NOV.07 - TIME FOR PAYBACK:  After falling to Erie 9-3 last night in Erie (9 goals on only 35 shots) it's time for whoever gets put in net tonight to really step up and put away the fans' goaltending worries.  Also, with only 26 shots on net last night, the offense has a lot of work to do.  2nd game of the back-to-back vs. Erie, in St. Catharines, tonight.  Game time 7PM at the Jack.
OCT.28 - Training Wheels Coming Off of Pietrangelo?  Blues Head Coach Andy Murray isn’t too big on the word confidence. He’s made no secrets over the years that he doesn’t believe in it. My purpose here is not to try and convert him into a believer. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I certainly respect Murray’s.With that being said you could see Pietrangelo’s confidence grow by the shift even though the Blues lost to Dallas last Saturday.  Read article here
OCT.27 - IceDogs Shoot Down Battalion - The Niagara IceDogs were able to mount a thrilling comeback win in overtime on Sunday afternoon, as Freddie Hamilton and Alex Friesen had two goals each to down the Brampton Battalion 5-4.  Friesen's overtime winner was an intended pass that went off the skate of Matt Clark, and the IceDogs erased a two-goal Brampton lead thanks to a few markers that included a penalty shot goal by Freddie Hamilton.  Read full article here
OCT.27 - Want to learn about the IceDogs team bus?  Read here!
OCT.27 - Defenceman Alex Pietrangelo scored his first NHL goal Saturday in a 4-1 St. Louis loss to Dallas. Pietrangelo had more than 18 minutes of ice time and finished a minus-1.
OCT.23 - Niagara prevails in dogfight  - The game is starting to come to Dougie Hamilton and his Niagara IceDogs teammates.   The team generated a lot of offence, played a fairly sound defensive game and showed some of the resiliency its displayed in recent Ontario Hockey League games.  The result was their third win in four games, this time an entertaining 4-3 win over the suddenly slumping Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds before 2,773 fans Thursday night at Jack Gatecliff Arena.  Read full article here
OCT.22 - Billy Burke now an Assistant Coach - Niagara IceDogs General Manager Dave Brown announced today that the IceDogs have named Billy Burke an Assistant Coach.  Read news release here.
OCT.20 - BLUE JACKETS TRADE LEGEIN TO FLYERS FOR RATCHUK - The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded 20-year old forward Stefan Legein to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Michael Ratchuk.  Legein was an alternate captain for Canada's World Junior team and won gold at the 2008 tournament, but surprised the hockey world in August, 2008 when he announced that he was quitting hockey at the age of 19. Legein cited having lost his passion to play the game as the reason. By December of last year, he changed his mind, resumed skating, and eventually joined Columbus' AHL affiliate in Syracuse.  This season in the AHL, Legein has scored two goals and one assist in six games. Legein was originally a second-round choice (37th overall) of the Blue Jackets in the 2007 draft.  Ratchuk, 21, has also been playing in the AHL with the Flyers' affiliate in Adirondack. He was selected by Philadelphia in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2006 draft.  Comments here.
OCT.20 - Theoret gets taste of reality with IceDogs - Mitchell Theoret has found out very quickly there are no shortcuts to success in the Ontario Hockey League. The big centre made the IceDogs with a solid showing at training camp, but has been in and out of the lineup since the start of the season.  “It’s a combination of things,” Niagara coach Mike McCourt said when asked about Theoret’s limited playing time. “Being a first-year guy in the league has been a real eye-opener for him in how demanding the schedule is and how hard you have to work day in and day out to be successful.”  Read article here
OCT.19 - Shaw back to his feisty self: Andrew Shaw quickly became a fan favourite in his first season with the Niagara IceDogs.  Listed at 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, Shaw played like a man much bigger.  Read article here.
OCT.16 - IceDogs Pacify Attack: If resiliency is the mark of a good team, the Niagara IceDogs are on the right track. The IceDogs had two first-period goals called back, were the victim of a penalty shot and could have easily folded when the Owen Sound Attack retook the lead 19 seconds after the IceDogs tied the game.  Instead, Niagara rallied to tie the game and then snapped a four-game losing streak when Freddie Hamilton and Andrew Agozzino sent 2,765 fans home happy by notching shootout goals for a 4-3 win Thursday night at Jack Gatecliff Arena. Read article here
OCT.10 - FRIESEN LEADS OHL IN +/- , DESOUSA IN 2ND !  Yes our IceDogs are holding down the top 2 spots for the league's plus/minus leaders!  See here.
OCT.6 - City seeks cash for new arena from fund - St. Catharines councillors say they want a new home for the Niagara IceDogs; they just don’t want to pay for it. Now they’ve found a potential source of cash. At Monday’s city council meeting, they agreed to submit their plan for a new 5,000-seat downtown spectator facility to the P3 Canada Fund, a new $1.2-billion fund established in September by the federal government to encourage infrastructure projects that include private investment.  Article here!
OCT.6 - IceDogs' Visentin Named CHL Goaltender of the Week - Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that Mark Visentin of the Niagara IceDogs is the CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending October 4. In two starts Visentin stopped 97 of 101 shots faced with a goals-against-average of 2.01 and a save percentage of .960 with one victory.  Read article here
OCT.6 - IceDogs get overager Moes from Owen Sound for 5th round pick:  info and chat here
OCT.2 - IceDogs doing good in league plus/minus leaders - yes it's early, but see here
OCT.1 - Visentin backstops IceDogs to win over Majors - A new, improved version of Mark Visentin is emerging for the Niagara IceDogs.  After spending much of his rookie season as a back-up, the 17-year-old netminder is beginning to look very much like a legitimate starter.  Visentin turned back 50 shots to lead the IceDogs to a 4-2 win over the Mississauga St. Mike’s Majors in an Ontario Hockey League game Thursday night before 2,604 fans at Jack Gatecliff Arena. Read full article here.
OCT.1 - Dahm signs pro contract with Alaska Aces!  Dahm (pronounced Dam), a 22-year-old from Denmark by way of junior hockey in Sweden, major- junior hockey in Ontario and one season in the American Hockey League, knows Lamoureux parlayed his All-ECHL rookie season into an NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres.
And come to think of it, Dahm sounds a lot like Lamoureux -- driven to succeed.  Read article here!
SEP.29 - Waiting game for Pietrangelo - STOCKHOLM -- Alex Pietrangelo, the Blues' other young star defenseman in the making outside of Erik Johnson, has not heard a word from the organization about his immediate future.  Is he staying in St. Louis? Is he going back to the Niagara Ice Dogs of the Ontario Hockey League? A decision has to be made soon, but Pietrangelo right now knows about as much as the fan watching from home.  "All I can do is play my game," Pietrangelo told NHL.com Tuesday morning after the Blues pre-game skate at Ericsson Globe. "That decision is in their hands. All I can do is what I do on the ice."  Read article here
SEP.28 - Frontenacs again handle IceDogs - The Niagara IceDogs don’t play the Kingston Frontenacs again until late January, and that’s probably just fine with them.
The IceDogs lost for the second time to the Frontenacs this season, dropping a 4-2 decision Sunday afternoon before 2,410 fans at the K-Rock Centre. Niagara opened the 2009-10 Ontario Hockey League season with a loss at home to Kingston. “Kingston is a real good hockey team,” Niagara coach Mike McCourt said. “They have a great back end and great goaltending, and they’re an opportunistic team.” Continue reading here
SEP.28 - IceDogs Edged in Kingston - The IceDogs capped off their road trip through Eastern Ontario by falling 4-2 to the Kingston Frontenacs in front of 2410 fans at the K-Rock Centre in on Sunday afternoon.   Kingston enjoyed two goals from Michael Farrell, and had three unanswered goals in the second period to beat the IceDogs for the seond time in the young 2009/2010 season. Continue this article here
SEP.26 - IceDogs Outshine 67's - The Niagara IceDogs returned to the Ottawa Civic Centre for the first time since their thrilling game 7 overtime win last March by topping the 67’s 5-3 on Friday night. The IceDogs spoiled the home opener for 8727 Ottawa fans as Chris DeSousa, Andrew Agozzino, and Reggie Traccitto picked up 2 points each to get IceDogs into the win column for the first time in a young 2009/2010 season.  Read full article here!
SEP.25 - GAME NIGHT!  The re-match of the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals goes tonight.  On paper Niagara won't have an easy games all season and this will certainly be a difficult one for the Dogs. MIN 1st rounder Tyler Cuma is expected to make his season debut for OTT as is Julien Demers. Add in Travis Gibbons and they have one of the best D corps in the league. Game talk here!
SEP.25 - Niagara This Week newspaper that came today, had a nice full IceDogs roster lineup which spanned 2 pages, including photos/stats of each player.  Great way to see this year's roster laid out before you.
SEP.25 - Pietrangelo and Legein have made the cuts so far and are still with their NHL teams.  Article here.
SEP.23 - Caputi cut from Pittsburg Penguins, assigned to AHL team:  Article here.
SEP.23 - Blues’ Alex Pietrangelo “lacks seniority” when it comes to locker assignments:  [article here]
SEP.23 - Pietrangelo makes the cut:  IceDog captain Alex "Petro" Pietrangelo has survived the latest cuts from the St. Louis Blues blue line.  There are now four defensemen battling for two spots: veteran Darryl Sydor, former No. 1 pick Alex Pietrangelo, Tyson Strachan and Jonas Junland. [article here]
SEP.17 - OHL preview of teams is here.
SEP.16 - Maione's family thanks the fans:  Matthew Maione's family took the time to thank the fans here in Niagara for his stay here in the region.  Matt was here from the beginning and will be missed by the fans he played in front of and the friends he made during his time here.
SEP.15 - Home-opener chat thread started here with good breakdown of the upcoming game by ItsGameTime.
SEP.15 - The sky's the limit for Blues' defenseman Pietrangelo - good article updating our captain's stay up in the big league.
SEP.15 - Matthew Maoine put on waivers, picked up by Guelph - read the talk about it here.
SEP.14 - IceDogs send Lessio to Generals - The Niagara IceDogs have decided Lessio is more. Monday, the Ontario Hockey League team traded its 2009 first-round pick, Lucas Lessio, to the Oshawa Generals for a second-round pick in 2010 and a conditional 15th-round pick in 2011.  The conditional pick switches to second-round picks in 2012 and 2013 if Lessio plays a season in the OHL. If Lessio plays two or more years in the league, the IceDogs will also receive two third-round picks in 2011 and a fourth-rounder in 2011. [article here]
SEP.14 - IceDogs deal Lessio to Oshawa:  Yes, the drama continues.  Lessio, who was picked in the OHL draft's 1st round by the IceDogs, initially made it appear that he wasn't sure about actually showing up here, because he also had hopes of playing over at Michigan State.  He quit training camp half way through, and it looked as though he had chosen the US college route.  Fine, no hard feelings.  He chose another league altogether.  NOW however, we hear that he has been traded to Oshawa.  If he does in fact play for the Generals, it will show he WAS willing to play in the OHL - just not for the IceDogs.  So what does this mean?  Lots of draft pics for the IceDogs (read more here) - not to mention, A NEW BOO TARGET!!  IceDog fans alway seem willing to take on a new target for there hostility, and Lessio seems to have stepped up to the plate.  If he does in fact play for the Generals, he'll be in town Feb. 11th of the New year.
SEP.12 - NEW VIDEO:  Fight between Jason Shaw and Sandlak from last Thursday night's game.
SEP.12 - NEW VIDEO:  Johnson Andrews scores on a nice short-handed breakaway.
SEP.12 - NEW VIDEO:  Mathew Sisca is interviewed in his first time back to our rink since being traded to Guelph.
SEP.12 - NEW VIDEO: IceDogs reveal their new jerseys video can be seen here.  It's no secret that the operator of this site is not a fan at all of the new look.  Be your own judge...
|SEP.10 - IceDogs default Guelph 4-2 and go undefeated throughout the pre-season.  Granted, most teams are missing their top talent, being away at NHL camps, and the rosters we'll see a week from now when the regular season begins could be much different than the past 4 games, it's still reason enough to hope for a strong year this season.  Game photos here.
SEP.10 - IceDogs reveal new jerseys - and the initial reaction from fans isn't good.  [jersey photos and comments here]
SEP.8 - The sky's the limit for Blues' defenseman Pietrangelo - great article here on Petro and his time with the Blues organization in the NHL.
SEP.8 - Icedogs doing good at Traverse City camp:  Andrew Loverock, the former OHL Sudbury Wolves netminder and now free-agent camp tryout was excellent in facing and turning away all 20 shots he faced. Judging from his performance both this morning in practice and this afternoon in the game, Loverock should get a good look in Columbus' main camp.  Two other Blue Jackets' players also drew attention. Stefan Legein and Matt Calvert both played very well. Legein, who scored the team's only goal, was quite impressive. A smooth skater, he is very patient with the puck, and then has an excellent release on a sneaky shot. Calvert put forth a huge amount of effort today and was rewarded when after he negated an icing, he put the puck on Legein's stick to register the Blue Jackets only goal.  On the Blues blueline, much is expected of Alex Pietrangelo, who quarterbacked the power play for St. Louis tonight, and is considered the team's No. 1 defenseman. Pietrangelo was noticeable, but mostly for his passing, and ease with the puck. Although he did not spark the team's offense, he still may do so by tournament's end.   [full article here]
SEP.6 - Game photos from yesterdays' game vs. Erie are here!
SEP.3 - Fiesty Shaw brothers add grit to IceDogs lineup: Andrew Shaw developed a reputation last season with the Niagara IceDogs as the kind of player who could make life miserable for the opposition. Shaw was so effective in his role as an agitator, the IceDogs brought in a clone, his younger brother, Jason. 
Jason Shaw brings pretty much the same attributes to the rink as his older brother. In other words, he’s a tough, in-your-face forward who doesn’t mind dropping the gloves when the situation calls for it — and sometimes even when it doesn’t. [article here]
SEP.1 - ADDITIONAL ICEDOGS ROAD GAMES TO BE AIRED ON COGECO - The Niagara IceDogs are pleased to announce additional broadcasted games coming to COGECO for the 2009-2010 season.  COGECO has come to an agreement with Persona Cable in Sudbury, meaning all three IceDogs road games against the Wolves will be aired. COGECO has also come to terms with Shaw Cable in Sault Ste. Marie, which will allow fans to tune in to the February 20th game against the Greyhounds. [more info on this here]
AUG.29 - NOTE:  All newspaper/online articles about the IceDogs will no longer be posted here on the main page.  To stay up to date on the latest news articles about the Dogs, please simply visit this forum.
AUG.28 - Goalie knows the value of hard work - Mark Visentin doesn’t believe in taking the easy way out.  The 17-year-old netminder realizes there is no substitute for good, old fashion hard work, and is prepared to do whatever it takes to become a better goaltender.  [article here]
AUG.28 - IceDogs sign Chartrand and Fritsch - IceDogs General Manager Dave Brown announced today that IceDogs have signed 2009 Priority Selection picks John Chartrand and Andrew Fritsch. [article here]
AUG.27 - PHIL MARGONIS' TRAINING CAMP PLAYER SUMMARY can be found here.  See who the biggest surprises have been.
AUG.27 - Top pick a no-show for Day 3 at IceDogs training camp - The Lucas Lessio saga took another turn Thursday when the talented winger did not attend the third day of training camp with the Niagara IceDogs.  IceDogs general manager Dave Brown said Lessio called him Wednesday night to inform him he wouldn’t be at camp Thursday.  “They said there were some things they wanted to sort out,” Brown said. “Right now, we’re not really sure what the issues are, but we’re trying to work through them with the family.”  [full article here]
AUG.27 - Bigger, better Johnson standing out at IceDogs training camp - A new, improved version of Johnson Andrews has quickly opened eyes at the Niagara IceDogs’ training camp. The 18-year-old Niagara-on-the-Lake native spent countless hours in the gym over the summer and the results have been impressive. Andrews is noticeably bigger and stronger — he put on about 15 pounds of muscle — so much so that when Niagara general manager Dave Brown walked in for the first day of on-ice fitness testing, he didn’t even recognize Andrews.  “I thought to myself ‘Who’s that No. 9 in red, and looked down and it was Johnson,’ ” Brown said. “I know he worked out hard at White Oaks. It shows how hard he worked out over the summer.  [article here]
AUG.27 - ICEDOGS TRAINING CAMP: Add Wood to those surprised by trade. Winger came to Niagara for Matt Sisca.  It was a summer of surprises for the Niagara IceDogs. The club stunned its fans with two shocking moves, firing coach Mario Cicchillo just days before training camp, and shipping out Matt Sisca, who was second on the club in points.  In exchange for Sisca, the Ice- Dogs received winger Dylan Wood and a second-round draft pick.  [article here]
AUG.27 - Dougie Hamilton officially signs with Dogs:  Niagara IceDogs General Manager Dave Brown announced today that the IceDogs have signed their Second Round pick, 27th overall, from the 2009 Priority Selection, Dougie Hamilton. [article here]
AUG.27 - LESSIO GONE?  Reports coming in to the site have been that 1st round pick Lucas Lessio is nowhere to be seen today at camp.
AUG.27 - ICEDOGS TRAINING CAMP: Six-foot-6 import draft goaltender towers over most teammates - It didn't take Petteri Simila long to spot a marked difference in culture between Canada and his native Finland.  "The biggest difference is that hockey is so big over here," the 19-year-old netminder said Wednesday at the Seymour- Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre where the Niagara IceDogs held their second day of training camp.  [article here]
AUG.27 - Big ambitions and big appetites at IceDogs' training camp - Some call it the trough. Or the feeding frenzy.  Dozens of teenagers are furiously replacing thousands of calories burned off at the Niagara IceDogs training camp.  Keeping all that fuel supplied is a mighty task.  At noon, inside Jack Gatecliff Arena in St. Catharines, the dining area is serious business.  Rows of hulking young men lean into their plates. They are inhaling food after a gruelling game at the Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre Wednesday. [article here]
AUG.27 - PIETRANGELO TO STAY IN THE NHL?  There's a post here about Pietrangelo's chances being good on staying in the big league.
AUG.27 - DESKTOP WALLPAPER FOR YOUR PC of the 2009 - 2010 season schedule now online!
AUG.27 - PICTURES from Wednesday's training camp scrimmage games are online here.
AUG.26 - Pietrangelo in St. Louis awaiting pro camp - Fans hoping to get a glimpse of captain Alex Pietrangelo at training camp are going to be disappointed.  The 19-year-old rearguard, who has one season of junior eligibility remaining, is staying in St. Louis to prepare for camp with the National Hockey League's Blues.  Pietrangelo, a first-round (fourth overall) pick of St. Louis in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, spent most of the off-season working out in St. Louis.  "This is probably not the norm for this process," Niagara general manager Dave Brown said. "Larry Pleau (senior vice-president and general manager of the Blues) called me to make sure we're 100 per cent on board with this. Larry said he's never experienced this before." [article here]
AUG.26 - Forward Thomas Middup cleared waivers and has signed with the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
AUG.26 - IceDogs' first-round pick at camp - The Niagara IceDogs got some good news on the first day of training camp when first-round pick Lucas Lessio arrived.  The talented winger, who was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 draft, walked into the Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment centre at about 11:30 a.m. for his scheduled on-ice fitness test at noon.  Although Lessio has yet to officially sign — he’s weighing the option of playing in the Ontario Hockey League versus a scholarship offer from Michigan University — Niagara general manager Dave Brown views Lessio’s arrival as a positive sign. [article here]
AUG.26 - Longtime pro signs on as IceDogs assistant - When the Niagara IceDogs needed an assistant coach to round out their staff, head coach Mike McCourt could think of no one better than Randy Ladouceur.  McCourt quickly placed a call to the former National Hockey League defenceman — the two are both natives of Brockville — and Ladouceur came on board.  [more here]
AUG.25 - TRAINING CAMP ROSTERS are now online!
AUG.20 - TRAINING CAMP DATES/TIMES:  The Niagara IceDogs will open their training camp for the 2009-2010 season on Tuesday, August 25. This year, Training Camp will be taking place at the Seymour Hannah Arena Complex. The opening day of training camp will involves fitness testing for all players in attendance. That will be followed by two days of scrimmages, with the players divided into four teams.  Friday, August 28th will see the 3rd Annual Black and White Game take place at the Seymour Hannah Arena Complex. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30pm and admission is free to the general public. [full info here]
AUG.18 - UPBEAT ADDITION TO ICEDOGS:  Frank Girhiny and the Niagara IceDogs appear to be a perfect fit. The 45-year-old Thorold resident was looking to coach at the Ontario Hockey League level while the IceDogs were interested in bringing in a high energy assistant coach with a positive outlook. [article here]
AUG.17 - PRE-SEASON GAMES, TICKETS, ETC:  (unofficial information): Tickets for season ticket holders will be available for pickup, Aug.28th.  They will include the tickets to the 3 pre-season games.  Pre-season tickets are of course available to anyone else, and prices have fallen back to 5 bucks (it was 10 last year, 5 the first year).  There is also a training camp annual "Black & White" game will be held that Friday night.  Apparently there's an issue with the compressor at the Jack, so the game may be at the 4-pad.  [more info here]
AUG.15 - HEAD COACH MARIO CHICCHILLO FIRED: Niagara IceDogs General Manager Dave Brown announced today that Mario Cicchillo will not be returning as Head Coach for the 2009-2010 season.  In addition, Brown announced that IceDogs Assistant Coach Mike McCourt has been named Interim Head Coach. [more here]
AUG.14 - MIDDUP GONE:  Niagara IceDogs General Manager Dave Brown announced today that IceDogs forward Thomas Middup has cleared waivers and been signed by the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL.  [more here]
AUG.14 - NEW ASSISTANT COACH: IceDogs General Manager Dave Brown is pleased to announce the addition of Frank Girhiny to the IceDogs coaching staff. Girhiny will be joining the team as an Assistant Coach and will be working closely with Head Coach Mario Cicchillo and Assistant Coach Mike McCourt.  [more here]
AUG.07 - MATT SISCA TRADED TO GUELPH: General Manager Dave Brown announced today that the Niagara IceDogs have traded Centre Mathew Sisca to the Guelph Storm in exchange for Kitchener’s 2nd Round pick in 2010 and Left Winger Dylan Wood.  [article & discussion here]
JUL.31 - IceDogs sign Petteri Simila - The Niagara IceDogs are pleased to announce that they have signed goaltender Petteri Simila to an OHL standard contract.  Simila was selected by the Dogs in the first round, 21st overall, in the CHL Import Draft conducted earlier this summer. The 6'6", 189 lb native of Oulu, Finland was a member of the Karpat Jr. team of the Finnish Elite League during the 2008-09 season. [read more]
JUL.31 - TRADE WITH OWEN SOUND?  The Ontario Hockey League trading window opens again on Saturday August 1st.  There's a report that the Owen Sound Attack & Niagara Ice Dogs have consummated a deal.  The deal, which is said to be agreed upon by both teams, has Owen Sound sending a player to the Ice Dogs in exchange for a player and a draft pick. [more here]
JUL.26 - IceDogs on the move Team will hold training camp at Seymour-Hannah centre - The Niagara IceDogs are on the move to the Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre. The IceDogs expect to hold training camp at the four-plex while a new compressor system is installed at Jack Gatecliff Arena. The IceDogs open training camp Aug. 25 with fitness testing. Niagara plays its first two home exhibition games Sept. 5 and 6 against the Erie Otters and hope to be back at Gatecliff at that point. [more here]
JUL.26 - CRIMINALS CAUGHT!  In the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 23, 2009, the Niagara Regional Police Service responded to two separate break and enters to two downtown St. Catharines businesses.  Police first attended the Niagara Ice Dogs Business office located at 39 Queen St, and learned  that suspects obtained entry forcefully and stole a quantity of cash and laptop computers. In doing so, the suspects caused approximately $500 in damage.  Shortly thereafter, police were called and attended to another break and enter at the Pow Wow Restaurant on St. Paul Street. Police then discovered that the suspects again gained entry forcibly, and proceeded to steal approximately $300 in currency and cause approximately $500 in damage.  Immediately following the break and enters, members of the 1 District Street Crime Unit commenced a comprehensive investigation. Investigation led to the identification and subsequent arrest of two St. Catharines residents.  Each charged with 3 counts of break and enter and one count of breach of probation are 33 year old Roger Denomme and 18 year old Alan Mustard both of St. Catharines. Both men are being held in custody pending a bail hearing on Friday, July 24th. [talk here]
JUL.26 - A taste of life as a professional - Daultan Leveille recently got a brief but very intense look at the road ahead as he continues to pursue his dream of of playing in the National Hockey League. The 18-year-old St. Catharines native, a first-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2008, was one of 34 players to attend a prospect development camp in Atlanta. All nine Atlanta 2009 draft picks were there, as was Niagara IceDogs defence-man Jay Gilbert, one of several non-drafted players invited. [more here]
JUL.23 - THIEVES BREAK INTO ICEDOGS OFFICE:  This is a joke right?  They got broken into again?  It's no joke...
JUL.23 - GET TO KNOW MIKE SCHWINDT!  Check out this thread to find out more about Mike.
JUL.11 - PETRO AND AGGY LOOKING GOOD AT BLUES CAMP:  Alex Pietrangelo and Andrew Agozzino have been reported to have had a good scrimmage game at the St. Louis Blues camp.  Good summary of the game by DogFan: "Well, Pietrangelo looked very good. The commentators said he had played great all camp. They think he has put himself in the mix to take the one open spot on the blueline. As for Agozzino, he certainly didn't look out of place. He was active in the corners, took a few hits and gave out a couple as well. He had a couple good scoring chances as well as creating a nice two on none with a good defensive play at the blueline. He got a nice shot away on the rush but the goalie made a nice stop.  Finally, both teams selected five players to participate in the shoot out and both Agozzino and Pietrangelo were selected. Pietrangelo was stopped but Agozzino went five hole and scored. I think Agozzino may have helped himself get noticed at this camp...good for him. " [thread here]
JUL.10 - WANT TO GET TO KNOW ALEX FRIESEN BETTER?  Check this out!
JUL.10 - DESOUSA AND SCHIESTEL AT BUFFALO SABRES CAMP:  Good update here from an IceDogsFan that watched some of the camp.
JUL.09 - PIETRANGELO READY FOR ST. LOUIS BLUES article here
JUL.01 - HAPPY CANADA DAY EVERYONE !
JUL.01 - ICEDOGS TAKE BIG GOALIE IN IMPORT DRAFT:  One day after hearing Jeremy Smith wouldn’t be back for the 2009-10 season, the Niagara IceDogs made a big splash in the Canadian Hockey League’s import draft.  With the 21st overall pick, the Ontario Hockey League club selected 19-year-old Finnish goaltender Petteri Simila, a 6-foot-6, 189-pounder who played for the Karpat, Finland, junior team last season.  [article here]
JUL.01 - 2 ICEDOGS GET INVITES TO NHL CAMPS: [thanks to Brock for this information]: "A couple of those guys have already gotten invites to the Development Camps of NHL Teams.  DeSousa will be going to Buffalo's Development Camp. Agozzino will be going to St. Louis' Development Camp."
JUN.18 - ICEDOGS FIND HOME ON RADIO:  The River 105.1FM will be broadcasting all home and away IceDogs games this upcoming season!  You'll also be able to listen in online at http://river.fm   Read here.
JUN.13 - ROSTERS / CARDS - GREAT explanations of how things work in the OHL!
JUN.13 - ICEDOGS TO PLAY THURSDAYS/SATURDAYS AGAIN:  Go here for the entire 2009/10 season schedule.
MAY.30 - PHOTOS FROM TODAY'S ROOKIE CAMP scrimmage game online here.
