NHL Minor League Hockey

Following the success of the NHL's outdoor game the past two years, the AHL has decided that it will get in on the act this winter.

Today, the league announced that it will be holding its own version of the Winter Classic on February 20th. The Mirabito Outdoor Classic will pit the Syracuse Crunch against the Binghamton Senators on the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- You park your car, walk in the side door of the Hoffman Estates Community Center in suburban Chicago, and the first thing you see is some gray-haired, slightly hunched guy standing under a sign that says, "Senior Center. 50+ club."

Chris Chelios is not aging well.

What? Oh, wait, that wasn't Chelios. Chelios was around the corner, a mere 47 years old, still 26 months from 50+ eligibility, not playing checkers, but instead playing in a hockey scrimmage with the Chicago Wolves minor league hockey team.

For one week, the Louisiana IceGators of the Southern Professional Hockey League were in the news and it was all the result of a meltdown by interim head coach and general manager Brent Sapergia during a 5-4 loss to the Pensacola Ice Flyers on Nov. 6.

Late in the first period, with his team down a pair of goals, Sapergia was riled up over a penalty call against his team and decided the best way to protest would be to throw everything he could get his hands on behind the bench, on the ice.

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

You've got to love the spirit of minor league hockey. The promotional departments for the teams love to give fitting tributes to things that usually have a tenuous relation -- if any -- to their teams, sport and locales. I'm not criticizing, simply stating an observation. The latest team to host a promotional night chosen from their Wheel-O-Random Promotions (I hear all minor league teams keep one snugly in the back of the marketing office for when the mood strikes them) is the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors.

The team hosted King of Pop Tribute Night on Friday complete with Michael Jackson jerseys and players wearing one white glove. And don't worry, the media was naturally all over the clever puns.

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

This has been a banner week for Knuckle Puck, easily the wackiest and most interesting since I started this feature about a month ago. I have so much to write about that I don't even know where to start things off. Do I go with the Kingston Frontenacs wearing Don Cherry styled jerseys? Or what about the Lightning getting kinky at practice? Then there are the folks at UniWatch showing some love for the red line, and retailer River City Sports trying to trick Islanders fans into buying Rangers hats. What's a writer to do? Well, for starters, you can follow me through the jump.

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our Weekday look at the previous night's action and some of the storylines taking place around the league. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Rangers 4, Capitals 3: Henrik Lundqvist is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, and even the best are entitled to an occasional mishap. That's what happened to Lundqvist on Thursday night as an innocent looking wrist shot off the stick of Nicklas Backstrom, from the neutral zone, found its way behind the All-Star goaltender early in the third period.

Video after the jump.

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It barely lasted long enough to barbecue some good pork chops, and now they're all but gone.

Last summer, the Iowa Chops were formed. The American Hockey League franchise had been affiliated with (and named after) the Dallas Stars, but switched to the Anaheim Ducks and promptly changed the team nickname. After one season, and a futile attempt to recruit Brett Favre, the Chops are in serious trouble, and could cease to exist.

While the present-day Chicago Blackhawks look to dig themselves out of a 2-0 hole in their Western Conference final with the Detroit Red Wings, they managed to lock up a piece of their future by signing 2008 first-round draft pick Kyle Beach on Wednesday afternoon.

In terms of pure talent, he has the potential to be a steal as the No. 11 overall pick, assuming he can keep his head on straight and refrain from pulling a Happy Gilmore and not attempt to stab somebody with his skate.