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LATEST UPDATES (More latest news here) :
SEP.1 - Friesen ready for fourth season with IceDogs: Article here.
AUG.29 - IceDogs barking Tuesday:  article on the upcoming camp which starts next week.
AUG.27 - Reggie Traccitto signs ECHL contract with Reign:  Read about it here.
AUG.14 - Team Canada U-18 Team Wins Gold!  More congratulations to Niagara IceDog defenceman Dougie Hamilton who helped Team Canada beat Team USA and win the gold medal at the under-18 junior hockey championship!!
AUG.4 - Congratulations to Dougie Hamilton for making the U-18 Team Canada!  Read all about it.
JUL.31 - Lessi signs with Generals, IceDogs to receive a ton of compensation!  Former 1st round IceDogs pick Lucas Lessio, who refused to play in the OHL his first year due to possibility of going the U.S. college route, has decided to sign with Oshawa (who the IceDogs traded him to and already received pics for that), which in turn gives the IceDogs even more future pics.  Read all about it.
JUL.26 - Dogs add Van Ryn as assistant:  The Niagara IceDogs announced Monday that recently retired Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Mike Van Ryn has been hired as an assistant coach.  Head coach and general manager Marty Williamson said Van Ryn was the perfect fit to help the team’s young defence corps.  More here.
JUL.6 - NHL LEGEND ENFORCER BOB PROBERT DIES:  Read article here.
JUN.25 - ICEDOGS GOALTENDER MARK VISENTIN SELECTED IN 1ST ROUND OF NHL DRAFT!  Visentin was selected 27th overall (1st round) by the Phoenix Coyotes in today's NHL draft.  Way to go Visser!!!!   (Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, both of the OHL, were selected 1st and 2nd respectively, with Hall going to Edmonton, Seguin to Boston).  More drafting continues Saturday!  Talk about it here!
JUN.23 - Confidence the biggest issue for Niagara's Visentin:  Good NHL.com article on our #1 goaltender here.
JUN.22 - Visentin invited to Team Canada World Junior Camp: IceDogs Goaltender Mark Visentin was one of four goaltenders named to Canada's National Junior Team Development Camp, after being one of nine goaltenders competing for the spots at Hockey Canada's Goaltending Camp last week.  Read article here.
JUN.16 - The IceDogs 2010/11 schedule has been posted!
JUN.15 - Freddie Hamilton 5 question write up right here.
JUN.15 - Happy birthday Dougie Hamilton! who turns 17 on Thursday.
JUN.9: Niagara IceDogs defenceman Dougie Hamilton will be presented with the Ivan Tennant Memorial Award for top academic high school player today at the OHL Awards Ceremony.  Hamilton compiled an average of 98% at Governor Simcoe Secondary School, where he enrolled in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, English, Health for Life, and a Grade 12 level Functions course where he has a perfect 100% grade.  Read article here.
JUN.05: Road to new St. Catharines puck place just got a little rockier: Hopes of a new arena (and the future of the IceDogs for that matter) isn't looking very good.  "Expert" study has strange notion that venues wouldn't want to put on a show in our new 5000 to 6000 seat building (which would be the ONLY one in our entire *400,000* + population region).  Someone should have told them that crossing countries with a required passport into BUFFALO of all places, doesn't count as competition, and that Hamilton DOESN'T EVEN HAVE a mid-sized rink which many venues prefer, and that we wouldn't even be vying for the large sized venues of Toronto!!  Perhaps they didn't even look in to how other OHL cities make their rinks work, or perhaps other cities are just much better managed when it comes to municipally-operated projects.  But how cities the size of Sarnia (72000), Sault Ste. Marie (75000), Windsor (216000 - directly across from Detroit), Erie (104000), Guelph (114000), Sudbury (21000) do it, and we can't, is beyond the comprehension of the operator of this site.
MAY.28 - BARRIE EX-HEAD COACH WILLIAMSON TO BE NAMED COACH OF ICEDOGS:  Read here.
MAY.28 - Friesen, Visentin, F.Hamilton make top 150: on central scouting list
MAY.26 - Visentin the Workhorse!:  Great interview with our goaltender right here!
MAY.22 - EA Sports, CHL confirm partnership for NHL 11:  EA Sports and the Canadian Hockey League have officially announced their partnership for the NHL 11 video game.  After weeks of speculation, on Friday the CHL and EA Sports said the 2010-2011 version of the popular video game will include all teams and players from the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The game is scheduled to be released this September.  More here.