MAY.29 - SAULT STE. MARIE GREYHOUNDS ZAMBONI DRIVER on the TV game show "The Price Is Right" video - kinda funny hearing Drew Carey say "Go Greyhounds, of the OHL" on that show...
MAY.7 - NEW ARENA UPDATE!  Great update with lots of interesting facts on the process of getting the city a proper arena - read here!
MAY.2 - ICEDOGS GAMBLE WITH FIRST PICK:  The Niagara IceDogs rolled the dice with their first round pick in the 2009 Ontario Hockey League Priority Draft Saturday.
But natural goal scorers don’t grow on trees, so when the opportunity presented itself to acquire Lucas Lessio, the IceDogs didn’t hesitate for a second. [article here]
MAY.2 - SUCCESSFUL DRAFT FOR DOGS:  It was a long and at some points stressful day at the office for the IceDogs coaching staff and personnel, but a day well worthwhile. Ten hours and 15 picks later the Niagara IceDogs were a happy bunch, satisfied with their selections in this year’s OHL Priority Draft. [article here]
MAY.2 - DOGS SELECT LUCAS LESSIO WITH 1ST ROUND PICK, 7TH OVERALL - DOUGIE HAMILTON PICKED IN 2ND ROUND:  Lucas Lessio, Toronto Marlies - Left Wing, 6.00, 175 lbs. Lessio capped an outstanding season by winning the Tim Adams Memorial Award as the most valuable player of the OHL Cup. He finished in a tie for second place in tournament scoring with five goals and 11 points in seven games. The big winger is equally adept at playing the game with skill or strength.  [more here]
MAY.1 - FREDDIE HAMILTON'S BROTHER WANTS TO PLAY IN NIAGARA:  It’s the Niagara IceDogs or nothing for Dougie Hamilton. The talented younger brother of Freddie Hamilton, the IceDogs No. 1 pick in last year’s OHL draft, has been informing all OHL teams calling about his intentions regarding this Saturday’s OHL draft that he will only play with Niagara.  [article here]
APR.24 - FAN PAINTINGS:  One of our members created some nice oil paintings of IceDog mascot Bones in action.  See here!
APR.18 - SCHIESTEL SIGNS WITH BUFFALO:  Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced today the Sabres have signed defensemen T.J. Brennan and Drew Schiestel to three-year entry level contracts that will begin in the 2009-10 season. Brennan (31st overall) and Schiestel (59th) were Buffalo’s first two selections in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.  Article here.
APR.17 - IceDogs rookie Hamilton recognized as OHL's top high school student:  Freddie Hamilton is doing his part to dispel the stereotype of hockey players as dumb jocks. The 17-year-old winger for the Niagara IceDogs has been named the winner of the Ivan Tennant Memorial Award as the Ontario Hockey League's top high school academic player. Hamilton, a Grade 11 student at Governor Simcoe Secondary School, has maintained a full course load in 2008-09 with an academic average of 99 per cent. His grades have made him the top Grade 11 student throughout the entire District School Board of Niagara.  Full article here!  CONGRATS FREDDIE!
APR.15 - JUNIOR HOCKEY: Attendance increased but team still lost money - There was no sophomore slump at the box office for the Niagara IceDogs. The St. Catharines-based Ontario Hockey League team saw its attendance increase by 6.82 per cent for regular season games, fifth best in the league. The team didn't have as many complete sellouts (3,145 including standing room) as last season -- 10 as compared to 13 -- but the IceDogs led the league in most sellouts (29) based on seating capacity. Article here
APR.14 - ICEDOGS TAKE STOCK OF SEASON:   The only thing longer than an elephant’s memory is that of a sports reporter. So when Niagara IceDogs general manager Dave Brown ripped his team prior to its Dec. 31 game against Erie, his quotes were duly noted for future reference.  Article here
APR.11 - PETRO SENT TO PEORIA RIVERMEN: St. Louis Blues President John Davidson announced today the club has assigned defenseman Alex Pietrangelo from his junior team, the Niagara Ice Dogs of the Ontario Hockey League, to the Blues’ American Hockey Affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen. [article here]
APR.10 - ICEDOGS CONCLUDE A SUCCESSFUL 2008-09 SEASON:  The Niagara IceDogs concluded a successful 2008-09 season at the Yardmen Arena in Belleville on Thursday with a 5-2 defeat to the Belleville Bulls. The Bulls captured the series 4-1 but not before being tested by the IceDogs.  [article here]
APR.10 - SEASON REVIEW:  Good season review posted by hockey123 here.
APR.9 - SISCA, ICEDOGS NOT READY TO QUIT:  Matt Sisca would enjoy nothing more than to be playing hockey Friday night.  But to do that, the Niagara IceDogs must defeat the Belleville Bulls on their home ice tonight.  "We'd love to play another home game," Sisca said before hitting the ice for practice Wednesday. "All the support we got from the fans (Tuesday) -- we knew there was more than 3,100 there -- but we did it last time in Belleville and, hopefully, we can do it again."   [article here]
APR.7 - ICEDOGS GIVE ONE TO BULLS:  The Niagara IceDogs owe Jeremy Smith a huge collective apology. Less than 48 hours after Smith singlehandedly won Game 3 with a memorable 50- save effort, the IceDogs hung their netminder out to dry, playing giveaway for much of the evening. [article here]
APR.6 - MAKING HIS PRESENCE FELT:  Late-round draft choice Andrew Shaw shines in playoffs against hometown Bulls. There's no such thing as a road game for Andrew Shaw this series.  The pesky, 17-year-old forward for the Niagara IceDogs can count on support at both Jack Gatecliff Arena and at the Yardmen Arena in his native Belleville as the IceDogs and Bulls do battle in the best-of-seven, Ontario Hockey League quarter-final. [article here]
APR.5 - SMITH BACKSTOPS ICEDOGS TO 2-0 WIN OVER BULLS:  Article on the Dogs win in Belleville.
APR.5 - DOGS' TRACCITTO HAPPY WITH SWITCH:  Older article here on Traccitto going from forward to defenceman.
APR.4 - NEW ARENA NEWS update here!!
APR.3 - SMITH CAN'T QUITE SAVE THE DAY:  Not even an extraordinary effort by goaltender Jeremy Smith was enough to save the Niagara IceDogs Thursday. Smith kicked out 41 shots and singlehandedly kept the IceDogs in the game until Luke Pither scored early in overtime to give the Belleville Bulls a 4-3 victory before 2,700 fans at Yardmen Arena in the opening game of their best-of- seven Ontario Hockey League semifinal playoff series.  [article here]
APR.2 - DOGS, BULLS START WITH CLEAN SLATE:  As far as Mario Cicchillo and George Burnett are concerned, throw the regular-season numbers out the window when trying to analyze the playoff series between the Niagara IceDogs and the Belleville Bulls. The IceDogs visit the Bulls tonight for Game 1 of their Ontario Hockey League best-of-seven semifinal playoff series. Game 2 goes Friday in St. Catharines.  [article here]
APR.2 - BELLEVILLE HAS THE EDGE IN STATISTICS:  Article by Bernie Puchalski here.
APR.1 - DOGS UNLEASHED IN OT VICTORY:  With one quick flick of his wrist, Andrew Agozzino sent the Niagara IceDogs into hysterics and Brian Kilrea into retirement.
Agozzino scored just 13 seconds into overtime to cap an incredible and dramatic comeback as the IceDogs topped the Ottawa 67's 4-3 Tuesday night before 6,095 fans at the Ottawa Civic Centre.  [article here]
APR.1 - OVERTIME LOSS A REAL KILLER:  The Ottawa 67's tried to come to grips with it all in their deathly silent dressing room, blowing a 3-1 third period lead and surrendering the series winning-goal just 13 seconds into overtime, giving the Niagara IceDogs a 4-3 win in the deciding Game 7 of their opening-round OHL playoff series at the Civic Centre. [article here]
APR.1 - AGOZZINO'S OT MARKER ENDS BRIAN KILREA'S HALL-OF-FAME-CAREER: Andrew Agozzino's overtime goal ended the Ottawa 67's season, and coach Brian Kilrea's storied career.  Agozzino scored 13 seconds into overtime to give the Niagara IceDogs a come-from-behind 4-3 win over the 67's Tuesday night to win their best-of-seven Ontario Hockey League opening-round series 4-3. His goal came as he took a centring pass from Freddie Hamilton and beat Adam Courchaine low stick side. [article here]
MAR.31 - ICEDOGS, 67'S DOWN TO ONE GAME: The Niagara IceDogs had a golden opportunity to put the Ottawa 67's away Monday night. Instead, the IceDogs and 67's will play again tonight in a one-game, winner-take-all showdown following Ottawa's 4-0 win before 5,415 fans at the Ottawa Civic Centre.  [article here]
MAR.30 - ICEDOGS TAKE SHOW ON THE ROAD:  Friday, Niagara IceDogs goalie Jeremy Smith was feeling a little bit under the weather. "I came in and had a high fever and I had the chills so we decided it was better not to skate. I don't want to get anybody sick on the team so I took the day off and came ready to play today (Saturday)," the 19- year-old Brownstown, Mich., native said. [article here]
MAR.30 - ICEDOGS DEFEAT 67'S 4-3 IN GAME 5:  The Niagara IceDogs defeated the Ottawa 67's 4-3 Saturday night in the fifth game of their OHL first-round series in St. Catharines. Niagara takes a 3-2 series lead into Ottawa Monday night.  Read more here.
MAR.29:  LEGEIN GETS FIRST PRO GOAL:  Ex-IceDog Stefan Legein got his 1st AHL goal and was named 3rd star last night - congrats Lege !!
MAR.28:  ICEDOGS ROOKIE THRIVES IN PLAYOFFS:  Fans of the Niagara IceDogs have come to appreciate a new and improved Freddie Hamilton in the latter stages of the OHL regular season and playoffs. [article here]
MAR.27: SHIESTEL WANTS STRONG FINISH:  With each game played in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs, Niagara IceDogs defenceman Drew Schiestel realizes his junior hockey career is one step closer to its conclusion. "You're always thinking about it. You want to finish off your career on a high note and have some success in the playoffs," the 20-year-old said, following the IceDogs 6-4 loss to the visiting Ottawa 67's Thursday night.  Read more here...

MAR.26: OHL PLAYOFFS - IceDogs' Agozzino ready to be the go-to guy after missing last year's playoffs [article here]
MAR.25 - PICTURES from last night's game are here.
MAR.25 - DEFENSIVE ICEDOG SHOWS BITE: Two games into the Ontario Hockey League playoffs, Dylan MacEachern finds himself in unfamiliar offensive territory. Following a weekend split with the Ottawa 67's, the 18- year-old Mississauga native finds himself leading the Ice- Dogs in playoff scoring with a goal and two assists. [full article here]
MAR.25 - DOGS DOING THE LITTLE THINGS RIGHT:  Brian Kilrea is one step closer to retirement following the Niagara IceDogs 5-3 victory over the visiting Ottawa 67's Tuesday in Ontario Hockey League playoff action at the Jack Gatecliff Arena in St. Catharines.  [full article here]
MAR.20 - ICEDOGS TAKE GAME 1: The IceDogs started off quick with a 1-0 lead, only to have their hopes dashed as Ottawa came back 2-1.  The Dogs come-back willpower showed through again, resulting in a 5-3 IceDogs win over the 67's on Ottawa ice.  Way to go DOGS !!!!!!
MAR.20 - NOT READY TO CALL IT QUITS:  Goalie Jeremy Smith was among a handful of Niagara IceDogs honoured at home Saturday night in recognition of what might have been their final Ontario Hockey League regular season game. But the 19-year-old Brownstown, Mich., native isn't thinking about the twilight of his major junior A career. There's an upcoming playoffs with the Ottawa 67's ahead. [full article here]
MAR.19 - STATS DON'T TELL TRUE STORY OF ICEDOGS AND 67's article here.
MAR.17 - OHL ATTENDANCE STATS:  If you love stats and what to see regular-season OHL attendance figures for each time, go here!
MAR.17 - HOCKEY POOL FOR PLAYOFFS:  Want in?  Just go here!
MAR.5 - LAUGHLEIGH GOES ONE ON ONE WITH CAPUTI:  Good lengthy interview with former IceDog (now with the Pittsburg Penguins organization) Luca Caputi!
MAR.5 - DOGS DEFEATED:  Short article on tonight's 5-2 loss to Brampton.
MAR.4 - FRIESEN NOTICED BY SCOUTING AGENCIES:  Alex Friesen of the IceDogs has gained mention from some of the top scouting groups.
MAR.3 - THEY'RE TOP DOGS!  As Bill and Denise Burke stood at centre ice inside Niagara Falls Memorial Arena Sunday afternoon, they realized all the hard work had been worth it.  Close to 3,000 people were in the stands for the Ontario Hockey League game between the Niagara IceDogs and Ottawa 67's, as part of a celebration to say goodbye to major junior hockey at the site. [click here for the article]
MAR.2 - WORD ON SHAW is that is injury is a high-ankle sprain and may be out for a few weeks.
MAR.2 - PEOPLE STANDING 4-DEEP ALONG THE RAILING article on yesterday's game in the Falls.
MAR.2 - ARTICLE on Sisca and the coach's views on the playoffs.
MAR.2 - ICEDOGS MAKE FINALE A SUCCESS:  NIAGARA FALLS — It was only fitting that someone who grew up playing in Niagara Falls helped close the doors on Ontario Hockey League hockey in the city. Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Alex Friesen — who played minor hockey for Niagara Falls — picked up three assists as the Niagara IceDogs topped the Ottawa 67’s 5-3 Sunday afternoon, in front of a sellout crowd of 3,167 fans in the final major junior game at Niagara Falls Memorial Arena. [read full article here]
MAR.2 - OLD ARENA STARTED MANY CAREERS:  Article on the Niagara Falls Memorial Arena.
MAR.1 - A BIG THANK YOU to the Burkes and IceDogs organization from some of the fans for making today such a success!
FEB.26 - PETRO OUT:  During the game tonight, Pietrangelo left with what is being called a lower body injury, and is day-to-day.
FEB.22 - THE COMEBACK!  Being bystanders and watching the game instead of playing in it the first 3 periods, the Dogs fell down 3-1 to Ottawa, but the got a burst of energy and managed to tie the game 3- in the dying seconds of regulation, and won it on their first shot of overtime (by Alex Pietrangelo).  Great outing by Niagara goaltender Smith.
FEB.17 - TIME CHANGE FOR THURSDAY'S GAME!  Please remember that the game this Thursday night vs. Belleville is NOT starting at 7:30 as originally listed, the game start has been changed to 7PM in order to fit in to Sportsnet's broadcasting.  So, the Thursday game STARTS AT 7PM NOT 7:30.
FEB.17 - SKILLS COMPETITION:  Thanks to Lois for her pictures from the annual Niagara IceDogs Skills Competition that was held yesterday!
FEB.07 - A MAN OF HIS WORD:  Leaner, fitter DeSousa leads Dogs in goals scored [article]
FEB.06 - DOGS LOSE IN SARNIA:  Well it wasn't a pretty one.  If you stayed awake through it you'll know the Dogs couldn't manage a single goal, but on the bright side, only allowed 1 in their own net...
FEB.04 - LUCA CAPUTI HAS GREAT NHL DEBUTE!  BIG congratulations to ex-IceDog star Luca Caputi who got called up from Pittsburg's AHL team to play on the big team versus the Montreal Canadians last night.  LUCA SCORED HIS FIRST NHL GOAL ON HIS FIRST NHL SHOT ON HIS FIRST NHL SHIFT last night!  Who else did this for the Pittsburg Penguins?  MARIO LEMIEUX.  Read more here.
FEB.04 - HAPPY TO BE AN ICEDOG article on new 'Dog Zak Jones
FEB.03 - ICEDOGS STORM BACK IN 3RD PERIOD article on their 4-3 come-from-behind win after being down 3-0 in Barrie.

JAN.31 - COUNCIL TO GO FOR ARENA AS THEIR RECREATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE WISH:  In an outline of new projects for the city of St. Catharines, council has chosen a new 'spectator facility' (we'll call it an arena) as their "preference for recreational infrastructure funding".  What that means, we're not sure.  One might take it as "if anything IS to be built with gov't funding help as far as recreation projects, we want it to be an arena, but that still doesn't mean anything will be built".  But lets not rain on a small parade.  At least it's interest shown in the POSSIBILITY of getting a new arena.  A very big THANK YOU to our city council in this decision.  Sure it was inevitable to happen SOME time as our building just can't magically stand forever (although it seems like it has).  Sooner or later a new arena is going to have to be built, and this new fed. government fund may help provide the perfect opportunity for that to happen in the near future.  All residents - not just IceDog fans - should welcome this, as a facility of such magnitude will undoubtedly be able to attract many more venues to our area, which have been overlooked for decades because there's simply no facility here to house such things.  Lets keep our fingers crossed on this one!
JAN.31 - NO MENTION OF NEW RINK IN MAYOR'S SPEECH:  In his "State of the City" address (what the heck's with the title?  We *do* live in Canada right?) the Mayor of St. Catharines had no mention of a new rink or trying to take advantage of the new fund the federal government has recently created for such things.
JAN.29 - IMPORTANT CHANCE TO GET A NEW RINK BUILT!  The federal government on Tuesday announced a new fund for communities that are in need of new sports complex, called the "Recreational Infrastructure Canada fund".  If YOU think the 70yr-old Jack (our arena) needs to finally be replaced with a modern facility, PLEASE email our councilors who will be discussing this matter this Saturday!  The IceDogs lease on the Jack is up in only 3 yrs, and if a commitment from the community to keep them here is not shown NOW, don't be surprised if our Niagara IceDogs end up with only a 5 year lifespan!  Lets do our part to keep this great OHL franchise in Niagara!  READ MORE AND FIND OUT HOW RIGHT HERE!
JAN.28 - GET PERSONAL WITH SEBASTIAN DAHM:  Our star goaltender from last year is selling his equipment from his time with us, as he's now playing in the AHL with Syracuse.  Ask him any questions you may have and read his posts right here!
JAN.28 - SHAW SHOWS NO FEAR:  Niagara forward loves to get under the skin of his opponents. [At 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, Niagara IceDogs centre Andrew Shaw certainly isn't the prototypical Ontario Hockey League tough guy.  But 2:57 into Thursday's home game against the then fifth-ranked London Knights, there was the 17-year-old squaring off against 6- foot-7, 225- pound London enforcer Mike Yovanic.   "I've watched him fight a few times and I had a feeling I could take him. I just asked him to go," said Shaw [full article here]
JAN.28 - OLD RINK NEW RINK:  With the new pool and arts center, both multi-million dollar projects, any publicly-funded rink is FAR off in the future, so it's not sure why this article is talking about a new rink still.  But there's some interesting other info in it.
JAN.24 - GOOD KNIGHT, LONDON:  Article on the IceDogs back-to-back sweep of the London Knights.
JAN.24 - 5 WINS IN A ROW FOR ICEDOGS!  Article here.
JAN.23 - PETRO NAMED TO OHL ALL-STAR TEAM:  Article here.
JAN.22 - HUUUGE GAME TONIGHT AT THE JACK!  John Tavares and the London Knights (yes it's weird saying that) are in town tonight to take on our recently-hot IceDogs at the Garden City arena downtown.   The Dogs are 6-4 in their last 10 and one game shy of an even .500, while the Knights are plowing along, 8-1-0-1 in their last 10 games - 34 wins and only 8 losses: and much of that BEFORE adding Tavares.  Should be a great game!!
JAN.22 - [article by Bill Poterecz] The Icedogs week: The IceDogs won all three of their games last week, defeating Kingston, Mississauga and Erie to climb to within one game of .500 at 18-19-4-4. Overall, Niagara have won six of their last seven to move into sixth place in the Eastern Conference.… Agozzino leads the IceDogs in scoring with 23 goals and 42 points. Sisca is next at 15-23-38 followed by defenceman Drew Schiestel at 3-33-36.… Goaltender Jeremy Smith is 4-1 with a 2.37 goals against average and .930 save percentage since arriving from Plymouth in a trade.… Alex Pietrangelo leads Niagara’s regulars with a plus-five rating. Schiestel is at the other end of the scale at minus-17.
London Knights, Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Jack Gatecliff Arena. Read full article here.
JAN.20 - ICEDOGS FINALLY GET THEIR MAN:  Article on newly-acquired Michael Hasson here.
JAN.17 - SCHIESTEL WANTED OUT BEFORE ICEDOGS' IMPROVED TEAM:  Article here.
JAN.17 - WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE:  Nice article on newcomer Patrick Lee here.
JAN.17 - LEGEIN INTERVIEW:  Ex-Dog Stefan Legein was interviewed as he rejoined the Syracuse organization.
JAN.17 - ICEDOGS BACK ON THE RADIO:  Apparently the remainder of the Dogs games will be broadcast on CHSC 1220AM.
JAN.17 - NEW CHANGES LOOKING GOOD:  The IceDogs have won 6 of their last 7 games, including 3 big divisional wins against Mississauga, Barrie, and Sudbury in that stretch.  The big test will be this Thursday night when Niagara takes on powerhouse London.
JAN.15 - SKATE WITH THE DOGS PHOTOS:  Pictures from this skate by the team photographer are online starting on this page.
JAN.10 - GAME PHOTOS from Niagara vs. Barrie are online here - thanks Lois!
JAN.10 - CULLEN WISHES ICEDOGS WELL  Ex-Niagara goaltender JohnCullen wishes the IceDogs well on his way out.  And all the best to you John!  Here at IceDogFans we wished John the best since his arrival and hope he continues to excel with his new team.  'Sorry to see him go, but sometimes a fresh start is just what both sides need.  Good luck!  (Cullen could play against the IceDogs when Niagara is at Kingston Sunday night.)
JAN.10 - ICEDOGS BLANK COLTS article here
JAN.09 - NEW GOALIE SHUTS OUT COLTS:  Recently-acquired goaltender Jeremy Smith posted a shutout in his first game as an IceDog, stopping all 33 shots Barrie fired at him.  Congratulations Jeremy!
JAN.09 - FIGHTING/HELMETS:  In case you haven't heard, players removing their helmets (so your opponent doesn't break his hands on your helmet/visor) will now result in a 1 game suspension.  This of course is due to the recent incident in which a player died during a fight in which his head struck the ice during a fight.  Maybe the next time someone gets hurt bad from a bodycheck, they'll remove that as well.  And how many players have been seriously injured by skate blades?  (remember Milarchuck (sp?) on Buffalo!?)  Better get rid of the skates as well.
JAN.08 - TAVARES TRADED TO LONDON:  Ok, the rumor that once was, that became nothing, now becomes official.
JAN.08 - GOALTENDER CULLEN TRADED:  IceDog goaltender John Cullen has been traded to Kingston for a 5th round pick in 2010.
JAN.07 - TRADE NEWS!  MERRETT/DAY:  The Plymouth Whalers have traded goalie Jeremy Smith, 19, and OA winger Patrick Lee to the Niagara IceDogs in exchange for a 2nd and London's 8th round picks in 2010 and a 4th round pick in 2011. FULL TRADE THREAD INFO/TALNK HERE!
JAN.07 - STEFAN LEGEIN REJOINS SYRACUSE: Syraucse, NY (January 6, 2009) - The Syracuse Crunch announced today that the Columbus Blue Jackets have reassigned center Nikita Filatov to the Crunch from the Russian National Junior Team. In addition, Columbus has assigned right wing Stefan Legein to Syracuse.  Article here.
JAN.07 - PIETRANGELO TO STAY WITH ICEDOGS:  Looks like our workhorse defenceman and Team Canada gold medal winner Alex Pietrangelo is here to stay!
JAN.07 - TRADE TALK by the Dogs/GM Brown in this short article.  [thanks blackjeep]
JAN.07 - NO TAVARES TRADE NOW?  Turns out there might not have been as much weight to the John Tavares trade as initially hyped up.
JAN.06 - NEW YEAR'S GAME + SKATE WITH THE TEAM PHOTOS are now online.
JAN.06 - TAVARES TRADED TO LONDON:  OHL superstar and former Oshawa General John Tavares has been rumored to be traded to the London Knights.  Info/talk here.
JAN.05 - CANADA WINS GOLD!  Congratulations to Alex Pietrangelo and all the rest of Team Canada in their 5-1 victory over Sweden at the Junior Hockey Championship held in Ottawa!!  Way to go guys!!!!  Article here.
JAN.05 - ICEDOGS BACK ON TRACK:  Article on their latest 2 wins here. [thanks Lois]
JAN.04 - ICEDOGS END LOOSING STREAK:  Article here.
JAN.02 - VISENTIN WINS FOR ONTARIO:  IceDog goaltender Mark Visentin was between the pipes for Team Ontario in their 5-1 win over Germany.  More here.
JAN.01 - HAPPY NEW YEAR'S ICEDOG FANS!  Wishing everyone a happy new year and safe holiday season.
DEC.27 - PIETRANGELO SCORES IN CANADA'S 1ST GAME:  IceDog captain Alex Pietrangelo scored in Canada's 8-1 clobbering of the Czech Republic.  Article here.
DEC.22 - CAPUTI VS. DAHM:  Video clip of ex-IceDog star forward Luca Caputi scoring a goal in the AHL on ex-IceDog star goaltender Sebastien Dahm.
DEC.16 - BEAMSVILLE GOING FOR CBC/KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE CANADA! Lincoln Hockeyville Day THIS SATURDAY:  FULL INFO HERE!!
DEC.13 - 3RD STRAIGHT SELL-OUT:  A third sellout crowd in a row watched an entertaining game between the Niagara IceDogs and the St. Michaels Mississauga Majors on Saturday night at the Gatorade Garden City Complex. [article about tonight's game here]
DEC.12 - BRING CANNED FOOD TO THE GAME SATURDAY NIGHT!  Food bins will be located in the front entrance at the Gatorade Garden City Complex at our game tommorow night and on the 19th, one hour prior to puck drop (6:00 p.m Dec 13th and 6:30 p.m Dec 19th).  Full info here.
DEC.12 - Beer, television and other items worth about $13,000 stolen from Ontario Hockey League team - the IceDogs have been victim to thieves since they moved in, and the troubles continue.
DEC.11 - FROM ARTICLE BY BILL POTRECZ:  "In other roster news, forward Marco Insam has left the team to play for his native Italy in the B Pool at the World Junior Championships. He'll return Boxing Day. Defenceman Alex Pietrangelo left Wednesday for Team Canada junior training camp in Ottawa. Rearguard Josh Day is day-to-day with a lower body injury while forward Johnson Andrews (wrist) won't be back until after Christmas. Forward Andrew Shaw (concussion) is expected back for Friday's game in Mississauga. The IceDogs expect to dress six rear-guards and have 10 healthy forwards for their three games this weekend. Brown indicated winger Jamie Howard will likely be called up from the Welland Junior Canadians. "
DEC.11 - TOPS ON THE TEAM:  Matthew Sisca leads the team in scoring with 13 goals and 33 points. Andrew Agozzino is second at 16-14-30 while defenceman Drew Schiestel is third with 2-24- 26.   More by Bill Potrecz in this *excellent* article here.
DEC.11 - PIVA DONE FOR SEASON WITH SHOULDER INJURY:  Another OA spot has opened up as Piva has officially been stated as gone for the season with a shoulder injury.  He was a bright light on this roster, starting off the year with a bang in the points department.  Overall he 12 goals and 23 points in 28 games.  Read about it here.
DEC.10 - FLETCHER TRADED TO PLYMOUTH:  General Manager Dave Brown announced today that the Niagara IceDogs have traded Defenceman Scott Fletcher to the Plymouth Whalers for London’s 8th round pick in 2010.   More here!
