Fee Increase

The Blacksheep HC annouces that player fees will increase from $650 last year to $897,335 this year.

Only 2 Month Till Puck Drops

Today the Blacksheep HC announce the signing of free agent centre Mats Sundin to a 2 year $11 million contract.

"I am happy to be coming to an organization with a commitment to having fun and drinking beer in the dressing room. The team is loaded with talented wingers, something that cannot be said about my previous team. Vancouver is a good fit for me, a city where I will not be asked to be mayor and one that a 6'5" Swedish man can walk around without prejudice" -Mats Sundin

Only 3 Months Till Puck Drop

Game On! April 5, 2008: 8:15pm ISNR

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Round 1, Game 2: Van Wonders v. Blacksheep

Where
At 8:15pm Saturday night we need 13 skaters and a goalie. We must win. We play in the rink that the bar with the big TV's overlooks. Invite your fans to watch you and the Canucks fight for their playoff lives.

Wear
We are the Blacksheep. They are the white Wonders.

Us

A picure is worth a thousand words.

Them
They have to deal with 13 sheep heads charging at them and one gigantic one in net.

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Game On! March 30, 2008: 4:45pm ISNG

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Round 1 : Van Wonders v. Blacksheep

Where
Sunday at 4:45pm the quest for Division 7 Men's Beer League hockey supremacy begins on the North Shore.

Wear
Don't quote me on this but I believe we wear white and they wear red in Game 1. I can however confidently say this, "bring both sets of wool".

Us
This was the first season the The Blacksheep HC has played at or above .500%. We deserve to pat ourselves on the back. When we show up and play Sheep hockey we can beat any team in our division and have proved this season. Sheep hockey is a team game:

• Hard, quick shifts
• Pressure on the puck at all times
• Aggressive back checking
• Positional play
  
• Pucks thrown at the net
• Butterflies create hurricanes

For us to live to play in the next round we must focus all of our energy at fighting the little battles on the ice. We are not out to complain about the ref's, argue about ice time or beat up on our own selves. We must put that aspect of our season behind us and move towards the goal of winning every shift we play. That is how we will win the war.

O' Captain! My Captain! We are lead by the men we voted as Captains and their word is law. Billy, Gavin & Scattergood we have chosen you to lead us; tell us where to play, who to play with and how we can best help this team. Before the game and between periods we will not speak about our team and our play, we have asked you to do that that for us, and, will listen with open ears and closed mouths. We have a team full of leaders and must now individually show that leadership by allowing our voted three to shape the outcome of this season. That is the mission for the rest of us - agreed?

p.s. Let's all show up sober sporting no ill effects from the night before. Seriously, we have every Saurday night for the rest of our lives to poison our livers. One easy night can mean 3 extra games over the next couple of weeks. Trade that for a brutal Sunday morning hangover.

Them
Lifetime we are 1-3-1 against the Van Wonders. This season we have played them twice, losing both games buy a combined score of 7-1. The first of those two games we played with a very limited line up that included Wheeler, two Maroons and Jason Hanson in net.

The Van Wonders are a smart, mature hockey team that wins games by staying out of the penalty box. This season they have taken 118 less minutes in penalties than we have. The moustache brigade [notice many of their players are a bit older] play smart a old-school game that relies on puck control and mental control. In the last six games they have only allowed 6 goals and have won each game. This is a team that we need to generate shots on goal against.

There are three players that we need to keep an eye on in this series.

Craig Burak #9 usually plays left defence and he is the cog that controls the play and tempo of the game from the back end. Against us he has moved the puck effectively from there end into ours repeatedly. He is talented enough that each time we have played them we have collectively muttered under our breath that we NEED to know what he is doing at all times and should do all we can to keep the puck off of his stick. He has played 249 games in this league and has scored 309 points. Do not let this man beat you, because he will if given the opportunity.

Dan Brown #6 scored 21 goals this season and has scored 109 over his Duffer's career. His total was second highest in the league next to the Wayne Gretzky guy who plays for the East Van Specials who should really be playing in Division 1 or 2. He doesn't like to pass the puck, preferring to skate through a crowd to get a shot on goal.

Paul Cederberg #19 is their talented goon. His 54 penalty minutes is the same number that our #19 has taken this year. In our last meeting he was ejected for taking too many penalties. He has 30% of his teams penalty minutes and is a hot head. He can also pass the puck, talk shit and be thrown off of his game. He takes penalties in bunches and plays rough.


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Game On! March 25, 2008: 9:15pm ISNG

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Game 25: Silver Bullets v. Blacksheep

Where
Easter Weekend means we play on the Tuesday. Why? I don't know. Anyway, 9:15pm on Tuesday the 25th of March.

Wear
The Silver Bullets wear their home whites. We wear the original Blacksheep duds.

Us & Them
Are we done fighting with each other, fighting the refs and fighting the puck? Because seriously, this particular strategy is not working for us so well. 'Nuff said. Game on! Let's go out and beat up on the only team below us in the standings before we go out and win the whole damn division.

