Consistency is often overlooked when thinking of greatness. People often underestimate how hard it is to keep a good thing going. The Canada Cup and World Cup combined, have only pulled off eight total events. Eight championships over a span of 40 years (1976-2016). Organizers have had (on average) 4 full years to prepare for these events. This fact alone, shows just how difficult it is to keep consistent. The organizers of the [Molson] Power Vac Cup, however, do not give in to difficult situations. They continue to put off the annual tournament with little-to-no budget, volunteers, or support services. What fuels their passion? Is it the intense hockey we see year in year out, or is it the hundreds of fans (mostly women in their 20's) that keep this group working hard around the clock? Maybe it's the bottomless supply of liquor following the tournament's finale. Whatever the case may be, they keep the Power Vac Cup alive. And now, in 2016, the Christmas Classic is closing in on its 10th annual competition (and maybe it’s last). The journey to this point has been nothing short of a war for the five contending teams. All but one team, the Southeast Prowlers, have had their hands on the prestigious trophy. Could this be their year to do so? It would seem like a perfect ending. Or will it be another exciting Placentia-Dunville final? Time will soon tell. 

This year, we’ve decided to take a different approach on the Power Vac Cup preview. Instead of making any predictions (as unsuccessful as they were), we will breakdown each SPDHL team and give you an idea of what to expect on December 26.  It seems appropriate to wait and let history tell the tale of the 10^th annual 2016 Molson Power Vac Cup. 

 

Dunville Grinders

Est: 2007

2015 Finish: Champions

PVC Titles: 3 – 2007,2009,2015

Captain: Vince Kerrivan

Colours: Blue & Gold

Home Court: St. Anne’s Parking Lot

Manager: Wes Higdon

 

Projected Lineup: G- Brent Hatfield, D- Wes Higdon, D- Jamie Traverse, F-Vince Kerrivan, F-Jordan Blanche, F- Jake Blanche, F- Adam Mandville

 

The Dunville Grinders enjoyed early success in the SPDHL, winning 2 of the first 3 titles. Last year they were able to regain control of the PVC, after several years of up and down finishes. Import sophomore Brent Hatfield is expected to man the crease for the Grinders in 2016. The Grinders play a gritty, tight defensive game, but developed an offensive powerhouse through the Traverse, [Jake] Blanche, Mandville line over the past few tournaments. The typical Grinder style is brought out in the team’s grind line consisting of Higdon, Kerrivan and [Jordan] Blanche.

 

Freshwater Falcons

Est: 2011

2015 Finish: Semi-Final Loss

PVC Titles: 1 -2013

Captain: Evan Green

Colours: Black & Red

Home Court: Freshwater Basketball Court

Manager: Devan McGrath

 

Projected Lineup: G-Brad Mcgrath, D-Evan Green, D-Stephen McGrath, F-Devan McGrath, F-Jeremy O’Reilly, F-Freddie Mills, F-Ryan Whittle, F-Nick Pittman

 

The Freshwater Falcons are the youngest of the SPDHL franchises, but cannot be taken lightly. They had the taste of victory back in 2013 but haven’t reached the final since. The Falcons have a well-balanced lineup led by sniper Devan McGrath and strong two-way forwards Freddie Mills and Nick Pittman. They have some size and finish in Jeremy O’Reilly and pure finesse in Ryan Whittle. We expect to see veterans Evan Green and Stephen McGrath on the back end, with Brad McGrath in goal. Defence and goaltending were key in the 2013 Championship and the Falcons will need much of the same to get back there in 2016.

 

Jerseyside Jets

Est: 2010

2015 Finish: Semi-Final Loss

PVC Titles: 1 – 2012

Captain: Mitch Whelan

Colours: Green & White

Home Court: Coal Yard

Manager: John Rose

 

Projected Lineup: G-Jordy Dray, D- Chris Healey, D- Ricky Healey, F-John Rose, F-Devin Whelan, F-Brad Budden

 

The Jerseyside Jets will be without captain, Mitch Whelan and Defenceman Gerard Dray at the 10^th Annual PVC. Although these are big losses for the Jets, do not rule them out. Traditionally known as a strong defensive team, the Jets have some firepower up front with Rose, Whelan and Budden. Whatever combinations of these forwards are used, it should provide ample production. The veteran Healey brothers won’t provide much offence from the blue line, but both are among the elite defencemen in the league. Goaltender Jordy Dray is a sure finalist for the Top Goalie award each year, and was near perfect in the Jets’ sole PVC Title in 2012.

 

Placentia Panthers

Est: 2007

2015 Finish: Runner-Up

PVC Titles: 4 – 2008,2010,2011,2014

Captain: Phonse Pomroy

Colours: Red & Gold

Home Court: Panther Place

Manager: Zack Greene

 

Projected Lineup: G-Troy Leonard, D-Michael Mulrooney, D-Colby Murphy, F-Zack Greene, F-Eddie Hefferan, F-Scott Greene, F-Andrew Kelly

 

The Placentia Panthers will also be without their Captain at the Christmas Classic. Pomroy will miss his second straight PVC.  To fill the void, the Panthers signed Andrew Kelly to an entry level deal. He will join an already potent offense, and most likely line up with Zack Greene on the Panthers top line. Eddie Hefferan will lead the second forward line with veteran grinder Scott Greene. Placentia’s strength is highlighted in the league’s best 1-2 punch on D, in Michael Mulrooney and Colby Murphy. Troy Leonard will be between the pipes for the Panthers, as he looks to backstop Placentia to their 5^th PVC Title.

 

Southeast Prowlers

Est: 2007

2015 Finish: 5^th Place

PVC Titles: 0

Captain: Marcus Greene

Colours: Green, Black & White

Home Court: Power Vac Place

Manager: Eric King

 

Projected Lineup: G- Nick Duke, D-Marcus Greene, D-Ryan Follett, D-Tristan Mcgrath, F-Eric King, F-Will Cochrane, F-Tyler Whittle, F-Steve Brewer, F-Brent Payne

 

 

The Southeast Prowlers had a disappointing 2015 PVC after making the 2014 PVC final against Placentia. They will be looking to rebound this year, with all weapons on board. Steve Brewer will be back for Southeast after a two-year absence. He will join veteran scorers Will Cochrane and Brent Payne up front, as well as Prowlers’ top threat, Tyler Whittle. Long-time Prowler Eric King will produce while playing both forward and D. We expect to see the same from Prowlers’ anchor, Tristan McGrath. Southeast hosts an experienced blue line with captain, Marcus Greene and the always-dangerous Ryan Follett. Nick Duke will man the Prowlers’ goal. Duke will lay it all on the line in the 10^th annual PVC, as he just recently announced that this will be his last SPDHL tournament. The Prowlers would love to finish the netminder’s storied career with a PVC Title.

 

There you have it. The five teams who will battle it out for the 10th Annual Power Vac Cup. There's no debating it, this year will be special. This year will be the tournament that all will remember for years to come. For the majority of the league, it will be memories filled with regret, players wishing they could have done more to help their team win. But for one team, it will be a recollection of success and accomplishment, for they will always remember the year they won the 2016 Power Vac Cup.

You can take over now, History, tell us your story.

#2016PowerVacCup

On Tuesday, December 6, 2016 current goalie of the Southeast Prowlers, Nick Duke, has made the announcement of his plans to retire after this upcoming Power Vac Cup (PVC). As Everyone knows, this is the 10th PVC which is the league’s biggest milestone to date. Duke has been with the Prowlers from day one so it only seems fitting after 10 seasons of many ups and downs that he has decided to hang up the pads after what should be, the greatest PVC yet.

As this announcement sends shock waves through the league, it makes you wonder if Duke will be the only member to take this retirement path. With the SPDHL having many original members and with lots of upcoming talent that seem to be added yearly, it’s hard not to shake the idea that some members could possibly be thinking the same way.

Whether other members decide to take the same path or not, one thing that’s for certain is that the Southeast Prowlers will not have to look far for motivation. Being one of the 3 original teams and currently the only team in the league to not win the legendary PVC trophy; you can be sure the prowlers will be as hungry as ever to finally take home gold for their fellow teammate’s final tournament.

 

Don Bradshaw

NTV News

It is certainly that time of the year again. We are now just over a week away from the 2014 Power Vac Cup. As tradition, our SPDHL News team have complied our predictions for this years tournament. It is a little late this year, as was the the release of the league's minutes from the AGM, so please forgive us. Here we go...

5. Southeast Prowlers.

Uh oh, unfortunately we cannot justify placing the Prowlers in this year's playoff round. Even after a solid tournament last year (I say solid with a grain of salt - 2 wins for the Southeast crew is a 'solid' performance) it just doesn't seem like the Prowlers can repeat their effort in this year's cup. The addition of Tristan McGrath will definitely help the lacking offense and questionable defense. However, McGrath cannot help the inconsistent goaltending of Nick Duke. When he is on, Duke is unbeatable and he proved that in games last year, but when Duke is off, the Prowlers don't win hockey games. As well, Steve Brewer will not be in his Prowler uniform on the 26th, nor will Evan Pittman (IR). GM Eric King is banged up himself. He will be playing, but not at 100%. Marcus Greene, Ryan Follett and Brent Payne will all be back for the Prowlers, but all three veterans will need to step up the intensity level to get Southeast to the playoffs. Youngster Tyler Whittle is also returning in the black and green and will be relied on heavily to produce offense. Look for a better tournament this year from Will Cochrane. Cochrane was once a highly-touted prospect in the SPDHL, but his worth has dropped considerably.

Nick Duke (G)

Marcus Greene (C)

Eric King

Brent Payne

Ryan Follett

Will Cochrane

Tyler Whittle

Tristan McGrath

 

4. Dunville Grinders

There will be plenty of controversy with this placement. However, in our books, we see Dunville closer to 5th place than 3rd. The Grinders have missed the playoffs two of the last three years and the days of a 'powerhouse' Dunville team seem to be long gone. The Grinders continue to have the oldest SPDHL team and have no plans in changing that (by the looks of their non-existant farm system). In saying that, with age comes experience, and this Dunville squad has plenty of that. Popular hockey pool picks, Jake Blanche and Adam Mandville will be leading the way offensively, and power forward Vince Kerrivan is sure to take the Grinders on his back at times. Ferndale native, Jamie Traverse gives the grinders great secondary offense and is a handful for the opposing defencemen. On the backend, we expect to see veterans Wes Higdon, Tyler Viscount and Jordan Blanche; not the flashiest group, but getting balls to the net on these guys can be a task. Josh Coffey will be the man between the pipes again this year, but he has yet to bring the Power Vac Cup back to Dunville. There is no doubt the Grinders look good on paper, but can they get back to their winning ways and avoid another collapse?

Josh Coffey (G)

Vince Kerrivan (C)

Wes Higdon

Adam Mandville

Jake Blanche

Tyler Viscount

Jordan Blanche

Jamie Traverse

 

3. Jerseyside Jets

The Jerseyside Jets almost appeared in their third straight PVC Final last year, but instead lost a heart-breaking shootout to the Freshwater Falcons. That was with their team captain, Mitch Whelan. This year, Whelan will not be there to help his team, as a contract with the Grand Prairie Storm stands between him and the 2014 PVC. That will certainly have an impact on the youthful, Jets, hence the low ranking. However, the Jerseyside squad are still going to pick up some wins and earn a spot in the playoffs. Devin Whelan, brother of Mitch, is one of the SPDHL's rising stars and on the brink of a breakout tournament. Joining Whelan on the top line will likely be Brad Budden. Budden also has the potential to make a name for himself in 2014. Jerseyside veteran, John Rose should add some secondary offense and leadership to the squad. The blueline remains strong with shot-blocking forces, Richard and Chris Healey. Gerard Dray will round out the defence, as he emerges into one of the top defenders in the league. The Jets key to success, aka, Jordan Dray will be in the crease again this year, as he continues to win votes as the SPDHL's Top Goalie.