DEC.10 - ICEDOGS KIOSK at the Pen Center has it's Christmas hours posted.
DEC.09 - NEW ARENA in the plans?  Not with city money that's for sure.  Don't let this article rain on your day, but all hopes of a new rink built by the city have been squashed.  BOOOOO.
DEC.06 - ICEDOGS EDGE STING article on the game here.
DEC.05 - GAME NIGHT - IT'S TEDDY BEAR TIME!  In the words last year of Steve Clark, it's time for a Teddy Bear invasion!  Please bring a new (or at least very clean) stuffed animal to tonight's game versus the Sarnia Sting and toss it to the ice with everyone else after the IceDogs score their first goal.  The animals will be collected for charity.  Game talk by the fans here.
DEC.05 - THE CHARITY DRIVE CONTINUES!  The IceDogs are encouraging everyone to get into the holiday spirit and bring non-perishable food items to the games coming up on December 13^th and 19^th.  Anyone who makes a food donation at either of these games will receive a coupon good for a $12 end ticket to the New Years Eve game at 7pm vs. the Erie Otters (a $5 savings).
DEC.04 - FLETCHER OFFICIALLY NO LONGER AN ICEDOG:  Article here on team enforcer Scott Fletcher leaving the team.
DEC.04 - PETRO A STEP AWAY:  Article on Alex Pietrangelo and the world junior hockey championships.
DEC.03 - LEGEIN TO RETURN TO HOCKEY!  Ex-IceDog, fan-favorite, and Columbus Bluejackets pick Stefan Legein, will be returning to hockey.  After walking away from Columbus and leaving his career up in the air (much to the dismay of his many fans), Stefan has stated in an interview with TSN that he will be returning to Columbus in hopes of moving back to their farm team (Syracuse of the AHL).  Talk about great news!!  Read more here!
DEC.02 - BARRIE COLTS ARENA STAFF RIPPING OFF ICEDOG FANS?  Arena staff's actions are sounding very suspicious in this post.

DEC.02 - FLETCHER GONE:  Rumor has it that IceDog tough guy and fan favorite Scott Fletcher has gone home to Michigan and is awaiting a trade.  Not only was Scott a top 10 heavyweight in the league with the gloves off, but he was a dependable defensive defenceman.  'Very very sad to see him go.
NOV.29 - LUCA CAPUTI AHL SCRAP:  Go here to check out a nice AHL fight that ex-IceDog star Luca Caputi got in to recently.  Way to go Luca!
NOV.28 - ICEDOGS BOUNCE BATTALION: article on last night's victory over Brampton here.
NOV.28 - FRIESEN LOOKING TO HEAT UP: Article on Alex here.
NOV.24 - TWO ARTICLES from Monday's Canada vs. Russia game here.
NOV.24 - AGOZZINO'S GAME WINNING GOAL gives CHL 3-1 lead in ADT Canada-Russia Challenge.  PHOTOS HERE!  Game talk here.
NOV.23 - 40,000 messages posted: The message board has just gone over the 40000 post mark - way to go everyone!
NOV.23 - RUSSIAN PLAYERS IMPRESS YOUNG FANS: Article on Team Russia here.  The game is tomorrow (MONDAY NIGHT) everyone!
NOV.22 - GREAT GAME!  What a game it was - our first sellout of the season, the return of Alex Pietrangelo to home ice, a 5-4 win in a very entertaining game as we hosted divisional rival Sudbury!  It started off with a bang with a nice Reggie Traccitto fight and kept going - game talk here!  Pictures here
NOV.19 - THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING!  Article on the upcoming ADT Canada/Russia game held here next coming Monday.
NOV.19 - SHAW MAKES HIS HOME DEBUT:  Andrew Shaw of the IceDogs, a Belleville native, will be playing his first OHL game in front of his 'home' crowd tonight as the Dogs take on the Bulls.  Article here.
NOV.18 - ALEX PIETRANGELO TAKES RETURN TO ICEDOGS IN STRIDE Standard article here. [thanks Lois]
NOV.18 - SISCA NAMED OHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK:  Article here
NOV.17 - DOUG GILMOUR @ OUR BARN SUNDAY:  Ex-NHL star and Maple Leaf captain Doug Gilmour has been made coach of the Kingston Frontenacs and should be behind their bench on Sunday afternoon when they are in town to take on the IceDogs.
NOV.17 - PIETRANGELO UPDATE article here
NOV.17 - CANADA WINS ADT game in Sydney over the Russians, 5-3
NOV.15 - NICE WRITEUP on last night's game here.  If you missed it, don't think it was goaltender Cullen's fault.  He was spectacular.
NOV.15 - CAPTAIN PETRO:  Alex Pietrangelo will be wearing the captain's "C" on this jersey tonight.  Congratulations Alex!
NOV.15 - PETRO ADDED TO ADT ROSTER:  Alex Pietrangelo has been added to the team Canada roster
NOV.14 - PETRO TRADE:  Should GM Brown be thinking about trading Alex Pietrangelo?  VOTE HERE.   As sad as it may be, it seems the best thing that could happen for both sides.  Petro could really help a team contending for the Memorial Cup this year, and in return we could get some hot talent and/or draft picks for a year or two when we're ready to push for the Cup.  Petro could finish his OHL career by possibly winning the championship, and what we get in return for him could help us win it in the near future.  As much as we'd all love to watch Petro play here at home night in night out, a trade would be the best thing for both sides.
NOV.14 - DAHM SOLID IN RELIEF:  Article here on Sebastien Dahm playing great for Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, stopping all 27 shots that he faced.
NOV.14 - GOOD NIGHT FOR DOGS WITH SHUTOUT, RETURN OF PIETRANGELO:  Article here.
NOV.14 - PIETRANGELO BACK IN NIAGARA!  Our hearts go out to Alex as the news was announced today that he will be returning to the IceDogs.  It must have been tough to hear, but much to the HUGE enjoyment of Niagara fans - WE'VE GOT OUR PETRO BACK!!!  Welcome back to Niagara Alex and congratulations on your stay in St. Louis!  He impressed many people while up there, and will be with them in no time.  But the Blues' loss is our gain, and what a huge gain it is.  Lots of talk about it here!
NOV.12 - PETRO UPDATE: We are headed down the final stretch before the St. Louis Blues decide whether or not to keep D-man Alex Pietrangelo for the rest of this NHL season.  If Pietrangelo dresses both Wednesday in Buffalo and Friday in Chicago he will have played in nine NHL games this season.  More here...
NOV.8 - WELL yet another OT loss, but some good videos and photos from the game have been posted.
NOV.7 - LAST NIGHT'S game write-up here.
NOV.7 - PETRO GETS HIS 1ST PRO POINT!  Alex Pietrangelo received his first NHL point (assist) on a Keith Tkachuk goal.  Congratulations Alex!
NOV.7 - ICEDOGS LOSE IN OT:  Niagara couldn't hold on to their 2-1 lead last night and ended up losing in overtime on a goal from a weird bounce, for a 3-2 final score.
NOV.3 - CORRENTE article about how he's doing in the NJ system.
NOV.3 - FREDDIE HAMILTON named OHL academic player of the month for central division.
NOV.3 - ICEDOGS INSAM STILL WAITING FOR FIRST GOAL AT HOME:  although he's netted 6 on the road so far.  Article here.
OCT.31 - ICEDOGS SEEK PERMANENT LIQUOR LICENSE FOR TAILGATE PARTIES:  Article here.
OCT.31 - ICEDOGS WEATHER STORM:  Article here on last night's victory over the Guelph Storm.
OCT.31 - CONGRATULATIONS STEVE CLARK!  OHL Tonight announcer on TVCogeco Steve Clark will be getting married this Saturday (Nov.1) On behalf of all the members of this site and all the fans who tune in to you weekly, congratulations Steve!!
OCT.29 - AGOZZINO, CICCHILLO WILL BE IN SPOTLIGHT AGAINST RUSSIA'S JR. SELECTS NOV.24:  Article in the Standard about the IceDogs' representation at the upcoming Canada/Russia tournament.
OCT.28 - CHEECH TO BE ASSISTANT COACH IN NOV.24 ADT CANADA/RUSSIA GAME:  "Head Coach of the IceDogs Mario Cicchillo will serve as an assistant coach to Cameron for the game hosted in Niagara on Monday November 24."  More here.  Congrats Cheech!
OCT.28 - PETRO SOON TO COME OFF INJURED LIST? "Defenceman Alex Pietrangelo has been skating alone before the Blues' regular practice, but he said Monday that he may join his teammates today. He had tests with a Blues trainer Monday, and the results will determine when he'll be allowed to return. - St. Louis Post-Dispatch"  More here.
OCT.28 - ICEDOGS THINKING BIG:  Article on Steckley here.
OCT.28 - Niagara IceDogs forward Andrew Agozzino has been named to the Ontario Hockey League team that will square off against a Russia all-star team in the 2008 Canada Russia ADT Challenge in November. Full article here.
OCT.27 - SPIRITED WIN FOR THE ICEDOGS:  Good article on the IceDogs breaking their losing streak with Saturday night's win.
OCT.27 - DAHM GETS BIG WIN:  Ex-IceDog netminder Sebastien Dahm got his first professional victory!  Read more.
OCT.24 - DOGS LOOSE IN THE BIG EMPTY:  Another shootout tonight, in Mississauga.  Another loss.  4-3 final score with all 3 Niagara goals coming from Marco Insam.  'Dogs are back at it Saturday night at our rink....
OCT.23 - ICEDOGS GET FORWARD IN TRADE:  The IceDogs have picked up rugged Kyle Steckley from the Guelph Storm for a conditional 15th round pick in 2009.
OCT.20 - DEPATURE OF JON K (DOGS OFFICE):  Jon at the 'Dogs office is leaving for a new opportunity.  He was the public relations person and was responsible for a LOT of behind the scenes things (including all the season tickets).  We want to wish him all the best in his new place/position.  Thanks for all you've done Jon!  Farewell wishes to Jon here
OCT.18 - LEGEIN SKATING WITH FALCONS: "Former Niagara IceDog Stefan Legein twice skated informally with the Falcons earlier this week.... Freddy Santini (upper body) did not dress for the Falcons. " << quote from article here.
OCT.18 - DOGS LOST, PLAY AGAIN:  The IceDogs lost 5-4 in Plymouth last night and move on to complete their American team trip tonight in Saginaw.
OCT.18 - PIETRANGELO INTERVIEW:  Another interview with Alex Pietrangelo here.
OCT.17 - PETRO IN NHL 2009 !  Yes, our star defenceman up in the NHL has made his way to e-fame: he's listed on the St. Louis Blues roster in the ever popular EA Sports video game NHL 2009.  See his stats here.
OCT.16 - PETRO'S 9 GAME TEST:  Great article here on Pietrangelo playing up in the big league [thanks habsfan]
OCT.13 - ARTICLE on Thomas Middup and ice time.
OCT.13 - DAHM GOOD: CRUNCHABLES:  (From ex-IceDog Sebastian Dahm's new team the Saracuse Crunch of the AHL - Columbus Bluejackets farmteam) : Filatov, Kelly, MacKenzie, Pineault, Plekhanov, Sestito and York all recorded at least a point for the second consecutive night…MacDonald, Rome and York all wore an ‘A’ as an alternate captain tonight…Mayorov’s first period marker was his first as a professional and first as a member of the Crunch...Sebastian Dahm made professional and Crunch debut tonight, stopping all 15 shots he faced in the third period.
OCT.13 - PIETRANGELO VS. THE LEAFS:  Alex Pietrangelo - who's still up with the St. Louis Blues - will be in Toronto taking on his favorite team growing up: The Toronto Maple Leafs.  Game time: 1PM/LeafsTV.  Comments here.
OCT.13 - GAME DAY:  The Dogs take on th Petes downtown St. Catharines this afternoon at 2PM.  The IceDogs desperately need a  after 5 straight losses (albeit overtime and shootouts) and have only 2 wins on the season so far.  Hopefully we'll all be roasting those Peterborough turkeys Monday afternoon. 
OCT.9 - WELCOME BACK SCOTT!  Scott Fletcher has returned from his time in the big leagues - hopefully next year they decide to keep him!  But their loss is our gain.  He'll provide some MUCH needed size and grit in front of our crease.  Quote from Scott on returning: “I just got back today and I am ready to go. I missed these guys a lot, and it was pretty different to go up to the NHL training camp and be one of the younger guys. Now I am going to be one of the older guys back here and fill a leadership role and help these guys win some games. You will see me in tomorrow’s game [in Guelph].”  Welcome back Fletch!
OCT.9 - ROSTER CHANGES:  Josh Day is back and should be in the lineup tonight, Sarracini has been sent down to the Jr. B Falcons.
OCT.9 - INTERVIEWS ON 105.1 FM:  The River 105.1FM will be having interviews with IceDog players/staff every Thursday at 8:10AM.
OCT.8 - FLETCHER TO START WITH BOSTON'S AHL CLUB?  [the following thanks to blackjeep] The Providence Bruins (AHL) made another round of cuts yesterday and are at the league maximum roster size of 23, 13F, 8D & 2G. They open tonight against Matt Corrente (& hopefully Swifty) and the Lowell Devils. Fletch is apparently fighting for the enforcer role with another former IceDog, Ryan Stokes. Good for him to be able to stick with the club.  More here.
OCT.7 - MACISAAC RELEASED:  MacIsaac requested (and was granted) a release from the team, in hopes of finding more ice time.  Being an over-ager, this would have been his last year so he requested the move, knowing that the way things were going, his ice time here would have been limited this year.  Apparently, he will be flying out tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.  We wish him all the best in his future!
OCT.7 - PETRO TO START WITH BLUES:  The St. Louis Blues are keeping Alex Pietrangelo for at least their opening season game.  Pietrangelo, who was born on Jan. 18, 1990, will become the third-youngest player in the Blues' 41-year history when he suits up. Herb Raglan (1985) remains the youngest player at 18 years, 82 days, and Brian Benning (1984) is the second youngest at 18 years, 126 days.
OCT.7 - CORRENTE, SWIFT TO AHL:  Ex-Dogs Matt Corrente and Michael swift have both been sent to the AHL farm club of the NJ Devils in Lowell.
OCT.6 - AUDIO BLASTING YOU AT HOME GAMES?  There's been repeated complaints both in the msg board and live in the rink about our audio system BLASTING us to death.  It's not that the sound level is just too high - sometimes it just SMACKS you right in the face for the first second before it's lowered.  THIS IS THE SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEM - HOPEFULLY SOMEONE WITH THE RINK STAFF IS READING!  We need an "audio limiter" hooked in as the signal leaves whatever device they're using to play the music.  Something between the music player and the amplifiers (not between the amplifiers and the speakers as we need to have the initial audio signal PEAKS lowered)
OCT.6 - FLETCH STAYS PUT FOR NOW:  Providence of the AHL made 4 more cuts to their roster, and Scott Fletcher was not among them.  His chances continue to look better to stay up on the Bruins farm club.
OCT.5 - WIN OR LOSE, ICEDOG FANS HAVE PASSION FOR THEIR TEAM.

OCT.5 - TRYING DAHM HARD TO MAKE CRUNCH LINEUP: In preseason action yesterday Sebastien Dahm posted a 36 save shutout against Binghampton.
OCT.4 - LETS PUT THESE 3 BEHIND US:  We didn't come away with 2 points, but at least we got one.  And, it was an exciting game.  Visentin left during the game with what rumor has it was a warmup injury.  To make matters worse, our already suffering D took another hit tonight with Reggie Traccitto leaving the game after crashing into the net and injuring what appeared to be his right leg.  He was unable to put any weight on it while leaving the ice.  The fans were great tonight - very loud.  Lets hope we can take down the Kitchener Rangers on Thursday night and start up a fresh winning streak.  Game talk here.  Pictures here.  Videos here.OCT.3 - CULLEN SAVES DOGS FROM EMBARRASSING NIGHT:  It was 2-0 most of the game, with the Dogs putting one in during the 3rd, but it very well could have been 6-1 if it wasn't for Niagara goaltender John Cullen coming up huge numerous times throughout the night.  The Dogs couldn't get their wheels going, and looked disorganized much of the game.  To add insult to injury, one of the goal scorers was Neuber of the Majors.  (Grrrr)  Lets forget this one and bring on those Whalers.  No worries... we beat up Mississauga enough on the scoreboard last year to keep us smiling for TWO seasons.
OCT.3 - GAME NIGHT:  After a heartbreak shootout loss last night, we're back again tonight at The Big Empty, continuing a great rivalry with Mississauga that begun last year.  Surprisingly, this is Mississauga's home opener, so expect a big crowd (for them at least).  Last year they had over 2500 people at their home opener, which for them is rather large, considering the game after last year they dropped to 1200 (reportedly the smallest attendance at an OHL game last year).  Many IceDog fans will be making the short trip to the Hershey Centre to watch our boys.  Those not able to make it, remember the game is on TVCogeco ch.10, as well as the online audio broadcast.
OCT.3 - DOG VS. DOG: [thanks to Smokin Puck for this info] Michael Swift and Matt Corrente both with the Lowell Devils will be facing against Scott Fletcher and the Providence Bruins tonight. Last game Fletch fought a big European brawler Milon Maslonka who fought Neuber about two weeks ago to a draw - inside reports from some spectators said Fletch worked him over pretty good.
OCT.3 - ATTENDANCE TIDIBTS: [thanks to strohs] Through the first four games of the year this year, our average attendance is 2,976 (94.63% of capacity). Through our first four games of the year last year, our average attendance was only 2,507 (79.7% of capacity).
OCT.2 - GAME NIGHT:  The Cows are in town tonight, who have been ranked the #8 team in Canada.  This is also the first game of yet another 3-games-in-3-nights for the IceDogs, who play in Mississauga tomorrow night then are back here against Plymouth on Saturday.  We're still missing some key defensemen at camp so it'll be interesting to watch our young D filling in handle the Belleville firepower.  Game talk here.   Pictures here.
OCT.2 - WE NEED HOWARD!  Maybe not tonight, but tomorrow in The Big Empty would a great place to put some toughness into the lineup, with Fletcher still being away.  Lets see what this local boy can do.  Throwing Howards into the mix Friday, then Saturday in front of the home crowd vs. Plymouth could be a great spark for this team.
OCT.01 - TRACCITTO ARTICLE:  Article/interview with Reggie Traccitto
SEP.29 - PROFESSIONAL GRADE PHOTOS AVAILABLE:  The IceDogs team photographer has some great excellent-quality game-action photos available from this season.
SEP.29 - ADS ADDED: In order to try and get this site to help pay it's own costs, ads are now being displayed.  This is a test project just to see how it goes.
SEP.27 - GEEOOOORGE!  Word has it that ex-IceDog Jordan "George" Foreman will be playing in the ECHL in Alaska.
SEP.27 - ICEDOGS COME OUT FAST AND STRONG:  The Dogs came flying out of the gate with 2 quick goals in the opening period.  Great start to the game - within the first 5 minutes there were 3 goals scored and our first home-ice scrap of the season.  Another crowd of 3000+  Game talk here.  Pictures here.  Videos here.
SEP.27 - PIETRANGELO VS. MAPLE LEAFS: This Monday, Alex Pietrangelo and the St. Louis Blues will be in Toronto at the ACC to take on the Maple Leafs.  Be sure to tune in!  7:30PM, LeafsTV.
SEP.26 - COULDN'T HANG ON:  The IceDogs looked to be in control of the game, going up 4-2 on Oshawa.   Unfortunately Oshawa came back strong scoring 4 straight goals, including 2 softies, giving them a 6-4 win over our visiting team.  3 fights in the game - or rather, 2 fights and a mis-fight.  Johnson Andrews who isn't known for throwing them, did very well in his scrap getting the decision, and Schiestel scrapped Taylor after Taylor nailed one of our boys hard.  'Great to see Drew dropping 'em to aid a teammate.  The chat room was active tonight with the live chat.  Thanks to all who dropped in.  Don't forget the Dogs are back in action Saturday night taking on divisional rival Brampton at the Garden City - 7PM.  What a great night to start our next winning streak!
SEP.26 - TAKING THE BATTLE TO THEM:  The 2nd half of a back-and-back series against Oshawa continues in their rink tonight.  This game is televised on TVCogeco (7:30pm, ch.10) and be sure to enter the online chat room while you watch the game so you can cheer along real-time with other IceDog fans!  (you must be a member of the forum to enter the chat room - your login/password for the chat room are the same as your forum login).  Game talk here.
SEP.25 - DOGS GO DOWN IN O.T.:  After a dismal first period the IceDogs battled back to a 2-2 score and went into overtime, but it didn't last long as the Generals buried one for a 3-2 OT final.  Game Talk here!  Pictures here.
SEP.25 - GAME NIGHT!  [The following summary of the meeting tonight done by PhilMargonis]: "Oshawa allowed 7 goals in their season opener in Sudbury. I'd expect they will allow lots of goals all year as their goaltending situation is worst in the league right now in my opinion.  The loss of Captain Eric Regan will hurt them badly in the back as well.  I'm not sure if Del Zotto will be in the line-up for them tonight, maybe our Generals guy Kevy can report thatfor us. If he is keep an eye on him. he'll be the one leading the rush from the back every time he's on the ice. Del Zotto was drafted by the Rangers 20th overall in the 2008 NHL entry draft.  3 guys for oshawa that should get drafted this year are- D de Haan who's skilled offensively from what i've heard... lil Corrente.... and Taylor carnevale.  John Tavares had 4 points vs Sudbury all of which on the PP i believe.  That will be the key to this game for the Dogs. STAY OUT OF THE BOX! Tavares is deadly on the PP so if we limit penalties and contain the tavares line we should get the win tonight." [game talk]
SEP.24 - PIETRANGELO HELPS BLUES TOP STARS:  Article here on the 2 point game Petro had for St. Louis recently.  Alex was also named 3rd star of the game!
SEP.24 - SEBASTIEN DAHM TO PLAY IN AHL:  Sebastien Dahm has signed a contract with the Columbus Bluejackets' farm club, the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, and will possibly be in the lineup as a backup there.
SEP.24 - PETRO HOT IN ST. LOUIS:  A forum member describes Pietrangelo in a recent game: "In a 3-2 St Louis win over Dallas, according to the radio broadcasters, Petro was the game's third star and played nearly 22 mins, one of the most of all d-men! On one shift, 2 guys tried to go after Petro (to change the momentum), both times his team-mates stood up for him, one getting into a fight..."
SEP.23 - ON HIS OWN MERRETT:  Article here on Andrew Merrett and his experience at the Bluejackets camp.
SEP.22 - FLETCHER ASSIGNED TO AHL:  IceDog d-man Scott Fletcher who was recently at the Boston Bruins' NHL camp, has been assigned to their AHL camp with Providence.  Article here.
SEP.21 - SCHWINDT AND ICEDOGS FIRST WIN:  Good article here on IceDog d-man Mike Schwindt who scored his first OHL goal Saturday night.
SEP.20 - FIREPOWER:  Cullen made some spectacular saves in net and the IceDogs put 6 past the Ottawa netminder in the Dogs season-opening 6-3 win over the 67's.  All lines were working pretty well together.  The referees made a lot of one-sided calls in Ottawa's favor but even the bad calls couldn't stop the Dogs tonight.  Niagara goals by: Schwindt, Sisca, Agozzino, Piva, Sarracini, Agozinno.  Read and talk about the game here!  Pictures here!  Game sheet here.
SEP.20 - TV GAMES:  TVCogeco's September broadcasts of the Niagara IceDogs is here (thanks Lois)
SEP.20 - HOCKEY NIGHT IN NIAGARA!  The season opener is tonight at 7PM vs. Ottawa.  Sources close to the team say that MacIsaac will probably be out of the lineup as he has been very sick the last few days.  (get well soon Mike!)  We will probably be seeing Cullen get the start in net.  There are also other key Icedogs out of the lineup as they are away at NHL camps.  Luckily, all the other teams have players away as well.  Don't forget the parking lot party before the game, with band/games/drinks/food, starts at 4PM this afternoon.  Forecast is sunny and a high of 26C !
SEP.19 - ICEDOG CAR FLAGS - BEWARE!  This probably doesn't need to be said to anyone who owns one, but DO NOT buy these if you intend to actually put them on your car.  I purchased 2 IceDogs car flags (one black, one white) last year.  After only a few weeks, the plastic pole part snapped last year.  The other one had be sitting dormant most of the summer.  It was put on the car yesterday to proudly display the IceDogs colours from my car window while I was driving around town.  IT snapped off.  And right at the busy intersection of Welland Ave/Ontario St. which made it very hard to retreive.  So, that's 40 bucks down the drain.  Both flags lasted less than a couple months.  Hopefully this msg will keep others from wasting money on them.  (I'll inquire at the store if I bring in the old ones if they ca be replaced - although what's the point as the replacements will break just as easily)
SEP.19 - VIDEO OF FLETCHER @ CAMP:  Here is a video of IceDog enforcer Scott Fletcher at Boston Bruins camp scrapping Rechlicz.
SEP.19 - CAPUTI CUT FROM NHL CAMP: Ex-IceDog sniper Luca Caputi was cut from the main camp and has been sent down to the Penguins AHL club.
SEP.19 - AUDIO BROADCASTS OF LIVE GAME ACTION!  No, no radio - but all games will be audio broadcast on the internet right here!  There will be a permanent link to this at the top of this page.  Add it to your bookmarks/favorites!
SEP.19 - NIAGARA COUNTING BIG ON AGOZZINO: Coming back from the world under-17 challenge last season, Andrew Agozzino was probably playing the best hockey of his career.  After his return to the Niagara IceDogs, however, he was felled in a fight in Sudbury Jan. 12, suffering a concussion and missing 13 games.  More here.
SEP.19 - CAN'T KEEP A GOOD DOG DOWN:  Alex Pietrangelo was hurt in a game in Traverse City at the St. Louis vs. NYRangers game, and had to be helped off the ice after what looked to be a knee injury.  More here.
SEP.18 - JORDAN FORMAN FIGHT:  Ex-IceDog Jordan ("Geoooorge") Foreman got into a pretty good tussel while playing for the Detroit Redwings, vs. Paquette of the Atlanta Thrashers.  Video here.
SEP.18 - NEW SERVER:  The migration to the new server looks to be complete.  Both the forum and the web site are now running off of it.  So you should notice a BIG speed increase in the forum.  We've gone from an old Celeron 1.6Ghz CPU with half a GB of ram, to 2X Xeon dual-core 3.2Ghz processors (equivalent to 4 Intel Xeon CPUs!) with 2GB of ram.  Please bare with me if there's any problems in upcoming days, because that migration from the old server to the new one just seemed to go FAR to smoothly (which in my experience usually means upcoming problems - hah!)
SEP.18 - ERIE NEWS PUTS US 1ST IN DIVISION:  The Erie Times news puts the Niagara IceDogs in first in their division this season, and 2nd in the conference.  Check out the listings!
SEP.17 - THE OHL SEASON BEGINS!  Niagara's off until Saturday night, but the 2008-2009 OHL hockey season begins tonight with the Saginaw Spirit playing against the London Knights.  For a team-by-team preview of what to expect this year, read here.
SEP.16 - We will be moving over to a NEW server this week or the week after.  We're going from a Celeron 2.4 Ghz with 512MB ram to a VERY fast dual Intel Xeon 3.2 cpu with 2GB ram. The new server will also have almost twice the storage space, and we'll be going from 1000GB/month traffic limit to 2500GB/month. But the main thing you should notice is a LOT faster forum (much less delay between clicks in the forum).  BUT.... This is a *MASSIVE* undertaking. We have about 8 sites to move over, multiple databases spread over 2 different versions of mySQL, LOTS of DNS/IP configuration to do with our DNS zones, email account moving, the 200+ GB of files, etc, etc, etc...  the current server is spread out over multiple IPs, multiple drives, and multiple versions of mySQL, with databases run on each of them.  Simply put, it's a mess (from the technical end of things).  This is the first time we've ever done anything like this, but luckily my tech guy knows that he's doing :)  With all that being said, EVEN if things transfers over smoothly, there will be a down time as transfer and configuration occurs. Which means the site will be down during that time.  BUT.. since this transfer to the new computer is SO massive with such a huge amount of configuration and planning, the site could be down for an extended period. 