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Lightening Things Up A Little

Spring Hockey

From the files of Jesse McClinton...

Hey Guys,

• Looks like we almost have a full spring team. I've just opened a bank account for the team. If you want to play all you have to do is get me $350 before Thursday morning. Email money transfer is the best. Send it to this email address. If you don't know how to email money transfer, call me and I'll walk you through it. Its super easy to do and once you know how you will use it all the time.
• If your not going to play, please respond with "NOT IN!" I would appreciate that a lot.
• I know we had talked about the ASHL, but Duffer's also does a spring league. I played with Derek (the President) last Saturday and he has two spots open. Registration is a bit more, but there are more games (15 + 2 playoffs). Also, Duffers has been good to the Black Sheep.

"The spring season starts the end of March or beginning of April and runs to the end of June. Games are played on weekday evenings and weekends. Winter and spring league games have a 5 minute warmup and 3 stop-time periods: a 10 minute 1st (DWHL 15 minute 1st), a 15 minute 2nd, and a variable 3rd to maximize ice time (usually 15 to 20 minutes)."

• Goalies: Jason if your interested I would like to give you first dibs. Special rate $200. You always come out when we need you and I think that it is one way we can pay you back. Rob, obviously we would love you to back up Jason or if he turns the full time gig then we can reverse rolls. I hope you don't feel slighted, its just that Jack has been telling me how much Jason wants to play.
• If anyone has a friend that they want to bring out, we have 3 or 4 more spots open. Get them to call me right away. This is last minute and we are cutting it close.
• Jack, I think you said that you have a few buddies at the mill.
• Benny, can you take care of you European waiter (Andre) and get me his email. Also, can we use the Black Sheep Jerseys?
• Ryan, come play! If you don't your not my cousin anymore.
• If there is money left over after registration I will redistribute it. If anything goes wrong and we don't make registration I will obviously return everyone's deposit.

Game On! March 15, 2008: 08:30pm ISNB

THE GUARD

(too cool to post a logo on duffers)

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Game 24: The Guard v. Blacksheep

Where
Saturday looks something like this: The Canucks v. Dallas @ 4:00pm on HNIC, then the Blacksheep v. the Guard @ 8:30pm on the North Shore, then Lindy's Birthday dinner downtown @ Kobe Steakhouse and then Lindy's after party. Wow! Now that's a Saturday.

Wear
The Blacksheep wear white. The Guard come at us in blue. Do not pass the puck to guys wearing blue, especially if it is Rob Allen and he is tapping his stick calling for the puck.

Us & Them
They playoffs start NOW. Let's treat these last two games like it is a two game playoff series. At most we have 7 games left. If we are still standing in 7 games (April 13) then we have won the whole damn thing. Who loves playoff hockey?

The Sheep have won 2 of the last 3 games scoring 10 goals while surrendering 8. As a team we have committed to strong defensive play and forwards have played hard quick shifts. Last game our fore checking and back checking slowed down the highest scoring team in the land, one who was in first place until we laid the beatdown on them. Playing this system we can beat any team we line up against.

Hat tip to Joe Post for his role last game keeping the lines in order and the shifts short. For my part I don't think I was on the ice for more that 45 seconds in a shift and had at least three shifts that were 10 seconds long. Butterflies create hurricanes. When we all agree to play the same way you know that you get to jump back over the boards before you can catch your breath. That's winning Sheep hockey. I like winning.

If we a going to win the Division 7 title we are going to meet the first place Guard somewhere along the way. By the numbers we match up like this:

Goals Against Average
US 2.95 THEM 3.33 edge: Sheep
Save Percentage
US .889 THEM.883 edge: Sheep
Goals For
US 82 THEM 67 edge: Sheep
Goals Against
US 70 THEM 77 edge: Sheep
Powerplay %
US 24% THEM 14% edge: Sheep
Penalty Kill %
US 86% THEM 75% edge: Sheep
Penalty Minutes
US 268 THEM 306 edge: Sheep
Shorthanded Goals
US 10 THEM 6 edge: Sheep

Is there any reason why we can't beat this team?

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The Playoff Push

We are going to finish no higher than 4th and no lower than 6th when the season is over. No matter how you slice it we play our first playoff game Sunday March 30, 2008 between 3:15pm - 7:30pm on the North Shore. Our second playoff game will be Saturday April 5, 2008 between 6:45pm - 11:00pm.

Coincidentally the Canucks play the Flames at GM Place Sunday March 30, 2008 @ 5:00pm and again on Saturday April 5, 2008 @ 7:00pm. I know that many Sheep have tickets to these two games (the second one being the season's final game). Funny isn't it? Both the Sheep and the Canucks could be playing their final game of the season at exactly the same time. Or you could look at as both teams may need to win the April 5th game to stay alive for another day.

So what's it going to be? Watch hockey or play hockey? The time keeper says you can't do both.