Jordan Dray (G)

John Rose

Devin Whelan

Brad Budden

Chris Healey

Ricky Healey

Gerard Dray

 

2. Placentia Panthers

Just as they did in 2012, the Placentia Panthers will be playing this year's PVC without their captain, Phonse Pomroy. They managed to win it all that year, but we cannot see their fortunes as lucky this time around. Pomroy's gaping hole will be partially filled by Blayne Quilty. Quilty hasn't played since the 2012 year and if nothing else, will help in shootout situations, an area where the Panthers are surprisingly weak. Zack Greene will provide scoring on the Panthers' top line, but it isn't clear who will join him in Pomroy's absence. Michael Mulrooney is expected to make the switch back to defense for this year's tournament. He and Colby Murphy will form the League's top defense and both are a threat for high point totals. With Mulrooney moving back to the blue line, Eddie Hefferan will find himself up front and could be headed for a breakout tournament with the Placentia run-and-go offense. Grinding forward Scott Greene adds depth to the Panthers' second line and will chip in a few goals throughout the day. Troy Leonard will backstop the Placentia squad again and should lead the group to another PVC Final.

Troy Leonard (G)

Michael Mulrooney

Zack Greene

Colby Murphy

Scott Greene

Eddie Hefferan

Blayne Quilty

 

1. Freshwater Falcons

Settle down, nobody used the word 'dynasty'. The Freshwater Falcons pulled off an exhilarating shootout win over the Placentia Panthers to claim the 2013 Power Vac Cup. We think they have what it takes to do it again this year. After compiling an unbelievable 8-goal tournament last year, (not to mention Freshwaters only 8 goals; 3 of which in the PVC Final)  Falcon GM, Devan McGrath made himself a household name in the GPA last Boxing Day. If he is just half as good as he was in last year's tournament, the Falcons will be off to a great start. Team captain, Evan Green is expected to be the leader of the defensive group, which will feature the talented SPDHL sophomore, Nick Pittman. Up front, we expect to see goal-scorer Jeremy O'Reilly on the top line with McGrath. On the second unit, Stephen McGrath and veteran Ryan Whittle will be asked for secondary scoring, something the Falcons were lacking last year. Coming off a strong Jive Turkey Cup performance, in which he was named MVP, Brad McGrath will be relied on heavily by the Falcons to steal a game or two and continue his clutch performances in the shootout. Some critics say Freshwater were lucky last year in their PVC win, but we believe they earned it, through hard work and timely leadership. If they come out with the same effort this year, they will be drinking from the Power Vac Cup again on December 26th.

Brad McGrath (G)

Evan Green (C)

Devan McGrath

Stephen McGrath

Nick Pittman

Jeremy O'Reilly

Ryan Whittle

 

So here it is, just 19 days away from the 9^th annual PowerVac Cup.  Being just over 1 calendar year from the much anticipated 10^th annual, one would think that this tournament would be the league’s biggest hockey event to date.  However, this doesn’t seem to be.  With just over 2 weeks to go, rumors around the league have stated that there hasn’t even been a GM/organizers meeting held.  “There’s no talk of registration, no talk of schedule, and I wouldn’t even say we will see any power rankings at all this year.” Said a player who is close to one of the tournament organizers.  He has request anonymity because of the likely backlash he would get from the bys.

 This time last year, many 10’s of dollars of pools were sold, the 50/50 pot had raised a total of about 160 dollars, the organizers had held 3 meetings, rosters had a deadline and the rankings were about to be released.  Some speculate it’s because the players are getting older with more commitments on their plates.  Me? I think the management are becoming lazy. “Half of the GM’s only work half the year and the other half are laid off, I don’t understand why they can have it organized by now”, said another angry player.  So as I said, here we are with 19 days to go and many questions left unanswered. Will there be a banquet? Will Payne and Traverse be back to host? Or maybe the biggest question of all, is the PVC dying. We just don’t know.  The once prestigious Boxing Day Tournament, seems to be heading downhill while approaching such a historic milestone. So what do you think? Will the PVC sink or will it swim?

Drew Ryan

Sports reporter, The Charter

Here are this years Power Rankings which were decided upon by the Sports Writers Association of the Greater Placentia Area:

 

5. Jerseyside Jets

Dropping from 3^rd in rankings last year to the bottom this year is the Jerseyside Jets.  Much like the other expansion team of Freshwater, we don’t have enough proof that the Jets are any more than a 4^th to 5^th place team.  Yes they do have 1 Championship to their credit, but like Freshwater, are they just another flash in the pan?  The Jets put most of the weight of the franchise on the shoulders of star goalie Jordan Dray. This is a cause for concern as Drew Ryan reports that Dray may miss the year due to ongoing contract issues. GM Rose neither confirmed nor denied this report, however, he was seen talking to FA Jason Murphy, which only adds to the speculation. Despite this ongoing goalie issue, this is not the Jets only problem. Last year’s tournament saw a lack of goals being scored along with being outshot heavily in most games. Their only saving grace may be the much-anticipated return of Captain Mitch Whalen. Whalen will need to rally the troops behind his offensive touch if the Jets want to make it past round robin play on the 26^th. We expect younger brother Devin, as well as skilled forward Bradley Budden, to bring some of that offensive firepower that was missing last year. Anchoring the defence, expect to see the other Dray Brother Gerard leading the defense core along with Richard Healy Jr. Jets wildcard, Christopher Healey, is expected to provide his usual play, blocking shots with reckless abandon. The Jets poor performance last year may be attributed to the lack of leadership on the squad but with the return of Whelan, we may see a change of fate for this squad. But will it be enough?

 Odds to win the 2015 PVC:  1/20

 

4. Freshwater Falcons

Last years biggest fall from glory; the Freshwater Falcons were ranked number 1 to win the 2014 PowerVac Cup. Maybe the pressure was just too much, as the Falcons gave a less than impressive showing on Boxing Day last year, finishing 4^th.  Goaltending may have been their biggest disappointment last year with Brad McGrath, who is usually a rock solid tender, playing well below expectations. Was this an off year for McGrath, or was the Falcon’s porous defense to blame. Devan McGrath, who tore up the point sheet in 2013, was also a virtual ghost in last year’s tournament, only showing glimpses of his former self.  If the Falcons are to improve this year, he needs to find his way back to tickling the twine. Lack of effort can also be attributed to the Falcons performance last year, where in some games the players looked like they’d rather be home on the couch.  Yes the falcons did win the whole thing in 2013, but they haven’t proven themselves overall as a Franchise to achieve any higher than 4^th in this year’s Power Rankings.  The Freshwater team will need all hands to step up this year to make it back to “The Show”.  Former Prowlers Evan Green and Jeremy O’Reilly will need to make their mark on the scoresheet this Boxing Day to help get this team back into winning ways.  As well, Brad McGrath will certainly need a better showing which we suspect is a possibility.  Expect good offense from Speedy Youngster Nick Pittman and solid play from veteran Steve McGrath. However, if Freshwater happens to stumble into the playoffs this year, we expect another early exit.

Odds to win the 2015 PVC:  1/13

 

Dunville Grinders

The Grinders should be more than satisfied with this ranking after missing the playoffs in 2013 and a quick first round exit last year hands of the Prowlers. It seems to be the trend in “Grinder Nation” that the team does well in round robin play but cannot produce good ball hockey in the playoffs. This could be a good indication that the oldest team in the league just doesn’t have the legs for PVC hockey anymore.   Six years removed from winning their last championship, Grinders GM Higdon has signed an unproven rookie goalie to tend the pipes this year.  Although having relatively good success in minor hockey and AAA, one has to wonder will his success translate to the asphalt. Another big question mark coming out of Grinders camp surrounds the status of long-time Grinder and former Father of the Year winner Tyler “Gummy” Viscount. “Gummy”, known as a tenacious defender, was a no-show during last year’s semi-finals game and his status is currently unknown for Boxing Day. Having said all that, the Grinders still have a solid team. Forward Adam Mandville should lead the way in scoring again this year after having a very successful year on the scoresheet in ’14. Mandville is expected to play with last years line mate Francis Blanche, and the two look improve on last years impressive point totals. Reporter Drew Ryan says that GM Wes Higdon is in “much better shape this year” but will have to find his way back to his old self if he wants to help the Grinders go deep in the playoffs.  As always, the true Grinders of the team, Jordan Blanche and Captain Vince Kerrivan will play their usual roles, causing havoc for other teams top lines and adding some secondary offence, with Jamie Traverse providing his usual grit, muscle and toughness. If all things fall into place for the Grinders, this team can find themselves back into the big dance and celebrating like it was 2009.

Odds to win the 2015 PVC:  1/8

 

2. Southeast Prowlers

 In the famous words of Drake, They “Started at the bottom now we’re here”.  Ranked 5^th for the last 2 years in a row, the Prowlers have finally found their way out of the basement.  The Prowler lineup will look almost identical as last year, the only difference? Long-time prowler and alternate captain Eric King looks to be in tip top shape heading into the Boxing Day Classic. King has battled knee troubles consistently over the past few seasons but has been getting in 3 runs a week and says the knee feel s as good as new.  Look for King to have a big bounce back year and hopefully lead the Prowlers to a second straight PVC Final.  Even with King’s knees issues a thing of the past, Southeast will need its heavy veteran presence to pick it up a notch if they can ever hope to bring home their first PVC title. Once again without skilled forward Steve Brewer, the Prowlers will be relying on some good offence from Tyler Whittle and Will “Shitty Bill” Cochrane. Last years Rookie of the Year winner, Tristan “Long” McGrath looks to continue his rise to SPDHL superstardom and helps this veteran squad with some much-needed youth. Ryan Follett and Captain Marc Green will anchor the rear-guards. Coming off two very solid tournaments, this original three franchise will rely heavily on the performance of their net minder and 9 year veteran Nick Duke.  Southeast has the pieces to do it, but will they all come together on the 26^th?

Odds to win the 2015 PVC:  1/5

 

 1. Placentia Panthers

Well to some there is no surprise at the number 1 ranking for this year’s PVC.  The Placentia Powerhouse looks to repeat as champions this year and add to their league leading 4 titles.  Look for all time SPDHL scoring leader Zack Greene to lead the charge for the panther squad with secondary scoring coming from nearly all other teammates .   If Troy Leonard is as solid in net as he was last year, then the Panthers should be the heavy favorite to win this year’s Championship.  Onlookers will pay close attention to what lineup the Placentia team will put to the asphalt.  With Mulrooney, Hefferan , and Scott Greene being able to play productively at defence and up front, the Panthers seem to have the most flexible and potent lineup for opposing teams to deal with.  Team captain Phonse “Rig Pig” Pomroy will be back onshore this Christmas and will surely hook up with Green on the top line. But its not all positives coming out of the Placentia camp, watch out for the reoccurring feud between GM Zack Greene and forward Michael Mulrooney.  Zack has made it publicly known in the past that one day he would like to suit up for the Southeast prowlers since he is now a resident of that community.  This issue has caused a lot of internal conflict amongst the Panthers organization and has caused a lot of media speculation.  If cooler heads prevail before this year’s trade deadline we will likely see the status quo but with both of them known for being hot heads, who knows what could happen.

 Odds to win the 2015 PVC:  1/3

 

 

 

 

SPDHL and SPDHLPA Meeting Minutes

Present at meeting:  Jordan Blanche, Zachary Greene, Jake Blanche , Richard Healey, Brent Payne, Eric King

 

·         Registration- Registration this year will be $15.00(CAD) per player who is over the age of 19 and $5.00(CAD) per player who is under the age of 19.  Unfortunately, players under 19 will not be permitted to attend the banquet.  Registration is due to Brent Payne no later than 11:59pm December 5^th, 2014.  Registration will be collected by a team Representative and given to Brent.  It is up to each team to choose their representative.

