It's Wednesday

It's Tuesday. Here's what's happening....

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Today is October 2nd, the 275th day of 2013. There are 90 days left in the year.

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Blackhawks raise their fifth Stanley Cup banner.

Lightning name St. Louis as captain.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Sting is 62; Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos) is 59; Talk-show host Kelly Ripa is 43.

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University of Minnesota Receives Unanimous No. 1 Ranking in USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine 2013-14 Women's College Hockey Poll - #1(First-place votes in parentheses) Rank School Last Week's Ranking 2013-14 Record (W-L-T) Weeks in Top 10 1. University of Minnesota, 190 (19) 1 0-0-0 2 2. Boston College, 166 2 0-0-0 2 3. Clarkson University, 146 3 1-0-0 2 4. University of North Dakota, 116 5 0-0-0 2 5. Boston University, 104 4 0-0-0 2 6. University of Wisconsin, 94 7 0-0-0 2 7. Cornell University, 90 6 0-0-0 2 8. Harvard University, 54 9 0-0-0 2 9. Mercyhurst University, 44 8 1-1-0 2 10. University of Minnesota Duluth, 17 NR 0-0-0 1 Others receiving votes: Northeastern University, 15; St. Lawrence University, 4; Providence College, 3; Robert Morris University, 2. Notes: The University of Minnesota is the defending NCAA national champion after posting a 41-0-0 record last winter ... The Golden Gophers reclaimed a unanimous No. 1 ranking this week after holding that distinction each week last season ... The Western Collegiate Hockey Association leads all conferences with four ranked teams, while ECAC Hockey has three ranked programs, Hockey East Association boast two squads in the rankings and College Hockey America has one team ranked ... A total of 14 teams received votes. About the poll: The 17th annual USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the four NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey. U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team Training in Madison, Wis., This Weekend Third Annual USA Hockey Disabled Hockey Workshop Part of Weekend Activity As Well COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The 2014 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team will train this weekend (Oct. 3-5) at Madison Ice Arena in Madison, Wis. Team USA will play exhibition games against the 2013-14 U.S. National Developmental Sled Hockey Team on Friday (Oct. 4) at 4:30 p.m. CT and Saturday (Oct. 5) at 5:00 p.m. CT. Head Coach Jeff Sauer (Madison, Wis.), former men's ice hockey head coach at the University of Wisconsin, is in his third season behind the bench for Team USA. In addition to the games, Team USA will have practices on Thursday (Oct. 3) from 9:15-10:30 p.m., Friday (Oct. 4) from 10:15-11:45 a.m. and Saturday (Oct. 5) from 8:30-10:00 a.m. All games and practices are free to the public. Surrounding the training camp is the 2013 USA Hockey Disabled Hockey Workshop, which is being held jointly at the Courtyard Madison West/Middleton and Madison Ice Arena Friday-Sunday (Oct. 4-6). Coaches and administrators will receive on- and off-ice training, including how to create and manage sled and special hockey programs. Members of the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team will be attending select workshop events. Those interested in attending the workshop should contact Jeremy Kennedy (jeremyk@usahockey.org) NOTES: Mike Sertich, former men's ice hockey head coach at University of Minnesota Duluth and Michigan Tech University, will be assisting at the training camp ... Team USA won the gold medal at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. Last April, the U.S. earned the silver medal at the International Paralympic Committee Sled Hockey World Championship in Goyang, South Korea ... The 2013-14 schedule for the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team is available here ... Eighteen players were named to the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team on July 24. Team USA's roster will be trimmed to 17 players by Jan. 1, 2014, to conform to the Paralympic Games roster limit … Nine players return from the 2010 U.S. squad that captured the gold medal at the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver, B.C., including goaltender Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.); defensemen Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, N.H.), Nikko Landeros (Johnstown, Colo.), Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.) and Andy Yohe (Bettendorf, Iowa); and forwards Taylor Lipsett (Plano, Texas), Adam Page (Lancaster, N.Y.), Alexi Salamone (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Greg Shaw (Merritt Island, Fla.). Cash, Chace, Lipsett, Salamone and Yohe also received bronze medals at the 2006 Paralympic Games in Torino, Italy … Dan Brennan (Colorado Springs, Colo.), director of sled and inline national teams for USA Hockey, is serving as the general manager of the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team ... Guy Gosselin (Grafton, Wis.), American Development Model regional manager for USA Hockey, is in his third season as an assistant coach for the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team ... Jeremy Kennedy (Colorado Springs, Wis.) is the manager of the U.S. National Developmental Sled Hockey Team. ************************************************ Rome was made the capital of Italy on this date in 1870. ************************************************ Fan-tasy: Can the fans even things up? CFL helping tackle women's cancers. Visit the CFL's official website, cfl.ca. ************************************************ Today is National Custodial Workers Day. ************************************************

Regina, SK. -The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced today they have signed import defensive back Rod Williams to the team’s roster. Financial details of the contract were not released.