SEP.16 - LINES:  What lines would YOU like to see players on this year?  Read/talk here.
SEP.16 - ICEDOGS TRIM ROSTER: The numbers are still a little inflated (and a bit misleading), but the Niagara IceDogs roster is down to 28. Monday, the Ontario Hockey League team gave sophomore forward Jason Bergeron, forward Stephen Ceccanese and defenceman Vladimir Bessonov and European draft pick Max Englbrecht their outright releases.  More here.
SEP.15 - CUTS MADE / ROSTER RELEASED:  Here is the up-to-date 2008/09 IceDogs roster.  Looks like Bergeron, Bessenov, and Englebrecht didn't make the cut.
SEP.15 - ICEDOGS BATTLING FOR COVETED ROSTER SPOTS:  Article on Piva and other IceDogs fighting for a spot on this season's roster.
SEP.15 - NJ CAMP:  Good luck to Michael Swift and Matt Corrente as the New Jersey Devils start their training camp today!
SEP.14 - ICEDOGS SWEEP SAGINAW IN WOODSTOCK: Yes, lots of town names in that heading.  The IceDogs were in Woodstock, Ontario this afternoon continuing their battle against Saginaw (who they beat last night in St. Catharines) and defeated them again with a 3-1 score.  Goal for the Dogs were by Hamilton, Bergeron, and an empty netter by Sisca.  The Niagara IceDogs closed out their pre-season with this game, with a pre-season tally of 6 wins, 1 loss.  Game talk here.
SEP.14 - PETRO A PLUS:  Alex Pietrangelo was a +1 in the first game of the St. Louis Blues prospects camp.
SEP.13 - ICEDOGS WIN LAST PRE-SEASON HOME GAME!  In a game that towards the end had the atmosphere of a playoff game, the Dogs came out victorious thanks to a sweet Agozzino short-handed goal in the dying minutes.  Cullen made some stellar saves in net.  Game talk here!  Pictures here.
SEP.13 - HOCKEY NIGHT IN NIAGARA:  Niagara plays Saginaw at the Garden City tonight.  This could be the return of ex-IceDog Barry Sanderson, who was dealt to Saginaw over the summer.  Game talk here.
SEP.12 - CICCHILLO LOOKING TO BUILD ON SOLID FIRST SEASON AS COACH:  Good article on IceDogs coach Maria ("Cheech") Cicchillo coaching the IceDogs and the Ontario under 17 team.
SEP.11 - THE COMEBACK!  It didn't look good after the first period - the IceDogs went down 1-0 only seconds after the game begun and left the ice after the 1st with a 3-0 deficit.  They came back 3-3, then went 5-3.  Erie scored another making it 5-4 then the Dogs put another one in for a 6-4 final.  Read/talk about the game here!  Photos here.
SEP.11 - GAME NIGHT:  The Erie Otters are in town tonight taking on the Dogs at the Garden City Arena in St. Catharines, 7:30PM.  Video highlights here!
SEP.11 - CHL ANNOUNCES PRE-SEASON MOSAIK MASTERCARD TOP 10 RANKINGS:  See the list here.
SEP.11 - MARIO CICCHILLO NAMED ONT U-17 TEAM HEAD COACH: The Ontario Under 17 Policy Committee is pleased to announce the appointment of Mario Cicchillo as the new Head Coach for Ontario's Under 17 Team.  More.
SEP.11 - TOP DRAFTS: TSN has listed their top draft picks for the 2009 draft.

SEP.10 - THE OHL TEAM PREVIEWS ARE IN!  Click here to check out a rundown of the OHL, team-by-team.
SEP.10 - FLETCHER TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT IN BOSTON:  IceDog defenceman (turning forward this year) and team enforcer Scott Fletcer is off to Bean Town to the Bruins NHL camp.  More here.
SEP.06 - ICEDOGS PUT DOWN GENERALS TWICE IN A ROW!  The Niagara IceDogs defeated the Oshawa Generals in Oshawa this evening, 4-2.  "Niagara took a 2-0 first period lead on goals by Jason Bergeron and Marco Insam and led 4-2 after two periods on goals by Victor Terreri and Drew Schiestel to pick up their second win over the Generals in as many meetings this pre-season." More here and here.
SEP.05 - DOGS LOSE 7-5 TO WOLVES:  Short game summary here.
SEP.05 - ICEDOGS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY SATURDAY:  The players will be out at a couple different events Saturday (Sep.6) including a fundraising car wash at the Garden City complex, as well as the Greek festival at 585 Niagara St. (Niagara St. & Linwell Rd.)  Hopefully the weather gods will go against the forecast (rain) and give everyone a sunny day.
SEP.05 - JOSH DAY TO PLAY FOR LEAFS AT NHL ROOKIE TOURNAMENT:  IceDog Josh Day will be representing the Toronto Maple Leafs as a rookie in an upcoming tournament.
SEP.05 - STEADY FREDDIE STEPS UP FOR ICEDOGS:  Good article on IceDogs 1st round pick Freddie Hamilton.
SEP.05 - TICKETS AVAILABLE AT SEAWAY MALL IN WELLAND: The Niagara IceDogs and Seaway Mall have officially signed a partnership agreement that will make IceDogs tickets more accessible to fans in Welland and throughout the southern portion of the Niagara region. Beginning Tuesday, September 2nd, Seaway Mall will begin selling tickets to all IceDogs Exhibition, Regular Season and Playoff games during the 2008-09 season.  More here.
SEP.05 - PIETRANGELO SIGNS WITH ST. LOUIS:  The Blues have signed IceDog d-man Alex Pietrangelo, who will see their training camp Sep.19
SEP.05 - GAME NIGHT:  The IceDogs are up at the big nickel tonight taking on the Sudbury Wolves.
SEP.05 - ROSTER RELEASED:  The IceDogs have put up their current roster here.
SEP.02 - ICEDOGS TURNING HEADS:  Article here about IceDog hopeful Andrew Shaw.
SEP.01 - B&W PHOTOS:  Thanks to Lois for these photos of the 2nd annual Black & White game.
AUG.31 - GENERALS SHOT DOWN / PARKING LOT PARTY! :  The IceDogs came out with firepower this afternoon putting up 6 goals on the scoreboard to Oshawa's 3.  Both teams seemed to be playing it a bit safe, but maybe it only seemed that way because the last time these two teams met was in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Of the new 'tryout' players on the roster, nobody really looked that bad.  It's going to be tough decisions for the coaching staff when the time comes to pick the final roster.  Also, it was great to see the band playing and the pre-game fan get-together in the front parking lot - it's as though we're continuing on right where we left of last year!  How many OTHER teams have pre-game parties for the *PRE* season !??  GO DOGS GO!  Game talk here.  Photos here.  Articles here.
AUG.31 - GAME DAY:  The IceDogs play this afternoon at the Garden City, 2PM.  Tickets are just 10 bucks.  They'll be taking on last year's playoff nemesis, the Oshawa Generals.  Rumor has it that CKTB 610AM will NOT be broadcasting games on the radio this year, and TVCogeco will only be showing home games 2 and 3, so if you want to see this one - get on down there!  All game talk here.
AUG.30 - THE PRE-SEASON BEGINS!  The IceDogs are over the ditch and around the bend in Jamestown NY tonight taking on the Erie Otters.  It is unknown if this game will be radio broadcast but you can try CKTB610 AM @ 7pm.  Of course, the boys will be back in the Great White North here in Niagara tomorrow afternoon to play their first home game of the preseason, taking on last year's playoff foes, the Oshawa Generals.  It may still be hot out but be sure to wear your IceDogs jerseys!  Of course, if you don't have one yet, the store is right there in the rink :)
AUG.27 - PICTURES FROM CAMP:  Photos from today's 9am-10:15am training camp game are online here!  (69 pictures)
AUG.27 - TRAINING CAMP ARTICLE:  Nice article with coach Cicchillo and GM Brown about training camp.
AUG.27 - ICEDOGS TO PLAY IN FALLS:  The Niagara IceDogs will be playing a game at the Niagara Falls Memorial Arena March 1st vs. Ottawa.  More info here.
AUG.27 - ON ICE BEGINS TODAY:  The schedule for the scrimmage games is posted on this page.  Come check out possible players on our 08/09 roster!
AUG.26 - TRAINING CAMP BEGINS!  The Dogs will all be in town for testing and other things today, and will take to the ice tomorrow.
AUG.24 - ICEDOGFANS.COM AFTER A YEAR:  Well, we've been up for about a year now - a few weeks more than that actually (or about a year and 2 months if you count how this site started as a collection of pages on another site).  Wow what a crazy place it's been.  It's almost a 24/7 job doing the updates, making the videos, editing all the pictures, etc.., but it's made for a popular site.  After a year we've had approximately:  125,000 visits as well as over 300,000 files sent out totalling almost a TERABYTE (1000 gigabytes) of traffic!  (Those stats are for the www site here and do not include anything from the forum).  Hopefully we can be even busier this season!  GO DOGS GO!
AUG.22 - CAPUTI BIG POTENTIAL AT PRO LEVEL:  Former IceDog star Luca Caputi has an excellent article on him showing how much potential he could have at the next level.  (thanks to IceDogs5)
AUG.22 - OHL/WHL TO START DRUG TESTS:  These two leagues will start testing their athletes for drugs.  More here.
AUG.21 - LEGEIN TAKING A BREAK:  Thankfully, the IceDog fan-favorite hasn't hung up the blades just yet.  It has been reported that he would like to take a break, after two years of constant play, practice, tournaments, etc.  Heck, most of us would be able to do that for a month without wanting time off.  These guys don't work 7-5 then have weekends off.  They play and practice weekdays and weekends, then throw in all the travel time, interviews, media publicity events, add some tournaments on top of that.  And that's not to mention how hectic things must have been with injury time AND preparing for the move to the pro-level.  So it's GREAT to hear he's keeping his options open, and I can't speak for anyone else, but I would LOVE to see him take maybe a full year off to rest and see where he wants to fit in after that.  Good luck Stef!!
AUG.21 - LEGEIN LOST HIS PASSION:  Apparently the reason Stefan Legein quit hockey is that he lost his passion for the game (this is what was REPORTED in the media).  It has been said that the Bluejackets staff noticed this last spring, and wasn't surprised when his agent called to say he wouldn't be playing anymore.  Article here.
AUG.20 - More on the Legein fiasco here.  Hockey fans need to remember that hockey players have all the same NON-hockey issues in life as the rest of us.  It's easy for one to think that they're a hockey player and that's all they do, and the rest of their daily lives, is all fine.  They suffer the same life issues as everyone else, so don't be upset because he'sr 'throwing it all away', because as far as anyone knows, this decision by him *is* the best thing for him at this time.  He's always been a favorite player of this site, and on behalf of Legein fans everywhere:  GOOD LUCK STEF!
AUG.20 - CANADA-RUSSIA SERIES from an OHL press release is here. (thanks FishFan!)
AUG.20 - TSN2 SET TO LAUNCH AUG.29TH - Yep, another TSN channel.  Probably so they can fit in more poker, but HOPEFULLY more hockey - especially OHL hockey!  It's great to see TSN going strong and continuing to grow after CTV took them over.
AUG.20 - ADT CANADA/RUSSIA CHALLENGE TO BE IN ST. CATHARINES!  They usually require a minimum 5000 seat capacity but our fans sold the package, as it was stated that the tremendous fan support here will make it a great event.  Only 400-500 tickets will be available locally, and details will come in September.  BIG kudos to team owners Bill and Denise as they really had to pull a rabbit out on this one, since our rink doesn't meet required size.  Way to go!  More here.
AUG.20 - LEGEIN QUITS HOCKEY:  TSN has reported that Stefan Legein has told the Columbus Bluejackets that he is hanging up his skates and is going to quit playing.  More here.AUG.20 - VOLPE TRADED TO RANGERS:  Now-ex-Icedog goaltender has been delt to Kitchener.  More here.
AUG.15 - The Niagara IceDogs Hockey Club announced today that they have signed Freddie Hamilton, the team’s First Round Draft Pick in the 2008 OHL Priority Selection.  More here.
AUG.09 - ICEDOG FANS at the Olympics?
AUG.08 - DAHM @ CHICAGO PHOTO:  Good picture of ex-IceDog goaltender Sebastien Dahm at the Chicago Blackhawks goalie camp.
AUG.08 - PRE-SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE SOON:  Exhibition tickets will go on sale starting this coming Monday, August 11^th.  Tickets will be $10 for premium or end seats and $8 for standing.  Flex-pack tickets for regular season will be available on Monday (Aug.11)
AUG.08 - FLETCHER AT BRUINS CAMP:  It has been reported that IceDog defenceman (turned forward) Scott Fletcher has had an invite to the Boston Bruins rookie camp.  Congratulations Scott!
AUG.06 - ICEDOGS SIGN SCHWINDT:  Mike Schwindt, a tall defenceman that has come up quickly through the lower leagues, is now an IceDog.
AUG.05 - NATIONAL MEN’S SUMMER UNDER-18 TEAM ROSTER ANNOUNCED:  8 players from the OHL have been named to the team.  More information here.
AUG.04 - NICE AD:  This page has a nice video ad up for the IceDogs.
AUG.02 - SWIFT AT NJ CAMP:  A couple pictures of former IceDog captain Michael Swift at the New Jersey Devils camp.
AUG.01 - MIDDUP COMES TO ICEDOGS:  Thomas Middup has been added to the IceDogs roster, coming over from Kingston.
JUL.30 - BUS TRIP TO OSHAWA:  Hop on the booster club bus and see the Niagara IceDogs take on John Tavares and the Oshawa Generals, Sep.26 in our only visit to Oshawa this season.  Full info here!
JUL.30 - 2008/09 SCHEDULE:  'Just made up a quick printable 08/09 IceDogs game schedule.  It should print nicely onto a single page of paper.
JUL.29 - FIRST BOOSTER CLUB BUS TRIP:  The first away game bus trip has been organized Sep.26 @ Oshawa.  More info here.
JUL.28 - CORRENTE ON NHL SITE:  Article here on IceDog defenceman Matt Corrente by NHL.com
JUL.27 - TICKET PRICES INCREASE:  Pre-season ticket prices have doubled from last year's 5 bucks a game to $10.  Last year's regular season seats for ends/premiums are now $17 and $18  (up from $15, $16).  To see the 3 home pre-season games and all 34 home games this season, that equates to an increase of an extra $83 per fan.  On a packed house that would come to around $6300 per game of extra revenue for the team, or $214,000 extra on the season (potentially).  More info here.
JUL.22 - CORRENTE PHOTO FROM NJ DEVILS CAMP:  Thanks to IGT for this photo of IceDog Matt Corrente at the New Jersey Devils training camp.
JUL.19 - 2008/09 TICKETS AVAILABLE IN WELLAND:  Welland residents now have an easier way to get their IceDogs tickets - they will be available at the Seaway Mall in Welland starting this season.
JUL.14 - ALEX PIETRANGELO RADIO INTERVIEW:  Petro was interviewed on "The Pipeline Show" where he talks about being drafted, his future with the Blues, his summer, etc..  Download the interview here!
JUL.13 - SEBASTIEN DAHM GET'N MEAN:  It sounds as though IceDog alumni goaltender Sebastien Dahm has got a bit of a heated rivalry going at the Blackhawks camp.
JUL.13 - BLUEJACKETS web site article on Stefan Legein here.
JUL.13 - PHOTOS OF LEGEIN AT COLUMBUS CAMP:  Thanks to IGT for these photos of Stefan Legein at the Columbus Bluejackets' camp.
JUL.8 - LEGEIN/DAHM AT NHL PROSPECT CAMPS:  Stefan Legein is working hard at the Columbus camp and Sebastien Dahm is one of five goalies at the development camp for the Chicago Blackhawks.  Read more.
JUL.5 - NIAGARA BIDS to host a game of the Canada-Russia series this fall, more info here.
JUL.3 - NIAGARA TO HOST ADT CANADA-RUSSIA SERIES?  Article on the front page of today's Standard about the possibility of Niagara hosting some of this series in November.  Apparently we've made it to the 'short list' of cities bidding to be the host, but our small rink size is being listed as a concern.  CITY COUNCILORS:  Here's one DIRECT benefit of having a modern rink located in the city!  Just another example of the type of things we could continually compete for in the future..  not to mention all the non-hockey regional/national/international events that could be brought to town (curling, figure skating,etc...)
JUL.2 - NEW ARENA IN THE LOWER PARKING LOT:  See what it would look like (kind of) if a new arena was put downtown in the lower level parking lot (graphic by ItsGameTime our resident graphic technician :)  )
JUL.2 - ICEDOGS WHO HAVE/CAN MOVE ON to the NHL in a nice table graphic done up in this thread by ItsGameTime - lists Niagara IceDogs who have moved on to the NHL/AHL and who is eligible.
JUN.29 - HOCKEY'S FUTURE: Has a nice clip of Petro's post-draft interview.
JUN.28 - ICEDOGS PICK GOALTENDER IN IMPORT DRAFT:  With the 43rd pick overall, the IceDogs selected Maximilian Engelbrecht, who played last season with the Landshut Hannibals of the DNL, a development league in Germany.  More...
JUN.27 - ARTICLE from Niagara This Week on Pietrangelo getting drafted.

JUN.26 - CHL IMPORT DRAFT: The CHL Import draft is today - the IceDogs pick at 4:00, 40th overall.
JUN.26 - PENGUINS CAPUTI BOOSTING STOCK:  Article on former IceDog Luca "F-Bomber" Caputi trying to crack the Penguins lineup.
JUN.25 - HAS PETRO PLAYED HIS LAST GAME AS AN ICEDOG?  It looks like the Blues may be interested in keeping him in their system this upcoming season.  Read more.
JUN.25 - SCOTT FLETCHER RANKED #6 AMONG HEAVYWEIGHTS:  OHLToughGuys.com has ranked our own Scott Fletcher sixth as far as his pugilistic abilities amongst the other OHL enforcers.
JUN.24 - AGGY IN CANADA UNDER-18 CAMP:  IceDog Andrew Agozzino has been named to the Team Canada U-18 camp roster.  Congrats Aggy!
JUN.20 - PIETRANGELO TO ST. LOUIS:  IceDog defenceman Alex Pietrangelo was picked 4th overall in the NHL draft today by the St. Louis Blues.  Congratulations Alex!  We can't wait to see you in the big league!  Talk here.  Watch video here!
JUN.20 - DRAFT DAY!  Watch the NHL draft live on TSN tonight (7pm) and see where Niagara IceDog Alex Pietrangelo will be making his NHL debut!
JUN.19 - PIETRANGELO INTERVIEW:  Nice interview with Petro here.
JUN.18 - 2008/09 SCHEDULE: [from IceDogs site] : Fans will notice a shift in the IceDogs schedule with more emphasis on Thursday evening games and an introduction of Saturday night home games. In all, the IceDogs home schedule includes 17 Thursday nights, 2 Friday nights, 9 Saturday nights, 4 Sunday afternoons.
JUN.16 - USA TODAY HAS PIETRANGELO TO THE LEAFS:  read more!
JUN.16 - TSN SEGMENT on the upcoming NHL entry draft this Friday, watch the video!
JUN.16 - NEW ARENA FEATURES: Vote on what YOU would like to see in a new rink!
JUN.13 - ICEDOGS TO PLAY THURSDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS:  The 2008-2009 OHL schedule has been released, and it looks like instead of playing Sunday afternoons, the 'Dogs will move to Saturday nights.  No more Hockey Night In Canada people!  No big loss, HNIC sold their theme song, and the Leafs are hurtin anyway... (plus OHL hockey is much more entertaining!)  Do you like the switch to Saturday nights instead of Sunday afternoons?  Vote here!
JUN.13 - BARRY SANDERSON TRADED TO SAGINAW:  Barry Sanderson, a US native, returns to play for a team in his country, after it was announced he has been traded to the Saginaw Spirit for a 4th round pick in 2009 and a conditional 11th round pick in 2011.  We wish Barry all the best!  (and we'll miss his sweet shootout moves in the annual skills competition!)
JUN.13 - FATHERS DAY SPECIAL: [info from a forum member] During the week of June 9-13 the Dogs are running a Father's Day special where anyone who purchases a season ticket will receive a FREE 6 game flex pack and a IceDogs hat.   Read more.
JUN.13 - ROOKIE CAMP article from Niagara This Week.
JUN.11 - ST. CATHARINES STANDARD WRITER THINKS PROPOSED NEW ARENA TOO BIG AND TOO COSTLY RIGHT NOW:  Doug Herod, a writer for the St. Catharines Standard wrote an article citing [in my opinion] that with other big expenditures right now, a new arena being built would be poorly timed, and that 5000+ seats is just too big.  Well, if we can get people into those uncomfortable wooden benches, packing the house continually, with huge lineups for the washrooms, huge lineups at the snack bars, the impossibility to move around during intermission, after waiting around for an hour for the game to begin because you have to get their an hour early just to find parking (then walk a distane uphill in the snow and ice then cross a busy 4-lane road), then there's no reason why twice that many people wouldn't come out to the rink twice a week if all those problems weren't there.  You give the average family the piece of mind that they can get to the game 20 minutes early and have a parking spot, be comfortable in their seats, have room to move around between periods, and not be herded like cattle into cramped areas to get a snack, and they'll show up night in night out to watch the exciting level of entertainment that the IceDogs provide.  He says in his article that the city is paying for a new hospital - ???  I guess the province no longer helps with projects like that.  'Never knew we were footing the bill completely. But back to the seat thing.  He states 3500 would be adequate.  HUH?  Why would a municipality spend tens of millions of dollars on a new facility only to expand their capacity by 12% ???  On a side note, some councilors mentioned that they doubted other events would be attracted to a new complex because of the vicinity of Buffalo, Hamilton, and Toronto and that we're "used" to driving to see things like that.  NOTE: We're NOT competing with huge-act shows that require Copps or the Air Canada Center!  But right now we have NO place for mid-range shows.  Maybe a provincial or national curling championship, or figure skating, or popular-yet-not-top-40 music, etc.  And just because we're "used to it" does that make it alright?  It's embarrassing to see other cities comparable (and even much smaller) in size putting up 5000-6000 seat buildings while we have one half that size, falling apart, that was built in the 1930's!  Lets show the people of St. Catharines that we're advancing forward just like everyone else!  And not once was it mentioned in Doug's article that corporate sponsorship of such a new building would be involved...  Apparently the private sector doesn't exist in his world.  Then again, he seems to think the city is footing the entire bill for a hospital, so why not the arena as well.  On another note, it's proven that the Burkes (IceDogs owners) are good at two things: running a successful hockey franchise (proof: Icedogs opening year) and making money (proof: their previous business ventures).  The city could only BE SO LUCKY to have a partner like them going into this this.  They know the bottom line and how to make things work - put some trust in their judgement, keep them VERY involved in every aspect of the planning and running of the facility, and you'll have great odds on a winning combination. [UPDATE JUN.14] After seeing how badly into debt the city is going to be after the aquatic center (since it's never called a pool and an 'aquatic center' does that mean we get whales and dolphins and the like??) and the performing arts center, I have to retract some of my opposition to Doug's point of view.  It actually *does* seem hard think up where the money will come from after the current large-scale projects already scheduled...  Hopefully the private sector can pull a rabbit out of the hat on this one.
JUN.09 - WHERE WOULD *YOU* LIKE A NEW RINK TO BE BUILT?  Vote here!
JUN.09 - CITY COUNCIL UPATE ON NEW ARENA STUDY:  It was brought forth in the city council meeting this evening, read about how it went here.
JUN.09 - NEW ARENA UPDATE:  The following was taken from a forum message from a very reliable source: "Staff has recommended that a task force be created to look into building a new downtown spectator rink. But staff has not, at this point, endorsed building a new rink. Also, 2 locations were mentioned. The preferred spot appears to be the current site of the Garden City Arena complex along with the block north of the rink (where the Queensway Hotel use to be). The other location mentioned is the lower level parking lot. Council will make their decision tonight".  So watch your local ch.10 tonight to see the results!!
JUN.07 - LUCA'S LIVE TONIGHT!  Listen to former Icedog sniper Luca Caputi - now with AHL's Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins (yah, weird name) - go for the AHL trophy, the Calder Cup!  He's in the finals right now, and they play tonight!  Go Luca (aka. F-Bomber) Go!
JUN.07 - Rookie camp 1:30pm scrimmage game (59 pictures)
JUN.07 - ROOKING TRAINING CAMP TODAY AND TOMORROW!  Don't forget to check out the rookies on the ice this weekend - it's free!  At the 4-pad Seymour-Hannah arena complex in west St. Catharines on St. Paul West.
JUN.07 - MORE ARTICLES on IceDog President Denise Burke being named OHL's Executive of the Year are here and here.
JUN.05 - ICEDOG PROSPECTS HIT THE ICE THIS WEEKEND:  It's been marked on the calender for months but it's finally here - rookie camp!  All unsigned Icedog drafts will be here this weekend for medical as well as on-ice showings.  They'll be on the ice at the 4-pad in west St. Catharines Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.  It's free!  Merchandise will be on sale there as well.
JUN.05 - ICEDOGS RECEIVE AWARD:  Congratulations to Niagara IceDogs President Denise Burke for being named Executive of the Year at the annual OHL awards held yesterday.  Every fan who's followed the growth of the team since last summer when they first moved in can only imagine how much work had to be done in such a short amount of time.  It's great to see all those long hours she put in get the recognition!  Congratulations Denise! [more here]
JUN.05 - LISTEN TO LUCA!  Former star Icedog Luca Caputi continues his quest for the AHL Calder Cup Friday night.  Listen to the game live on this page!  Saturday's game on this page.  [thanks Casey]
JUN.04 - SEBASTIAN DAHM HEADED TO CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS CAMP:  IceDogs alumni goaltender Sebastian Dahm has been invited to a camp being held by the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL where he will compete against 4 other goaltenders for a roster spot.  GO DAHM GO!.
JUN.03 - OHL TRADES:  Keep up to date by following the posts here.
JUN.02 - SERVER DOWN SINCE SAT. EVENING:  There was an electrical transformer explosion at the datacenter which houses this site, knocking out power to over 9,000 servers.  The fire dept. instructed them NOT to use their backup generators while power was being restored, so the site has been down since then.  Luckily no data was lost (and more importantly, nobody was injured).
JUN.02 - OHL TEAMS ALLOWED TO TRADE AGAIN:  As of yesterday teams are open to trading players.  Of course, we'll keep you updated right away on anything significant the IceDogs do.
MAY.29 - INTERVIEWS LET TEAMS GET TO KNOW PROSPECTS:  Pietrangelo is featured in this Maple Leafs online article.  Does anyone else notice that Petro seems to be getting a lot of mention by the Leafs as of late?  Could this be a sign of things to come? (hope hope)  Some more shots of Alex on this page.
MAY.22 - CONGRATULATIONS CAPUTI, LEGEIN, PIETRANGELO for being selected by the OHL general managers to the OHL's 2007-2008 All Stars team.