 

·         No Trade Clause- The Representatives of The SPDHL and SPDHLPA who attended the above said meeting have come to a unanimous decision to amend rule No.  12-H9 under the current collective bargaining agreement, which will now be as follows:  No player who is a natural born and or raised citizen of the community of their respective team, may be traded to another team without the full and legal consent of said player.  All Players under 16 years of age of a particular community are property of that community.

 

·         Waiver Wire- Any player who is dropped from their team will be placed on official waivers.  The team who finished last place in last year’s tournament will have first choice at picking up the afore mentioned player.  If the last place teams decides to pick up said player, that team will now become 5^th out of 5 teams on the waiver list, and then the second last place team from the previous year’s standing will move into 1^st, and so on.  GMs must have their 8 roster players set by no later than 11:59pm December 1st.   Any extra players must be placed on waivers and can only play with their original team as an extra player if they clear the waiver wire. Waiver wire closes on December 3rd at 11:59pm. All trades must be completed no later than December 5^th, 2014 when final roster is due.

 

·         Roster Date- GM’s must have final rosters submitted to the league by no later than 11:59pm on December the 5^th.

 

·         Player Pools- Director of fundraising Mr. Jordan T. Blanche will be issuing Player Pools as soon as rosters are finalized. Pools will be $5.00(CAD) each and will consist of 8 groups of players to choose the leading point scorer from each group. Half of total revenue will be given to the winner, the other half will go to the SPDHL.

 

·         Start time- this year’s Start time will be one half hour earlier than previous years.  The 2014 tournament will commence at 9:00am(NST) sharp.

 

·         Award Voting- All awards this year will be voted on by the players rather than just GM’s.  There will be ballots and ballot boxes on each teams table for everyone to fill out.

 

·         Special Guests- The following people are invited to attend this year’s PVC banquet as honorary guests: Ryan Andrews, Nick O’Reilly, Andrew Collins, Liam Murphy, Jon Sparrow, Roy Griffin, Paul Perham, Bryan Davis, and Ryan Gillespie.

 

 

·         Other items for people to look into that would be greatly appreciated by management: Collection of salt and deck brooms.  

Dunville Grinder Jamie Traverse apparently has some negative opinions about a fellow team mate.  Traverse was caught on tape having a conversation with 3 Southeast Prowlers in a taxi cab one evening last weak.  Reports say the worst of Jamies thoughts were not caught on tape but happened just before the recording started.  Go to the following link to listen how the whole thing unfolded.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FszHARf6ZAY

9:00 Jake vs Dev

9:30 Tommy vs Davis

10:00 Jake vs Davis

10:30 Dev vs Tommy

11:00 Tommy vs Jake

11:30 Davis vs Dev

1st Place BYE, 4th Place Start Drinking

12:00 2nd vs 3rd

1:00 Championship

Once upon a time, Eric King was a top-three SPDHL player, maybe even the best, some analysts thought. But now with recent overload of statistics, everyone can see that King has only contributed 6 points over the last two Power Vac Cups. Three of those points was a hat trick in the 2012 PVC against the Dunville Grinders. So what's the verdict? Well, the reporters at SPDHL News have the priveledge of watching every game. In our eyes, there is no doubt that King is still a premium goal-scorer in the SPDHL. We contribue the low point-totals to low scoring chances. If nobody supplies King with the ball, then how is he expected to put up numbers? We think the whole Prowlers roster must step up their play for 2013 PVC success.

All of us at SPDHL News would like to give our deepest condolences to everyone in the GPA who were affected late Wednesday night by the dirty shit waves that torqued the beach. We hope no one was caught in the under shit of that wave. We too were affected, resulting in this late submission of the 2013 PVC predictions. Also with the roaming power outages we only managed to track down all of the voting parties via landline late Friday evening. With a quieter off season then most our selections may be obvious to some but dam right shock others. This year will be the 7^th PVC, will there be a new champion? Can others add to their trophy case? Our predictions have never been right, so here we go! Coming in at Number 5,

5. Southeast Prowlers
Nick Duke (G)
Eric King
Marcus Greene (C)
Brent Payne
Ryan Follett
Will Cochrane
Evan Pittman
Steve Brewer
We know, no real surprise here. Despite being an original three team and hosting the main event every year to date they haven’t shown success during the games that matter most. With an early exit last year, failing to reach the playoffs, we expected GM King to stir the pot and make a splash in the off season. Speaking with veteran defenceman Marc Greene between sets at The Rob Roy’s about the status of the Prowlers he was flabbergasted with his GM, but insured us the liquor in Southeast is flowing as fast as ever and they hope to be the drunkest team at the banquet for back to back years. With the 8 man roster we expect both Steve Brewer and young gun Will Cochrane to make appearances on the top line with Player/Coach King and Greene. Brewer, showing much commitment to his club, purchased the closest lot to Power Vac Place and built an impressive 3 bedroom bungalow. Finally, we have long time players Payne and Follett anchoring the second line with Pittman rotating through.

4.Freshwater Falcons
Brad McGrath (G)
Devan McGrath
Evan Green (C)
Ryan Whittle
Nick Pittman
Evan O'Keefe
Jeremy O'Reilly
Stephen McGrath

Sliding down 2 spots are the Freshwater Falcons in the number 4 spot. After a second place finish in the Jive Turkey Cup this year, the Falcons were quick to add JSPDHL rookie of the year and big up and comer Nick Pittman. His tryout with the squad during the JTC couldn’t have gone any better recording 2G 4A in 5 games. Discussing this addition with GM McGrath, he mentioned Pittman has been on there watch list for a while and after a JTC like that it makes his decision very easy. Here at SPDHL News we have Pittman jumping on the top line with McGrath and Captain Green. With another 8 man roster we have the remaining 4 bodies rotating through the second line. That is if Stephen McGrath can get time away from this current squad playing out of Red Deer. A quick Skype call had “Mcgro” saying “I’m gonna make er bud”. That was all. The Falcons have shown they can be explosive in the big games and plan to lay it all on the line for this year’s cup.

3. Dunville Grinders
Josh Coffey (G)
Jake Blanche
Wes Higdon
Vince Kerrivan (C)
Jamie Traverse
Tyler Viscount
Jordan Blanche
Adam Mandville
We have Dunville sitting in the 3^rd spot for the second year in a row. In the last 2 years these guys have been all over the map from finishing in the cellar in ’11 and bouncing back to an undefeated tourney only losing in the Championship game last year. This Grinder squad, having the highest average age in the league, are excited to reunite the dynasty. With Jake Blanche’s first season away from the pipes behind us, we imagine he will resume on the top line with Mandville and Captain Kerrivan with Traverse seeing time as well. GM Higdon is known for playing a match ups type of game and we expect Joe Blanche and Father of the year Viscount to play important defensive roles as the tournament rolls on. Coffey is expected to hold down the fort as the Grinders hope to hold the trophy on the 26^th.

2. Placentia Panthers
Troy Leonard (G)
Zack Greene
Michael Mulrooney
Phonse Pomroy (C)
Colby Murphy
Eddie Hefferan
Scott Greene
Placentia slips down a notch and are sitting in number 2. The favorites to win it all last year, lost in a marathon shootout to the Jets, leaving them out of the Championship for the first time. Arguably the most consistent team throughout the previous 6 PVC’s, it’s hard not to think these guys are going to miss the final dance 2 years in a row. We predict Murphy to play alongside long time partners Z.Greene/Pomroy. With Mulrooney/Hefferan helping young forward S.Greene establish himself into the league. Pomroy, who also plays with Red Deer in the Albertian League, has worked the PVC into his schedule for another year. Leonard, who is always in the running for Goalie of the year, will control the crease and hope to add to his already large trophy case.

1. Jerseyside Jets
Jordan Dray (G)
John Rose
Mitch Whelan (C)
Devin Whelan
Chris Healey
Ricky Healey
Brad Budden
Gerard Dray
Well these guys certainly deserve it. Jumping from the 5^th spot in last year’s power rankings we have the Jets to win it all. The Jets reaching the PVC final with only 5 goals in 5 games and getting outshot proves that goaltender Jordan Dray is leading his team by example. The youngest team in the league, topped the Panthers in a 7 round shootout and solved the Grinders in the final to win their first PVC Cup. GM Rose has built his team around 3 sets of brothers and he feels that this is the main reason they have been so successful. In a recent press conference at their hometown restaurant, Philips Café, when asked about the brotherly love he said, “we[Jets] use it as an advantage. These guys are hockey players but brothers first.” When asked about the confusion of the Healey’s actually being sisters he was quick to confirm that it is “Not True”. As for lines, the Jets have both a defensively sound core with quick offensive ability and we expect the same combinations as last year.

There you have it, our predictions. We expect a lot of close games during the 7^th PVC. And as always get your SPDHL News first here or Follow us on Twitter @SPDHLHockey. See you on the 26^th Folks!

October is the start of training camps for SPDHL teams, practices begin and the Jive Turkey Cup is a friendly warm-up tournament. This hasn't exactly been the case for the SPDHL's Jerseyside Jets. The trouble began in early October, when an unnamed Jerseyside resident crashed their motor vehicle through a 12 foot chain-linked fence guarding the Coal Yard tennis court. The Coal Yard has been the Jets' practice court since joining the league in 2010. To make matters worse, Edward Collins Contracting has started repair work on the Placentia lift bridge, preventing traffic flow from Jerseyside to Placentia. Without the functioning lift bridge, Jerseyside have no access to an SPDHL court, resulting in a loss of countless training hours. Today, Jets' GM John Rose spoke of the current situation.

"It's been tough. No one wants to make the 30 minute trek up the dirt road (to the closest court). Since someone drove their truck through the fence of the Coal Yard, we got no practice at all".

Clearly a serious situation this late in the year, the Jets' have an added mile to an already up-hill battle to regain the holy SPDHL grail. We'll keep you posted on the situation.

SPDHL News, 136 Southeast rd.

The Salted Beefs finished an undefeated tournament with a 4-2 win over the Freshwater Falcons in the Jive Turkey championship game. The Beefs were led by the tourny's top point scorer, Jake Blanche, who cashed in an impressive 4-point effort in the finale. Linemate John Rose was also an offensive threat, adding a goal in the championship, and finishing second in league scoring. The Beefs received stellar goaltending from Troy Leonard throughout the day, who turned away 15 shots in an instense come-from-behind victory against Cooked Dressing in the crossover match. As for the runners-up, the Freshwater Falcons enjoyed a successful day, finishing with a 3-1-1 record, losing only to the Salted Beefs, twice. Falcons' Forward Jeremy O'Reilly led the tournament with 6 goals, most of which coming at instrumental points in the tournament. Rookies Nick Pittman and Bryan Davis were also key peices to the Falcons' success, recording 5 and 4 points respectively. Verteran goalie, Brad McGrath manned the pipes for Freshwater, and turned in a 17-save performance against the Stewed Gizzards in a 3-2 semifinal nail-biter. The Gizzards finished with a 1-2-1 record and Cooked Dressing were the only team to not record a win, ending with an 0-3-1 record.

Members of the winning team include: Troy Leonard (G), Jake Blanche, Devin Whelan, John Rose, Chris Healey, Todd Hatfield and Jordan Blanche

Stewed Gizzards    Salted Beefs       Cooked Dressing

Jordy                            Troy             Nick

follett                           Rose            Marc

Wes                             Chris            Scott

Andies                          Todd            Dan

Bourque                       Dev             Eddie

Will                              Jake            Zack

Murph                          Jordan         Ricky

The Freshwater Falcons will also be entering their SPDHL team, including Paradise native, Bryan Davis on their roster.

