It's Thursday

It's Thursday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is February 16th, the 47th day of 2012. There are 319 days left in the year. (This is a leap year.)

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Trending: Potential Nash trade, Lundsanity and MalkinMania gaining traction.

Deadline Dozen: FAQs as trading day approaches.

Visit the official league website, http://www.nhl.com/.

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Today's Birthdays: Actor LeVar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation) is 55; Actor Ice-T (Law & Order: SVU) is 54; Tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe is 53.

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Tampa, FL. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning look to get back on the winning side of the ledger tonight, when they host the San Jose Sharks.

Read the review right here.

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Today is Kyoto Protocol Day and Innovation Day. It's also the start of the National Conference on Education.

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National Team Development Program Weekly Update

U18's Earn Third Place in Five Nations Tournament, Close Out College Schedule Next;
U17's Claim Vlad Dzurilla Tournament, Return to USHL Action This Weekend

U17 TEAM RETURNS TO USHL ACTION: The U.S. National Under-17 Team returns to United States Hockey League action this weekend at the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Ice Cube. The Green Bay Gamblers visit Team USA on Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. EST. Sunday (Feb. 19), the Youngstown Phantoms take on the U.S. at 3:30 p.m. EST and Monday (Feb. 20), the Muskegon Lumberjacks face Team USA in a President's Day matinee at 3:00 p.m. EST.

U18 TEAM TO CLOSE OUT COLLEGE SCHEDULE NEXT: The U.S. National Under-18 Team has a break this weekend before closing out the collegiate portion of its 2011-12 schedule against the University of Alabama-Huntsville. Team USA takes a 5-8-2 record against Division I and III opponents into the tilts on Feb. 24-25. Game times are at 8 p.m. EST and 4 p.m. EST respectively.

U17 TEAM CLAIMS VLAD DZURILLA TOURNAMENT: Evan Allen (Sterling Heights, Mich.) scored one goal and added three assists, as the U.S. National Under-17 Team toppled Slovakia, 8-3, in the 2012 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament at the Piestany Ice Arena. With the victory, Team USA finished the tournament with a perfect 3-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record and clinched the tournament title for the third straight year (2010-12). Team USA outscored its opponents, 22-4, in its three games in the tournament.

U18 TEAM BLANKS RUSSIA TO CLOSE FIVE NATIONS: Jared Rutledge (Chicago, Ill.) turned aside 23 shots, as the U.S. National Under-18 Team blanked Russia, 3-0, in the final game at the 2012 Five Nations Tournament at Pori Arena. Quentin Shore (Denver, Colo.) put the U.S. on the board at 1:15 of the final frame. Team USA's lead doubled when Brady Skjei (Lakeville, Minn.) netted a goal off a pass from Miles Koules (Los Angeles, Calif.). Riley Barber (Livonia, Mich.) capped the period and iced the game at 7:01 to give the U.S. a 3-0 victory. With the win, Team USA finished the tournament in third place with a 2-0-0-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record.

UNDER-17 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Hunter Miska (North Branch, Minn.) was named best goaltender of the 2012 Vlad Dzurilla Tournament. Miska posted a .909 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against-average in two victories for the U.S. ... Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wis.) was named best defenseman of the tournament. Butcher had one goal and added four assists in three games for Team USA ... Forward Evan Allen led all skaters with 10 points (4-6) in three games. Allen had the most goals, assists and a tournament best plus-11 rating ... Defensemen Anthony Florentino (West Roxbury, Mass.) was second overall with a plus-10 rating.

UNDER-18 TEAM NEWS/NOTES: Forward Riley Barber was second in 2012 Five Nations Tournament scoring with five goals in four games. Barber also ranked third in points (5-1) ... Three U.S. skaters were in the top five in plus-minus ratings over the four-game tournament, including defenseman Brady Skjei, who was tied-for-first at plus-5. Barber and forward Quentin Shore were tied for third with a plus-4 rating ... Connor Carrick (Orland Park, Ill./2-1) and Skjei (1-2) led all defenseman in tournament points with three ... Jared Rutledge was third in both goals-against-average (2.00) and save percentage (.922). The goaltender also earned one shutout victory in two games played at the tournament.