MAY 11, 2010 - IceDogs Goaltender Mark Visentin has been invited to Hockey Canada's Goaltending Camp which will take place from June 17th-20th in Calgary.  Read more
MAY.1 -   IceDogs stock up at draft: The Niagara IceDogs got defensive at the 2010 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection Saturday.  The IceDogs selected defencemen Jesse Graham and Luke Mercer, both of the Toronto Young Nats, with their two first round picks. Graham went sixth overall and Mercer eighth.  "We wanted to look at taking two D," Niagara general manager Dave Brown said. "You can never have enough good defencemen.  Read full article here
APR.15 - Dougie Hamilton gets Ivan Tennant Award - When he's not hitting opposition forwards on the ice, Dougie Hamilton is hitting the books.
The 16-year-old Niagara IceDogs rookie defenceman has been named this year's winner of the Ivan Tennant Award as the Ontario Hockey League's top academic high school student.  Hamilton is the third member of the IceDogs to win the award, following in the footsteps of older brother Freddie, who won the award last season, and Niagara-on- the-Lake's Alex Friesen, the 2007-08 winner.  Read full article here
APR.9 - Agozzino signs AHL try-out contract!  Aggy will play the last 2 games of the St. Louis Blues AHL farm team!!  Read more here!
MAR.26 - Crowd does its job, and so do IceDogs - Wednesday, Bill Burke asked hockey fans of Niagara to respond. They did their job and just 24 hours later, Burke's hockey team did theirs, with a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Ottawa 67's in front of a sellout crowd in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarter-finals.  More here
MAR.24 - OHL coaches name IceDog players tops in certain categories:  In a poll of all OHL coaches, for the Eastern Conference, Alex Friesen was named best player for faces and hardest worker.  Captain Andrew Agozzino came in 3rd for most underrated player.  See poll results here.
MAR.23 - SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League announced today that Lowell Devils center Michael Swift has been named the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Mar. 21, 2010. Swift notched five goals and two assists for seven points along with a plus-4 rating in four games last week.  Read here.
MAR.22 - The IceDogs return home from Ottawa in their much anticipated first home game of their first round playoff matchup against the 67's.  Ottawa narrowly took the first two games in the nation's capitol, and the IceDogs will need to win both on their home ice if they're to have any hope of getting to the 2nd round.  Go Dogs Go !!
MAR.9 - VISENTIN NAMED OHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK - The Ontario Hockey League today announced that goaltender Mark Visentin of the Niagara IceDogs is the Boston Pizza OHL Player of the Week for the week ending March 7, extending the streak to three straight weeks for a goaltender to claim the honour. Visentin helped the IceDogs’ playoff push with a 3-0-0-0 record and a goals-against-average of 1.30 and save percentage of .963. The record came despite the fact that the IceDogs were out shot in all 3 games and Visentin also faced 30+ shots in all three games.  Read full article here
MAR.4 - Caputi thrilled to join Leaf youth core - He grew up in Toronto, loving Doug Gilmour while wearing Wendel Clark's number.  Yes, Luca Caputi bleeds blue and white.  Now, the newest member of the Toronto Maple Leafs will get to find out what it's like to wear blue and white.  "For me and my family it's a special day," Caputi said Wednesday. "I'm looking forward to having a good end of the season."  more here
MAR.R - The Niagara IceDogs are now accepting deposits for 2010-11 season tickets.  For a $100/seat deposit, you can ensure your seat for the 2010-11 season, as well as recieving access to 2009-10 playoff seats immediately, at the season ticket holder rate.  More info here!
MAR.4 - IceDogs goalie in the groove - Mark Visentin is a creature of habit. The Niagara IceDogs' netminder is a big believer in routine, whether it's before a game or practice. Visentin figures if he prepares for each game and each practice the same way day in and day out, that consistency will carry over to his level of play.  "I like to keep things consistent," the 17-year-old Waterdown native said. "I think when you have a consistent routine, it comes out in your play.  continued here...
MAR.2 - Burke says IceDogs here to stay:  And so it begins, but it has started a little early.   A story reported by the Niagara Falls Review suggesting Chatham is wooing the Niagara IceDogs is only the start of a flood of similar reports that will increase in intensity as the IceDogs approach the end of their five-year lease at Jack Gatecliff Arena and there's no concrete news on a new spectator facility for St. Catharines... continued here.