SCHEDULE

11:00AM Salted Beefs vs Fresh

11:30AM Gizzards vs Dressing

12:00PM Fresh vs Gizzards

12:30PM Dressing vs Salted Beefs

1:00PM Fresh vs Dressing

1:30PM Salted Beefs vs Gizzards

2:00PM 1st vs 4th

2:30PM 2nd vs 3rd

3:00PM Championship

 

VOCM sports reporter Vince Gallant caught up with Brent Payne outside his Office on Austin Street earlier today.  Payne was asked to discuss this weeks dismissal from his post as SPDHL Players Association President. 

 

The news came as a shock to Payne as he was "Baffled" by the way the league and PA Approached the Decision.

 

"I understand change is needed sometimes, and that's not really why I'm so upset, It's they Way they handled it, or I should say they way they didn't handle it."

 

Payne says he learned about the change via Twitter-a popular social media network- and that there was no formal meeting or discussion on the matter.

 

"It was just very unprofessional. I've never heard of anything like this before. I think I've done a lot of good work for the league" says the former President. "Not only as PA president but in various other roles for the League"

 

Payne has been also held titles of Director of Funds, Director of Marketing and Advertising, Vice President of the Social and Event Planning Committee, not to mention has Emceed the last 3 PVC banquets. 

 

Payne announced on twitter on Thursday that he has since resigned from all of these roles. 

 

"to be honest its not worth the headache anymore. It's a lot of work come winter time to handle all of those tasks. And now to do it all after this fiasco? Not a chance!"

 

Payne says he will have no more dealings with the league or the players association. When asked if he would continue playing on the Prowlers Payne answered with this.

 

"Of course I will. They've been nothing but supportive throughout this whole ordeal. If the league was ran half as well as the Prowlers organization, Their executives wouldn't be the laughing stock of the Major Sports Leagues of the Greater Placentia Area. Not to mention on the verge of bankruptcy"

 

When asked if legal action was going to ensue. Payne simply added that "after this sort of thing, I think that's inevitable."

 

Payne has now set all of his focus to helping his Southeast team win their first PowerVac Cup.

 

 

-SPDHL News

Before the 6th annual Power Vac Cup, only two different teams could call themselves PVC winners. This all changed at the 2013 annual tournament when the underdog Jerseyside Jets overcame the critics and found their name engraved on the perstiged trophy, defeating the Dunville Grinders 2-1 in the PVC final. They say that defence wins championships, and this was no different. The Jets banged in a mere 5 goals in 5 games to earn their spot in the championship game against the two-time PVC champs. Down 1-0 after the first, defenceman Gerard Dray tied it up in the second, before Devin Whelan scored the eventual cup winning goal with just a few minutes remaining. Their defence was great, yes, but their goaltending was better. Jets' goalie Jordy Dray won his second consecutive Top Goalie and team MVP awards, and added a PVC MVP award to his trophy case. He was beyond stellar, posting two shutouts in the tournament, while finishing with a .931 save percentage and 1.08 goals against average. He limited the Placentia Panthers to one goal over two games, and stopped all 7 shootout attempts in the playoff marathon against the three-time PVC winners. Jet's veteran Ricky Healey was the hero in the 7th round of the shootout when he fired one by Panther's goalie Troy Leonard - the lone goal in the lenghty shootout. In the other playoff game, the Dunville Grinders beat down the Freshwater Falcons 3-1 in a spirited tilt. The disappointing Southeast Prowlers finished the round robin in fifth place and did not qualify for the playoffs. The Jerseyside Jets will now be the favorites heading into the 2013 PVC, after appearing in back to back PVC finals. Members of the winning team include: Jordan Dray(G), John Rose, Ricky Healey, Mitch Whelan, Chris Healey, Devin Whelan, Bradley Budden and Gerard Dray.

One On One With: COLBY MURPHY

Welcome to the first edition of Meet The Players. We ask your favorite players simple questions just to show what these guys are thinking off the court. Since the release of the 2013 Power Rankings, we were able to talk with Placentia Panthers defenseman Colby Murphy and give you a taste of what it's like to sit down with this guy.

Q: You started playing SPDHL hockey in grade 8 correct? Were you intimidated by any of the older players?

A: Yeah grade 8's right. No, I was the toughest then and tougher than all of them bitches now.

Q: You've won 3 PVC Finals, what was your favorite moment that you can remember?

A: I dunno by. All I knows is I won and they never.

Q: Placentia slipped in the Power Rankings this year, trouble in paradise?

A: We plays in Southeast not Paradise dumbass. Placentia should be first and everyone else should be tied for 5th. 

Q: And finally, Colby, you've been known to get 'involved' in scrums with other players throughout the years, any regrets?

A: I'd get involved wit your mudder.

andddd there you have it folks, now you know Colby Murphy.

 

The SPDHL have announced that more stat categories will be added to the league, starting with this year's PVC. For goalies, the new additions will be: Shots Against (SA), Saves (SV) and Save Percentage (SVPCT). For players, Plus/Minus(PM), will be added. These stats will add better representation of games and will help in the award process.

The Freshwater Falcons have made yet another move this past week. The Falcons signed Dunville native, Nick Pittman. Terms of the deal were not released. It is expected that Pittman may play D for the newly renovated Falcons. With this signing, Pittman becomes the youngest player in the SPDHL. He will join a young squad in Freshwater, who have an average age of 20 yrs, leaving them the second youngest team, behind only Jerseyside at 19.13 yrs. The Panthers are in the middle of the pack at 20.25 yrs, Southeast are in 4th at 21 yrs and Dunville are the oldest team in the SPDHL at 22 yrs.

The SPDHL hosted its first exhibition games of the fall on Saturday, as the Southeast Prowlers hosted the Placentia Panthers at Power Vac Place. The first game was relatively slow, as it was the first game for both teams in 11 months. The Panthers were only missing one player from their PVC roster, while southeast were missing 4. This proved to be the factor as the Panthers won an easy game 1, 6-1. The second game was much more competitive. Brent Payne joined the Prowlers for this one, and after the first half, the score was 2-1 for Placentia. The Panthers offense got started in the second, however, as they cruised to a 6-2 win. Both games were officiated by Wesley Higdon and only one minor penalty was called all day. It was great to see the SPDHL back in action. We expect to see some more exhibition games to come on the weekend of Dec 15-16. Check back for more details and tickets.

Just one day after the SPDHL released it's PVC predictions, the Dunville Grinders made a surprising move, signing free agent goalie, Josh Coffey. The deal is reportedly a one year 'goalie only' deal worth one Eatmore bar. Coffey announced just a month ago that he was willing to return to the SPDHL as a free agent goalie. Gm Higdon had this to say about the deal, "Right now it gives us an option to stir the pot if times get tough. This is a trial run for now."
The Grinders now have their chance to play Jake Blanche on D this year, to strengthen their back end.

With all rosters pretty well set in stone, it's time for us here at SPDHL News to present our 2012 PVC predictions. We are really looking to improve on our 2011 predictions. The Jerseyside Jets were a complete surprise to everyone in last years tournament, making a memorable run to the finals. The Dunville Grinders on the other hand, were a complete bust, and went home with a disappointing last place finish. This year is shaping up to be the closest tournament ever, but we will still try our best to project the final standings. So here they are, our 2012 PVC predictions:

5. Jerseyside Jets
Jordan Dray (G)
John Rose
Mitch Whelan (C)
Devin Whelan
Chris Healey
Ricky Healey
Brad Budden
Gerard Dray
Yes, the Jets had quite a run last year in the 2011 PVC, but we cannot see this being repeated. Not that the Jets have lost anything or anyone, however the other teams are just stronger in our opinion. Built from the goalie out, the Jets have a great young, defensive team. Jordan Dray will be between the pipes and the key to any Jerseyside success. Dray picked up the Top Goalie Award and team MVP last year after posting 2 shutouts and leading the Jets to the final. On the back end, the Jets are very strong, with John Rose, Chirs Healey, Ricky Healey and Gerard Dray. All very defensively sound players, but Rose and Dray may be asked to chip in with some points. The make or break for the Jets will be team scoring. However, with Devin Whelan, Mitch Whelan and Brad Budden, some goals should be produced. Both Whelans had strong tournaments last season and will be heavily relied on to match or top their point totals from last year. Budden missed last years tournament and should give the Jets an offensive boost.

4. Southeast Prowlers
Nick Duke (G)
Eric King
Marcus Greene (C)
Brent Payne
Ryan Follett
Will Cochrane
Evan Pittman
Steve Brewer
Southeast were quite busy in the last weekend of the off-season. Making SPDHL history, the Prowlers made a blockbuster trade with Freshwater, where they said goodbye to Evan Green and Jeremy O'reilly and welcomed Evan Pittman and familiar face, Steve Brewer. Green will be a huge loss to the Prowlers, and O'Reilly will be missed as well, but the addition of Evan Pittman may be the key defensive piece that Southeast are missing. Adding Brewer, will certainly give their offense a boost. GM King would not comment on any line combinations, however we expect to see Brewer reuniting with King on the top line, along with veteran defenceman, Marc Greene. Brewer and King both can find the back of the net with ease, and Greene is a very good passer, capable of putting of some A's if he can find his game again. We speculate that Ryan Follett will be moved up front to play with Prowler star, Will Cochrane and newcomer Pittman will anchor the back-end here. Veteran Brent Payne will also play up front for the Prowlers, as they have an 8-man roster.Nick Duke will obviously be in the Prowlers net again, and is eager to lead his team to a first ever PVC final.

3. Dunville Grinders
Jake Blanche (G)
Wes Higdon
Vince Kerrivan (C)
Jamie Traverse
Tyler Viscount
Jordan Blanche
Adam Mandville
The Grinders have quite a lot to prove this year. After finishing in the basement in the 2011 PVC, we expect to see a hungry Grinder team. Showcasing the same lineup for the 4th year in a row, we speculate the Grinders will have the same 2 lines again. Grinders leading point-man Wesley Higdon will be coming back from off-season surgery and will be expected to continue producing. Linemate Jamie Traverse will be asked to step up his production and the shifty Adam Mandville will likely be the D-man on the top line. Grinders captain Vince Kerrivan, didn't play such a bad PVC last year himself, and was rewarded with some points and team MVP award. There will be no doubt that he will be ready to compete and we will see him paired up with veteran tough guys Tyler Viscount and Jordan Blanche. Jake Blanche was not himself in last years PVC, and we are sure to see a complete turn-around there. Blanche is a talented tender, and can steal a game with little effort. A lot of pressure will be riding on the Grinders, and due to this, we do not see them in this year's final.

2. Freshwater Falcons
Brad McGrath (G)
Devan McGrath
Evan Green (C)
Ryan Whittle
Nathan Pike
Evan O'Keefe
Jeremy O'Reilly
Stephen McGrath
By far, the busiest team in the off season, the Freshwater Falcons made some huge moves to land hometown hero, Evan Green and former Prowler Jeremy O'Reilly, trading for both players, while only losing Evan Pittman from their roster last year. We expect Evan Green to play along side Devan McGrath on the team's top line, and newcomer O'Reilly on the blueline with them. As the Falcons are more of an offensive team now, especially after the trade, we aren't quite sure who will be on the back end on the second line. We predict veteran turtle Ryan Whittle to play with sophomores Nathan Pike and Evan O'Keefe, with O'Keefe playing on the defensive side. A somewhat shaky second line, could become more stable if Stephen McGrath can make it back home from playing in an Albertan league. Offense shouldn't be a problem for the Falcons, but defense is quite a concern. Last year, goalie and team MVP, Brad McGrath had a great PVC, and will need to be stellar again to compensate for the team's lack of D. We are confident he will, which is why we believe to see the Falcons go all the way this year.

