I'll be taking Michigan Hockey Net offline sometime this week for a few
days. I've been working on a new site design (hope your web browsers are
up to date) and will begin uploading those files. I don't have the entire
site completed yet, though, so if you click on a link and get a "page does
not exist" or some type of error, that's the reason why. It's still a work
in progress.

I am also going to be looking for some help this year because I have just
taken a video internship position with the Plymouth Whalers hockey team and
will be missing a good deal of Michigan home games because a lot of them
overlap with each other. I am looking for the following:

1) Someone to send me a post-game summary and any other general opinions
on the team's play during the game. I know some of you write a lot on the
USCHO message boards.

2) Someone in the Ann Arbor area that has Comcast Cable and can record the
home games off WOLV-TV for me. I'll supply you with a big box of videotapes.

In exchange for that, well, if there's a Whalers home game when Michigan
doesn't play that you want to attend, I can get you free tickets.

The best part about my internship is that I'm working for former Wolverine
captain Alex Roberts. He's the Whalers assistant coach/assistant general
manager. I showed him my new site layout today and when he came across
"Chants" in the menu his eyes lit up with excitement because he always
wondered what we said up in the stands.

And speaking of the alumni, I'm also moving the Pro News section off
Michigan Hockey Net and opening up MichiganHockeyAlumni.net. There's so
many Wolverines in pro hockey today that I decided to give them their own
site. Again, like MHNet, if you come across an error, the site is still a
work in progress. In fact, it's nowhere near completed yet as I'm still
working on MHNet. Alex said that he would help out in any way he could, so
we can probably do some fan question sessions throughout the season if
there's enough interest, and I'll probably ask him to share some of his
favorite stories from his time at Michigan for the new site. Who knows,
maybe I can get him to interact with you all on the message board.

A few things I did learn from him today are Andy Burnes, Eric Nystrom, John
Shouneyia, and Mark Mink have all been doing some preseason practicing with
the Whalers. Of course, three of the four used to play for the Compuware
Ambassadors. And the foursome is going to Cedar Pointe tomorrow. Now
*that's* a workout!

And, beating a dead horse, going back to Mike Cammalleri's departure, as
you know the OHL closed the Van Ryn loophole, so some wondered how Cammo
could use it as leverage against the L.A. Kings. Some suggested that he
might challenge the rule in court. Apparently, that is exactly what he
did. He did file a lawsuit against the OHL, but the second he signed with
the Kings, it was dropped. However, there is another college hockey
player, Alex thinks it's a guy from Merrimack or somewhere out East, that
has a lawsuit still going against the OHL challenging the closed rule.

And going to another possible departure, not Michigan, but Michigan
State. Everyone's still wondering about Ryan Miller. A recent Buffalo
newspaper article said a deal could be finalized this week. On top of
that, someone on the USCHO message board did some "investigative" work and
searched the MSU e-mail registry and found that goaltender Justin Tobe has
enrolled. The deal with Tobe is that he would only join Michigan State
this season if Miller left, otherwise he'd spend another year in the
NAHL. While still not official that he's gone, it's looking more and more
like it that he will be, which, as much as any Michigan fans hates the
Spartans, the CCHA has lost enough this offseason and doesn't need another
top star gone.

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That's all for now...

Go Blue!

Jason
Michigan Hockey Net
http://MichiganHockey.net/