Read the rest here.

Next up for the 8-5 Riders is a game on Friday, October 4th at the 9-4 BC Lions. Kickoff on 620CKRM, 620ckrm.com, the Rider Radio Network, TSN and ESPN3.com is set for 10:00pm EDT.

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"The National Farm and Home Hour" debuted on NBC radio on this date in 1929.

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Tampa, FL. — Demoted quarterback Josh Freeman has requested a trade but is pressuring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his outright release, a move that would allow him to receive all $6.2 million in remaining salary and afford him the freedom to sign wherever he chooses. The team has no intention of immediately doing that, however, according to sources.

Read the rest here.

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For the first time next summer JetBlue will begin offering first class seating. [Which means that you will no longer have to bring your own seatbelt.]

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Corvallis, OR. -- Highlights and behind-the-scenes footage from the Beavers big win over Colorado at home in Reser Stadium.

Read the rest here.

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"Red Adams" debuted on NBC radio on this date in 1933.

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Cleveland, OH. -- The lights have come on for Alex Cobb.

Read the rest here.

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Finally, a way to prove your dog is a genius. Dognition is a site that determines how empathetic your dog is, how clever it is at solving problems, and how much it actually understands what you're saying. Each dog is then assigned a personality trait that can be compared to other dogs of similar age, size, and breeds. Of course, do you really need a website to tell you that your dog is a genius?

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San Francisco, CA. -- A lucrative September got even better for Hunter Pence on Monday, when the Giants outfielder was named National League Player of the Month, presented by Budweiser.

Read the rest here.

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Warner Bros. released "Love Is on the Air" on this date in 1937. Ronald Reagan made his acting debut in the motion picture. He was 26 years old.

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There's Jimmy, looking out the window.

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You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as watching the Rays play Wild Card baseball, isn't it?

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Today in Elvis History

1962 - Elvis Presley's single "Return To Sender" was released with "Where Do You Come From" as the B-side.

1971 - The Elvis Presley album "Almost In Love" hit #38 in the U.K.

1977 - The bodies of Elvis Presley and his mother were moved to Graceland.

2001 - The Elvis Presley movie "Clambake" was released on DVD.

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"The Aldrich Family" debuted on NBC-TV on this date in 1949.

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Today in Beatles History:

1962 - Brian Epstein signed the Beatles to a five-year management contract.

1998 - Paul McCartney conducted an "incognito" live Internet Q&A session and "music remix" in the guise of the Fireman at www.fire-man.com.

2006 - The remastered CD version of the 1973 George Harrison album "Living in a Material World" was released. It contained 2 bonus tracks.

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New data out this week shows drivers in West Virginia are the most likely in the country to hit a deer during their vehicular travels. West Virginia drivers hit more deer, followed by drivers in Montana and Iowa. The data comes from State Farm.

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Today in Sports History:

1908 -Addie Joss (Cleveland Indians) pitched the fourth perfect game in major league baseball history.

1920 - The Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates played the only triple-header in baseball history. The Reds won 2 of the 3 games.

1947 - The Federatino Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) formally established Formula One racing in Grand Prix competition.

1948 - The first automobile race to use asphalt, cement and dirt roads took place in Watkins Glen in New York. It was the first road race in the U.S. following World War II.

1996 - Mark Fuhrman was given three years' probation and fined $200 after he pled no contest to perjury at O.J. Simpson's trial.

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Ironside is back (10p ET, NBC). This reboot of the late '60s drama series of the same name stars Blair Underwood stars as Det. Robert Ironside, a top cop that ends up in a wheelchair after a shooting and leads a hand-picked team of specialist detectives.

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Coming Up:

Tonight --

MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays at Cleveland Indians 8:00pm EDT (A.L. Wild Card game)

Thursday --

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins 7:00pm EDT (First game of regular season)

Friday --

USPHL Empire and Elite Hockey at Charlotte Showcase

CFL Football -- Saskatchewan Roughriders at BC Lions 10pm EDT

NAHL Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild vs Minot Minotauros 10:05pm EDT

Saturday --

USPHL Empire and Elite Hockey at Charlotte Showcase

Izod Indy Car Series -- Grand Prix of Houston at Houston, Texas Race 1 3:00pm EDT

Nascar Nationwide Series -- Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway 3:30pm EDT

NHL Hockey -- Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks 8:00pm EDT

NAHL Hockey -- Wenatchee Wild vs Minot Minotauros 10:05pm EDT

Sunday --

USPHL Empire and Elite Hockey at Charlotte Showcase

Izod Indy Car Series -- Grand Prix of Houston at Houston, Texas Race 2 1:00pm EDT

Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway 2:00pm EDT

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That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by, see you tomorrow!