1. Placentia Panthers
Troy Leonard (G)
Zack Greene
Michael Mulrooney (C)
Colby Murphy
Blayne Quilty
Eddie Hefferan
Scott Greene
Although the days of a Placentia/Dunville guaranteed final are over, the Panthers still manage to sit atop of the league. Largely due to the experience and talent of their turtle players. Once again, we will see no Phonse Pomroy for the Panthers, as their team captain is still under contract in Grand Prairie. He will be missed, but we think they have enough to still get it done. Going with the same PLAYERS as last year, we certainly don't expect to see the same lineup. Barring any training camp injuries, Zack Greene will be back on the offense and Troy Leonard will fall back back in net. SPDHL's top defenceman Michael Mulrooney will be moving up front this PVC, to play along side Greene. Panther star, Colby Murphy will join them on the top line, which we expect will produce the majority of the Panther offense. However, last year's Top Offensive Player, Blayne Quilty is sure to score goals as well, playing with last year's Rookie of the Tournament winner, Scott Greene. PVC MVP, Eddie Hefferan will be playing D for the first time as a Panther, and will be solid no matter what position he is in. Like we said, Leonard will be back between the pipes and is expected to lead the Panthers to another PVC title, like he has in the past. The Panthers are still the dominant SPDHL team, and we predict to see the Three-Peat completed this December.

There they are, our 2012 predictions, in what will be the tightest PVC yet. Placentia over Freshwater 3-2 in a shootout will be our final prediction, as we will not be surprised to see several shootouts, and a very low-scoring tournament.
-SPDHL News.

The Southeast Prowlers and Freshwater Falcons made a blockbuster deal today, marking the biggest trade in SPDHL history. The Falcons sent Steve Brewer, Evan Pittman and a 60 oz. of liquor to the Southeast Prowlers for Freshwater native Evan Green and Jeremy O'reilly. Brewer's stay with the Falcons lasted 22 hours, as he was moved from Placentia To Freshwater in a deal last night. The Falcons seem to be making a great push for this years PVC, as GM Devan McGrath worked very heavily in acquiring Freshwater resident Evan Green. The Falcons paid a heavy price, but Green and O'reilly are great additions to a young up and coming Freshwater team. For the Prolwers, they pick up a big d-man in Pittman and also some much-needed scoring touch with Brewer, who will be making his second visit to Southeast. Skill and size going both ways in this deal and both teams should benefit from the trade. Evan Green posted his comment on Facebook shortly after.
"It was a good ride while it lasted... But it the end we never did reach our goal, lots of love for the prowlers but very excited to be back in Freshwater!!!"
Gm McGrath wasted no time in announcing Evan Green will be the new captain of the Freshwater Falcons.
A very busy weekend in the SPDHL thus far, we will keep you updated on any other player movement.

In a deal that has been 'brewing' for some time, the Placentia Panthers have dealt sniper Steve Brewer to the Freshwater Falcons. The Panthers had a full house going into this PVC and it was clear that they would be moving someone. Going back the other way, was a 26 oz of Lambs and a 275g bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. Falcon's GM Devan McGrath has been all over the trading market and finally found something he needed. Brewer enjoyed a fair amount of success with the panthers, winning the 2010 PVC and recording 11 points over 10 games with the squad. He will add a great boost to the Falcons' offence, as he joins his 4th career team in the SPDHL.

The newest SPDHL team did not take long to major changes to their organization. In their 11 month of existence, the Freshwater Rippers became the Freshwater Falcons today, after GM McGrath held a press conference online. The Falcons had a strong showing last year and are expected to make a splash in this year's PVC. The team also announced the signing of Stephen McGrath, older brother of GM Devan McGrath. Stephen is expected to add some needed toughness and goal-scoring touch to the Falcons.

Dunville Grinders' GM and leading point-scorer, Wesley Higdon is on the mend after having off-season surgery. Higdon was diagnosed with a sports hernia almost a year ago by team doctors and finally choose to have the operation two weeks ago. Recovery time is supposed to take 4-6 weeks, which should leave Higdon with plenty of time to get back in game shape before the Power Vac Cup. We had a chance to talk to Grinder's forward, Jamie Traverse about Higdon's recovery. Traverse said,

"The Grinders are taking all precautions to ensure that GM Higdon has a full recovery in time for the Dec. 26 running of the Power Vac Cup. Without any set backs, GM Higdon will be ready for the PVC."

Earlier today, Grinders defenceman, Jordan Blanche also commented on Higdon's recovery and had this to say,

"Well see it all depends on how he recovers. Some people just recover faster than others, [it's] just their make up. Others may take longer. Hopefully [he is] 100 percent, because game in game out, Wesley gives his all. If this surgery [doesn't] allow him to give that little extra then Wesley is not himself and obviously that will hurt the team, no question about it. One of our better players [Blanche, himself] were battling injury last year and look how that turned out [5th place finish]. But team doctors seem to think he's on a pretty good track and should be ready to go."

It's a good sign that the Grinders are hopeful for Higdon's return, however with the horrible effort they put forth in last year's PVC, they may need a lot more than just a healthy Higdon to make some noise in this year's tournament.
-SPDHL News

It was only a matter of time, but it finally came. The SPDHL was contacted several times this past Monday by an assortment of agents, general managers and players belonging to the NHL. With the lockout having no end in site, some high level NHLer's are looking to the SPDHL in hopes of cracking a lineup, to stay in game shape for when the lockout ends. Although no names were formally mentioned, rumors around the social network world are hinting that Cory Sarich's agent has been in contact with the SPDHL, questioning the different insurance plans and contract terms offered by different SPDHL teams. If these rumors are true, how will this affect the SPDHL? What teams will risk paying for these amateur players? More importantly, how will current SPDHLers be affected? We were lucky enough to catch up with SPDHLPA's president, Brent Payne, earlier today. Payne had several things to say.
"I feel like overall it's good for the sport. I mean we all play hockey for a living, we know what it's like to get paid for something We love doing, so for that it would be great to get some NHLer's into our league to see them back doing what they love. Having said that though, I'm not too sure there's gonna be a lot of room for teams to take on NHL players. I mean there's some big money tied up in the contracts of Local players, I mean serious cash. I just don't know if owners would justify bringing in NHL players and playing them over they're local players that they have so much invested in, whether it be money, beer, or even chips. And then we gotta think of the fans[.]Sure we'll see A spike in attendance at first, but how long will that last an hour maybe 2 into the PVC? Fans are gonna want to see the home grown talent they've been paying to see for years. That's the bottom line. I won't oppose to them coming over but I don't see it as development for our league. We've got to think about long term development of our great league and I'm not quite sure if that's the key to doing that. It will bring some excitement but only for a short time, I'm afraid."

As the week goes on, we hope to supply you with more information on this topic.

Nick Duke was the backstopper for the championship team in the 1st annual Jive Turkey Cup. The tournament consisted of 3 mixed teams in an unusual draft manner. With 3 goalies (Duke, Chris Healey, and Troy Leonard), the draft began with the goalies picking the available players in draft order. After deciding teams, all players were thrown back into the available pile, and the three goalies began to draft again. The same results unfolded. The third section of the draft, consisted of a stick toss (including goalie sticks). All players were split evenly over 3 teams, setting the basis for the tournament, and also ruining anything that was previously planned with the goalie draft process. To this day, we have no idea what the point of the first 2 rounds of the draft represent.
In any means, the Jive Turkey Cup carried on, featuring Team Duke vs Team Leonard in the final game. A well fought battle ensued, however Team Duke were the victors in a 3-2 final. Members of the losing team: Troy Leonard(PLA), Colby Murphy(PLA), Brent Payne(SEP), Devan Mcgrath(FRE), and Zack Greene(PLA).
Members of the winning team, pictured below:
Nick Duke(SEP), Jake Blanche(DUN), John Hull(FA), Josh Coffey(JER), Scott Greene(PLA).

The Placentia Panthers captured their 3rd Power Vac Cup in 4 years after defeating the surprising Jerseyside Jets 3-1 in the PVC championship game. With a very different looking roster, the Panthers still managed to retain their title, only losing one game all day. It came in a 2-0 round robin loss against their rivals, the Dunville Grinders. That was the only bright spot for the Grinders, however, as it was the only 'W' of the day. The Grinders lost to the Prowlers, Jets ,and even the new expansion team, the Freshwater Rippers. Dunville did not qualify for the playoffs, a shock to everyone in the hockey world. In our PVC preview, here at SPDHL News, we even predicted a Dunville PVC win. Well, we were certainly proved wrong. A lack of offence, weak goaltending and even laziness were traits shown by the Darts this PVC. A huge disappointment to the organization, especially when you realize that Dunville has played in each PVC final, until this year. The surprise of the tournament came from the two newest SPDHL teams. The Jerseyside Jets finished the round robin in third place. Then defeated the also surprising, Freshwater Rippers in an epic playoff game, to earn their first birth in the PVC final. The Jets defeated the Rippers after a 20 round shootout, the longest in SPDHL history, where youngster
Devin Whelan potted the winner. The Freshwater Rippers had a great SPDHL debut as well. They were the biggest surprise after the round robin, finishing 2nd with a 3-1 record. They were just inches away from a PVC final, leaving GM Devan Mcgrath very pleased with their expansion tournament play. The Southeast Prowlers managed another average outing, playing in a few close games, but still not reaching their goal of the PVC championship game. As we've all seen many times before, it was an entertaining Southeast/Placentia playoff game but the Prowlers just could not manage enough offense to keep up with the high scoring Panthers. It has been years since Southeast has defeated Placentia in a PVC game. Finally, for the winning team, as said before, they had a very different looking lineup. Captain Phonse Pomroy and sniper Steve Brewer were unable to leave their Alberta clubs for the holidays and were forced to miss the PVC. In addition, leading scorer Zack Greene, suffered a hand laceration in Panther training camp, 3 days before the big tournament. Without Pomroy, Brewer and Greene, many thought goal scoring would be an issue. However, it was not. Blayne Quilty scored many key goals and finished 2nd in scoring, only behind Panthers own, Colby Murphy. Murphy went on to win the top offensive award and the PVC MVP award. Rookie Scott Greene, also chipped in with some offense and earned the Rookie of the Tournament for his efforts. Eddie Hefferan was also found on the score sheet often and he earned the Panthers MVP award. Interim Captain, Michael Mulrooney was solid as always and carried the Panthers from game 1 on through to the championship. Troy Leonard also played defense for the Panthers, in his first ever PVC action outside of goal. Zack Greene hauled the pads out of retirement and stepped in as the Panthers goalie, for the first time since the inaugural 2007 season. Greene was not tested too often, but spread out 6 goals over 6 games on the day.
All 5 teams are expected to compete in next year's 6th annual PVC.
-------Award Winners-------
MVP PVC - Eddie Hefferan
MVP Placentia - Colby Murphy
MVP Jerseyside - Jordy Dray
MVP Freshwater - Brad McGrath
MVP Southeast - Evan Green
MVP Dunville - Vince Kerrivan
Top Defenceman - Colby Murphy
Top Goalie - Jordy Dray
Top Offensive - Blayne Quilty
Rookie of the Year - Scott Greene
Boys Will Be Boys - Evan Green

Nothing like a little controversy to get us all in the mood for the PVC. Placentia Forward and GM Zack Greene was at a hearing yesterday morning at SPDHL head office. The matter being discusses was Greens insistence on wearing number 99 for this years tournament. After a lengthy meeting, it was ruled that in fact he cannot wear that number this year. The decision was determined after a league official saw a video of a jersey retirement ceremony by the Placentia Panthers. League rules clearly state that "any number that is or has at any time been retired by a franchise is not to be worn thereafter by any player including the same player in the event of a return from retirement."

Greene refused to comment on the incident when approached by reporters. When asked how he felt on the ruling Greene simply said "I have no comment".

Looks like its tough luck for Greene this year. Perhaps he could wear number 9 or 19 or even 98 but as we've been told 99 is simply out of the question.

The SPDHL would like to welcome the Freshwater Rippers to the league! The expansion team, managed by Devan Mcgrath, will make its debut in the 2011 Power Vac Cup. Their roster includes: former Prolwer, Ryan Whittle, former Jet defencemen, Evan Pittman, and rookies Stephen Leonard, Nathan Pike, Evan O'Keefe and goalie Jason Murphy. Good luck in your expansion tournamnet, Rippers!