FEB.16 - Pictures of the season ticket holders skate with the IceDogs on Family day are online!  And click here for pictures of the skills competition!
FEB.16 - Traccitto wins a pair of events in IceDogs skills competition - Dave Brown knows there are still a lot naysayers out there, but the general manager of the Niagara IceDogs is certainly feeling a lot better about his team than he was a month ago. Maybe even a week ago. After picking up five of a possible six points over the weekend, the IceDogs are now tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference standings... Full article here!
FEB.06 - Chris DeSousa knew he was going to get jeered.  He did, though, stack up some serious kindling onto the boo blaze in a less-than-successful return to St. Catharines.  The feisty forward, who demanded a trade from Niagara in the fall before finally landing with London, fought two-goal man Freddie Hamilton with 7.4 seconds left of a 2-1 loss to his old IceDogs mates before 3,145 Thursday night at old Jack Gatecliff Arena.  Article and others here
Boos rained down on DeSousa as he headed to the visiting dressing room after his bout.
FEB.04 - AGOZZINO SETS OHL RECORD:  Andrew Agozzino set a new record, scoring 4 goals in the OHL All Star game in Kingston.  He was named the Eastern Conference's player of the game.  The East beat the West 17-10.  Discussion here.
FEB.02 - DeSousa returning to Niagara - A familiar face will return to the Jack Gatecliff Arena Thursday night.  Former Niagara IceDogs forward Chris DeSousa will make his first appearance in St. Catharines since being traded to Barrie and then London at the Ontario Hockey League trade deadline.  "I'm really excited and I've been thinking about it for a long time," DeSousa said. "I can't wait to see some of my old buddies again.  "I've talked to them every day since I left and I can't wait to play in the old barn again." He is ready for the typical reaction from fans. "I expect to hear a couple of boos, but it will be a lot of fun."  Read full article here.
FEB.02 - IceDogs' Andrews getting physical  - Johnson Andrews has been in a fighting mood lately. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Niagara IceDogs winger has taken on the role of team enforcer recently, ready, willing and able to drop the gloves whenever the situation dictates a scrap.  Read full article here!
JAN.28 - GOING ON THE ROAD WITH THE ICE DOGS - Want to see what a day (or more) in the life of an IceDogs road trip is all about? TVCogeco play-by-plan man Steve Clark when on the road with the Dogs to Sarnia and Windsor and talked about his trip.
JAN.28 - Consultant picked for arena proposal -The City of St. Catharines has hired a consulting company to help find out if a new spectator facility is feasible. At this week's city council meeting, councillors agreed to pay Deloitte and Touche LLP, based in St. Catharines, $30,000 to study the market, analyze the demographics, analyze the competition and predict how much use a new spectator facility would be used.   The city is considering replacing the aging Jack Gatecliff Arena to provide a new home for the Niagara IceDogs.  Seven companies bid on the project and three were selected for interviews, said a report from David Oakes, the director of economic development.  They were rated on their technical merits, their knowledge of the city, their understanding of P3 partnerships and their ability to meet deadlines.  Deloitte and Touche "exhibited superior overall abilities and qualifications," and have experience in similar projects, wrote Oakes.  The study will also include a prediction of how much it might cost the city to build and to operate, to look for other sources of funding and to estimate the economic impact.  Half of the $30,000 cost of the study is being covered by a grant from the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism, and the other half is coming from three members of the city's spectator facility task force: Dave Howes, Angelo Nitsopolous, and IceDogs owners Bill and Denise Burke.
JAN.24 - Attendance stats show IceDog fans are some of the best in the league!  OHL average attendance has gone down and our team has fallen in the standings considerably since last year, but the fans still come to our 70+ year old rink to cheer.  View OHL attendance stats here!
JAN.22 - Dogs goalie gaining confidence:  It's been a good week for Mark Visentin.   The 17-year-old netminder followed up a top-notch performance at the NHL-CHL Prospects Top Prospects game in Windsor Wednesday with a solid, 20-save performance to lead the Niagara IceDogs past the Mississauga St. Mike's Majors 2-1 in an Ontario Hockey League game Thursday night at Jack Gatecliff Arena.  Visentin, who made 19 saves and was the lone netminder at the Prospects game to not permit a goal, couldn't say enough about the chance to strut his stuff with and against some of the best junior players in Canada.  Full article here.