MAY.18 - IIHF HOCKEY AND YES I'LL HAVE FRIES WITH THAT:  It's Team Zepter vs. Team Skoda! Well it's been awhile since I've gone off on a rant... the IIHF hockey championships - WHAT A JOKE. Sure the level of hockey is great to watch, but the way the game is presented just shows how bad the Europeans have turned our once-proud game into a 60 minute commercial. Yes, we all know that over there they dress their players up as moving-advertisements, they stick cars in the seats instead of people, and they dress their referees up like Ronald McDonald. Maybe hockey is hurting so bad OVER THERE that they need to sell-out commercially to that low level - BUT NOT HERE. Seeing the championship being played in Quebec today, with players having big stickers across their foreheads advertising an automobile manufacturer was absolutely disgusting. Since Canada was hosting the contest we should have been allowed to to say "hey, if you want to slap advertisements on every square inch of material in Europe, go ahead - but NOT in Canada, we still have SOME pride left in ourselves". Unfortunately, nobody said this. It's sickening to see the power of the dollar (or greed rather) when it rears it's ugly head.  Of course, if *I* owned one of those companies I'd probably want my label stuck on every player's forehead as well.  Actually, no - not when it comes to hockey.  Sometimes even greed takes a back seat to the pride of a former hockey player...
MAY.14 - OH YAH, SOMEBODY WON THE OHL CHAMPIONSHIP: Sometimes this site (well, myself) can lose interest in OHL hockey when it's not the IceDogs, but it should be mentioned that the Kitchener Rangers won the OHL title in 7 games against the Belleville Bulls.  Still, 'just not as important as IceDog news... :D
MAY.14 - PENS CAPUTI, JEFFREY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITY: f-Bomb Caputi (we'll never let him live that down!) and an article on him by the Standard.
MAY.14 - PETRO LOOKING TO MAKE BIG IMPACT IN NHL:  Article by NHL.com and the NHL scout for the OHL on Niagara IceDog Alex Pietrangelo.
MAY.6 - DISPLAY THOSE PICTURES PROUDLY: Just looking around at the 5 8x10's I purchased from the team photographer, and wanted to let people know - for 10 bucks a photo they're a GREAT price.  I can't believe how many times I look at them every time I pass by where they're displayed.  Professional quality printing and a HUGE selection of action shots of your favorite IceDogs.  Check out Rick's site for all the available Icedog photos!
MAY.5 - FREDDIE HAMILTON is the first ever draft pick by the Niagara IceDogs.  Article here.
MAY.4 - LUCA SCORES ANOTHER!  IceDog alumni Luca Caputi scored another goal for Scranton of the AHL.  Keep going strong Luca!
MAY.2 - IIHF HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP: A reminder to all that the world hockey championship starts today.  Canada vs. Slovakia @ 3:20 on TSN.
APR.30 - ROOKIES:  The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires has won the Emms Family Award as the OHL’s rookie of the year for the 2007-08 season.  More here.
APR.30 - CAPUTI ARTICLE:  On scoring his first AHL goal and his first assist.  Read here.
APR.30 - OHL NAMES MOST VALUABLE: The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Justin Azevedo of the Kitchener Rangers has won the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player for the 2007-08 season as selected by the writers and broadcasters that cover the league. [more here]
APR.28 - LUCA'S FIRST PRO GOAL:  Watch a video of it here!

APR.26 - F-BOMBER SCORES HIS 1ST AHL GOAL!  Former Icedog-turned-AHL'er Luca Caputi scored his first AHL goal for Wilkes-Barre.  He also added an assist that game and had a +2 rating!  Congrats Luca!  Scoresheet here.
APR.24 - PETRO RANKED 6TH:  The final standings for the NHL draft-eligible players are in.
APR.24 - BELLEVILLE TO MEET KITCHENER in the OHL finals.  Series dates here.
APR.23 - CAPUTI SIGNS ENTRY-LEVEL CONTRACT WITH PITTSBURG:  Officially announced by the Penguins today.  More here.  Stats from his first AHL game here!
APR.23 - ICEDOG OWNER ALREADY LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT SEASON: Good article in Niagara This Week.
APR.22 - FRIESEN GETS AWARD FOR TOP MARKS:  IceDog forward and NOTL native Alex Friesen will be receiving the Ivan Tennant Memorial Award for being the top academic high school player amongst all OHL high school students.  He maintained a 92% average!  Way to go Alex!!
APR.21 - PETRO VIDEO:  Nice NHL scouting video on Alex Pietrangelo here.
APR.20 - LUCA CAPUTI'S NHL PROFILE is now listed here!  And there's an article here.
APR.20 - LEGEIN'S NHL PROFILE can be found online here!
APR.19 - MIKE McCOURT INTERVIEW:  Assistant coach of the Dogs Mike McCourt was interviewed on The River 105.1FM, check it out!
APR.19 - SWIFT SIGNS WITH NJ DEVILS!  A bombshell of a news update was dropped on us today as it was announced that former IceDog team captain Michael Swift has signed an entry level contract with the New Jersey Devils of the NHL.  Read more here.  Way to go Swifty!!
APR.18 - ASK GM DAVE BROWN A QUESTION!  IceDogs GM Dave Brown will be on "It's Your Call" on CHSC 1120AM Apr.21 at 6pm and he will be answering your questions!  Post your question to him in this thread!
APR.16 - CAPUTI SIGNS CONTRACT:  Luca Caputi has signed an "amateur professional" (whatever THAT is) contract with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
APR.16 - CAPUTI GONE, CONFIRMED:  Luca Caputi has gone out to Scranton to join Pittsburg's farm team in their playoffs.
APR.15 - CAPUTI GONE TO SCRANTON:  Rumor has it that IceDog forward Luca Caputi will be playing in Scranton (Pittsburg's AHL affiliate) next season.  This is currently unconfirmed.
APR.14 - LEGEIN NO LONGER AN ICEDOG, JOINS SYRACUSE: The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned right wing Stefan Legein from the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League to the Syracuse Crunch, Columbus’ American Hockey League affiliate, Blue Jackets’ General Manager Scott Howson announced today.
APR.14 - GOOD ARTICLE interviewing some of the Dogs that won't be back in the roster next season.
APR.14 - A CALL FOR *YOUR* PHOTOS:  The team photographer will be releasing an IceDogs yearbook in the near future and he wants to include your photos!  Any great memories captured on camera that you have will be much appreciated - for more please see here!
APR.13 - DAHM TO REPRESENT DENMARK?  Rumor has it that goaltender Sebastian Dahm will be representing his native country of Denmark in the upcoming World Hockey Championship.
APR.13 - LEGEIN GONE TO SYRACUSE OF AHL:  Stefan Legein is reportedly going to the AHL next year so unfortunately will not be with the IceDogs for the 08/09 season.  All the best in the pros Stef! (this report is unofficial as of right now)
APR.13 - ALL GOOD THINGS...  Last game in Oshawa we showed we would never give up up until the final buzzer went.  Unfortunately that came this afternoon at the Garden City Arena in St. Catharines as the Oshawa Generals defeated the IceDogs 5-3, taking the series in 6 games.  What an amazing year it's been.  From all the man games lost and still managing to get home-ice advantage going into the playoffs, through the amazing 4 game sweep of archrival Mississauga, the continuous sell-out crowds, the parking lot parties before the games, the acquisition of star goaltender and class-act person Sebastian Dahm, and on and on and on.  It will be very sad to see Jordan Foreman, Sebastian Dahm, and team captain Michael Swift not return next year, and we wish all three of them (and any other Dogs that move on to greener pastures) all the best of luck with their hockey futures.  To the entire IceDogs organization, especially Bill and Denise Bruke - thank you so much for the excitement you've provided us.  The community was and *is* standing next to you all the way, and you all made Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons the best times of our weeks.  On behalf of IceDog fans everywhere:  THANK YOU.  A few photos here.
APR.13 - THANK YOU ICEDOG FANS!  And thank you to all of YOU who helped make this site what it is.  All of the news postings, the picture sharing, the great insights and enthusiasm that you've shown towards this team and this site all year long.  Over 27,000 messages posted, and over 5,000 photos in one season!  Way to go Dogs Fans!
APR.13 - CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE:  Big credit to the Oshawa Generals this series.  They played like a well-oiled machine each game (minus the last one in Oshawa) and played a strong game night in night out.  All the best of luck against Belleville.
APR.11 - NEVER COUNTED THEMSELVES OUT!  The IceDogs put for an amazing performance tonight, putting the Cadets in front of their firing squad and leaving the Cadets laying beaten and battered in the wake of an 8-3 onslaught.  Caputi, Swift, and Foreman all had 4 points this evening.  A VERY interesting note:  Oshawa goaltender Neuvirth left the game after what looks like pulling a muscle, and was replaced by their backup goalie.  I believe I speak for many IceDog fans in saying that the minutes (even hours) leading up to tonight's puck drop, the nervousness and anxiety was almost palpable amongst the fans.  Nobody had doubted our guys could get the job done, because we KNOW we're the better team and just haven't played our game up until tonight.  But with so much on the line, it was a very stressful time for the true fans in those minutes before the broadcast started.  Congratulations to ALL Icedogs and Icedog fans for never giving up! Game summary here. 
APR.11 - DECISION DAY:  Today is the day that the IceDogs will decide if they want to play a game 6 back here at home on Sunday, or after coming so far, end things now, and try it all again next year.  THEY KNOW they can beat Oshawa, they've already done it this series, and during the regular season.  There's NO reason they can't do it again.  Even on the road - it's still the SAME GAME!  I refused to believe that Oshawa's home crowd gives their team so much of an advantage that we can't beat them there.  Remember IceDogs - we have a lot of Dog fans in attendance there, and WE'RE ALL IN ATTENDANCE back here at home, watching the game on TV and listening on the radio, wearing our IceDog jerseys and hats, blowing our horns and ringing our bells.  Every shift, think of all those people watching and listening back home!  Lets give these Generals a defeat on their own ice tonight !!!
APR.10 - ARTICLE ON PETRO being sidelined after playing some of his best hockey.
APR.10 - BEST PICTURE TAKEN all year?
APR.10 - BEST COACH AND GOALIE NAMED:  Goaltender Mike Murphy of the Belleville Bulls was named OHL Goaltender of the Year, and Bob Boughner of the Windsor Spitfires was named coach of the year today.
APR.8 - IT WASN'T IN THE CARDS:  Bad passing, to MUCH passing, too many cross-ice passes when Oshawa players were between passer and recipient, etc, etc, etc.. we could nit-pick this game apart for eternity but the fact is that Oshawa played like a team, we didn't.  We were unorganized throughout the game minus our temporary comeback.  BUT NOT TO WORRY!  Why?  Because we're STILL IN THE PLAYOFFS.  Sure it's an uphill battle but if there's one thing this team has shown this post-season it's that they have what it takes to battle back.  Lets not think about the next three games, but just the one on Friday.  GO DOGS GO!
APR.8 - STOP THROWING GARBAGE ON THE ICE:  To whoever fans thought it was cool to throw junk on the ice at the end of the game, it just shows that you're sore losers and doesn't help OUR team -at all-.  They were bummed out enough tonight going back to the room after a loss, we don't need to add to that by tossing garbage on the ice.  It's disrespectful to our own team in doing that.
APR.8 - MICHAEL SWIFT NAMED OHL OVERAGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR!  The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Michael Swift of the Niagara IceDogs won the Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy as the OHL’s Overage Player of the Year for the 2007-08 season. [READ MORE HERE!]
APR.8 - GAME 4:  The Generals (Cadets) are back in our rink tonight to face the firing squad of our team and our fans.  The series is sitting at 2-1 for Oshawa, with both teams only being able to win on home ice. Your support will be important tonight as we yet again raise up the decibels with our chants and cheering, and give some extra energy to our team.  They'll need it, as they'll now be without defenceman Alex Pietrangelo due to his illness with mononucleosis.  I (AlphaDog) will have 2 cards for fans to sign (Petro and Aggozinno) - please get ahold of me before the game if you'd like to sign the back!
APR.8 - OHL Defenceman of the Month – Alex Pietrangelo, Niagara IceDogs: [from the OHL site] Pietrangelo was the OHL’s top scoring defenceman during the month of March with five goals and 13 assists for 18 points to go along with a plus-10 plus-minus rating in 10 games. He finished his sophomore season with a goal and 10 points in the final six games of the regular season and then scored four goals and eight points in the IceDogs’ four game sweep of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors in the opening round of the OHL playoffs. He enjoyed a four point game (one goal, three assists) against the Erie Otters on March 2 and had his first multi-goal playoff game against the Majors on March 21. The 18-year-old from King City, ON finished the regular season with 13 goals and 40 assists for 53 points in 60 games.
APR.7 - SEASON SLIDESHOW from NiagaraThisWeek feature shots from throughout the year.
APR.6 - PETRO UPDATE: Update on Pietrangelo's stats from TSN.
APR.6 - PIETRANGELO OUT:  As it turns out, it looks like Alex Pietrangelo has developed mono, and will most likely miss the remainder of the playoffs.  Strange to here this because he did indeed warm up and play a few shifts on Saturday night, and I didn't think mono was something that just 'popped up' like that.  Especially when he was good enough to play then suddenly turned so bad that he had to be taken to hospital.  I guess that's why I'm a tradesman and not a doctor!  All the best to you Alex in your recovery.
APR.6 - COULDN'T CAPITALIZE:  It didn't look as if the IceDogs were outplayed overall in the game, they just seemed to be adding one to many passes instead of shooting, not having the guy in front of the net when needed, allowing an open man in their own end, etc...  and unfortunately all at the wrong times.  It wasn't that Oshawa outmatched them, they just seemed to be able to capitalize on their plays at the end more than we were able to.  Not to worry!  It's only 2-1 and there's still more than half the series to play.  Best yet, we've got them back at home in the grasp of our fans Tuesday night!
APR.6 - NEWS ON LAST NIGHT'S GAME is here from NewsDurhamRegion.com
APR.5 - SERIES TIED UP!  WHAT A GAME!  Yeow what a game!  It didn't look good in the early going as the Dogs fell to a 3-0 deficit after Oshawa jumped out of the gates with 3 quick goals.  The Dogs showed there mental strength and battled back after a Corrente fight which left an Oshawa player with (probably) a broken leg, scoring 4 unanswered goals, plus an empty net goal.  Oshawa's momentum was killed after medical staff took over 10 minutes to remove the injured Oshawa player (Kewin) off on a stretcher, and the IceDogs took advantage of it.  Sebastian Dahm was STELLAR in net making all the easy saves when needed, and *numerous* great kick saves, glove saves, and great play while being harassed with traffic in front of him (he was also the game's first star).  In some scary news, Alex Pietrangelo was reportedly taken to hospital with chest pains (!!!)  We'll keep you posted as soon as more info comes in.  OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU PETRO.  Lets keep the energy going as we go back to Oshawa Sunday evening for a 6 o'clock game in there barn!  Read what the fans have to say about the game here!
APR.5. - 2 TUESDAY TICKETS FOR SALE:  Strohs is selling 2 tickets in section A for Tuesday night's game.  PM him from that link.
APR.5 - BUMPER STICKERS:  AlphaDog still has about 20 of 'em available for only a tooney.  See him at the game to pick one up! ('also go great on the side of a computer)  They have a crossbones followed by GO DOGS GO! on them.
APR.5 - IT'S PAYBACK TIME!  The Dogs are back on friendly soil.  Lets really use our lungs, clappers, horns, bells, whistles, and anything else you can make noise with, to really get the old barn into a frenzied state tonight.  Don't have a noise-maker (or loud voice) ?  A forum member posted that using an old bleach bottle with a handful of pennies in it DOES WONDERS.  Just an idea!
APR.4 - SERIES TO BEGIN SATURDAY NIGHT:  New rules for IceDog fans:  NO SERIES HAS STARTED UNTIL THE FIRST ICEDOG HOME GAME HAS BEEN PLAYED.  As far as some are concerned, the series begins tomorrow night in OUR barn.  We'll take it from there...
APR.4 - THE DAY AFTER:  Hopefully everyone is feeling a LITTLE bit better after last night's heartbreaking loss in Oshawa.  It was only 1 game out of a possible 7, and if there's one thing our team is good at, it's battling back.  Remember that Mississauga game 4 when we went down by 2 in the first period?  It looked like the Majors might have actually had a chance of knocking out a win.  Then we came back with 6 straight goals and squashed their hopes.  Lets STICK TOGETHER during these ours until Saturday night's game.  Don't get down in the dumps because last night was just a single game of the series!  GO DOGS GO!

APR.3 - LETS SHOW THE OSHAWA FANS HOW IT'S DONE!  For those of you at the game and those who watched it on TV, it was in plain view that there were entire sections of empty seats in Oshawa at tonight's game.  And this is round 2 of the playoffs!  It's a given our rink will be sold out for Saturday's contest, but lets show them how to REALLY cheer on a team.  We were great last game in Mississauga, and the 2 home games before that, but lets really turn up the volume Saturday night!  The flags (well, AlphaDog's and bulldog's) will be waving, the drum will be banging (more drums would be great), but lets add our vocals to the excitement throughout the entire game!  GO DOGS GO!
APR.3 - WHERE'D OUR TEAM GO?  Well, the IceDogs sure didn't show up tonight.  DeSousa showed some heart in the 3rd, and a few others had moments of energy, but aside from that...  we were disorganized, we were coasting when we should have been skating, we were NOT playing a physical game against their top guys AT ALL, we allowed screens in front of Dahm, some bad giveaways, we often looked like a peewee team chasing after a midget team, and were just simply outmatched.  If we came out hustling, banging, and crashing from the opening puck drop it would have been a much different score after 60mins.  But with all that being said, OUR GUYS KNOW THEY'RE BETTER THAN THEY PLAYED.  That was an off-game for us and an on-game for them.  Plain and simple. We had a good number of people in the chat room tonight - thank you all for joining in!  LETS GET THIS SERIES BACK TO SQUARE ONE SATURDAY NIGHT!  Remember everyone, this is ONE game out of a possible seven.  It might just seem as more of a shocking blow because we were riding a 9 game winning streak coming in to tonight's game.  This was a swift kick or reality in the face.  Lets pull things together and smoke them just as bad on Saturday!  AND WE NEED TO BE LOUD!!
APR.3 - GAME NIGHT!  The IceDogs invade Oshawa to take on their Cadets in game 1 of round 2 tonight!  This is one of the most anticipated matchups of the playoffs, as two great goalies will be going head to head.  Also, rosters on both sides are stocking massive firepower on their top lines.  The Dogs will have to stay out of the box and not be sucked into playing a defensive game trying to shut down the Cadets top scorers.  We play our best game when we're pushing the offense, so with all the snipers on both teams it should make for a great goaltenders dual.  Game time: 7:05PM (Cogeco/CKTB).  Join the online chat room during the game and talk with other IceDog fans as the live play is broadcast!  You must be a forum member to get in the chat - it's free and only takes a second to sign up!
APR.3 -DAHM THRIVING UNDER PLAYOFF PRESSURE:  SportsNet article on how Sebastian is coping with the pressure of the playoffs.
APR.3 - PICTURES FOR SALE AT TUESDAYS GAME:  The team photographer will have a booth set up in the front lobby with photos for sale from this year's action.  2 photos of each player will be available in 8x10" prints.  $10 each or 5 for $40.  Bring some extra cash, grab some photos, and get 'em signed!
APR.3 - Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced on Tuesday the 22 players who will make up Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, April 13th to 23rd in Kazan, Russia.
APR.2 - FRIENDLY BETS:  Apparently Casey (IceDogs fan) and OshawaSpy (Oshawa fan) - both members of our forum and the Oshawa forum, have a friendly bet going.  If Oshawa beats out Niagara (please...) Casey will change her forum avatar to an Oshawa one on both forums, and if Niagara beats out Oshawa (yes!) OshawaSpy will be sporting an IceDogs avatar on both forums.  Then the loser will cheer on the winning team for the rest of the playoffs.  We think OshawaSpy better be practicing her GO DOGS GO chants on a daily basis!!
APR.2 - NO NOISE ALLOWED IN OSHAWA - BEWARE!  If you're going to Oshawa to watch game 1, BEWARE if you plan on bringing in drums, horns, or other noise makers.  They are NOT allowed in their rink.  Furthermore, rumor has it that they have Nazi riot squad guarding the entrances - if you even QUESTION them as to why you can't bring in your cheer gear, there is a VERY good chance you will not be allowed inside the building at ALL.  So don't try to bring any cheer-gear in at all, and if you *do* try, do *not* question the people who work there!  (maybe a good book is something that's allowed for the library atmosphere that they seem to be encouraging..)
APR.2 - GREAT BROCK PRESS ARTICLE INTERVIEWING THE DOGS!  One of the best articles with the Dogs all year!
APR.2 - KING PLAYER LOOKING FORWARD TO NHL ENTRY DRAFT: Article on Petro and the upcoming draft from the King Township Sentinel.
APR.2 - OHL WESTERN TEAMS PREPARING TO BE 'DAHMINATED':  Article on the playoffs and Dahm by the Sudbury Star.
APR.2 - MORE PHOTOS from the Family Day in February including Swift and Legein being great with the fans.
MAR.31 - OSHAWA GAME BUS TRIPS!  The IceDogs have organized bus trips to both games 1 & 3 (in Oshawa) for 32 bucks (per game).  That includes your game ticket and the bus ride.  See post by wade33 here for more info!
MAR.31 - GREAT VIDEO shot by an unknown IceDogs fan in the stands in Mississauga at the end of the game, as the IceDogs beat out the Majors in game 1.  Check out Dahm saluting the IceDog fans at the end!  Way to go boys!!!
MAR.30 - DRIVING TO OSHAWA to see the Dogs on the road?  Here's a map of parking in the area of General Motors Place.
MAR.30 - PARKING-LOT PARTIES BEFORE *ALL* PLAYOFF GAMES!  The IceDogs will be putting on parking lot parties including games, a band, and lots more, for -all- remaining home playoff games this post-season!  Starting 2.5hrs before puck drop!
MAR.29 - NEW ARENA DESIGN!  Thanks to Bry4n for this CAD design!  2-tier seating is a MUST!
MAR.29 PLUS MINUS difference for the top 9 scorers on each team?  Oshawa: +64   Niagara: +225
MAR.28 - NEWS ARTICLES about the upcoming matchup with Oshawa are here.
MAR.28 - CLASSLESS MEATHEADS PREPARING FOR OSHAWA - BOOSTER CLUB BUS TRIP for round 2, games 1 & 3 is being planned.  Let show our support on the road for this one meatheads!!
MAR.28 - DAHM ACKNOWLEDGES FANS: [from NiagaraThisWeek] Dahm has been the focus of plenty of fan support and instantly became a fan favourite since joining the IceDogs. On Sunday, fans were displaying signs with the words "Dahm Good" and chanting that phrase throughout the game.
Dahm said he thrives on that support.
"They're our sixth guy for us and they just keep coming against the opponents and cheer us up. They build momentum for us and we can feed off it," he said.
He has been particularly excited about the fan support in Niagara, despite the limitations in terms of the capacity of Jack Gatecliff Arena.
"We've got the best fans in the league. We may not have the most in the rink, but the noise they make triples the London Knights and they can fit three times more fans than we do," said Dahm. [Full article here]
MAR.26 - HEY MEATHEADS!  SPORTSNET has picked the IceDogs as the darkhorse to win the OHL championship.
MAR.26 - MISSISSAUGA USHER NAZIS:  There's no wondering why they don't have a good atmosphere at their rink, or why nobody wants to show up there to watch a game when you have staff like this.
MAR.26 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWIFTY!  A big happy birthday from everyone at IceDogFans.com to our captain, Michael Swift, who turns the big -21- today!  It might not mean much THIS side of the border, but ahhh the freedom over the river now!  Have a great birthday day Swifty!  Birthday wishes from the fans here.
MAR.26 - MISSISSAUGA PLAY-BY-PLAY MAN envious of Niagara's fan support?
MAR.26 - VIDEOS from last night's game in Mississauga.
MAR.26 - ICEDOGS FANS ARE 'CLASSLESS MEATHEADS' according to Rogers play-by-play personnel.  And that's fine by us!  The brooms were all just part of the playoff spirit.  And in the playoffs, IceDog fans TAKE NO PRISONERS.  Not that we're very nice to opposing teams during the regular season mind you - but in the playoffs YOU GO UP AGAINST OUR TEAM **AND** YOU GO UP AGAINST OUR FANS.  Deal with it.  Fear us if you must, cower if you choose, but IceDog fans STAND SIDE BY SIDE WITH OUR TEAM.  The IceDog Army is a force to be reckoned with, so during these playoffs... to all opposing teams:  When you come to our barn, abandon all hope ye who enter.
MAR.26 ** SEBSTIAN DAHM NAMED CHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK!!  Read here!
MAR.26 - NEWS ARTICLES from all different sources on tonight's victory over the Majors.
MAR.26 - DAHM nominated for CHL Player of the Week!
MAR.25 - ICEDOGS KNOCK OUT MAJORS!  Wow what a game.  The IceDogs added some drama to the game by allowing the Majors to score 2 goals in the 1st period, but came on strong in periods two and three blasting 6 goals past Mississauga (including a nice Legein penalty shot goal).  The IceDogs now move on to play either Oshawa (if Barrie can manage to knock out Brampton - Barrie leads the series 3-1), or the Belleville Bulls.  Either way, the IceDogs have a great chance against either team if they continue to play the way they have been, and with Dahm continuing to be a wall between the pipes.  Talk about this game and series here!
MAR.25 - GOING FOR THE SWEEP!  The Niagara IceDogs will try to beat out the Majors in four straight games tonight at the Hershey Center in Mississauga.  There should be a good number of Dogs fans in the crowd to see it happen.  If you can't make it be sure to tune in on TV or radio!  Also get into the ONLINE CHAT ROOM during the game (you must be a member of the forum to access it.
MAR.25 - PIETRANGELO tied for OHL playoff scoring race.
MAR.24 - SEBASTIAN DAHM named Boston Pizza OHL Player of the week (again!)
MAR.24 - COACH CICCHILLO interviewed this morning on CHSC 1120AM.
MAR.24 - MAJORS ON BRINK OF ELIMINATION:  Article from the Missy News.
MAR.24 - PRE-GAME FANS MEET pictures from Wrigley's Field are now up.
MAR.23 - GET WELL SOON:  WellandDogsFan's sidekick (or is it the other way around?) SassyDogsFan had a rare missing of the game tonight due to illness.  Get well soon Sassy!
MAR.23 - STRONG PERFORMANCE:  The Dogs started off a bit slow but managed to net the opening goal in the 1st, followed by an uneventful 2nd, but popped in *4* in the 3rd.  It was nice to see everyone pitching in with the goal scoring: DeSousa, Foreman, Caputi, Swift and Pietrangelo all scored forthe Dogs.  GREAT outing by netminder Sebastian Dahm who chalked up yet another shutout (2nd in 3 games this series) turning away all 33 Majors shots, including some spectacular glove-hand saves.  Game 4, possibly the final of the series (don't want to jinx them) in Missy this Tuesday!  A number of IceDog fans showed up at Wrigley's Field before the game for a pre-game meet - see the pictures here!  In other news.. here's some interesting facts:  The Majors have not yet scored an even strength goal against the Icedogs in these past 3 games, and IceDogs goaltender Sebastian Dahm has a 98.9% save percentage!!  The team has allowed 0.33 goals per game.
MAR.21 - WALLPAPERS!  Thanks to nfallsc for the 2 wallpapers of Dahm and Pietrangelo!
MAR.21 - FANS LAPPING UP DOGS HOCKEY!  St. Catharines Standard article on how the fans are gearing up for the playoffs this post season.
MAR.21 - ONE TOUGH DOG TO LEASH:  Nice article on Niagara goaltender Sebastian Dahm.