ESPN realeased an article early Thursday morning on the possibility of Nick O'Reilly making his debut in the SPDHL. We thank ESPN for the rights to publish the article on our site. O'Reilly asked about a contract put forth to him late Wednesday evening.

{"Probably going to have to decline the offer as both myself and my agent are looking for bigger and better things"…as stated on espsn this morning…Sources here at espn say that the offer was on the table from the new expansion team in spdhl. O’Reilly a coveted free aganet has been in retirement after numerous pt per game seasons in the ZGDL (GLE) or the zack greene driveway league for those unfamiliar with the junior league up in cananda. Known to have violent outbreaks with his stick, O’Reilly could be looking at other opportunites in the press box for the comming season, such as potentially coming into an ownership position if the negotiations and paperwork with the cba can be completed by decemeber 24th, 2 days before the boxing day classic. O’Reilly’s agent, scott boras, the talented sports agent, has stated that the contract offered to his client was barley enough to “make ends meet”. O’Reilly once a two sport professional athelete was once known for his outrageously high salary demands, setting the record for biggest contract in GBLE history. Boras also stated that “if the money is right, it could happen but from here on in both myself and my client are playing hardball”. No further comments have been taken from O’Reilly.}

ESPN has promised to let us know of any further happenings in this case.
-SPDHL News, Kentville, NS

With the Power Vac Cup just under 3 weeks away, we have put some time into make a few predictions to help you fantasy hockey players out when drafting your SPDHL team this year.

Forwards:
If you are picking 1st this year in your draft, you may not want to go with Zack Greene right away. We do not expect the veteran to keep pace with his normal production. Most of this is due to the absence of PJ Pomroy. Greene may be a risky first pick, we suggest something safer. Eddie Hefferan may also be a risky early pick. He is a point-a-game player now, but we are affraid we may see him playing D more often than forward. Eric King will be a reliable pick in any round. King is well over a point a game in career totals and is almost at a goal-a-game. Evan Green will also be a good pick as he has the potential to lead the tournament in scoring every time he plays. On the other side of the bridge, Wesley Higdon and Tyler Viscount are reliable point getters for the Grinders and teammate Jamie Traverse is the team leader in goals with 15 in only 14 games. The Jerseyside Jets have never been known for putting up high goal totals but this year could be different. Turtle scorers Brad Budden and Devin Whelan should be able to produce, and would be good mid-round draft picks. Captain Mitch Whelan will also be looking to lead this team in the playoffs, and could do so by using his quick release. Look for higher goal totals from him. The expansion team will need goals as well to attempt to make a playoff run. Steve Leonard could make or break your fantasy team if taken at the right point. McGrath brothers will add goals, but are not first round picks. Evan O'keefe has the skill to produce in this league, but we expect a more defensive roll from him.
Breakout Players:
Vince Kerrivan could be the sleeper of your draft this year. He should still be open after 10 picks, so be patient before you jump on him. We expect a huge tournament from the vet. Will Cochrane also has the chance to put up great numbers. Alot of his production is in the hands of GM Eric King. Cochrane may be used more as a defensive player against the stronger teams, affecting his scoring. Scott Greene will not be drafted until the final few rounds. This could be a complete league-changer if he ends up on the top line with Zack Greene and Michael Mulrooney. Keep him in mind.

Defence:
Your first D-man pick should definately be a Panther. Take your pick, Colby Murphy or Michael Mulrooney, You can't go wrong. Both are way past the point-per-game mark and will both continue to produce. Keep in mind however, either one of these guys may play forward to help production up front. On Southeast, Ryan Follett is a consistant point getter and should keep this up, depending on his shot total. Marcus Greene has always had potential to rack up some assists but it hasn't happened yet. Maybe this year. The new expansion team doesn't seem to have defencemen, so we will skip them. Adam Mandville could be a great sleeper as well. Nothing too spectacular in career totals, but is very dangerous with the ball. Teammate Jordan Blanche is really only a useful weapon if your league counts PIM's. If it does, he's your man. Gerard Dray and Chris Healey aren't really scoring threats, but could be useful if your league has a blocked shots category. If John Rose plays D, he will contribute some points.

Goaltenders:
No question here. Every draft should have the first two picks as Troy Leonard and Jake Blanche. Whatever order, it really doesn't matter. Leonard has better career numbers, but Blanche is clutch. Especially with Dunville's reputation heading into this tournament, we suggest if you have the No. 1 pick this year, you go with Jake Blanche. Jordy Dray may be a terrific pick as well. He has great skill and the Jets are on the upside. Nick Duke is fresh off a Goalie of the Tournament award and depending on what defence he receieves, he could possibly ride this confidance into another award. Jason Murphy has no experience whatsoever. We suggest him to be your last goalie choice. However, with 3 or 4 upset wins, he could battle for the Top Goalie award.

There you have it! Above is the brand new, rights reserved, SPDHL logo. It was created by Brent Payne, from the SPDHL Marketing sector. This new logo will be found all over the web and on the newly formatted game sheets. It will also be displayed on this year's awards certificates as well. Great job Mr. Payne!

It's official! We have now decided on our highly anticipated, Power Vac Cup Pre-Rankings.
Our 2011 Power Vac Cup Champs - Dunville Grinders

1. Dunville Grinders
G- Jake Blanche
Wesley Higdon
Vince Kerrivan
Jamie Traverse
Tyler Viscount
Jordan Blanche
Adam Mandville
The Dunville Grinders are hands down the number 1 team going into this years PVC. The Grinders are displaying the same squad for a 3rd year in a row and this familarity only adds to their strong team. With the most fitting name in pro sports, the Grinders will continue to wear down their opponents with their "Hard as Fuck" approach. In playing their style of hockey this December, this Dunville squad won't even need the annual shootout to beat the Placentia Panthers. It starts in net, with future hall of famer, Jake Blanche. Its hard enough to get shots on this guy, and when you do, they have to be near perfect. Adam Mandville is expected to play D on the more "Finess" Dunville line. Joining him, will be goal scoring forwards Jamie Traverse, and Captain Wesley Higdon. The only question facing this team is with shot-blocking d-man Jordan Blanche. Blanche recently suffered a broken ankle, but the Grinders are very confident that Blanche will be back in time for the PVC. Joining Blanche on the "Grind line" will be hard-working Tyler Viscount, and (who we think) Grinders best overall player, Vince Kerrivan, who has been by far the most improved SPDHLer in history. We think the Grinders are well on their way towards their 3rd ever Power Vac Cup.

2. Placentia Panthers
G- Troy Leonard
Zack Greene
Michael Mulrooney
Colby Murphy
Eddie Hefferan
Blayne Quilty
Scott Greene
Nope. We have not made a typo. No PJ Pomroy for the Panthers this year. Nor will they have Steve Brewer. We aren't sure if anything else even needs to be said. Without downplaying any SPDHLer, the facts are there, Scott Greene will NOT be able to replace Panthers captain, PJ Pomroy. Pomroy, who is questionably the leagues best player, will not be playing in this year's PVC. He often refers to himself as "Joe Thornton", and for good reason. The Panthers captain is a great passer and no one will be more affected by his absence than line mate Zack Greene. Steve Brewer, another offensively gifted SPDHLer, will not be in the lineup either. Brewer has a terrific shot and is probably the leagues fastest player. He will also be greatly missed. Even with this, the Panthers are strong enough to make another PVC Final. Goalie Troy Leonard has outstanding career numbers and is neck to neck with Jake Blanche for the league's best goalie. Star Defenceman Michael Mulrooney, is off a fresh Play On! provincial championship and will need to be the leader on this Placentia squad to get them into the top of the standings. Eddie Hefferan, who is currently playing Junior Hockey, will also be a key factor for the Panthers, if they have any chance at all at beating the Grinders. Colby Murphy, has made his point that he can put up points and play great Defensive hockey and is quietly becoming on of the best players on the league. Blayne Quilty will be back this year, and should add some grit and experience to this awkward Placentia team. Newcomer Scott Greene will be asked to chip in a few goals and use his big frame for grinding against the other teams' top players. We have no idea what the lines will be for the Panthers, but we are very interested to see who plays with Z.Greene on the top line.

3. Jerseyside Jets
G-Jordy Dray
Chirs Healey
John Rose
Gerard Dray
Devin Whelan
Mitch Whelan
Brad Budden
What can we say, they've earned it. GM John Rose has turned this team into an actual PVC contender. A complete 180 degree turn from what they have been always known as. New-comers Jordy Dray and twin Gerard, were the key aquisitions for the Jets. J.Dray is a top flight Goalie and can steal the Jets a game or two if needed. Gerard is a steady defenceman with lots of wind and speed and will be expected to shut down the SPDHL's top scorers. Chris Healey, has converted from a goalie to a defencemen, and will also be a huge help to the Jets goaltending with his long reach and shotblocking capabilities. John Rose himself, will also play a strong defencive style, and add a few set-ups as well. Turtle Forwards Brad Budden and Devin Whelan will be asked to supply the offence and both should be capable of doing so. D.Whelan's older brother Mitch, will bring the leadership and experience to this very young team. We expect M.Whelan to be wearing the "C" proudly on his chest. With the youth and skill on this Jerseyside team, we expect them to crack the "Terrific Three" and bump Southeast on down the list.

4. Southeast Prowlers
G-Nick Duke
Eric King
Marcus Greene
Evan Green
Brent Payne
Ryan Follett
Will Cochrane
There is no question the Southeast Prowlers will have the most experience at this year's PVC. But with experience, comes age. The Prowlers are getting old and they are getting slow. With an average age of 20.7 years, the Prowlers will not simply be able to keep up with the younger teams. Eric King will still be a point-per-game player and lead the team in goals, but we don't think he will be atop the scoring leaders this year, like he usually is. Marc Greene will be asked to continue his strong defensive play, but its expected he will also be asked to jump into the rush more, to add more production. Ryan Follett, who still has the hardest shot in the league, will need to get as many shots off as possible to help the Prolwers in the playoffs. Brent Payne will need to contribute a little more offence to share the load with the rest of the forwards. Evan Green, last year's rookie of the tournament, will need to continue his offensive touch and battle with King for the team lead in goals. If both are producing at the same time, our predictions will not turn out correct, and the Prowlers will be a dangerous offensive team. And don't get us wrong, they have the potential. 2011 Southeaster Cup MVP Will Cochrane will need to be all of that and more this year. Known as "Shitty", Cochrane plays a very effective style, and will be asked once again to shadow Panthers sniper Zack Greene. Cochrane will also add some offence and is argueably Southeast's best overall player. Prowlers goalie Nick Duke, is fresh off a Top Goalie award at this years Southeaster Cup. If "The Saur" can keep up to that pace, he can steal Southeast a few wins, and possibly get them into the final. the Prowlers were our riskiest pick, considering it was just last April when they finished 2nd in the Southeaster Cup, ahead of the Dunville Grinders.

5. Expansion Team
G-Jason Murphy
Devan Mcgrath
Steve Leonard
Nathan Pike
Evan O'Keefe
Stephen McGrath
Ryan Whittle
The newest SPDHL team can only go up from here. However, they are young and very in-experienced. The addition of Ryan Whittle will help that, after being traded from Southeast, but he will not win them a Power Vac Cup. Jason Murphy is an unknown turtle goalie, without a single minute played in the SPDHL. This could be a problem when facing the top teams in the league. However, Murphy is a good ice hockey goalie, and could prove us wrong this December. Devan McGrath and brother Stephen, are the only two who share experience on this expansion team. Both are very capable scorers and D.McGrath will sure want to prove that this team is for real. Steve Leonard may turn out to be a key factor for this squad, with hard work and a scoring touch. He has the ability to put up points, but we think his cardio may be an issue. Evan O'Keefe, another rookie, could become a great 2-way player in the SPDHL if given the opportunity. We expect him to also provide some offense and chip in down low. Nathan Pike has great hands but isn't likely to win many (if any) battles along the cage. He too, however, should put up some points as well. If you have not yet realized, this expansion team is without a defenceman, and we find that to be quite a LARGE problem. Forwards playing 'D', just won't cut it in this league. We expect them to settle down in the basement and be done for the day, after round robin games are over.