NTDP ALUMNI UPDATE: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel (Madison, Wis./2003-05) has 10 points (4-6) in his past six games dating back to Feb. 4, including the game-winning goal against the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 4 ... Vancouver Canucks forward David Booth (Washington, Mich./2001-02) is on a three-game point streak (2-1) dating back to Feb. 9 ... Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler (Farmington Hills, Mich./2007-09) assisted on the game-winning goal versus the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 12 ... Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler (Livonia, Mich./2000-02) notched the shootout winner on Feb. 13 in a 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes ... Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis./2001-03) has six points (2-4) in his past six games dating back to Feb. 2 and is plus-3 in that span ... Columbus Blue Jackets forward R.J. Umberger (Pittsburgh, Pa./1998-2000) netted two goals, including the game-winning tally, in a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 11 ... Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk (South St. Paul, Minn./2008-10) earned an assist on the game-winning goal against the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 13 ... Florida Panthers forward Jack Skille (Madison, Wis./2003-05) scored one goal in a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders on Feb. 12.

For the complete weekly update, click here.

ABOUT THE NTDP: In 1996, USA Hockey launched a revolutionary new initiative called the National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Celebrating its 15th season of play in 2011-12, the goal of this full-time development program is to prepare student-athletes under the age of 18 for participation on U.S. National Teams and success in their future hockey careers. Its efforts focus not only on high-caliber participation on the ice, but creating well-rounded individuals off the ice.

THE USHL AND FASTHOCKEY: Catch all of Team USA's USHL action on FASTHockey.com, the premier online destination for ice hockey fanatics from around the world. Visitors can choose from an incredible array of games from national governing bodies, conferences, leagues, teams, tournaments, and other events.

Additional Details Surrounding Hockey Weekend Across America

Event Feb. 17-19 to Celebrate, Promote Hockey Across the Nation

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – More highlights of the fifth annual Hockey Weekend Across America, presented by Reebok, are included in this release. If you missed the initial release on Sunday, click here. The three-day celebration of the sport of hockey will take place Friday-Sunday (Feb. 17-19) nationwide.

Each of the three days associated with Hockey Weekend Across America has a theme, including Wear Your Favorite Hockey Jersey, sponsored by ShopUSAHockey.com on Friday; Try Hockey Day, sponsored by the NHL on Saturday and Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes, sponsored by Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports on Sunday.

On Friday, Feb. 17, fans are encouraged to visit USA Hockey's Facebook page to submit photos of themselves, their friends and colleagues donning their favorite hockey jersey as part of "Wear Your Favorite Hockey Jersey" day.

On Saturday, Feb. 18, more than 200 rinks across the nation will host Try Hockey for Free Clinics, exposing more than 4,000 young kids to hockey for the very first time. A list of currently scheduled clinics as well as information on how local associations or rinks can host their own event can be found here.

In honor of "Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes" day on Sunday, Feb. 19, USA Hockey is asking fans to post stories, photos or videos of their hockey heroes to its Facebook wall to share with the world. Local associations and/or fans will be honoring their local hockey heroes in various ways throughout the day.

Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey, will be on NHL Hour With Commissioner Gary Bettman on Thursday (Feb. 16) on NHL Network U.S., NHL.com and on Sirius XM Radio at 6 p.m. EST. Fans can submit questions during the program by calling 1-877-NHL-ON-XM (1-877-645-6696).

Ogrean will also be the featured guest during the second intermission of the Colorado College vs. University of Nebraska Omaha game aired live by CBS Sports Network on Friday night at 9:30 p.m. EST. Matt McConnell and Dave Starman will call the action from the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo.

In addition, several college hockey games will be televised over the course of Hockey Weekend Across America. For a full listing, see below.

For the second straight year, NBC Sports will explore hockey's influence and impact in America with its Hockey Day in America coverage throughout the afternoon on Sunday. Along with three regional NHL games at noon EST, and the national game of the week (Boston Bruins vs. Minnesota Wild), NBC Sports will highlight USA Hockey's National Team Development Program and the success it has experienced since its inception in 1996.

The studio set for NBC's coverage will be located at the Wells Fargo WinterSkate outdoor rink in St. Paul, Minn. Young skaters from Minnesota will take to the rink throughout the day to showcase USA Hockey's American Development Model. In addition, a giant Team USA jersey, spanning 20 feet by 20 feet, will be on hand for fans to sign in support of the U.S. Women's National Team which will host the International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship in Burlington, Vt., from April 7-14. Amanda Kessel, a member of the U.S. Women's National Team, will be on hand to sign autographs near the giant jersey.

NHL Network U.S. will air special programming during Hockey Weekend Across America. A detailed NHL Network U.S. schedule can be found here.

