home) and Gm6(home in OT). Denver took Games 1, 4(OT), 5 and 7. Both OT games were in Dayton.
Scoring for the Spurs in the contest were Hossa (4), Stastny (2), Selanne (8,9) and Staios (1). On the Musicmen's side was Gaborik (right pic) with his phenominal 14th of the playoffs in only 11 games, Gonchar (3) and Michalek (3).
Gaborik scored 33% of the goals the Musicmen had in their 11 games in the playoffs. He had 9 in this series alone!
Dasher Notes
The Spurs face the Jazz (USA) regular season Conference Champs Hawaii Sandblasters in the Conference Finals.
Home ice advantage go to the 'blasters of course and it will be an uphill battle for the Spurs. The Spurs hope to knock the Master Blaster Niclas Selberg off his perch on top of the Jazz Conference mountain!

Spurs Take Gm1

- Denver Coliseum - Denver, CO

The Spurs took game one of the Jazz (aka USA) Conference semis from the defending CCHL Cup Champion Dayton Musicmen 4-3 in comeback fashion. The story of the game was not all world netminder Marty Brodeur for the Spurs but rather his youthful backup, Joey MacDonald. Brodeur went down 4 minutes into the game and was replaced by MacDonald. MacDonald turned in a stellar performance in stopping 27 of 29 shots (.931 SvPct.).
The Spurs were down 3-2 after the 2nd but scored two unanswered goals in the 3rd for the 4-3 win.
Scoring for the Spurs in the 1st period was Ryan Smyth (4) on the power play with assists from Sakic and Selanne.
Smyth (5) struck again in the 2nd assisted again by Sakic and Selanne. In the 3rd, blueliner McCabe (1) from Lecavalier and Hossa followed by Tkachuk (7), the game winner, assisted by Paul Stastny.
Scoring for the Musicmen was Gaborik (6,7) in the 1st and 2nd period. Keith, Michalek, Datsyuk and Meszaros assisted on Gaborik's goal. The other goal for the 'men was scored by Datsyuk, unassisted, in the 1st period.
Gaborik's second goal was on the power play in the 2nd period.
Dasher Notes
At press time Brodeur's injury was undisclosed, but it is a definite that Joey MacDonald will be between the pipes for the Spurs in game 2. Hopefully he can repeat his game 1 heroics.

Selanne Answers for the Spurs!

- The Nest - Portland, OR, USA

The improbable happened as the Spurs won game 6 in Portland 7-4. In doing so, they won all 3 games on Portland's home ice while only being able to take 1 of 3 at the Coliseum in Denver. In game 6 they found a chink in the armor of the Owls' Nik Backstrom in being able to put 6 past the stellar rookie netminder. The Spurs struck for 3 in the 2nd and 4 in the 3rd while the Owls put 2 in the 1st and one in both the 2nd and 3rd past Spurs' goalie Marty Brodeur. The Spurs were 1 for 4 on the PP, while the Owls were stifled by the PK units of the Spurs going
0-6 with the man advantage. Coach Q was very pleased with the PK efforts in this contest considering the woeful performances earlier in the series.
The Owls had a 3-0 lead by 00:58 of the 2nd period on goals by Satan (1), A. Ward (1) and S.Kozlov (3) before the Spurs got on the board. At that point it was looking like a game 7 back in Denver but then the Spurs kicked the pony into high gear.
Scoring six consecutive goals for the Spurs from the 2nd into the 3rd period were Malik (1), Selanne with a HAT TRICK (3,4,5), Tkachuk (6), Hossa (2) and John-Michael Liles (1), an empty netter.
Vanek (3), scored Portland's 4th goal at 18:21 of the 3rd with Liles empty netter coming 5 seconds later.
Dasher Notes
One opening round series still needs to be decided in the Blues Conference, that being the matchup between Karlstad and Quebec. Advancing in the Jazz Conference are the Spurs, Sandblasters, Musicmen and Express. In the Blues Conference so far it's the Donuts, Chinook, Ibex. The Spurs will face the defending CCHL Champs Musicmen in the Jazz semi-finals while the Sandblasters will face the Express.

Spurs Split Games 4 & 5

(AP) Denver, CO

The Spurs took Gm 4 of the opening Jazz Conference playoff series in Portland and when they returned home with the chance to put the series away, lost Gm 5 on home ice. Go figure these Spurs.
They took Gm 4 over the Owls and goalie Martin Gerber 5-2 with 3 unanswered tallies in the 3rd period enroute to the win. They actually scored 4 unanswered goals after the Owls took a 2-1 lead at 6:19 of the 2nd period. The Owls tallies were netted by Glen Murray (3) and Dumont (3).
Lighting the lamp for the Spurs were Smyth (2,3), Hossa (1), Lecavalier (2) and Tkachuk (5).
Gerber stopped 42 of 47 (.894) shots while Brodeur stopped 22 of 24 (.917).
Game 5 at the Coliseum in Denver saw the Portland Owls facing elimination. In a wild back and forth contest they came out on top 5-4! Goals were scored in every period by both clubs with each netting 2 a piece in the 3rd period. The Spurs penalty killing units went asleep again as the Owls hit on 3 of 7 man advantage opportunities. The last two coming in the 3rd period to tie and win the game! Both coming while Ian Laperriere was serving a 5 minute major and was not available for penalty killing duty. It appears that Craig Adams may not be able to pick it up in Lappy's absence.
Scoring for the Owls were Lang (1), Dumont (4,5) - left pic, Kozlov (2) and Vanek (2).
Denting the twine for the Spurs were Sakic (2), Lecavalier (3,4) and Selanne (2).
Nik Backstrom (right pic), back from his injury, stopped an impressive 52 of 56 shots (.929) in helping the Owls stave off elimination.
His counterpart, Marty Brodeur of the Spurs, stopped 22 of 27 (.815) in the loss.
Noticing a pattern with Brodeur?
Dasher Notes
The Owls had some bad news during the contest when winger Glen Murray went down with what looked like a possible high ankle sprain when he went hard into the boards behind the Spurs net. Word is that he could be out for an extended period. No penalty on the play on what was deemed a legal check by the refs. The Owls, of course, are not too happy with Spurs blueliner Bryan McCabe.
Game 6 is in Portland next with the Spurs leading 3 games to 2. Can the Owls stave off elimination again and send the game back to Denver for a game 7? Stay tuned!