There you have it, our predictions.. Let's see how we do!

SPDHL News is proud to report, Mitch Whelan awarded as new Captain of the Jerseyside Jets. As the most senior member of this squad, this information wasn't the hardest to predict. I was fortunate to sit down with GM John Rose late Monday evening when he announced his decision, "He's worked hard ever since we entered the league, been with Jerseyside since I can remember. All around great guy on and off the court. Looking forward to him bringing his A game this december".
Mitch was drafted into the league by the Grinders where he recorded 2G, 1A in 10GP. Due to the roster restriction as you all know Mitch found his way to the Jets. He has surely acted as the fundamental building block of the Jets organization. The Jets have recently climbed the power rankings to 3rd, and with the recent addition of the Dray twins it sure seems like a fun time to be a Jet.
GM Rose left the room with a significant jump in his step and it seems like he realizes the opportunity to win their 1st Power Vac Cup is now.

Friday November 25th, 2011 will forever go down as the busiest day in SPDHL history. The biggest news of the day came with league expansion as a fifth team has joined the SPDHL. The team's GM is former Jerseyside Jet, Devan McGrath. He didn't wait long to make changes as he traded a case of " Twist For 6 " to the Southeast Prowlers, for veteran turtle, Ryan Whittle. Whittle has 16 points in 27 career games for the Prowlers, but has never lived up to the high expectations. Maybe now with this brand new team Whittle will emerg. McGrath then signed free agent turtles Evan O'Keefe and Nathan Pike, as well as young goalie Jason Murphy, from Placentia. Two rostor spots are remaining to be filled for the new, un-named expansion team. McGrath attempted to use " Dunville Growlers" for his team name, but was rejected by league management.
In other news, the Jerseyside Jets made huge improvements to their team today when GM, John Rose, signed both Jordy and Gerard Dray to contracts. These big signings have certainly proved that Jerseyside are no longer just a team to imporve your +/- against. Both the Jets and the new expansion team were very interested in both Dray's, but Jerseyside ended out on top.
Last but not least, the Panthers signed young up and comer, Scott Greene. Not a huge surprise, as he has always been in their system, however the young turtle did play with Jerseyside in the Southeaster Cup and Panthers Gm, Zack Greene, was not so sure he would ever get Scott back.
The Dunville Grinders were the only silent team on the day. This also was no surprise as they have their team set, no questions.
Check back later this week to see our 2011 Power Vac Cup Predictions, or buy it in any magazine store Thursday, December 1st.

With the Power Vac Cup fast approaching, the mood is getting tense, practices are getting longer and more frequent, and tensions between teams can be cut with a knife. This rag-tag group, known only as the Dunville Grinders, are making a push for the title of top team in the SPDHL for the second time in just three years.

GM, Coach, and player, Wes Higdon, had this to say about his squad in a recent interview, "I like our chances this year, i mean, we've got one of the best teams in the league and we're not gonna (sic) just lie down and let them (Jerseyside) walk all over us." Higdon is known as a hard-ass coach with a soft spot for animals and his best girl, but he promises that Dunville's best will be on display this December 26th, "We've got the talent to go all the way, and i won't be satisfied unless we achieve this greatness." Higdon was intoxicated when these comments were made, but that comes with the territory of such a stressful position in the organization.

The lineup thus far looks like this: Wes, Jim, Mandville making up L1, Beard, Vinny, Gummy (if his P.O. clears him) making up L2, with Jake manning the pipes. Trainer/firefighter/moustache connoiseur Derrick Whelan has confidence that neither of the Blanche's injuries will hinder their performances, "I think Jo's foot will heal great, and I've watched Jake do his thang between the pipes at practice, so yeah we'll be fine. Hand me that 40oz."

The rest of the players are not feeling the pressure whatsoever and they also believe their numbers will remain the same this tournament.

Action gets underway on December 26th, and will be broadcast on Rogers TV. For TSN, I'm John Liu.

With the Power Vac Cup just a little over a month away, a lot of people are making their predictions for this years winner. Most of the talk goes to the Panthers or Grinders, but one SPDHLer seems to think differently. Evan Green of the Southeast Prowlers told SPDHL News today in an interview, "I'm gonna lead the Prowlers to the trophy this year". This is a very bold statement from the sophomore forward, winner of last year's Rookie of the Tournament award, at the 2010 PVC. Green also poked jabs at Panthers star goalie Troy leonard and leading scorer Zack Greene. He referred to their drinking problems as being the source of the Panthers downfall this coming Christmas.
Prowlers GM Eric King was asked about today's interview but replied, "no comment" to all of our questions. Grinders GM Wes Higdon was asked what he thought about the Prowlers going into the Power Vac Cup.
"Gonna be a real tough test. Sure not gonna over-look them". Higdon had no comment however on Jordan Blanches injury.
From our prespective though, the Grinders will be without their shot-blocking defencemen come december 26th. See below a picture realeased to the media earlier this evening.

The Placentia Panthers won their 2nd ever Southeaster Cup this past Saturday defeating the Southeast Prowlers in the championship. The Panthers won 7-3 as Southeast seemed to be a little tired and wore down after the full day of hockey. Prowlers' Will Cochrane was named team MVP and Southeaster Cup MVP for his great play, as he lead Southeast past Dunville and into the championship without the help of their GM and leading scorer Eric King. The Dunville Grinders had a dissappointing day without their GM Wesley Higdon and a few others, as they did not even make it to the championship game. The grinders lost to the Prowlers twice, however they did beat the Southeaster Cup champs in the round robin. Jerseyside also had a disappointing day as they failed to pick up the franchise's first ever win, and they never registered a goal until the crossover game against Placentia. A good, fun tournament was had by all, and it was nice to see the SPDHL back in action. Here are the award winners:
Top Goalie- Nick Duke
Top Offensive Player- Colby Murphy
Top Defensive Player- Michael Mulrooney
Top Rookie- Jordan Dray & Gerard Dray
Most Improved- Evan Green
Boys Will Be Boys- Micth Whelan
MVP Jerseyside- Chris Healey
MVP Dunville- Jake Blanche
MVP Southeast- Will Cochrane
MVP Placentia- Zack Greene
Southeaster Cup MVP- Will Cochrane

-
It appears as tho Jordan Blanche may miss this year's Power Vac Cup. The former "Boys will be Boys" winner suffered a fractured ankle this past weekend. Blanche, known as a heavy eater, was out for supper Saturday evening at Mcdonald's with the wife when the incident took place. After turning around with his tray of food, Blanche seemed to have slipped on the greasy floor, falling on his ankle awkwardly and forcing the fracture. A staff member from the Kenmount Road Mcdonalds was asked about the condition of the floor at the time of the incident.
" I didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary ", he said, " I am constantly sliding back and forth here behind the counter. From the fries, to the burgers, to the counter. I love the conditions.". We were not allowed to publish the worker's name but he also added that he is known to some people as the "Donnies Slider".
Late Sudnay evening, the Grinders were only claiming it was a lower body, however by Monday, team doctors had confirmed the fracture. With that being said, Grinders GM Wes Higdon is still confident to see Blanche on his PVC roster.
Higdon says, "[I] Just sat down with my star defenceman [Blanche], he says he will be ready".
We seem to differ as we got our hands on a bit of evidance ourselves, as seen below, from a picture sent through text messaging between SPDHL members. We will keep you posted on the injury as we hear more information and also stay posted for some predictions and hints for your SPDHL Fantasy Hockey teams.

The Southeaster Cup is coming up on Easter Saturday. The Placentia Panthers are once again coming in as the favorites after winning the Power Vac Cup this past December in a shootout in a terrific game. The Panthers will be missing their captain, PJ Pomroy, which will be a major blow, but still look to be the best team on paper. Of Coarse, the Dunville Grinders would like to regain the top rank in this league, however they will have to do it without their Captain and GM, Wesley Higdon. Higdon is currently in Florida on spring break with his partner Adam Mandville. The Southeast Prowlers will also be missing their GM and leading point-getter Eric King. King and " the missus " have eloped and are planning on getting married on Easter Sunday in a northern town known as St. Anthony. As for the Jerseyside Jets, they will be missing their GM Ricky Healey as well. However, John Rose has taken over the team and it looks as though he has picked up some players too. Action kicks off at 11:00 this Saturday where the Jets are in tough against the Panthers. Tickets are currently on sale in the Redi Chef parking lot but according to Joe Newman, " I dont know what they're going like, so you better hurry."
SPDHL News-33 King St.

For the second year in a row, the Power Vac Cup was decided by a shootout between the Placentia Panthers and the Dunville Grinders. Last year the Grinders took the Cup, but this year was a different story. Placentia won 2-1 on the lone shootout goal scored by Zack Greene. Goalie Troy Leonard stopped all 3 Dunville attemps to secure the win for the Panthers. The round robin game between these two teams was also a tight one as Vince Kerrivan scored the winner with 11 seconds left on the clock. The win gave Dunville 1st place and put them in the 1st vs. 4th semifinal game. Dunville went on to beat the 4th place Jerseyside Jets in a great game itself. The other semifinal was also a thriller as Placentia defeated Southeast 4-3 on a game winning goal by Steve Brewer, also with 11 seconds remaining.
All 4 teams played tremendous hockey and entertained the crowd with several nail-biters. We congratulate the Placentia Panthers on their victory and thank all teams for the committment and hard work they displayed, especially the expansion team Jerseyside who held their own in their first Power Vac Cup. Here below are the award winners for the tournament:
MVP Placentia: PJ Pomroy
MVP Dunville: Vince Kerrivan
MVP Southeast: Eric King
MVP Jerseyside: Chris Healey
Top Defensive Player: Colby Murphy
Top Offensive Player: PJ Pomroy
Top Goaltender: Jake Blanche
Boys Will Be Boys: Eddie Hefferan
Rookie Of The Tournament: Evan Green
Power Vac Cup MVP: Zack Greene

With the Power Vac Cup just 2 days away, the SPDHL has a 4th team. The Jerseyside Jets have entered the league, being managed by Ricky Healey. Several players from Jerseyside are on the team, plus Healey added a couple more Dunville natives who aren't playing for the Grinders. Here are the rosters for each team.
Dunville------------Placentia-----------Southeast----------Jerseyside
Jake Blanche G------Troy Leonard G-------Nick Duke G--------Chris Healey G
Wesley Higdon-------Zack Greene----------Eric King----------Ricky Healey
Adam Mandville------PJ Pomroy------------Evan Green---------Brad Budden
Jordan Blanche------Michael Mulrooney----Marcus Greene------Josh Coffey
Tyler Viscount------Colby Murphy---------Ryan Whittle-------Devan McGrath
Vince Kerrivan------Eddie Hefferan-------Jeremy O'Reilly----Mitch Whelan
Jamie Traverse------Steve Brewer---------Brent Payne--------John Rose
------------------------------------------------Ryan Follett


Here is the Schedule for the Power Vac Cup

With the Power Vac Cup just 13 days away, it appears to be the main conversation topic in the Placentia area. Players are getting very anxious and GM's are beginning to set their rostors. With this of coarse, comes plenty of rumors.There has been talks of adding another team(Most likely a new expansion turtle team), building a new Cup, and of coarse new player signings. Here we will look at our team previews and projected rosters.