HockeyWeekendAcrossAmerica.com is the information hub for the event, with highlights of activities planned in conjunction with Hockey Weekend Across America from around the country, giveaway contests and downloadable promotional materials available. Associations or fans celebrating Hockey Weekend Across America are encouraged to submit their event plans to USA Hockey at the site.

USA Hockey and Reebok Hockey are teaming up to provide free head-to-toe equipment packages to three lucky winners with the Hockey Weekend Across America "Get Your Gear On Sweepstakes." For official rules and to enter, click here.

Throughout the weekend, fans are encouraged to upload photos of their experiences to Reebok Hockey’s Facebook page as part of Reebok’s “Faces of Hockey Weekend Across America” promotion. Select photos will be featured in an upcoming edition of USA Hockey Magazine, the world’s most widely distributed hockey magazine.

NOTES: Hockey Weekend Across America was created by USA Hockey in 2008 to engage the hockey community in celebrating the sport of hockey at all levels and exposing the sport to new audiences ... Follow @USAHockey on Twitter for giveaways throughout the weekend and use the hashtag #HWAA to join the conversation ... "Like" USA Hockey's Facebook page for special news throughout Hockey Weekend Across America.

Televised College Hockey Schedule During Hockey Weekend Across America

Date Game Network
Time (EST)

Fri., Feb. 17 Dartmouth at Yale NBC Sports Network 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 17 Notre Dame at Miami CBS Sports Network 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 17 Northern Michigan at Michigan FSN Detroit 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 17 Denver at Wisconsin FSN Wisconsin 8 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 17 Bemidji State at Minnesota FSN North 8 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 17 Michigan Tech at North Dakota Fox College Sports 8:30 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 17 Nebraska Omaha at Colorado College CBS Sports Network 9:30 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 18 UMass Lowell at Boston University NESN 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 18 Bemidji State at Minnesota FSN North 8 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 18 Denver at Wisconsin FSN Wisconsin 8 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 18 Michigan Tech at North Dakota Fox College Sports 8 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 18 Northern Michigan at Michigan FSN Detroit 5 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 18 Alaska at Michigan State FSN Detroit 8 p.m.

Julie Chu to Serve as Keynote Speaker at
2012 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Ceremony in Duluth, Minn.

Fifteenth Annual Award Ceremony Set for March 17; Tickets Available at PattyKaz.com

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Julie Chu, winner of the award in 2007 as a senior at Harvard University and three-time Olympian, will be the keynote speaker at the 15th Annual Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Ceremony, presented by Easton Foundations. The event will be held at the Greysolon Ballroom in Duluth, Minn., on March 17.

An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is annually bestowed upon the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey. The award will be presented at a brunch ceremony, held in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Frozen Four (March 16 & 18). All four teams participating in the Frozen Four are expected to attend.

Chu, who was an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota Duluth during the team's national championship in 2007-08, is currently serving as an assistant coach for the Union College women's ice hockey team. She finished her four-year career (2002-07) as Harvard University's all-time assists leader (196) and the NCAA leader with 284 points in 129 games.

In 211 games with the U.S. Women's National Team Program, Chu has recorded 178 (63-115) points. She has participated in seven International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championships, 10 Four Nations Cups and one IIHF Twelve Nations Invitational Tournament Series. She also helped the Montreal Stars of the Canadian Women's Hockey League, the team currently she plays for, to the CWHL championship in 2010-11.

NOTES: Tickets to the ceremony may be purchased by calling 719-538-1169 or by submitting a completed ticket form (located at PattyKaz.com). Individual seats are $65, while tables of 10 are available for $600. A select number of sponsorships and program advertisements are also still available. More information can be found here ... The top-10 finalists will be announced on March 1, while the top-3 finalists will be named on March 8 ... For more information and to sign up for the Kaz Connection, a free monthly e-newsletter dedicated solely to the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, please visit PattyKaz.com ... The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is supported, in part, by a grant from the NHL Foundation. Other event partners include the NCAA and Marriott, while Maurices is an event sponsor.

ABOUT THE PATTY KAZMAIER MEMORIAL AWARD
An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is annually presented to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. Selection criteria includes outstanding individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness and a love of hockey. Consideration is also given to academic achievement and civic involvement.

ABOUT PATTY KAZMAIER
The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year varsity letter-winner and All-Ivy League defenseman at Princeton University from 1981-86. An accomplished athlete who helped lead the Tigers to the Ivy League Championship in three consecutive seasons (1981-84), Patty Kazmaier-Sandt died on Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.