JAN.14 - AN OPEN LETTER FROM CHRIS DESOUSA TO ALL ICEDOG FANS - READ IT HERE!
JAN.14 - IceDog happy with new home - Ryan Strome doesn't mind going from near the top of the standings to near the bottom. In fact, the newest member of the Niagara IceDogs is pumped to be a key part of Niagara's rebuild.  Read full article here.
JAN.14 - Previewing the next few teams visiting the Gatorade Garden City Complex- Hockeymum posted a good analysis of the upcoming games to the Jack.
JAN.14 - Rosters for the 2010 OHL All-Star Classic is here.  Agozzino will be representing us.
JAN.12 - IceDogs stacked with draft picks in upcoming years - the future looks bright!
JAN.7 - Pietrangelo back with IceDogs, but for how long?  Brown wasn't tipping his hand on the future of Pietrangelo, with the OHL trading deadline arriving at noon Monday.  "At this point, I don't have any comment. We're working to iron everything out and we have a lot on our plate right now."  Article here.
JAN.6 - Petro coming back to Niagara!  ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Blues President John Davidson announced Wednesday the club has assigned defenseman Alex Pietrangelo to the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Niagara Ice Dogs. More here.
JAN.5 - Hamilton looking to be more physical after stint with Team Ontario -  Dougie Hamilton had little time to savour the experience of his first taste of international hockey, playing for Team Ontario at the World Under-17 Challenge in Timmins.  Not long after Team Ontario's 2-1 loss to Team USA Monday night in the gold-medal game, the rookie defenceman with the Niagara IceDogs and the rest of Team Ontario boarded a bus at 1 a.m. The team headed to the Toronto airport where the squad arrived at 9:30 a.m. and dispersed to their respective OHL clubs.  "It was a lot of fun wearing the (Team Ontario) jersey, playing different countries and the experience with a different group playing against guys your own age," the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder said. Read full article here.
JAN.5 - IceDogs deal Gilbert to Whalers official article here.
JAN.5 - IceDogs skate photos from the "skate with the IceDogs" after the game on New Years are online (thanks Lois!)
JAN.4 - Gilbert traded to Plymouth?  Read here.
DEC.26 - Legein rejuvenated in Adirondack - good article on Legein flourishing on his new AHL team.
DEC.15 - Pietrangelo back with junior (national) team:  The cold, harsh reality hit Alex Pietrangelo as he walked from the airplane: He wasn't in the NHL any more. At least not for the next three weeks as he tries to help the Canadian junior hockey team win a sixth consecutive gold medal.  Read full article here.
DEC.12 - Legein does it again!  Stefan Legein scored *another* 2 goals tonight (including an unassisted short-handed) vs. Luca Caputi's AHL team!
DEC.12 - Stefan Legein scored two last night(Adirondack's only goals in a loss). (thanks to Bill S for the info!)
DEC.07 - Crisis?  What Crisis?  Good article here by play-by-play man Chuck Lafeleur on the IceDogs current situation.
DEC.05 - Moes breaks the ice with Dogs - [by Rod Mahood]: In took 18 games, but St. Catharines native Josh Moes couldn't be happier.
The former Owen Sound Attack player, who was acquired by the Niagara IceDogs in a trade Oct. 5, scored twice — his first two goals in an IceDogs uniform — but it wasn't enough as the Dogs dropped a 4-3 decision to the Sarnia Sting before a sellout crowd Friday night at Jack Gatecliff Arena.  "Yeah, I feel relieved a little bit," the 20-year old Moes said. "It's frustrating that it took me so long, but it was nice to finally score, for sure."  Read full article here.
DEC.05 - Interview with Freddie Hamilton here
DEC.04 - TVCogeco's Steve Clark blog on DeSousa/Gilbert ordeal- As Cogeco approaches their 100th broadcast of Niagara Ice Dogs hockey, this weeks blog was supposed to be a feel good reflection on some of those defining moments as we hit the century mark. Clearly breaking news involving two key players pre-empts TV Cogeco's version of the Wonder Years.  Chris DeSousa, for all intents and purposes, represents the heart and soul of the Ice Dogs team, and was one of the names tossed around as a potential captain.  Read full article here!