1.Dunville Grinders
The defending SPDHL champs are by far the most controversal team right now, attracting much attention in the off-season. GM Higdon is facing much more pressure than other GM's because of the large amount of assests he has to pick from. This has both ups and downs. As well, since the league is looking toward forming a new team, one option is Dunville spliting into 2 different teams, the grinders and darts. This will all be decided in the upcoming days, but untill then, here is our predicion of the Grinders, without the split, or turtle expansion.
G- Jake Blanche
Wes Higdon
Jamie Traverse
Vince Kerrivan
Jordan Blanche
Tyler Viscount
Mitch Whelan
Ryan Andrews

2.Placentia Panthers
After coming off a second Power Vac Cup loss in three years to Dunville, we expect the Panthers will want this trophy more than any other team. This year however, we may see some changes in Placentia that we've never seen before. After becomming the first SPDHL'er to sign a pro contract, Panthers captain PJ Pomroy does not appear to be available for the Power Vac Cup, after signing with the Grand Prarie Greyhounds early in December. Pomroy left Placentia and joined the higher-paying Grand Prarie team to play with fellow friends, Devon Moore and Screwgie A. Collins. If this information is valid, the Panthers will receive a huge blow. To fill the void, however, Placentia added Steven Brewer to their rostor, and made it official that Eddie Hefferan will be in the lineup as well. Our predicted rostor:
G-Troy Leonard
Michael Mulrooney
Zack Greene
Colby Murphy
Steve Brewer
Eddie Hefferan

3.Southeast Prowlers
Last but not least, the Southeast Prowlers are hungry to make their way into a Power Vac Cup championship game. In doing so, we beleive the Prowlers must add some depth, possibly in the form of Adam Mandville, or an unsigned turtle. Controversy is however present in Southeast as well. Up-and-comer Ryan Whittle left Southeast to play with an amature Ontario team this past Fall. He has since returned and is eager to play but GM King doesn't appear to be letting him back that easy. When asked about Whittle, GM King said,"Ohhhhh don't you worry about Whittle, I'm gonna take care of him". This may be hinting at a trade, or just a beating. Finally, SPDHL sources tell us that Southeast will be having a press-conference Friday, December 17th, where they are expected to announce a new signing. We beleive the Prowlers have come to terms with 21-year old Evan Green from Freshwater, but we wouldn't rule out 43-year old scorer Mario Ryan from St.John's, either. Our Predicted Rostor:
G-Nick Duke
Marcus Greene
Ryan Follett
Eric King
Brent Payne
Will Cochrane
Ryan Whittle

There are our predicted rostors as of now, however we can almost guarentee changes will be made. Here are some noteables that have been left out:
Adam Mandville(FA)
Stephen McGrath(FA)
Devan McGrath(FA)
Bradley Budden(FA)
Jordy Dray(FA)
Gerard Dray(FA)
Evan Green(FA)
John Rose(FA)
Ricky Healey(FA)
Chris Healey(FA)
PJ Pomroy(PAN)
Will Brewer(GRN)
Jeremy O'Reilly(PRO)
Blayne Quilty(PAN)

We expect Mandville,Brewer,S.McGrath to play with the Grinders if not one of the Dunville Teams if they split. We expect Green will be signed by Southeast and former Jerseydale players and turtles be involved in an expansion team.

The first two playoff rounds for the Mixed League are now decided. There are 2 season games left for each team, however no matter what the results are, the standings won't change. In the first series, the Habs will play the Sharks and the second series will be the Flyers and Blackhawks. The Sharks finally won their first game this weekend, beating the Flyers 3-2. The Habs also received their first loss, losing to the Blackhawks 6-1. Both new comers Evan Green and Brad Budden scored their first ever goal on their first ever shift this past weekend as well. The Blackhawks went 3-0, Habs went 2-1 and the Sharks and Flyers went 1-2 this past Saturday.


***** THE MIXED LEAGUE WILL BE FINISHED AFTER CHRISTMAS ******

It's just over half way through the season, and it seems as though that the Sharks are FUCKED! Not only are they 0-7, they just recently lost their first round, first overall pick, PJ Pomroy to an ankle sprain. It looks like Pomroy will miss 2-3 weeks, which may be the rest of the season and playoffs. As well, Gm Higdons picked a bunch of no-shows. The last game the Sharks played, only 1 player from the original team was on the roster, Higdon himself. Good luck Sharks.

In better news, the Habs are 7-0. Troy Leonard is at the top of his game, even though he is taking alot of heat for the kissing incident. We don't know if the Habs will ever be beat. Eddie Hefferan who was also involved in the kissing, doesn't seemed to be bothered either as he is leading the Flyers in goals. Last but not least, Vince Kerrivan came out of goalie retirement for the Blackhawks. He went 2-1 on Sunday, helping the Hawks fall into second place.
SPDHL News, 7 Alice

A mixed league will begin this weekend coming. Each team will play 12 season games each, followed by playoffs afterwards. It will carry over a few weekends, not just this one comin up. For playoffs, the first rounds will be a 3 outta 5 series. First place team plays fourth and second plays third. The winner of each will play in a best of 5 series again for the cup, which needs to be named the weekend. Teams are under 'Rosters' on the left side and then under Mixed League division. For this weekends schedule look under this beautiful picture.

Due to The success of the mixed tournament, the SPDHL has decided to have a mixed league. Wes Higdon, Jake Blanche, Zack Greene, and Michael Mulrooney each picked their best team in a draft. With the first pick, GM Higdon selected the Captain of the Placentia Panthers, PJ Pomroy. Other first round picks included Troy Leonard, Colby Murphy, and Eddie Hefferan.Each Team will play the other 3 teams, 3 times each, which makes a 9 game season with the playoffs to follow.

The Rest of the teams:
Wes: Mandville andies gummy mcgrow willie redness
Jake: Troy mitch jeremy beard follett shitty
Zack: Saur vinny murph marc king brewer
Tommy: Chealey jordydray eddie whittle rosey blayne

A name for the cup we will play for is needed.

Sources have been saying that Troy Leonard wants out of Hab land. Apparently the young promising goaltender was seen behind Power Vac Place after the last tourny, kissing Eddie Hefferan. IT is assumed because of this strange affair that Leonard wants to get closer with Hefferan. Both turtles are currently in boyfriend girlfriend relationships, however once word gets around it could be the end of that. Earlier today I caught up with Wesley Higdon who witnessed the scene. Higdon says, " I dunno what the fuck the b'ys were at, but my God they were goin at it." "I'm sure I saw a couple turtle paws in places they shouldn't be as well", added Higdon. Mike Leonard, father of Troy, would not speak with us, and instead passed a full 40oz. liquor bottle through the windshield of our van. When GM Jake Blanche was asked about this, he also wouldn't respond but seemed pretty dissappointed with his star goalie. Other sources around the league just chuckle and laugh when they hear the news and could care less of what happens in turtle land. Eddie Hefferan appears to be denying the news, whether he attempts to keep it from his girlfriend or just wants to save a little pride, is yet to be determined.

-SPDHL News, 7 Alice

The SPDHL decided to have a Mixed Teams tournament yesterday. Four turtles were chosen to pick the teams by the use of a draft. In the end, Team Whittle defeated Team Murph in the championship 6-4. Rookie Stephen McGrath scored the winner for the champs. Other members of the team include: Troy Leonard, Michael Mulrooney, Devan Mcgrath, Tyler Viscount, Steve Brewer, and Ryan Whittle.


Torunament Stats are found under stats/standings.

The Placentia Panthers defeated the Dunville Grinders 3-1 in a 3-out-of-5 series earlier this week. Dunville could only snag the one win over Placentia in overtime in game 2.

The Placentia Panthers Won another tournament earlier today, as they won the SPDHL Cup.

The Dunville Grinders won the Power Vac Cup for the second time in the last three years, defeating the Placentia Panthers 1-0 in a shootout. Placentia, winner of the previous Power Vac Cup, defeated Southeast 8-1 in the playoff game before falling to Dunville for the third time that day in the championship. It was a rematch of the last 2 years, as Placentia and Dunville faced off for the trophy once again. Power Vac Cup MVP Jake Blanche stood on his head, stopping all Placentia shots including all shootout attempts. Blanche also received the Grinders MVP as well as the Top Goalie award. Jamie Traverse notched the shootout winner for the grinders in the sixth round of the shooutout. For Placentia, rookie Troy Leonard earned a shutout in the last game of the day and also won the most improved award. The Grinders played a tight defensive game, holding off Placentia's mighty offence, to solidify the win. Members of the winning team include: Jake Blanche(G), Wesley Higdon(C), Jamie Traverse (A), Tyler Viscount, Jordan Blanche, Will Brewer, and Vince Kerrivan.

It seems as though the Placentia Panthers are looking to move Colby Murphy out of town. The young defeceman has some pretty good numbers with 16 points in 12 games, however he seems to be a team cancer as of late. Gm Greene does not want this to affect his team's Power Vac Cup play, moving Murphy may be the trick.
It is suspected that Greene is asking for either another turtle in return or a package of either beer or liquor.(Probable amount: 2 cases or a 40oz.)
Murphy is currently the youngest player in the league and won the most improved award at the 08 Power Cup.

The Power Vac Cup is right around the corner. The Placentia Panthers are lookin to repeat as Champs, while the Grinders look to get it back. Southeast are also eager to get their hands on the cup. They have yet to play in the final, however GM King has recently made some changes with the signing of Will Cochrane. Cochrane, a turtle, is a fast runner and can help the Southeast team greatly by, " understanding how to play medium" says King.

The date for the cup is scheduled for the 26th at Power Vac Place.

Earlier the week i had a chance to sit down with the gm of the Dunville Darts or should i say the Dunville Grinders as of last week. Wes Higdon (Grinders GM) son of Tyrone Higdon said "it was a mutual move by the team" and said "it would attract more fans from the Harbor Drive area", also known as the lower road. I asked about any jersey changes due to the name change but he was unclear at that time of any information on it. He also said it would probably be too late to change the jerseys on such short notice seeing they have the biggest roster of the league at 11. The name change also brings up discussion on the poor record of 5-7, some people wonder is this move trying to switch things up and probably improve on the record in the SPDHL's final upcoming tournament.
Nick Duke, SPDHL news 16 Edge.

Former GM, Captain, MVP, and leading scorer of the Jerseydale Jaguars is heading further north for the rest of the SPDHL season. Jamie Traverse has reportedly signed a one-year, 1 bag of chips contract. However with bonuses, Traverse can earn up to 3 bags of chips on June 13th when the SPDHL Cup is help. With this new signing, the new-named Dunville Grinders are looking very strong as they put a push on to catch the Placentia Panthers and win the SPDHL Cup.

For Stats go to either Rosters or Stats/Standings.

Placentia Panthers win the South Easter Cup


The Placentia Panthers won the South Easter Cup on Friday,defeating the Southeast Prowlers 4-2. Placentia won its second tournament of the year and they continue to dominate the SPDHL.

Jerseydale Not To Play In South Easter Cup

Earlier today i managed to catch up with the Jerseydale GM, Jamie Traverse. He told me that his team will not participate in the South Easter Cup this friday at Power Vac Place. This came to the surprise of most people thinking they would be trying to redeem themselves after they got distroyed in the PV Cup and ended up not winning a single game. Mr. Traverse said "I will be in town for this Friday spending time with the wife".
Nick Duke SPDHL News, 16 Edge.

Placentia Wins Power Vac Cup


Award Winners:

MVP Placentia Panthers: PJ Pomroy
MVP Dunville: Ryan Andrews
MVP Southeast: Nick Duke
MVP Jerseydale: Jamie Traverse
Top Goalie: Blayne Quilty
Top Defensive Player: Jordan Blanche
Top Offensive Player: Zack Greene
Most Sportsmanlike and Effective Player: Michael Mulrooney
Hustler Award: Ryan Follett
Boys Will Be Boys Award: Tyler Viscount
Most Improved: Colby Murphy

Power Vac Cup MVP: PJ Pomroy