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Fans worldwide who want to bid Whitney Houston farewell will be able to watch her private funeral on the Internet. The Associated Press will be allowed a camera at the Saturday ceremony in Newark, New Jersey. The event also will be available to broadcasters via satellite.

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Riders get tough, sign LaBatte and Picard.

Als make their move, sign All-Star Rod Davis.

Visit the leagues' official website, http://www.cfl.ca/.

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Billy Bob Thornton said that when he was a kid, for entertainment, his dad would take him to the site of car accidents. [Today we call those Transformers movies.]

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Jimmy watches Curious George.

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900 students have set a new world record for flipping pancakes. Students and staff from England's Sheffield University were helped by local residents for The Big Flip, which was verified by Guinness World Record officials Wednesday. Participants were given just one pancake and had to simultaneously flip their battered delicacy for at least 30 seconds.

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Today in Elvis History

1957 - Elvis Presley's single "Playing For Keeps" hit #34 in the U.S. The song was the b-side of the song "Too Much."

1970 - Elvis Presley recorded songs that would be the backbone of his upcoming album "On Stage."

1972 - Elvis Presley recorded "An American Trilogy" live in concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas.

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If you put your husband in the dog house for not getting you flowers on Valentine's Day, and didn't buy his excuse that the company forgot to deliver them, you should know that he's telling the truth. It turns out 1-800-FLOWERS left many customers in the dark on Valentine's Day. Their customer service lines are packed and people are leaving nasty notes on Twitter.

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Today in Beatles History:

1964 - The Beatles performed for the second time on "The Ed Sullivan Show." They had made their first appearance on the show only a week before.

1968 - The Beatles flew to India to study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

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The hottest new social networking website Pinterest has been getting all kinds of attention lately, and now comes a sure sign of validation: Mark Zuckerberg has signed up with a profile of his own. Zuckerberg also has accounts on Twitter and Google Plus, but he's relatively inactive on those. If his Pinterest activity starts humming, it may be a good sign for the site.

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Today in Sports History:

1962 - Jimmy Bostwick defeated his brother, Pete, to win the U.S. Open Court-Tennis championships for the third time.

1969 - Alex Delvecchio (Detroit Red Wings) scored his 1,000th NHL point.

1970 - Joe Frazier began his reign as the undefeated heavyweight world champion when he knocked out Jimmy Ellis in five rounds. He lost the title on January 22, 1973, when he lost for the first time in his professional career to George Foreman.

1972 - Los Angeles Laker Wilt Chamberlain topped the 30,000-point mark in his career during a game against the Phoenix Suns. He was the first NBA player to reach 30,000 points.

1989 - Roger Clemens (Boston Red Sox) signed a three year contract worth $7,500,000.

1992 - The Los Angeles Lakers officially retired Magic Johnson's #32 jersey. Johnson was the fifth Laker player to have his jersey retired. The other players were Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

1992 - Michel Goulet (Chicago Black Hawks) became the 17th player to score 500 career goals.

1997 - Jeff Gordon became the youngest driver to win the Daytona 500.

1997 - Mitch Richmond (Sacramento Kings) scored his 15,000th career point in a game against the Golden State Warriors.

1999 - O.J. Simpson's 1968 Heisman Trophy was sold for $230,000. A court judgment ordered the trophy to be sold to help settle a $33.5 million civil judgment against Simpson for the deaths of his ex-wife and her friend.

2004 - The Pittsburgh Penguins lost their NHL-record 12th consecutive home game.

2004 - Baseball commissioner Bud Selig approved the swap of Alex Rodriguez (Texas Rangers) and Alfonso Soriano (New York Yankees). The Rangers would also get a minor league player in the deal.

2005 - The NHL announced the cancellation of the 2004-2005 season due to a labor dispute. It was the first time a major sports league in North America lost an entire season to a labor dispute.

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On Saturday, a 40-something-year-old customer reportedly went into cardiac arrest in the middle of eating his meal at a Las Vegas restaurant. The man was taken to a nearby hospital. Just before he went into cardiac arrest the customer had been eating something called the Triple Bypass Burger at a restaurant called Heart Attack Grill. The burger contains a monstrous 6,000 calories.

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Coming up:

Tonight --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs San Jose Sharks 7:30pm EST

Friday --

Nothin' Doin'

Saturday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Eels 5:15pm EST

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals 7:00pm EST

EJHL South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors vs Florida Eels 8:00pm EST

Sunday --

Empire South Hockey -- Tampa Bay Juniors at Florida Eels 11:30am EST

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That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by, I hope that you'll do so tomorrow too. Thanks again!