Well, Santa Claus didn't leave me a Pardubice Ice Girl like I asked for :(. I'm starting to believe the guy doesn't really exist...

maybe he'll leave me a Slovak victory over Canada in today's WJC opener?

Probably not, the cheap bastard!

Anyway...both Canada and Slovakia are having roster issues heading into today's premier match.

The poor Slovaks may be without their #1 dman, Andrej Meszaros, after his nose was broken in the exhibition game versus Belarus. According to Slovak coaches, the Belarussians were quite liberal with their stickwork and now the Slovaks may have their medal hopes dashed :(

As for Canada, they have 2 roster spots still open, as neither Brent Seabrook nor Jeremy Colliton have been officially named to the team as of yet. Seabrook missed the exhbition games with an injury and it was believed that he is now well enough to play. Poor Kyle Quincey was a very late cut to make room for Seabrook. Maybe he'll be back if Seabrook isn't ready as originally thought.

More on Slovakia - They lost their exhibition match against the Czechs by a 4-2 score. Meszaros did not play, but Boris Valabik stepped up huge (pardon the bad pun) in his absence and showed some offensive acumen that he is not known for. Still, IMO, the most important non-Meszaros defenseman for the Slovaks will be his former Trencin running mate, Andrej Sekera. Sekera will also be counted on to play about 25 minutes a night and play in all key situations. Meszaros is getting all of the attention, but Sekera is quite a prize in his own right.

My pal Dano made a good point on some of the roster selections for Team Slovakia. As Slovakia is still a poor country, it is not uncommon for lesser players with rich/well-connected parents to get spots in various tournmanents that they couldn't make on their own merits.

Two players who didn't succeed in the Q are nominated from Trencin - Hascak (son of former excellent player) and Liska (son of minister).
Both don't play on their senior teams. Vlado Kutny dones't score too much. Some guys think that Stevo Blaho from OHL, who is a very good defensive forward, would be a better selection.

On an *ouch* note, poor Vlado Dravecky had to have his appendix removed right upon his arrival to the USA. Perhaps he stopped in at Taco Bell and tried the 99cent menu? (and they didn't warn him?). Jaroslav Markovic of Tri-City (WHL) is his replacement.

Last note on the goalies: As expected, Jaroslav Halak will be the #1. Surprisingly, Novotny will be #2 and Michal Valent (my favourite) will be #3. As long as Halak plays as well as he can, this shouldn't be an issue for the Slovaks.

Today's Prediction: Slovakia 3 - Canada 2
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What is it with Maple Leafs players and whining?

Cue Bryan McCabe, who obviously left his pacifier in Sweden, gives his thoughts on the NHL's Board of Governers meeting set for January 14th:

Do they really need a meeting?" McCabe told the Toronto Sun hours after the news. "I mean, Gary's been poised to throw away (this) season for the past five years. I think he's known this was going to happen for a long time now.

Well, Bryan, the NHL doesn't really *WANT* to cancel the season, don't you think? (I don't think he thinks) It's obvious that the NHL has given the NHLPA this deadline and timeframe to come to the table with another offer. The NHL believes that the NHLPA will cave in to the demand for 'cost certainty' so that they entire season isn't lost. The NHL seems steadfast, so it seems up to the players to 'give in'.

Honestly, I believe the players can afford to sit out this entire season. Almost half the season is gone, anyway, and many of the players have already been playing in Europe and been earning some money through contracts and the NHL lockout fund. When it comes to *next* season, however, we'll start to see some action.

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A little bit of Slovak action before Christmas...

Last place Dubnica beat Trencin (in Trencin!) by a 5-3 score...this is akin to the ECHL Augusta Lynx beating the Tampa Bay Lightning at the St. Pete Times Forum...it really is that monumental of an upset...Hell has frozen over, pigs are flying, and all that...

Pavol Demitra (1 assist and -2) and Trencin only gave up 17 shots against, and still found a way to lose! This is only Dubnica's 3rd win in 35 games this year...perhaps this was simply a Christmas present to the poor bastards? See, Demitra is so generous. You'd never see Steve Yzerman do this.

The Stacked Zvolen squad beat up on Skalica by a 3-1 count.
Richard Zednik too the night off, Michal Handzus had a goal and finished +1 while Vlado Orszagh was held pointless and finished +1.

The final game saw a sparse crowd of 1,000 watch Zilina beat the hometown Kosice squad by a 2-0 score. Ronald Petrovicky and Jiri Bicek (-1) were both held pointless.

Veselé a Stastné Vánoce. (Have a happy and merry Christmas!)

SLOVENSKO DO TOHO!
KANADA DO PICE ;)