MAR.21 - GAME NIGHT: IceDogs win 3-1 and now lead series 2-0 !  Two goals by Alex Pietrangelo and a nice short-handed breakaway goal by Stefan Legein put the Dogs up 3-1 after the opening goal scored by Mississauga.  Alex Friesen missed a penalty shot, DeSousa threw some nice hits in the 3rd, Dahm made a couple tricky saves.  Next game Sunday NIGHT, 7:30pm at the Jack!
MAR.20 - ICEDOGS WIN PLAYOFF OPENER:  Articles by The Standard, Canadian Press, Mississaua News.
MAR.20 - GAME *WON*:  What a game!  The Niagara IceDogs shut out the visiting Mississauga Majors 4-0 tonight at the Jack Gatecliff arena.  What looked to be a VERY frustrating game to watch (and play no doubt) due to penalty call after call by the refs, turned out to be a pretty good one in the 2nd and 3rd periods.  Dahm was great in net not just stopping the initial shots, but soaking up the rebounds throughout the game.  In other news, somebody tagged the Mississauga bus with a nice "GO DOGS GO" bumper sticker.  The bus driver did a quick look at the back of the bus after the game but missed it, so Missy will be proudly displaying GO DOGS GO on the back of their bus all the way down the QEW...  WINDSOR ROUGH FANS?  TRY VISITING NIAGARA!  It's hard to think that Windsor fans could still hold the title of being the most intimidating in the league.  In tonight's game, the fans weren't near as rowdy as some other games this year, but the constant near-threats to the referees, certain Majors players, and the Missy team in general, we hereby anoint Niagara fans as being the most threatening in the league when things aren't going their way.  Having an entire parking lot full of beer-drinking Niagara fans during the last game of the season, boo'ing the entire 2 busloads of Petes fans as they walked towards the rink, was a nice touch too.  All game talk from the fans here!
MAR.20 - GAME 3 PRE-GAME MEAL/GET-TOGETHER: A number of fans will be converging on Wrigley's Field in St. Catharines (in the Howard Johnson's hotel complex) starting at around 4PM prior to Sundays game.  Come on out and help get the energy going before the game begins!  Wrigley's Field:  89 Meadowvale Dr., St. Catharines.  In the Howard Johnson's hotel complex off Lake St. (at the QEW entrance/exit)
MAR.20 - ICEDOGS PLAYOFFS HOPES article by
MAR.20 - COACHES POLL WINNERS: Results of the 2007-08 OHL Coaches Poll.
MAR.20 - ICEDOGS AGITATOR:  Standard article on Stefan Legein.
MAR.19 - THE PLAYOFF RUN STARTS THURSDAY!  Article from the IceDogs site.
MAR.19 - SLUMPING GENERALS gear up for the post-season article.
MAR.19 - PLAYOFF FEVER UNLEASHED:  St. Catharines Standard article on IceDog defenceman Matt Corrente and the upcoming playoff series.
MAR.19 - MISSISSAUGA NEWS article on the upcoming Majors/IceDogs series.
MAR.18 - MISSISSAUGA NEWS article on Petro eyeing the big league.

MAR.18 - CITY EYES NEW ARENA:  Good article in the Standard about the slow movement forward to finally putting up a modern rink in this town.
MAR.18 - MOTION APPROVED!  St. Catharines city council has voted to go forward into the study of building a new arena in the city.  Reportedly each councillor that spoke mentioned that they would like to see a new rink built in this city eventually.  This is excellent news - sure it's not news that they're going to build a new rink, but it shows that hope is still alive and well that they're continuing to keep it in the agenda.  Out work is not done:  we must continue to keep showing our support for a new arena to city council during this entire process - NOT just before a vote!  Please continue to call your coucillors, write in to them, and email them (email addresses listed here).
MAR.17 - GM DAVE BROWN ON CALL-IN SPORTS SHOW!  Icedogs General Manager Dave Brown will be the special guest on the "It's Your Call" sports show, this Monday night , March 17th from 6-7 p.m. on AM 1220 CHSC Radio.  You can call 905-688-2472 at that time, or leave any questions or comments on this thread, and host Chuck Lafleur will pass them along to the G.M.
MAR.17 - SWIFT INTERVIEW:  Michael Swift was interviewed on CHSC 1120AM this morning
MAR.17 - OHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW can be found right here.
MAR.17 - PETRO SCOUTED BY LEAFS:  Toronto Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher graced our glorious rink with his presence yesterday as he scouted IceDogs defenceman Alex Pietrangelo and the Petes Zach Bogosian.  Sorry Cliff, but with the way the Leafs are playing, Petro will be LONG GONE before you get a chance to pick.
MAR.17 - BIG DAY TODAY!  St. Caharines city council will be voting on whether or not to fund a study into the impact of a new rink (or as they put it a 'spectator facility').  Unfortunately these are many of the same people that can spend money on construction that takes the better part of a YEAR to replace one block of roadway every summer.  The same city that rips up your entire front yard to replace a water pipe, promise to re-sod the lawn, re-sod it and promise to water it, NOT WATER IT, let it die, THEN PROMISE TO REPLACE THE DEAD SOD WHICH DIED FROM LACK OF WATER SOD NEXT YEAR!!!  Surely there are SOME good people left on council who will do the right thing and go forward with this study, as the people really need a new rink if for nothing else then just to show everyone this region has NOT given up yet.  If they don't even go forward with the study, it can be safe to assume a new arena will NEVER be built.  If they don't even want to look in to the matter, it's saying a lot.  As long as they are willing to look at it, hope is still alive.
MAR.17 - DIGITAL SLR photos from Niagara College radio show "The Not-So-Round Table" (90.1FM) from the Mar.2 Dogs/Otters game. (bottom of page)
MAR.17 - ICEDOGS HOCKEY CAMP:  Interested in perfecting your skills?  How about learning for the *first time* ?  Young or old, experienced or a newcomer to playing the game, the IceDogs hockey camp is sure to have somethin fun for you!  More info here.
MAR.16 - NEW TO BEING AN OHL FAN and CONFUSED ABOUT PLAYOFF FORMAT?  If you were wondering how the Memorial Cup format works, thanks to FishFan, here's a good explanation of how things work.
MAR.16 - GOOD WRITE-UP by Brianne of the Dogs office on today's game.
MAR.16 - SWIFT GETS 100TH POINT TO WIN IN ONT!:  IceDogs captain Michael Swift ended the last regular game of the season in style netting his 100th point of the year as he scored the game-winning goal in overtime, as the IceDogs sent the Petes packing 3-2.  The Dogs looked to be sitting pretty up 2-0 but as what happens many times when they're ahead, complacency got the best of them and they allowed the Petes to come back 2-2.  But overtime was setting quick as Swift buried the puck only 22 seconds in to it, getting his 100th point of the year and allowing the IceDogs to end their regular season on a high note, with a record of 42-25-0-1.  PLAYOFFS VS. MAJORS STARTS THURSDAY NIGHT AT HOME!  Pictures here including a couple of Toronto Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher who was there scouting (Pietrangelo and Bogosian on the Petes reportedly).
MAR.15 - FIGHT REVIEWS from last night's scrape in Mississauga are here.
MAR.15 - HOCKEY NEWS article on who should draft who (Petro to Tampa?  Nooo!)
MAR.15 - CITY TRANSIT ON BOARD: Numerous forum members have reported spotting "Go Dogs Go" msgs being displayed on the front of city buses recently.  For instance, one would flash from "Geneva St." to "Go Dogs Go" next.  Good stuff!
MAR.14 - IT'S OFFICIAL!  NIAGARA VS. MISSISSAUGA in the 1st round of the playoffs!  If tonight was a glimpse of things to come, it's going to be a ROUGH series.  Just the way this blue-collar town LOVES it!
MAR.14 - MISSISSAUGA MAJOR LOSERS:  Caputi dummies McGurk, Traccitto pummels Gaunce, Rinaldo the BUM runs after Sanderson at the end of the game.  Most importantly: ICEDOGS WIN 5-2!  (better write-up coming later/tomorrow)  'Wanted to get the clips up quick so the boys could watch 'em on the bus ride home :)
MAR.14 - LEGEIN SCRAP:  Delayed but not forgotten, Legein vs. Shaw. (right-click the link and download to your computer and play from there - same goes for ALL clips on IDF.  Otherwise the end tends to get chopped off.)
MAR.14 - JERSEYS FOR SALE: Game-worn jerseys from last year are going to be on sale.  More here.
MAR.14 - SEBASTIAN DAHM was interviewed after the game.  Check it out!
MAR.14 - A CALL FOR DRUMS:  We're trying to get as many drums as possible scattered throughout the arena for the playoffs, so that we can have them all in sync doing the 3-bang "GO DOGS GO" throughout the game.  The kind of thing a team is known for, where other announcers will be saying in their pre-game talk "and as you can hear in the background, the war drums are going strong already here at the Jack".  If YOU have a drum (something not so big as to crowd the people around you of course) PLEASE bring it to the last game of the season this Sunday so we can have a "rehearsal" of sorts.  Ideally we'd like as MANY drums as possible in the rink, with possibly some LARGE ones stationed up on the front balcony at the entrance.  But having them at *least* in the 4 corners of the rink would be a good start.  More here.
MAR.14 - NIAGARA VS. MAJORS:  The IceDogs waltz into Mississauga tonight to take on the Majors.  Ok, they might not 'waltz' but after defeating the top team in the conference last night, it's a possibility.  The Dogs are the hottest team in the East right now, going 8-2 in their last 10 - with some very tough opponents in those 10.  Mississauga (5th) is right behind Niagara (4th) in the standings, however that's a *17 point* gap between the two clubs.  Hopefully Lobsinger will get the start in net tonight, not to rest Dahm for the playoffs, but simply because the IceDogs played last night (defeating Belleville 4-3) and we simply haven't seen enough of Lobs this year.  Risking injury to our star goaltender in a game that means nothing in the standings is pointless.  Tonight might be a good preview of our first playoff round, but with key players (Pietrangelo, Caputi, Corrente (remember him?)) out of the lineup, it might be more of a skeleton crew at work tonight.  Speaking of which, hopefully the 3rd and 4th lines will see a lot of ice time tonight.  This game means nothing in the standings, only bragging rights and end-of-season win/loss stats.  Lets not lose any key players right before playoffs. Game Time: 7:30PM (Cogeco/610AM)
MAR.14 - NIAGARA THIS WEEK article on IceDogs wearing the compulsory neck guards.  Speaking of which, did anyone else notice how LITTLE of the neck they actually 'guard' ?
MAR.14 - THE NOT SO ROUND TABLE which is a radio show broadcast out of Niagara College on 90.1FM tonight will be featuring a segment on the IceDogs.  You can send your comments in to the show which will be read on the air.  For more info see here.
MAR.13 - COGECO BROADCAST:  'Just watching tonight's game off the DVR right now - did Cogeco turn up the saturation (colour) and contrast?  Usually it looks a bit dark and grey - lookin GOOD tonight!!!   The reds on the Dogs and yellows on the Cows are looking bright, and the ice is nice and bright too.  Good job!   To top off a great night your webmaster is cooking up a BIG THICK Cosco steak.  Nothing like eating a big thick rare steak while watching the Dogs beat the Bulls (again).
MAR.13 - WHAT A GAME!  Wow, for a game that didn't really count for much as far as the standings go - for either team - what a game!  The IceDogs came out quick and took a 1-0 lead, but the Cows tied it up soon after.  Then in the 2nd period the IceDogs were on fire, adding 2 goals and going up 3-1.  All looked well, but the boys looked like they spent all their energy in the first two, and were on their heals all period.  They actually put another in the net making it 4-1 but the Cows looked like they were going to actually come back, with two quick goals making it 4-3.  The IceDogs took some dumb (and bad call by the refs) penalties, and even went down 5 on 3 for a short while.  But this night DOGS ATE STEAK and carved up those Cows like a butcher on a mission.  DOGS WIN 4-3!  SELLOUT CROWD AGAIN!  Some amazing saves with traffic crashing into him by Sebastian Dahm saved the night many times.  Way to go boys!!   We're in Missy on Friday to give them a taste of the playoffs, then we round out the year at home vs. the Petes on Sunday.  Playoff fever is around the corner!  If tonight was a foreshadow the the games to come, IT'S GOING TO BE *NUTS* !!
MAR.12 - DAVE BROWN INTERVIEWED this morning on CHSC 1220AM (everyone really should listen to them in the morning - they often have some great interviews with the Dogs and their staff!)
MAR.12 - NECK GUARDS MANDATORY:  Starting tonight, the OHL has made wearing neck guards mandatory.  The players might hate it at first but the fans can breath easier watching those plays where skate blades and pucks go right for the necks...
MAR.12 - DOGS ONE OF HOTTEST TEAMS!  Nice article from Belleville on how hot the IceDogs are!
MAR.12 - DAHM INTERVIE   WED ON 1220 CHSC!  The station was gracious enough to send a great interview over to the site of Sebastian Dahm interviewed this morning on 1220 CHSC by former play-by-play man Chuck LaFleur.  Download it here!
MAR.12 - PLAYOFF TICKETS AVAILABLE:  Just received an email from Jon K. at the Dogs office announcing that playoff tickets will be available for pickup over the next two games.  Msg from Jon.: IceDogs playoff tickets will be available tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon at our last two regular season games.  For those who will be in attendance, we will have a table set up in the South concourse (main upper area) and you are welcome to swing by and pick them up.  For those who are unable to make either of these games, you are also welcome to stop by our office (35 Queen Street) any time after tomorrow to pick them up. 
MAR.11 - MANDATORY NECK GUARDS IN EFFECT: It looks as though the next time you watch an OHL game you will see the guys wearing neck guards as the mandatory regulation has gone into effect.  (nothing official yet)
MAR.11 - WHY NO OUTDOOR RINKS?  As long as the harp is going on about Parks & Rec... why does St. Catharines have no winter outdoor skating places?  Other cities seem to have them spread out all over, or at least have a couple.  Now, not having an arena that can house the number of fans the IceDogs have is one thing, but dumping some water to freeze on some flat ground is another.  Vote here!
MAR.11 - INHOUSE VIDEO:  Nice in-game video posted by a fan from a recent game can be seen here.
MAR.10 - KUDOS TO ICEDOGS!  BOO TO ST.KITTS PARKS & REC:  The IceDogs didn't get down, didn't give up, and showed perseverance in coming back against Oshawa in what was the most entertaining game of the year.  BOOO to the city of St. Catharines for not plowing the lots around the arena prior to game time.  Big drifts in the Head St. and Lower lots.  Where was 3200 people supposed to park?
MAR.10 - GREAT PETRO ARTICLE:  Written by Steve Fitzsimmons for Hockey Now.  Article here!
MAR.9 - GAME OF THE YEAR!  I'm still sick, and even though I got 2 GREAT tickets right at center ice for this game back in October, I had to watch it on TV - gave the tickets to my brother and his wife - their FIRST IceDogs game!!  I was scared after we went down 3-1 they might be put off, but what a comeback.  Excellent games by Legein, Caputi, Swift and Foreman (although it would be nice to see Jordan SMILE once in awhile during an interview after a game like that - hah!).  I'll be back to doing regular (normal) updates this upcoming week, and I'll be back in the forums soon too.
MAR.9 - I should be back in action soon.  Still sick trying to get my appetite back. -Alphadog (webmaster)
MAR.8 - Going through some bad illness right now.  Sorry for the lack of updates.  Will get back into the swing of things hopefully in the next few days.
MAR.4 - SORRY Y'ALL:  The webmaster (moi) has been horribly ill as of late which is the reason for lack of site updates.  Simply typing this feels like running a marathon.  The site will got caught up to speed if/when I recover.
MAR.1 - BACK ON THE RADIO:  Steve Clark (Cogeco play by play man) will be back on the squack box this Monday March 3rd on CHSC 1220AM on Chuck LaFleur's radio show.  Listen in!!!  Hopefully they'll be taking calls and we can get YOU on the air.  Topics we at IceDogFans.com would like to see discussed:  NEXT YEAR!  We've had a great year this year which is very important to an opening year in a new town - but with (possible losses) of: Swift, Dahm, Caputi, Legein, Corrente, etc...  how does next year look to be shaping up?  Can we still compete?  Who needs to step up into those [lost] positions and take the charge?
MAR.1 - BURKE'S NAMED:  Sportspeople of the year.  Good article on them and the Dogs here.
FEB.29 - DAHM/SUNDIN:  Drawing comparisons between the two?  Sudbury newspaper article.
FEB.29 - CAPUTI ARTICLE:  Good article on Caputi setting the new franchise record for points in a season.
FEB.27 - DOGS DROP TO BATTALION:  Well the Dogs came out quick and opened the scoring but the Battalion's constant pressure ended up being too much for Niagara, who lost to a score of 4-2 in the end.  A big skirmish took Alex Pietrangelo out of the game, which really hurt us seeing as we only had 5 d-men dressed this evening.  A power play goal while F-Bomber was in the box changed the momentum and the Dogs could fight back from the deficit.  It's too bad we couldn't get Sebastian the win on his 21st birthday, but that just means we'll have to really lay it to the Battalion when we're in Brampton March 7th.  Pictures are online.  Article here.
FEB.27 - BIG GAME DAY / BIRTHDAY!  Happy Birthday to our goaltender Sebastian Dahm who turns 21 today!  Huge game at the Jack tonight as the IceDogs taken on the Battalian.  Right now (early Thursday morning) there's only single seats and standing room spots available.  The Jack is going to be roaring tonight!
FEB.27 - ICEDOGS TRACCITTO AND MACISAAC DROP INTO SCHOOL:  Article on the Dogs talking about achieving your goals to youth.
FEB.27 - ICEDOGS JERSEYS IN NHL'08 !  Want to see the IceDogs playing in the NHL?
FEB.27 - MAN GAMES LOST SO FAR THIS SEASON TO INJURY:  Over 200.
FEB.27 - COUNCILLOR WANTS TO PLAN FOR NEW ARENA NOW:  Good article on certain people trying to at least get the ball rolling on a new rink.
FEB.25 - MASCOTS from around the league, thanks to Casey for the photos.
FEB.25 - ONE-ON-ONE WITH SEBASTIAN DAHM:  Our great goaltender was happy to answer some questions about himself and hockey in general!
FEB.25 - It's Sebastian Dahm's BIRTHDAY this Thursday the 28th - the Brampton Game!  (Can we get 3,145 people singing happy birthday?  Enough to see him blush through his mask?)
FEB.25 - DAHM GOOD GUY:  IceDogFans.com went one-on-one with Sebastian Dahm and got to know his personal side a bit better.  His answers to our questions will be posted later in the day!
FEB.25 - GET TO KNOW OUR STAR GOALTENDER A BIT BETTER!  Sebastian Dahm is happy to answer any questions sent to him through IceDogFans.com, so if you have anything you'd like to ask the Danish Defender, now's your chance! 
FEB.24 - WOLVES LEAVE WITH TAILS BETWEEN LEGS:  The Dogs were the stronger of the canine's this afternoon as the Sudbury Wolves came for a visit.  The first period was probably one of the worst periods of hockey any hockey fan has seen in a long time.  Both sides were sloppy, sluggish, unorganized, etc.. and to make matters worse the ref seemed to think he was getting paid on a 'per call' basis.  The time clock limped to the end of the first period, and luckily the game got better after that.  Dogs scored in the 2nd, putting some of the worry to rest that we might actually LOSE to the Wolves, but Sudbury came back quick and tied it up.  Third period saw things getting back to normal - IceDogs scoring 3 goals, Sudbury scoring none, and some half decent hits being thrown around.  VanLaren was decked a few times on the same shift as the fans cheered loudly.  A scary moment came during the game when goaltender Sebastian Dahm took a puck in the neck (ouch!) and went down.  Luckily he managed to shake it off and stayed in the game.  Neck protectors guys!!  At the end of the game, call-up Vladimir Bessonov enticed VanLaren into dropping the gloves, but it wasn't all well after that.  VanLaren had his way with Bessonov, but to Vlad's credit - he stepped up to VanLaren and he stayed on his feet throughout the entire battle.  Way to go Vlady!!   Game talk here.   Articles here.  Fan-video here (how we managed to let a Sudbury fan do their howl in our building is beyond understanding...)
FEB.23 - ON A ROLL AGAIN!  The IceDogs are eating up their conference rivals again at a steady pace:  a 2-1 win over Mississauga last night, a 4-2 win over Peterborough this evening, and the lowly Sudbury Wolves come into town tomorrow afternoon.  Of course the Sudbury game may have a few sideshows to it, which hopefully will not distract the Dogs too far from the game plan.  Lets chalk up those goals fast and early, any payback can come after a lead is built.
FEB.22 - FORUM AGE REQUIREMENT CHANGES:  It has come to my attention that the U.S. has laws regarding web sites allowing the registration of people under 13 years of age.  Although I'm not sure if Canada has similar laws, the "COPPA" feature of the forum script has been activated just in case.  What this means is that if you are under the age of 13 and have registered with the forum, your account may be removed by the moderators.  It's really too bad because as I told one of the moderators, the kids bring a 'fan aspect' of the game that many of us lost decades ago.  But the last thing I need is to find out the site has been breaking a law that I didn't even know about.  So, to sum up - the forum is now only available to people at least 13 yrs of age.

FEB.22- GAME NIGHT:  The IceDogs invade their old rink tonight in Mississauga.  The Majors have only defeated us once this season, although the IceDogs may have a large injury list going into tonight's match.  For those not making the trip to Mississauga (there's quite a few of us going up), you can catch the game on TV (ch.10 Cogeco), radio (CKTB610AM), and join the online chat room during the game. (you must be a registered forum member to join the chat)
FEB.21 - THE PUPARAZZI was out in full force for the skills competition (almost full force) - here 21 more pictures from forum member 'pup' - thanks!
FEB.21 - NIAGARA THIS WEEK article on the IceDogs recent practice in Beamsville.
FEB.20 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON BERGERON! who turned the big 2-0 today.  Bye-bye teenager years!
FEB.20 - ICEDOGS TO HELP STRIKE OUT AGAINST VIOLENCE:  Bowling for a good cause - help out and meet some Dogs too, Feb.29!
FEB.20 - PLAYING FOR THE LEAFS?  Some of the OHL's top prospects including Niagara Icedog Alex Pietrangelo were asked how they'd like to play for the Leafs.
FEB.19 - MAYOR IN TALKS ON NEW ARENA:  Of course it's all very preliminary.  Basically it sounds like they just want to start the ball rolling down what a LONG road it will be, but at least it's showing that people are at least interested in the idea!  Read more here.
FEB.18 - TAILGATE PARTIES!  It's above freezing and raining instead of snowing in the middle of February, so why not!  Read more about upcoming tailgate parties at the Jack!
FEB.18 - WINDSOR CAPTAIN DIES SUDDENLY:  The terrible news was passed along today that Windsor Spitfires captain Mickey Renaud died suddenly in his home today (causes not yet determined).  On behalf of the Niagara IceDogs fans community, and hockey fans everywhere, we wish his family and friends strength and comfort in these tragic times.
FEB.18 - ICEDOGS SKILLS COMPETITION:  Unfortunately I was not able to attend today's skills competition but you can read about it from those who did right here!  Here is a message from an IceDog fan about it: "As a family, we watched the NHL All-Star Competition this year and, as a family, we watched the Niagara Icedog Competition today and BY A MILE, each of us felt that the Icedog competition was undoubtedly way more entertaining than the NHL Classic. This made for a truly memorable first Family Day and we hope that it will become a long-standing tradition in this community. Thank-you again to Bill and Denise Burke and the entire Icedog team and staff. You are an incredibly classy organization!"  News on today is here.  Pictures here!
FEB.17 - ALEX PIETRANGELO ON THE RADIO:  I had a great chat with former CKTB IceDog play-by-play announcer Chuck Lafleur before the game today, and want to pass on the news to all IceDog fans that top prospect defenceman Alex Pietrangelo will be interviewed on CHSC 1220 tomorrow (Monday) evening on-air.  They will be taking calls and answering questions, so if you've got something to ask Alex, this is your chance!  Hopefully people can think of some good personal questions to ask the big guy - favorite food, music, best moments, etc...  Lets see if we can get to know him off-ice!  Post your questions here!
FEB.17 - ICEDOGS CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT!  Thanks to Oshawa beating Kingston today, the Niagara IceDogs are *officially* in the playoffs!
FEB.17 - BEATING A DEAD HORSE:  The IceDogs came out fast and hard, obviously determined to end their 2-game losing streak this afternoon, scoring 7 goals against visiting Barrie for a 7-1 final score.  Andrew Merrett scored a hat-trick, making it three home games in a row that an IceDog has netted 3.  Dahm was solid in net allowing just the single goal on 23 shots.  His new pads look great too!  Swift's goal was his 100th of his OHL career, and Caputi is one point away from tying the IceDogs' franchise record (currently held by Swift)  Another sellout!  'Got to meet Alex Friesen in the lobby this afternoon too - great guy!  Hope heals fast.  Read and talk about the game here!  Brianne has a nice write-up on the game here.  Photos thanks to slamr!
FEB.17 - ANOTHER SELLOUT:  Apparently Ticketmaster has no pairs of seats available for today's matchup vs. Barrie, and standing room only is also no longer available through Ticketmaster either.
FEB.17 - DOGS COULD CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT TODAY!  A Kingston loss to Oshawa and a Niagara win over Barrie today would see the IceDogs clinching a playoff spot today.  But of course, lets not count our puppies before they're born...
FEB.17 - HOCKEY CARDS for this year's IceDogs lineup will be available starting today!
FEB.16 - BEAMSVILLE PICTURES are now online from the practice held there today (thanks to WellandDogsFan)
FEB.16 - ICEDOGS HELP SAVE LIVES:  Good article here on giving one of the most important donations of all.
FEB.16 - ARTICLES on last night's game in Erie can be read here.
FEB.15 - DOGS LEAVE ERIE WITH TAIL BETWEEN LEGS:  The Niagara IceDogs were put down 5-2 tonight against the lowly Erie Otters (in Erie).  The biggest disappointment for fans has to be the fact that we could have gained ground on Brampton tonight, who lost to Oshawa 3-2.  Tonight's game was not televised so it was hard to tell what attributed to losing to the worst team in the league, but it sounded like bad passing, continual mixing of line combinations, and some soft goals, all contributed to the outcome.  To make matters worse, this was Lucas Lobsinger's first full start between the pipes tonight (he had a start in Kingston not too long ago but was ejected from the game in the 2nd period due to a fight).  Hopefully if Lobsinger gets another start, it will be a strong one - gaining back everyone's confidence since he will be our starting goalie next year.  For the entire team's sake, we hope tonight was just a fluke!  Talk about the game here.
FEB.15 - HOCKEY CARDS TO BE RELEASED SUNDAY!  Rumor has it the IceDogs will be releasing the first 5 cards of this year's set this Sunday, handed out to all fans in attendance, courtesy of Gales Gas Bars.
FEB.15 - BEAMSVILLE PRACTICE TOMORROW (Saturday) - Please bring a non-perishable food item for the local charity that will be on-hand.  It's at the arena at the Beamsville fairgrounds.  Starts at 12pm, admission is free.  IceDogs will be available for autographs in the lobby after the practice.
FEB.14 - SWIFT GOES NATIONAL!  Right after being named the OHL player of the week, Michael Swift has now been recognized as the CHL player of the week!  On another note, it's a real shame The Standard didn't have this front page.  If you're working at The Standard here's a tip:  IT'S BIG NEWS when a local hockey player is named the best junior hockey player across Canada !!!
FEB.14 - ARTICLE:  Not that you want to read anything about last night's game, but just in case...
FEB.14 - VIDEO ONLINE:  Video of the Fletcher-Self scrap last night (one of the only things worth cheering for last night) is now online.
