It's Thursday

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

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Today is July 10th, the 191st day of 2014. There are 174 days left in the year.

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Toews, Kane sign eight-year deals with Blackhawks.

Tappen to join NBC Sports Group, continue on NHLN.

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

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Today's Birthdays: Ron Glass (Barney Miller) is 69. Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) is 42. Jessica Simpson is 34.

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Tampa, FL. -- Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Adam Erne will have surgery on his wrist Thursday, he said via Twitter on Wednesday night.

Read the rest here.

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U.S. troops took possession of Florida on this date in 1821. The territory was sold by Spain.

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USA Hockey Participates in 2014 IIHF Women's High Performance Camp in Vierumaki, Finland Six Players and Two Staff Members to Represent USA Hockey at Camp; Two Additional IIHF Events Held Simultaneously at Sports Institute of Finland COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today that six players and two staff members will participate in the 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s High Performance Camp from July 12-19 in Vierumaki, Finland at the Sports Institute of Finland. The camp provides 180 players born in 1996 from 18 nations with a training program that creates an environment for success as elite women’s ice hockey players, both on and off the ice. The U.S. will be represented by forwards Lexie Laing (Marblehead, Mass.) and Maliya Rodgers (Minnetonka, Minn.), and defensemen Sydney Baldwin (Shorewood, Minn.), Megan Keller (Farmington, Mich.) and Toni Ann Miano (Bronx, N.Y.), as well as goaltender Erin O'Neil(Minnetonka, Minn.). On behalf of USA Hockey, equipment manager Scott Eastman (White Bear Lake, Minn.) and strength coach Dawn Strout (Waterville, Maine) will take part in the mentoring program. Eastman served as equipment manager for the men's ice hockey team at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (WCHA) for the previous five seasons. Strout has spent the past four years at Colby College (NESCAC) as the school’s first-ever strength and conditioning coordinator. NOTES: Reagan Carey (Colorado Springs, Colo.), USA Hockey’s director of women’s hockey, serves on the IIHF Women’s Committee and the High Performance Camp is an initiative of this group … Complete details of the camp will be made available at IIHF.com prior to July 12. USA Hockey is participating in two additional IIHF events in Vierumaki, Finland between July 5-19. The 2014 IIHF Hockey Development Camp (July 5-12) and IIHF Hockey Summit (July 11-14) are taking place at the Sports Institute of Finland.

************************************************ Edison P. Clark patented his indelible pencil on this date in 1866. ************************************************ Regina, SK. -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders today announced the signing of national running back Jerome Messam. Read the rest here. Coming up, the Saskatchewan Roughriders return home to take on the BC Lions on Saturday, July 12th. Game time from Mosaic Stadium is 9:30pm EDT. Catch the game on 620 CKRM, the Rider Radio Network and 620ckrm.com with Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri calling the action. The game can be seen in Canada on TSN and in the U.S. on ESPN3. ************************************************ On this date in 1890, Wyoming became the 44th state to join the United States. ************************************************ . Irving: Bombers think they have found their quarterback. Stephen: Walter, Sanders ready if needed. Please visit the league's official website, cfl.ca. ************************************************ ‘His Master’s Voice’, was registered with the U.S. Patent Office on this date in 1900. The logo of the Victor Recording Company, and later, RCA Victor, shows the dog, Nipper, looking into the horn of a gramophone machine. ************************************************ Tampa, FL. -- In the final part of this two part series, Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy attends the first ever Marvel Universe LIVE show at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Read the rest here. ************************************************ The album A Hard Day's Night by the Beatles was released 50 years ago today. ************************************************ St. Petersburg, FL. -- Under the current bullpen alignment, the Rays went to Kirby Yates to try to nail down the final two outs. Read the rest here. ************************************************ Courtney Love will join Sons of Anarchy for its final season. [Apparently, the producers didn't think they had quite enough anarchy.] ************************************************ San Francisco, CA. -- The Giants performed Wednesday night as if they crossed the Bay Bridge toll plaza through the FasTrak lane and kept accelerating. Read the rest here. ************************************************ The highest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. was 134 degrees in Death Valley, CA on this date in 1913. ************************************************ Come on Jimmy, it's time for your last T-Ball game. ************************************************ You're reading the Johnny Blog. Almost as much fun as your morning cup of coffee, isn't it? ************************************************ Today in Elvis History: 1963 - Elvis Presley recorded the song "Viva Las Vegas." The single was released in April 1964.  1971 - The album "Love Letters From Elvis" hit #33 in the U.S.  2001 - The Elvis Presley compilation album "Blue Suede Shoes Collection" was released. ************************************************ The Good Country Index compares 125 countries on how much they help other nations in seven categories: science and technology, culture, international peace and security, world order, planet and climate, prosperity and equality, and health and well being. ... The index give Ireland the overall No. 1 ranking, thanks to top ten rankings in the categories Culture, World Order, Prosperity & Equality and Health & Well-being. ************************************************ Today in Beatles History: 1964 - The Beatles album "A Hard Days Night" was released in the U.K.  1964 - The Beatles single "A Hard Days Night"/"Things We Said Today" was released in the U.K. 1964 - 200,000 people lined the route from Speke Airport to Liverpool city centre to see the Beatles. The Beatles had come to attend the northern U.K. premiere of "A Hard Day's Night."  1965 - "Beatles VI" hit #1 in the U.S.  1976 - The Beatles album "Rock'n'Roll Music" hit #2 in the U.S. ************************************************ The rumors are true: Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes are expecting a baby. This will be the first child for both actors, who played parents in their 2012 drama The Place Beyond the Pines. ************************************************ Today in Sports History: 1943 - Arthur Ashe, the first African-American inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, was born. He had won 33 career titles.  1951 - Sugar Ray Robinson was defeated for only the second time in 133 fights as Randy Turpin took the middleweight crown.  1969 - The National League was divided up into two baseball divisions.  1984 - Dwight ‘Doc’ Gooden (New York Mets) became the youngest player to appear in an All-Star Game as a pitcher. He was 19 years, 7 months, and 24 days old.  1993 - Kenyan runner Yobes Ondieki became the first man to run 10,000 meters in less than 27 minutes.  1999 - The U.S. Women's soccer team defeated China to win the 1999 World Cup tournament. ************************************************ The first practical rectangular television was presented on this date in 1949. The picture tube measured 12 by 16 and sold for $12. ************************************************ Coming Up: Tonight -- MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Oakland Athletics 3:45pm EDT Friday -- MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays 7:10pm EDT MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks 10:15pm EDT Saturday -- Nascar Nationwide Series -- Sta-Green 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway 3:30pm EDT MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks 4:05pm EDT MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays 4:10pm EDT Verizon Indy Car Series -- Iowa Corn Indy 300 at Newton Iowa 8:00pm EDT CFL Football -- Saskatchewan Roughriders vs BC Lions 9:30pm EDT Sunday -- Nascar Sprint Cup Series -- Camping World RV Sales 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway 1:00pm EDT MLB -- Tampa Bay Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays 1:40pm EDT MLB -- San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks 4:05pm EDT ************************************************ That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by, see you tomorrow.