DEC.03 - Pietrangelo off to national junior camp - Niagara IceDogs defenceman Alex Pietrangelo has been invited to take part in Canada's national junior selection camp Dec. 12-16 in Regina. The St. Louis Blues have confirmed they will loan the defenceman to the team and the King City native will attend the selection camp.
Monday, Pietrangelo, was scratched from the lineup for the sixth straight game by the Blues and the ninth time in the past 10 games.  Read more here
"It's tough because you hope that when guys get injured, that's going to be your opportunity," Pietrangelo told Yahoo! Sports Canada.
DEC.02 - PETRO NAMED TO JR SELECTION LIST:   Alex Pietrangelo has made the list!
DEC.01 - DESOUSA AND GILBERT GONE:  Chris DeSousa and Jay Gilbert have packed their bags and left the Niagara IceDogs, but general manager Dave Brown said he'd welcome both back.   DeSousa and Gilbert both cleaned out their lockers Monday afternoon following an optional skate at Jack Gatecliff Arena.
Brown said DeSousa has asked for a trade, but would only report to the Kitchener Rangers. Gilbert, through his agent, indicated he left the team because he feels he's being underutilized.  "There are a lot of mistakes made in the junior game," Brown said. "We're here, and if they reconsider, we understand mistakes are made.
"I told them I respect them for the position they are in. I told them I like them and everyone in the organization likes them and we don't think any differently of them for what they did."  DeSousa, a 19-year-old Mississauga native, had a breakthrough season last year with 33 goals and 51 points. He has 10 goals and 27 points in 29 games this season, but has been held pointless in his last five games. DeSousa disputed Brown's claim that he would only report to Kitchener.  "I do want a trade, but I didn't necessarily say one team," DeSousa said. "Obviously (Kitchener) that's one destination I'd like to go, but I gave him a short list of teams to go to."  FULL ARTICLE HERE
DEC.01 - Petro to play in world juniors?  Read here
NOV.29 - The Niagara IceDogs snapped the Ottawa 67’s 6-game winning streak with a much needed win in front of a crowd of 3,011 at the Gatorade Garden City Complex Saturday night.  The IceDogs fourth line gave them some early life when Michael Hasson blasted a shot from the top of the circle over the shoulder of Ottawa goalie Chris Perugini for his second of the season at the 3:43 mark of the first.  The action didn’t stop there as IceDog enforcer Johnson Andrews threw a bone-crushing hit which lead to Ottawa defender Marc-Anothony Zanetti challenging him to a fight. Read full article here
NOV.13 - Petro likely to stay in NHL: The Blues certainly have the option to send D-man Alex Pietragelo back to the OHL but is doesn't appear the club will go that route. A source inside the Blues organization tells me the plan today is to keep Pietrangelo with the St. Louis Blues for the remainder of the season. How many NHL games he'll play remains up in the air. The Blues currently have eight healthy D-men compared to seven on most NHL rosters.  Full article here
NOV.07 - Terrible game, but... Insam must have read something on here.  He showed much more flare in throwing his weight around tonight and finishing his checks.  Goaltending woes continue...   DeSousa-Cianfrini scrap was a great way to get the fans into it right off the bat.  Notable game by Moes who made his presence felt physically and around the net.  Game talk here.
NOV.07 - How much rope does Insam have left?  A -3 last night, -11 so far in this short season, and no offensive skills, how much longer before coach McCourt throws in the towel on this player?  Not only is he not producing offensively, but at -11, he's become a liability.  With only 3 goals in 19 games, he could at least throw his 211lbs around every shift, but that's not happening either.  It's not often that I post negative comments here on the home page, and I hate doing so as Insam seems like a great guy, but it's time to say enough is enough.  At 1.5 months into the season, this is more than a slump.
 

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NOTABLE QUOTABLE:
What is the rivalry versus Mississauga like?  Michael Swift - "They probably think they're better than us, by walking in and kicking us out of our old arena and now they're playing in it. But now we're the ones laughing at them because we just beat them four straight and they're starting their summer and going home. It's a little different because you always look at it that they came into the home that we'd been in for the past four years, but we can't be too mad because it's the best thing that's happened to most of us. It would have been nice to finish the career there but the change has been unbelievable, I wish I could have been down here for the past four years. "

Whoever's in charge of designing a new rink for Niagara - Here's A PERFECT NEW ARENA LAYOUT!!