FEB.13 - BOSTON PIZZA FOR GAME NIGHT TONIGHT:  Heading out tonight?  A number of IceDog fans will be converging on Boston Pizza on Ontario St. in St. Kitts to watch tonight's matchup as our IceDogs visit the Belleville Bulls.
FEB.13 - ICEDOGS HIT UP BEAMSVILLE for an open practice followed by autograph session afterwards.  This Saturday (Feb.16), Centennial Arena @ the fairgrounds.  Admission is free but people are encouraged to make a donation to Community Care of West Niagara.
FEB.13 - LEGEIN'S RETURN!  Stefan Legein is set to return Feb.22nd.
FEB.13 - WANT LOVEROCK'S PADS?  Someone found them on Ebay...
FEB.11 - SWIFT NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK!  Michael Swift has been named the Boston Pizza player of the week.
FEB.11 - SWIFT IS HOT!  Patrick King's CHL "who's hot who's not" list now features IceDog captain Michael Swift.  Read more here.
FEB.10 - PERCENTAGES:  Some interesting winning percentages from before the trade deadline, and after, are posted here. (Thanks Cope)
FEB.10 - ICEDOGS DEFEAT MAJOR RIVALS:  Michael Swift tallied up his 2nd hat-trick in a row on home ice this afternoon, and Luca "F-Bomb" Caputi assisted on all of them, and a late Pietrangelo goal giving him 4 points on the afternoon.  Jordan Foreman opened the scoring at 10:16 in the first.  There was a spirited scrap between Fletcher and Ciampini, of which goaltender Sebastian Dahm had the best seat in the house for, and after the scrap you could see Dahm enjoyed it :)  It's such a shame the league can't have Dahm back next year.  Game talk here.  Articles on the game.
FEB.9 - GREAT ARTICLES ON THE DOGS ON FRONT PAGE:  The Standard today had two very good articles on the IceDogs and how they're quickly building momentum in the community, talked about attendance, arena changes etc.  I was going to scan and post it, but noticed a big boxed copyright notice on page 10 about using their material.  Until now, I was under the impression that usage of such material would fall under the Canadian Fair Dealings / Fair Use act, which grants people permission to use things like that, as long as they're used for non-commercial purposes, are used for the topic of discussion, and full credit is given.  The Standard specifically says nothing may be used without permission.  So, there will be no more articles scanned and posted online from The Standard in the future.  Sorry people, but I don't need a legal cease and desist being sent to me because I'm trying to spread the news to people outside of St. Kitts that don't get the Standard.  And I simply don't have the time to contact them and ask permission for usage then wait for a reply each time.  If someone else does - please go ahead!   --AlphaDog
FEB.8 - DOGS ROMP OVER FRONTS:  Article from The Standard online here.
FEB.8 - WHO WILL WIN THE SCORING RACE between Dahm and Fletcher?  Fletch already got an assist not long ago but Dahm was tearing up the score sheet tonight with 2 assists!  Vote here.
FEB.2 - SWIFT WINS FASTEST SKATER!  Niagara IceDog centerman Michael Swift took the title of being the fastest skater at the OHL All Star skills competition that was held tonight in Sault Ste. Marie.  (the game is on Wednesday, 7PM).  Caputi also did well in the shot accuracy competition.  Read more about the skills competition here!
FEB.2 - AGOZZINO SOON TO RETURN:  Article here about the soon-to-return Andrew Agozzino who has been out after suffering a concussion at the hands of ex-IceDog-now-public-enemy-number-one Chris VanLaren.
FEB.2 - PIETRANGELO LOOKS TO BE TOP DOG:  NHL.com article on Alex Pietrangelo talks about different aspects of his game.
FEB.2 - FALLS PRACTICE ARTICLE:  Read an article about the IceDogs practice in Niagara Falls.
FEB.2 - FALLS PRACTICE PHOTOS:  Thanks to WellandDogsFan of the PUParazzi for sharing his photos of the IceDogs practice held at Stamford arena in Niagara Falls today.
FEB.2 - MRS. BURKE ARTICLE:  Good interview article on IceDogs president Denise Burke.
FEB.1 - LATEST ATTENDANCE FIGURES ARE IN!  See how Niagara ranks against other OHL towns as far as our attendance, arena capacity, and the HTI (Hockey Town Index).  Niagara leads (by far) the entire league in % increase in attendance since Christmas!
FEB.1 - MAIONE  vs. DESOUSA:  Some good comments on the Maione vs. DeSousa warmup battle that has taken on a series of its own this year.  Not sure what the heck we're talkigna bout?  Read on!
JAN.31 - DOGS LOSE / NO TV / UPSETS ALL AROUND!:  What a strange night around the OHL!  Niagara's winning streak came to an end in Peterborough tonight as the Petes put down the 'Dogs 5-2.  To make matters worse, even before the game they ran into problems, getting stuck in traffic in Toronto, then after Toronto, and showed up late for the game.  (I used to drive to Peterborough every 2 weeks, and keep telling everyone:  407 -> Hwy.7 which turns into Winchester which turns into Concession Rd. 7 and goes right to the 115 -> up to Peterborough!  You don't have to go anywhere NEAR the 401)  Strange stuff around the league tonight:  Erie (of all teams) beat Barrie 5-3, Sarnia defeated Belleville 6-4, Kinston over Oshawa 7-6, and eve Saginaw beat the Sault 2-1.  So tonight was a night in which the underdogs had their way.  With a win tonight the IceDogs could have tied up with Brampton for first place in the division (in points - Brampton would still be in 1st due to less games played)  Unfortunately for Niagara viewers, Cogeco pulled yet another technical difficulty game and was unable to televise the game.  Could have been a problem at the rink, could have been with Rogers (as it was not on ch.462 either), could have been here.  Usually each cable company blames the other in matters like this so there's no use inquiring...  Don't forget the IceDogs are holding an open practice in the Falls on Saturday!  News articles on the game here.  Game talk here
JAN.31 - NIAGARA @ PETES:  Another group of fans are making the trip to Peterborough to watch the IceDogs *possibly* tie Brampton tonight for first place in the division (although Brampton will technically remain in 1st due to games played).  But lets not count our eggs before they hatch.  Peterborough has been playing much better lately than at the beginning of the season.  Look for a big game from captain Michael Swift as that is his home town, and will undoubtedly have family in attendance.  Lets go Dogs!!
JAN.31 - SWIFT GOING TO ALL STAR GAME!  We already all knew Swifty was an all-star, but now he's being recognized by the league.  Michael Swift will be taking the place of Logan Couture at the 2008 OHL All-Star Classic game.  Read more here.
JAN.31 - DOGS STILL OWN MAJOR'S RINK:  The Niagara IceDogs played a solid game last night, outshooting Mississauga 42-28 and outscoring them 6-2 on the board.  Merrett netted 2 goals, and singles were scored by Bergeron, Day, Swift, and Pietrangelo.  It's too bad Missy's rink can't draw more people, because it's a very comfortable place to watch hockey.  Although, it does have that 'dark gloomy' feeling to it that is characteristic of many of the new "big plain box" rinks.  Oddly enough, the ushers in the rink were checking tickets, and even asked some people to go to their designated seat.  There were 4000 empty seats for crying out loud!  It was good to see people make the trip from St. Catharines to suppor ttheir team - even with the brutal QEW closure in Hamilton/Burlington (it took us 2 hrs to get to the rink, 1hr through Hamilton alone as we went up the mountain and got stuck in mid-town rush hour traffic). The IceDogs fans in attendance were easily the loudest in the building, with several booming "Go Dogs Go!" chants coming from right behind the Niagara bench, as well as a strong "We want 6!" chant which was even mentioned by the TV commentator.  Maione won the draw against DeSousa after the warmup (Rock/Paper/Scissors to determine who gets to leave the ice last).  Maione seemed to think he's in the lead so far this year, but DeSousa might have something different to say about that.  Members of the forum will be keeping track for the rest of the year (heck, they're already voting on it!)
JAN.31 - DOGS OVER MISSY:  Canoe Slam! Sports article on last night's game.
JAN.30 - SEBASTIEN DAHM NAMED GOALTENDER FO THE WEEK!  He had a .952 save % in the last 3 games - read more here!
JAN.30 - PIETRANGELO WINS BATTLE OF JUNIOR STARS:  Article on how Petro came out on top of Stamko's last game

JAN.30 - ICEDOG HITS HIS STRIDE:  Article on Jordan Foreman in the Standard.
JAN.29 - THE DOGS SNOWBALL IS ROLLING AND GROWING!  Good article in The Standard here about how the IceDogs fan attendance is growing, comparisons to previous teams, etc.
JAN.29 - BROCK PRESS article on the Dahminator.
JAN.29 - DAHM'S NEW MASK!  Check out the first shots of Sebastian Dahm's hot new goalie mask, just in from the new paint job!  Lookin great Sebastian!
JAN.29 - DOGS TO PRACTICE IN THE FALLS [from the official site] : To recognize the support of the Niagara Region communities, the Niagara IceDogs will be traveling to Niagara Falls this Saturday, February 2nd to take part in a practice at Stamford Arena from 1:00-2:30 pm.
JAN.29 - CORRECTION:  There was a statement put forth here on the main page regarding an IceDog game taking place this season in Niagara Falls - this has NOT been finalized and is NOT official.  It's not to say it won't happen in the future, but unless you hear otherwise from an official source, it will NOT be taking place this year.  Obviously, it's important to have as many fans as possible from all the communities of Niagara, as this is Niagara's team - but a game like that is something that would take significant time in planning.  Please do not believe any hearsay rumors about this issue unless they come from an official source.  GO DOGS GO!
JAN.28 - FOREMAN IS HOT!!  Want proof?
JAN.28 - ICEDOGS DVD'S FOR SALE:  This site has many IceDogs (and other OHL teams) DVDs for sale.  Just do a search for "IceDogs" and you can purchase full game DVDs, player DVDs, etc.  A bit expensive at $20 each, but seems like a good way to enjoy previous years of the 'Dogs.  This one looks very interesting:  OHL 2006-07 Extreme: Best Fights, Checks, & Mayhem on 4 DVDs: (2007)   I'll have to write a review of the quality after ordering..
JAN.28 - DAHM NAMED BOSTON PIZZA P.O.T.W.:  Niagara goaltender Sebstian Dahm has been named the Boston Pizza Player of the Week.
JAN.28 - THE SEBASTIAN DAHM SHOW:  As Jordan Foreman stole the show in the last game, Sebastian Dahm did it last night.  Dahm was outstanding in net, making some spectacular saves, including many that came with opposing players crashing in to him, falling on top of him, and screening the net.  Dahm was visibly pumped as he came out after being named the game's first star, and the crowd showed their enthusiasm by cheering loudly for him.  Andrew Merrett netted his first 2-goal game in the OHL and was named as a star as well.  The game itself was one of the most entertaining to date - scraps, brawls, hits, and some great highlight saves.  Videos of the game are online here, pictures here.  Read the write-ups about the game here.
JAN.25 - THE JORDAN FOREMAN SHOW:  Foreman had 5 points tonight (3G/2A) to lead the charge in the comeback after Kingston initially opened the scoring.  The Frontenacs took it to the Dogs in the first period, but there was a good brawl in the 2nd period when Pietrangelo took out a Kingston player with a hit, then was jumped by 2 Kingston players at once, followed by a goalie fight between Lobsinger and the Frontenac goalie.  After a LOOOOONG delay following the brawl the momentum turned over to Niagara. (it seemed as if the ref didn't have any idea what to do, so they just waited.. and waited.. and waited..)  Talk about the game here. VIDEO OF BRAWL + INTERVIEWS with Foreman and Caputi.  Article about the game.
JAN.25 - LOBSINGER TO START TONIGHT:  Lucas Lobsinger will be making his first start between the pipes in about a year, when the IceDogs visit Kingston tonight.
JAN.25 - ICEDOGS FEAT ON OTTER / LOBSINGER RETURNS!  The Niagara IceDogs defeated visiting Erie 8-3 last night at the Jack Gatecliff Arena in St. Catharines.  Almost everyone on the roster managed to get on the scoresheet as the Dogs put down the worst team in the league with ease.  Aside from all the goals, other highlights of the night were a spirited scrap between IceDog Scott Fletcher and Erie tough-guy Luke Gazdic, as well as a surprise 3rd period appearance by Niagara goaltender Lucas Lobsinger.  Lobsinger has been off on a lengthy recover from an injury he sustained around this time last year, and made some solid saves in the 3rd.  He wasn't tested much, but the single goal he did allow wasn't entirely his fault due to screens and a strange bounce.  He received a standing ovation from many of the fans as he took to the net around 5 minutes into the 3rd.  The IceDogs blasted Erie with 59 shots during the game.  Game talk here.  Articles here.  Pictures here.
JAN.24 - NEXT YEAR'S CAPTAIN:  With Swift unable to return due to age, who should be next year's captain of the IceDogs?  VOTE HERE!
JAN.24 - PIETRANGELO @ CHL TOP PROSPECTS GAME:  Thanks to Quizzer83 for these photos of our IceDog at the game!
JAN.24 - GAME NIGHT:  The IceDogs host the Erie Otters tonight, who are the worst team in the league.  It would be interesting to see if coach Cheech thinks returned goalie Lucas Lobsinger is ready for a game (or at least a period) between the pipes.  If he's ever going to be given a chance, a team like Erie provides the best opportunity they're going to get!  Erie has lost 23 straight games on the road going in to this one, and have only 1 regulation win on the road ths year.  Away from home Erie has been outscored 148 to 60.  Erie has allowed at least 6 goals in 8 of their last 12 games.
JAN.22 - BOOSTER CLUB BUS TRIPS:  3 great upcoming trips - check it out!
JAN.22 - DESOUSA GOAL: A video of the sweet goal by Chris DeSousa against the Soo on the 17th is now online.
JAN.20 - DAHM GOOD GAME:  The Niagara IceDogs defeated the Ottaway 67's by a score of 4-0 in front of another sold-out crowd of 3,145 today at the Jack Gatecliff Arena in St. Catharines.  Newly acquired Sebastian Dahm chalked up his 2nd shutout in only 5 games since coming to Niagara.  The IceDogs pushed hard against Ottawa right off the bat, keeping the play in Ottawa's end and out-shooting them 20-3 in the first period, and 43-15 in the game.  Scott Fletcher recorded his first point as an IceDog this game (assisting on Bergeron's goal).  Game talk here!  [article from The Standard]  [pictures here!] [video: Sebastian Dahm interview]
JAN.20 - GAME DAY / OTTAWA BEAT UP:  The IceDogs host the beat up 67's today at the Jack (2pm).  Niagara was on a 4-game winning streak but has recently lost their last two since returning home with new goaltender Sebastian Dahm.  Dahm was apparently very frustrated leaving the ice after their 5-1 loss in Sarnia Friday night (according to IceDog fans who made the trip).  'Good to see he doesn't take losing lightly.  DRESS WARM today because those January afternoons of 15C are gone - the windchill is supposed to make it feel like -27C today!
JAN.20 - OHL ENFORCER RANKINGS:  Check 'em out here.  DeSousa has made the top 10 for rookies!  Fight photos of a Fletcher/Haley scrap from unknown date are here.
SJAN.19 - LAST NIGHT'S GAME HARD TO WATCH: [article1] [article2] Not only because the Dogs were stung 5 times by the sting, but Cogeco was having technical difficulties which resulted in the game not being carried.  Fortunately for those of us who have the SuperSports Pack (at the ripoff price of $25/month just to watch a couple games) we were able to see the game - but only if you could get past the incorrect channel programming, as the game was not shown on the channel it said it was going to be on.  If you looked hard enough you could find that the game was on an unlisted game channel (ch.457) nice and clear...  Anyway, for those that watched, it just added to the torture, seeing our IceDogs drop 5-1 to the Sting.  Maybe in future 5-on-3's they should elect to just put 4 players on the ice?  We seem to really struggle when we have the 2 man advantage.  All in all, a rough night for the Icedogs and their fans last night.  Lets put these 2 recent loses behind us and come out strong against Ottawa.  Lets work on not just squeeking by them 3-2 or 3-1, lets try and really UNLEASH on those 67's!
JAN.18 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!  Big #10 Alex PietrAngelo officially became a man as he turned 18 today.  Happy birthday Alex!!  (and don't forget to vote! :^)  )
JAN.18 - SAULT ST. MARIE WINS DOG FIGHT:  Read/talk about the game.  St. Kitts Standard article here, IceDogs site article here.  Pictures and video from last night are now online.
JAN.17 - SOO/SUD TRIP PHOTOS:  Thanks to ADogFan for sharing his photos of the recent road trip following the Dogs to the Sault and Sudbury.
JAN.17 - SPAGHETTI DINNER PHOTOS:  The puparazzi was there to grab some photos of the fundraiser dinner at St. George's Chuch which included members of the Niagara IceDogs.  The fundraiser was a success with 147 turning out to enjoy some pasta and meet some of the team.  More here.
JAN.16 - LONG ROAD BACK FOR LOBSINGER:  Good article in the Standard today about IceDog returning goalie Lucas Lobsinger who's coming back from a lengthy injury recovery.
JAN.16 - WELLAND TRIBUNE ARTICLE on the IceDogs, playing home games outside of the Jack, and lots more here.
JAN.15 - DAHM AT 1ST PRACTICE @ THE JACK:  Thanks to WellandDogsFan for sending in these pictures of Sebastian Dahm enjoying his first practice on his new home turf.  Hopefully he'll get the IceDogs colours on his pads soon!  :)  -- it was also team photo day.
JAN.15 - DAMN GETS KUDOS:  Newly acquired Niagara goaltender Sebastian Dahm was named the ADT CHL Goaltender of the week.
JAN.15 - ICEDOGS HOCKEY SCHOOL FOR ADULTS THIS SUMMER!  The organization is tossing around the idea about holding a hockey school for adults 35+ that wish to learn the game, improve their skating skills (or learn to skate from scratch), etc.  It would be starting late August, and be held in the evening.  The nice thing about this too, is that you'd be able to leave all your gear at the rink and it would be taken care of for you.  More info on this here - post your comments/suggestions!
JAN.15 - ALL STAR DOGS:  Three Niagara IceDogs have been named to the 2008 OHL All Star Eastern Conference team:  Stefan Legein, Alex Pietrangelo, and Luca Caputi.
JAN.15 - DAHM ARTICLE:  From yesterday's Standard on the front of the sports section.
JAN.15 - IT'S PASTA TIME!  Don't forget about the Icedogs spaghetti diner (ok, that's not the title of it, but it's a fund raiser in which members of the team will be attending).  Full info here.
JAN.13 - OHL TOWNS BLOG:  Good blog entry about the OHL and it's towns.
JAN.13 - ICEDOGS ARTICLE from the team's site on last night's game.
JAN.13 - SUDBURY STAR ARTICLE on last night's victory over the Wolves.  Interesting to see how their paper had a guy standing right next to coach Cicchillo last night, which must have been the case since their paper made the statement "Cicchillo tapped Scott Fletcher on the back and told him to go after a Wolves player".  Talk about inside access.
JAN.12 - BATTLE OF THE CANINES:  Tonight it was Dogs vs. Wolves, and the IceDogs came out on top with a 5-2 victory over Sudbury. Caputi led the way with 4 points in 2 goals and 2 assists.  Although the goals were great, the highlight of the night probably came during and after a fight.  VanLaren (an IceDog himself up until a few days ago) got into a fight with Niagara forward Andrew Agozzino.  VanLaren who is 6'2" 190lbs got Agozinno (5'7" 175lbs) down on the ice but continued to throw punches at the smaller Agozzino, resulting in opening him up with a nasty bloody cut.  After this VanLaren seemed to have words for coach Cicchillo as he skated to the box.  Fletcher came out and started yelling at VanLaren.  It looked like Fletcher was going to explode on VanLaren when they got out of the box, but nothing resulted from it.  Although Fletcher did do a well in a scrap against Maggio later on in the third.  When all is said and done, it comes down to the fact that VanLaren and Loverock are now the enemy.  Ex-Wolve-Now-IceDog goaltender Sebastian Dahm was named third star of the game, and came out to center ice to salute his former fans in an extended skate around the ice, while the Sudbury fans cheered back to him.  Talk about the game here.  Videos coming later.
JAN.12 - DAHM STEALS THE SHOW:  Niagara's new starting goalie, Sebastian Dahm, made instant friends with IceDog fans as he chalked up a shutout last night against one of the best teams in the league (Sault St. Marie).  Dahm stopped all 21 shots on net giving the IceDogs a 1-0 victory over the Soo in front of 4612 fans.  Luca Caputi scored the lone goal of the game, giving him a nice even 30 on the season (set up by Merritt and Swift).  In other news, the man we traded for Dahm, our former starting goalie Andrew Loverock, had a very rough time in his first game for Sudbury.  He allowed 6 goals on 15 shots and was pulled from the game (which Sudbury ended up losing 9-2).  Goods/bads from the game:  BAD - Niagara only scored a single goal.  We can't rely on our new goalie's abilities that much..   BAD - Niagara only had 18 shots on net.  GOOD - Niagara only allowed 21 shots on net.  Hopefully the firepower will be back tonight against our former goalie in Sudbury.  Article from IceDogs site here.
JAN.12 - LOVEROCK SAYS NIAGARA FANS WEREN'T VERY SUPPORTIVE:  !!??  His statement really came from left field.  Especially grouping Niagara in with Mississauga of all towns.  Hard to take after IceDogFans.com was very supportive of him throughout his stay.
JAN.11 - BIG GAME ANTICIPATION:  Tonight the IceDogs are in Sudbury in a game that could see our new goalie, Sebastian Dahm, between the pipes.  Our new "Owner of the Oblong Onionbag" as Joe Bowen might put it won't be seen on TV tonight as the game is not being shown on TV outside of the Sudbury area, but you can order the game and watch it online through the OHL's website. 
JAN.10 - LEGEIN ARTICLE:  The Columbus Bluejackets have an article up about Legein on their site.
JAN.10 - PIETRANGELO TOP PROSPECT:  IceDog Alex Pietrangelo has bee named to the CHL Top Prospects game roster.  Roster here.
JAN.10 - THANK YOU ANDREW LOVEROCK!  On behalf of all the fans who watched you play and the people who knew you, thank you for your great effort here in Niagara.  You sure were the workhorse of the team this season.  All the best of luck in Sudbury (except when you play Niagara of course!)
JAN.10 - FANS SAY BROWN DID GOOD:  IceDog fans are very pleased with the goalie swap trade (Dahm/Loverock) recently made - with an approval rate of over 86%  !!
JAN.9 - TRADE CONFIRMED:  Andrew Loverock + Chris VanLaren + 3rd Round in '09 + 6th Round in '10 to Sudbury, goaltender Sebastian Dahm to Niagara.  ARTICLE HERE.   As reported by IceDogFans.com last night, this trade has been made official today by the OHL.  Read & talk about this trade here!  Was this a good trade by GM Brown?  Vote here!
JAN.9 - DAHM VS. LOVEROCK: Just a reminder that Niagara plays Sudbury this Saturday (in Sudbury).  These two teams just swapped their starting goaltenders, so it would make for a VERY interesting game to watch if Loverock was in net for Sudbury and Dahm in net for Niagara.
JAN.9 - LOBSINGER NEARLY READY:  Yes, the young man that has had his return date continually pushed back throughout the season, is (again) almost ready to return to action.  Of course, the return itself has been severely changed the last 24 hours, as the IceDogs have added a new starting goalie to the roster in Sebastian Dahm.  But, it has been reported that Lobsinger may make an appearance at home vs. the lowly Erie Otters Jan.24th.
JAN.9 - MID SEASON DRAFT RANKINGS:  Alex Pietrangelo has dropped down to 5th.  More here.
JAN.9 - ICEDOGS ADD MICHAEL MacISAAC: More on this forward here.
JAN.9 - TRADE UPDATE:  IceDog defenceman Chris VanLaren is rumored to be included in the deal, which so far, looks like Andrew Loverock + Chris VanLaren to Sudbury in exchange for goaltender Sebastian Dahm.  Note: at this time it is not official, and is only rumor.    More info here.
JAN.8 - ICEDOG GOALIE ANDREW LOVEROCK TRADED (RUMOR): Rumor has it that IceDogs starting goalie Andrew Loverock has been traded to the Sudbury Wolves, for their goalie, Sebastian Dahm.  More info here.
JAN.8 - STEFAN LEGEIN @ WORLDS ARTICLE:  The Standard's online edition has a good interview with IceDog Stefan Legein who was part of the gold medal winning Team Canada at the recent IIHF championships.  Apparently it doesn't look like he'll be healing as fast as his last shoulder separation which occurred just before the holiday break, in which he injured it on a Sunday and was back for the next game that Thursday.  It appears that he'll be out for a month at least.  Take your time and come back fully healed Stefan!  And congratulations again!
JAN.8 - BROCK PRESS article on the IceDogs 8-2 pounding of Kingston last game.

JAN.7 - DOGS BITE FRONTENACS HARD:  Good online article on the IceDogs 8-2 victory over Kingston Sunday afternoon on the IceDogs site.
JAN.6 - WAY TO GO FANS OF THE ICEDOGS!!  Here's some interesting points:  there have been only 13 sellouts in the OHL amongst all teams this year.  Of those, Niagara has had 3 of them (only London has had more, and London and Niagara are the only teams with multiple sell outs). [info by WDF]  We all know how cramped the Jack can be with 3000+ in there, yet that's not holding you (the fan) back from keeping our support up there comparable with OHL heavyweight London!  Way to go people!
JAN.6 - HOCKEY TOWN INDEX UPDATE:  The new HTI rankings with OHL attendance figures are in!  Much thanks to Strohs for keeping track.  Click the link to see where Niagara fits in against the rest of the OHL.
JAN.6 - GAME DAY:  Niagara hosts Kingston this afternoon at Jack Gatecliff Arena.  On Friday night, the Frontenacs looked like they had the Dogs on a leash as they went up 3-0 on Niagara, only to have their hopes vanquished when the Icedogs scored five straight goals and won the game 5-3.  Rumor has it people are expecting yet another big crowd today (this game follows two consecutive sell outs).  Rumor also has it that Fletcher and Stevens have planned a more definitive scrap, as their last one was a long one, but both had too good a grip on each other and ended in each player holding the other at a distance.   Look for a big game from Swift this afternoon - his frustration was showing last home game against Kingston.  Hopefully more information about Legein's injury will be released today.
JAN.5 - CANADA WINS GOLD!  Congratulations to Stefan Legein and all of Team Canada and staff for winning us the gold this afternoon versus Team Sweden!  Canada went up 2-0 and all looked good, until Sweden decided to make it a nailbiter and tied things up 2-all.  Canada stuff the puck into the net during a scramble in overtime winning the championship.  THANK YOU GUYS!!!  YOU MADE US PROUD AGAIN!
JAN.5 - UNDER 17'S BEAT USA!  It's been a great couple days to be a Canadian hockey fan, as the Team Ontario under 17 juniors defeated the USA 3-0 in London yesterday.  Congratulations!  Pictures here!
JAN.5 - FLETCHER & STEVENS BOX TALK:  Nice clip added by MisterDB of Fletcher talking to Stevens in the penalty box after their tilt. (a little ways down the page)
JAN.5 - LEGEIN INJURED:  Stefan Legein was injured early in the first period of the gold medal game versus Sweden today at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.  It's been said to be an upper body injury (right shoulder).
JAN.4 - NEVER SAY DIE:  The IceDogs fell down 3-0 quickly to the Frontenacs tonight, and it looked like this truly was a struggling team.  But they never quit, coming back with *5 straight goals* effectively killing the hopes of the Kingston crowd, who don't see many wins by their team.  The IceDogs peppered Kingston with 17 + 18 shots on net in the 2nd/3rd periods.  Final score: 5-3.  LONG scrap between Fletcher and Stevens (will be online soon), and some VERY sweet goals, especially one by Bergeron - Bergeron's goal one of the best so far this season!!  VIDEOS HERE.
JAN.4 - DOGS NEED 4 POINTS:  These next 2 home-and-home games versus Kingston are much more important than some people might believe.  First, the IceDogs have lost 6 of their last 9 and desperately need the points, but maybe even more importantly, that recent loss to Sudbury was a morale killer, both to the team and the fans - we need back to back wins against a similar bottom-feeding team (Kingston) to prove that our loss to Sudbury was just a fluke.  This team has rode the highs and lows a bit too hard all season: when they win, confidence is huge and they continue to win, but after a loss, morale drops to the ground which ends up in continued losses.  Treat each game as a brand new start towards the end of the season guys!  Remember: the Icedogs were ranked high in the entire CHL at the beginning of the year, and you've got the talent to get back to that level!  Game talk here.
JAN.4 - MASON SENT TO RANGERS:  Star goalie formerly of London, now of Team Canada, and next-to-be the team that is ranked 1st in Canada, the team that beat the IceDogs last night - Kitchener Rangers.  Yes, Mason is going to from London to Kitchener.  Official announcement should be made today.  More here.
JAN.3 - TOO LITTLE TOO LATE:  The IceDogs came out strong - in the 3rd.  After going down 4-0 the IceDogs looked like they were going to make a game of it and came back 4-2, but Kitchener was just too big, too fast, and just too darn good.  Final score 5-3.  On a positive note, while being interviewed IceDog forward Chris DeSousa made a comment their playing was like a joke, especially in front of a full house at the Jack.  It's comments like that that at least show the team wants to do good for their fans!  So it wasn't for lack of will, the IceDogs wanted to give us a good game and do us proud.  Erase the first two periods from the book and it was a great game.  The 3rd was filled with emotion, the guys starting completing their plays, and gave us hope.  One note of advice - don't wait for the perfect shot from 5 feet away from the net!  It can be seen so many times that a shot is available but the player with puck possession wants to wait for a better opportunity, which more often than not, results in a botched opportunity.  Take that shot quick!  Jump on the rebound!  They don't have to all look pretty!  Lets get those Frontenacs on Sunday!  Pictures from tonights game here.  Talk here.
JAN.2 - BLACK DOGS:  The IceDogs (as well as all other OHL teams) will be wearing their DARK jerseys for home games for the rest of the season.  Just a reminder so people don't cheer on the wrong team on Thursday :)
JAN.1 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!  THURSDAY NIGHT ANTICIPATION: Rumor has it that tickets are already hard to come by for Thursday night's matchup versus Kitchener.  As of now, there are still some tickets available for seating, after that it's standing room only (which in our rink still provide a great vantage point - better than some of the seats!)  So get your tickets to one of the biggest games of the year now if you want to catch the action live!
DEC.30 - WOLVES STRONGER THAN DOGS: It wasn't as though the IceDogs played poorly - Sudbury (who had only 8 wins coming into the game) played an excellent game, and looked more like a well-oiled machine instead of a basement team in the standings.  Very entertaining game: Marcel Dionne was there for the opening puck drop and intermission contests on the ice, $1 hotdog+pop combo for charity, that crazy trumpeteer was all over the arena and almost broke his neck as he nearly fell off the top of the glass.  Niagara peppered over 40 shots at the Sudbury goaltender but he was strong between the pipes and the team in front of him played as a team.  Sellout crowd of 3,145 too! Pictures here.  Videos here. Talk about the game here.
DEC.30 - AGOZZINI HOT AT WORLD JUNIORS UNDER-17:  IceDog Andrew Agozzino had a great game for Team Canada in the Under-17 World Junior Championships - read more here.
DEC.30 - PHOTOS FROM LAST NIGHT:  Thanks to WellandDogsFans for these pictures from last night's game in Guelph.  He sure seems to be enjoying his new camera!  :)
DEC.29 - GAME VIDEOS:  Are online in the video section including Caputi's 5-point effort, Foreman interview, and Fletcher scrap.
DEC.29 - THE LUCA CAPUTI SHOW:  IceDog Luca Caputi had a hat-trick and two assists, getting in all of the first 5 goals scored by the IceDogs in a game that turned out to be a nailbiter.  Niagara went up 3-0 quick on Guelph, who battled back 3-2.  Niagara added 2 more getting back the 3-goal lead but seemed to forget there was still a period to go.  Guelph took advantage of them in the third and scored three straight goals evening the score at 5.  With only 1 second remaining on the clock in OT, Jordan Foreman rifled a high shot into the net, sending the goalie's water bottle shooting up into the air and winning the game.  It was great to see the offensive output of the Icedogs early in the game, but was very hard to watch them loose interest in the game during the 3rd.  Fletcher got a decision in a scrap versus Steckley of the Guelph Storm in the second period.  The IceDogs return home to play Sudbury tomorrow afternoon at the Jack Gatecliff Arena in St. Catharines (2PM).  Game talk here.
DEC.29 - FANCAM: In-arena video of Swift's goal last night in Kitchener - see it here.
DEC.29 - PHOTOS FROM KITCHENER:  WellandDogsFan got to try out his brand spanking new camera in Kitchener last night - photos here!
DEC.29 - VIDEO OF FOREMAN FIGHT:  ..from last night is online in the videos section.
DEC.28 - RANGERS KEEP DOGS ON LEASH:  The IceDogs lost 4-3 in a close game tonight in Kitchener.  The Rangers went up 1-0 early in the first, Niagara scored 2 to make it 2-1, then Kitchener scored two.  Niagara scored tying it up at 3-all, but Kitchener added one late in the 3rd and held on for a 4-3 win over Niagara.  On the last goal, the Rangers forward shot high, but Loverock dropped down low to try and stop it, and the puck went over his arm into the net.  Foreman got into a tilt with Duco, but was manhandled by the Ranger tough-guy.  Pietrangelo made two BAD turnovers and didn't have his best game, but our forwards looked solid and made some great sequences of tape-to-tape passing, and skated hard.  Loverock made some huge saves as well.  Talk about the game here.
DEC.28 - CHANGES FOR THE 2ND HALF: Good article by Niagara This Week on what we can expect from the team in the upcoming second half of the a season.
DEC.27 - WORLD JUNIORS BACK @ 9:30AM:  Don't forget that the next game of the World Junior Championship is today (Thurs) at 9:30am / TSN.
DEC.26 - WORLD JUNIORS:  Just a reminder to all that you can watch Stefan Legein and the rest of Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship held this year in the Czech Republic, starting today at 2PM on TSN.
DEC.25 - MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
DEC.23 - PIETRANGELO ARTICLE: On the upcoming draft.  From London Free Press.
DEC.23 - FIGHT STATS:  Niagara IceDogs fight statistics can be viewed here.
DEC.23 - ICEDOGS GAMES ON HAMILTON TV:  Cable 14 in Hamilton will be showing live games of the Niagara Icedogs.  More here.
DEC.23 - LEGEIN ARTICLE:  Good article here.
DEC.23 - ICEDOGS RANK:  Niagara ranked 5th in this list.
DEC.21 - LEGEIN SCORES IN EXHIBITION:  IceDog and Team Canada member Stefan Legein scored in a 6-1 Team Canada exhibition victory Thursday.  Read more here.
DEC.19 - NEXT GAME VS. SUDBURY - GET A HOTDOG & POP FOR A BUCK!  At the IceDogs next home game vs. the Sudbury wolves, the IceDogs and local businessman Bob Gale will be offering a hotdog and a Pepsi for a single dollar - with all proceeds going to Project SHARE.  More info here.
DEC.19 - WORLD JUNIORS PLAYERS NICKNAMES: Nice segment by TSN on the nicknames of the Team Canada players including IceDog Stefan Legei.
DEC.19 - PIETRANGELO RANKED #2!:  The ISS has ranked IceDog defenceman 2nd overall on their scouting list from NHL-draft-eligible players in the upcoming draft.  More here.
DEC.15 - ICEDOGS @ BELLEVILLE PHOTOS:  Well, Belleville had their way with us on Saturday night in their own rink.  Payback for the IceDogs defeating them here in Niagara one might suppose.  WellandDogsFan made the trip and brought back some pictures of their rink.
DEC.15 - ICEDOGS ATTACKED BY POLICE DOGS:  Don't worry, it was just for "fun".  See a video of the team working with the Niagara Regional Police K9 Unit in the videos section.
DEC.14 - ICEDOGS BEAT A DEAD HORSE:  The Niagara IceDogs had a great game tonight: a 5-2 win over division rival Barrie, they moved up in the standings taking over Barries spot in the division and conference (4th), our first ever teddy bear toss occurred after Caputi scored a nice short-handed goal, OUR FIRST WAVE happened tonight and lasted a surprisingly long time, Loverock was solid in net, our captain Michael Swift got in a good scrap with their star Nikiforov, IceDog Matthews Sisca got his 1st and 2nd OHL goals and was named 1st star of the game, and there was a good -loud- crowd of 2832 in attendance.  Pictures here.
DEC.14 - 2 videos from last night added online (Jason Bergeron's OT game-winning goal, and interview)
DEC.14 - Stefan Legein named alternate captain to Team Canada!  Yes, our very own IceDog has shown his leadership abilities to the coaching staff and has been rewarded with an "A" on his jersey for the upcoming junior worlds.
DEC.14 - Scott Fletcher attacked by police dogs.  (So were other members of the Niagara IceDogs)  Read/see more here.
DEC.14 - Standard article on last night's game.
DEC.14 - Why the IceDogs won last night?  A lot of thanks have to go out to IceDogsFans member Quizzer83 for the victory.  Find out why here.
DEC.14 - Jordan Foreman left last night's game with an injury to his hand.  After being hit along the boards, he was slow to pick up his glove and stick and get off the ice.  Hopefully it's nothing serious.
DEC.13 - ICEDOGS PUT DOWN BULLS:  Niagara started quick with a goal soon after initial puck drop, but that was it for a long stretch.  They kept the one goal lead late into the game until Belleville tied it up, and the Bulls put on a lot of pressure in the 3rd, outshooting Niagara 18 to 1.  The IceDogs managed to hang on for O.T. and defeated the Bulls thanks to a Jason Bergeron goal.  One of the larger crowds of the year, which was surprising considering the road conditions.  Nevertheless, 2705 fans enjoyed the game.  See what happens when we stay out of the penalty box?  Pictures here.
DEC.13 - BOOSTER CLUB SKATE WITH THE ICEDOGS PHOTOS:  Thanks to WellandDogsFan for his photos of yesterday's "Booster club skate with the team" including shots of the dressing room.  Next year there'll be more that come out to it!  Apparently IceDog Barry Sanderson was great with the kids that came out.  Fans were very impressed with his enthusiasm.
DEC.13 - NEXT 3 GAMES ARTICLE:  The Standard has an article on the upcoming 3 games.
DEC.13 - RINK SIZES:  Quizzer83 posted a good message showing all the sizes of the different rinks around the league.
DEC.13 - TOUGH OPPONENT?  Tonight the Niagara IceDogs go up against the best team (according to points) in the conference, the Belleville Bulls.  The Bulls top the conference with 42 points and the IceDogs are tied with Ottawa for 6th.  Of course, the past month or more, the IceDogs have had many key players out of their lineup due to injury or suspension.  Now there's no hiding, no excuses.  The fans will finally get to see what this team is made of and what we can expect for the rest of the year.  Yes, Legein is off to the Team Canada camp, but so are the top players from many teams, so that won't give any one team an advantage over the other.  Fletcher has completed his 5 game suspension for clean-hitting another player, so he'll provide some much needed muscle out there.  If we come out hitting hard the way we started the last game against Mississauga, there's no reason we can't get 2 points tonight if the guys 1: play together (no more scrambling coming up across center ice) and 2: SHOOT THE PUCK - we've been guilty of making FAR too many passes in the opposition's end in recent games.  If you're in past the faceoff dots, SHOOT!  And keep a man in front of the net for rebounds.  They don't have to look pretty to count!  Anyway, the injuries are over, the suspensions have been served, the flu has been dealt with.  Now we finally get to see what this team is made of. UPDATE:  Friesen (injured in practice) and Foreman (flu) will probably be out of the lineup tonight.
DEC.13 - LEGEIN ARTICLE:  Canadian Press clip on IceDog Stefan Legein at the Canada camp.
DEC.11 - STEFAN LEGEIN @ CAMP:  Good TSN video clip of Legein at the Team Canada camp.
DEC.10 - VIDEOS ONLINE:  2 videos from yesterday's game are now online in the videos section.
DEC.10 - MICHAEL VICK:  In other dog news, the man responsible for the death of a number of dogs in a dog fighting/gambling operation was just sentenced to 23 months in jail.
DEC.9 - DOGS FALL SHORT:  The IceDogs started the game quick with a goal only 36 seconds into the match by Michael Swift, but Mississauga answered with 3 straight.  Niagara added another in the 2nd to make it close, and during part of the 3rd period the fans were loud and excited as they cheered on the Icedogs hard.  Unfortunately Mississauga managed an empty-net goal when our goalie was pulled, putting the game out of reach, ending in a 4-2 victory for the Majors.  To a pleasant surprise, the game started off rough with lots of hitting.  Definitely a game we could have used Fletcher a lot in (his 5 game suspension is now finished as of today).  This was the first time Niagara has lost to Mississauga.  Talk about the game.
DEC.9 - GAME DAY:  Mississauga is visiting our rink this afternoon in a game that will decide 4th place in the division.  Right now the Majors are 2 points behind the IceDogs, and with one less game played for the Majors, a win would tie Niagara in points, and because they have less games played, knock us down into 4th position.  Mississauga has been on a bit of a tear as of late, but minus Friday's game in Brampton, so have the IceDogs.  It should be a great game to watch this afternoon!  Get down to the Jack Gatecliff Arena in St. Catharines and watch it live!  Talk about the game here.
DEC.9 - SWIFT INTERVIEW:  A video of Michael Swift being interviewed during the 2nd intermission of the game at Brampton on Friday can is now online.
DEC.8 - BATTALION SHOOT DOWN ICEDOGS:  There was a group of IceDog fans that made the quick trip to Brampton for this one.  We all managed to get seats in the same section together (big thanks to ADogFan and Heidi for this!!!).  Unfortunately the Dogs were suffering badly from the flu and were flat throughout large parts of the game.  Brampton came out to a quick 3-0 lead but the IceDogs held them to that score the remainder of the game.  They just couldn't get the offense going tonight.  Brampton's rink was very nice.  The bowl itself was 'ok'.  It didn't have the cozy/passion atmosphere of the jack.  Comfortable (although ugly purple) seats with boxes around the top.  Below the seating the hallways were very nice - large spacious corridors, snack stands spread throughout, very nice merchandise store, and friendly staff.  Parking was unbelievable.  TONS of *free* parking surrounding the rink!  Pulling in to the arena off the road and seeing that was like entering a dream.  Leaving was a mess - all those cars are bottlenecked onto a small 2-lane road which has a traffic light right as you leave, so you're sitting stuck for awhile before hitting moving traffic.  The layout of the arena was probably most impressive.  Big arena feel to it, with all the bells and whistles of a large rink.  The Brampton crowd however leaves a lot to be desired.  The rink was about half full, and their fans aren't close to being as loud and passionate as Niagara fans.  Friendly fans however, although the Niagara fan section was getting on the nerves of many Bramptonians with their horns and chanting during the game.  All in all the only bad experience of the trip was the score on the clock at the end of the game.  Talk about the game here.
DEC.7 - LEGEIN ARTICLE:  Sportsnet did a nice article on Stefan Legein.

DEC.6 - FORUM MESSAGES NOW 10,000 STRONG:  The forum is a rockin this holiday season, as you have all pushed the posted messages above the 10,000 number.  Way to go!
DEC.6 - JANUARY 27TH GAME TO BE SHOWN NATIONALLY ON SPORTSNET:  Niagara hosts Sarnia Sunday Jan.27 and Rogers Sportsnet will be at our barn to show the game nationally.  Get your tickets soon!  NOTE: This is a Sunday game with a *7PM* start time (not the 2pm usually time)  Much thanks go to IceDogs owner Bill Burke for pushing for this to happen.  More here.
DEC.4 - BRING TEDDY BEARS DEC.14:  The IceDogs are having a teddy bear toss during our home game Dec.14 (vs. Barrie Colts) for needy families.  Please bring a teddy bear to the game and get your bear onto the ice after the IceDogs score.  Happy holidays.
DEC.3 - WORLD JUNIOR CAMP ROSTER:  The roster for the world juniors camp has been posted.
DEC.2 - ICEDOGS PUT DOWN OTTAWA / CAPUTI NETS 3 / LEGEIN SEPARATES SHOULDER:  [pictures here] The 67's won't have fond memories of their first visit to the Jack Gatecliff Arena as Niagara defeated Ottawa 5-2.  The IceDogs came out fast jumping to an early 3-0 lead in the first.  Ottawa didn't quit and put up 2 goals in the 2nd period, then Niagara answered with another goal in the same period.  The 2nd was by far Ottawa's best effort drastically out-shooting Niagara (who out-shot Ottawa 15-5 in the 1st).  The 2nd and 3rd periods got chippy with both teams throwing their weight around with some nice hits.  Luca Caputi continued his strong season netting a hat-trick.  Stefan Legein was seen during warmup and part of the 1st period, but was not on the ice or the bench in the 2nd and 3rd periods  IceDogFANS forum member RioBravo managed to have a quick chat with him and apparently he suffered a separated shoulder.  Forum member IceDogsRule also talked to Stefan and apparently it wasn't a bad separation and he's expecting to be back for the next game.  Next game: we're in Brampton on Friday!  Game thread here.
DEC.2 - HOCKEY TOWN INDEX (HTI) UPDATED:  Want to see where Niagara lies in the standings compared to the rest of OHL cities as far as our passion for hockey?  See here!
DEC.1 - NEW VIDEOS ADDED: 6 videos from the Nov.4th Niagara/Peterborough game are now online - they were made the day after the game but somehow got misplaced and forgotten about.  These clips include highlights of the 7 goals Niagara scored (shutting out the Petes 7-0) and an interview with Alex Friesen who scored his first OHL goal this game!  Watch them here!
NOV.29 - DOGS FEAST ON OTTERS:  The IceDogs offense came out strong tonight with a 6-3 win over Erie.  Volpe got his second start in net in a row, which became his 2nd straight win as well.  Game photos here.   Game thread here.  News article here.
NOV.28 - CORRENTE ARTICLE:  Standard article on Icedog defenceman Matt Corrente. (thanks WDF)
NOV.28 - OSHAWA PHOTOS:  New pictures are up from the Niagara @ Oshawa game (Nov.18th)
NOV.28 - ICEDOGS UPDATES: It looks like Bergeron (shoulder), Van Laren (wrist), and Pietrangelo (elbow) are off injured and are listed as "day-to-day".  Although it seems the IceDogs' day-to-day is more like "week-to-week" judging from how long Pietrangelo was just out for previously.  Goaltender Lobsinger who was originally due back November, then beginning of December, then mid-December, is now due back in January (at which time of course, it will be pushed back to Februrary)...
NOV.26 - ADT PHOTOS:  Set #3 of the ADT game photos from Nov.22 are now online.  Note: Game #4 of the series is tonight on Rogers Sportsnet.
NOV.25 - ICEDOGS END LOOSING SKID / HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEFAN! :  (Videos / Photos) Strong efforts by many players made for a 4-2 victory over visiting Owen Sound this afternoon.  We were back to a full roster (almost - no Legein) and as a surprise, backup goaltender Adrian Volpe was put in net to start the game.  Volpe played solid, was quick staying on the puck, and very good at absorbing possible rebounds.  Corrente played a fiesty game throwing his weight around and getting into two scraps.  DeSousa netted two goals and had a strong game as well.  It was a real treat to have a full lineup on the ice - it's been a long time!  Hopefully we can start climbing back up the standings again to where we belong.  Next game: Thursday vs. Erie!  A big happy birthday goes out to Stefan Legein who turned 19 yesterday - NO MORE SNEEKING INTO BARS UNDERAGE!  Aaah, those were the days.
NOV.24 - THE LEAGUE IS TAKING HITTING OUT OF THE GAME!  The OHL seems to have secret plans on how to remove bodychecking from the game.  They're removing it bit by bit, making it more and more illegal to bodycheck players during certain circumstances.  This will soon lead to players just deciding not to hit anymore!  Hockey is changing as we know it and it's happening so slowing it's going unnoticed..  Read more here.
NOV.24 - ADT PHOTOS:  Part 2 of the ADT Canada/Russia game photos by Verbatim are online.
NOV.24 - VIDEOS ONLINE: Videos of last night's game are now online including the CLEAN HIT by Fletcher on Lahey - Fletch was tossed from the game for it.  Download them here.
NOV.24 - HOLIDAY PACKS AVAILABLE:  The IceDogs are now offering special holiday Flex Packs which include 6 tickets and lots of merchandise!  Click here for more. (thanks: WDF for the info)
NOV.23 - FULL ROSTER!  Almost.  (Article here) Fans will have to wait to see if Fletcher is back in the lineup after being off with a shoulder injury, but 4 of our top Dogs (Legein, Pietrangelo, Caputi, Corrente) made their mark in the ADT Canada/Russia game last night and looked to be in game form.  Fans may be anticipating the return of defenceman Matthew Corrente the most, as we've only seen him play a handful of games so far this season (and only a couple of them being at home) due to his injuries and suspensions.  So if you've been in a bit of a depression with the way things have been going lately, we won't jinx our Dogs by saying the loosing streak is over, but the future looks MUCH BRIGHTER.  GO DOGS GO!  Talk about tonight's game here.
NOV.22 - 4 ICEDOGS PLAYING IN CANADA/RUSSIA SERIES:  Legein, Pietrangelo, Caputi, and Corrente are all in the Team Canada lineup tonight for Canada/Russian selects series.  Legein and Pietrangelo were out of the IceDogs lineup with injuries the last couple weeks, but played regular shifts in tonight's exhibition.  Should they have played in the game?  Should they have used the extra day to heal more?  VOTE HERE  (Please note: IceDogFans is NOT making a statement here - just trying to get the public's consensus on whether they rushed their recovery times by playing in this exhibition)
NOV.22 - NIAGARA LIFE ARTICLE: A good article in the magazine "Niagara Life" was published this month on the IceDogs.  Owners Bill and Denise Burke talk about placing the team in Niagara, the players, on th team, and lots more. 
Click each thumbnail to view the pages of it.
NOV.19 - THE DUST HAS SETTLED:  Foreman broke his nose in a fight, IceDogs lost 7-2, Loverock watched for the first time from the bench.  It was a close game up until the 3rd period last night.  Oshawa started off with a fluke goal after a Tavares breakaway - Loverock made a great save on him, but lost the puck, thinking it had deflected up and to the right, when it had gone down and to the left, leaving the net open for the rebound which was put in.  An IceDogFans forum member who attended the game said Foreman broke his nose in the fight in the 3rd - it wasn't on TV as the camera was showing something else at the time.  Hopefully wearing a full cage can keep him in the lineup while his nose sets.  Aaron Snow is reportedly gone from the roster as is shown here, although he's still on the roster here.
NOV.18 - GAME NIGHT: The IceDogs are in Oshawa tonight taking on John Tavares and the Generals.  Get all the game info and fan comments in this discussion thread.  Unfortunately the IceDogs problems continue as they lost 7-2 in Oshawa tonight.  Game notes: Loverock was PULLED!   The first minute of IceDogs game time in which Loverock was not in net happened tonight.  Also, Corrente is now officially done his suspension.  Hopefully he can stay in the lineup until next Sunday so we can see him play live.
NOV.18 - OWEN SOUND PICTURES ONLINE:  Thanks to WellandDogsFan for making the trip to Owen Sound last night and submitting his pictures from the game.
NOV.18 - ARENA RATED:  OHL Arena Guide has given our arena a right-up.
NOV.16 - ARTICLE:  Online article on last night's game from the Dogs site.  Article here by The Standard.
NOV.15 - ICEDOGS LOSE IN SHOOT-OUT:  After coming back from a 1 goal deficit all game and forcing overtime, the IceDogs couldn't put the puck in the net in the shootout, giving Barrie extra point that allows them to tie the IceDogs in the standings.  The team played relatively well, considering all the players we have out due to suspension or injury.  Then again, we've had players out due to suspension/injury all season long and have had games where we played a lot better.  Then again, one has to remember - this isn't the NHL: everyone makes it into the playoffs in the OHL (well, everyone except for the 4 worst teams).  So whether we win-lose will be much more important in the post season.  Maybe it's best that our best aren't in the lineup right now - save all the top guys for the playoffs! (grin)  Seriously though, does anyone see a time in the future when we'll have a full, healthy, non-suspended team?   One could only imagine the possibilities of such a team.  Next up: Owen Sound.
NOV.15 - GAME NIGHT:  The IceDogs are in Barrie tonight for a battle that will determine 2nd place in the Central Division.  The pre-game standings have the IceDogs in 2nd with 24 points, 1 point ahead of Barrie - both teams have played 21 games.  Talk about the game here.
NOV.15 - AGOZZINO ON U17 TEAM:  Online article on IceDog Andrew Agozzino making the under-17 team Canada roster.
NOV.15 - SLIDESHOW:  Rick Denham (IceDogs photographer) has put together a nice slideshow of some of the shots from this season.  Check it out.
NOV.14 - 2 NEW VIDEOS ADDED:  Thanks to FightClub87 (who's actually a London fan) for sending in the 2 clips of Niagara vs. Saginaw on Oct.28 (Desousa vs. Comrie and the "Corrente incident")  Both are now online in the videos section.
NOV.11 - CAN'T HOLD THE LEAD:  After spending the first two periods tied at 1 each, the third period came alive.  Both teams showed more energy, as did the crowds (Windsor seemed to have a good showing of fans at the Jack).  The IceDogs managed to get up 2-1 in the third which gave everyone hope, but that was short-lived as Windsor tied the game at 2, then with only seconds left and everyone believing the game was headed for OT, Windsor put another one into the net, making it a 3-2 Windsor win.  There were a couple of half-decent fights, most notably VanLaren taking on Baldwin at center ice.  Later in the third, Windsor captain Renaud dropped the gloves after the whistle, trying to get Swift to go.  Our captain obliged and surprisingly held his own for awhile, but Renaud's much larger size allowed him to take over at the end.  Loverock was pretty solid in net again, making some key saves.  The IceDogs were without numerous key players, including Legein, Pietrangelo, Corrente, and Fletcher.  Pictures online here.  IceDogs article here.
NOV.9 - ICEDOGS LOSE 3X:  Niagara lost to Barrie 7-2 last night, but also lost Stefan Legein for probably a week with a hip injury, reported by the St. Catharines Standard, as well as Jordan Foreman who will be day-to-day with a wrist injury.  One game and two players lost in one night.  We're already without Pietrangelo, Corrente, Fletcher and DeSousa - all important players - due to injury or suspensions.  Add two more to that mix, throw in Lobsinger as well and we're playing with about half a team.  No worries - look for Swift and Caputi to lead the charge in upcoming games, and for the rest of the team to step their game up.  This is the perfect oppourtunity.  Playing every game may be catching up with Loverock, who let in 7 goals in 29 shots (yes, he really did shut out Peterborough the game before).  Coach Cicchillo said they'll be looking to call up players from the St. Catharines Falcons Jr. B team to fill the void in the roster.  Talk about the game here.  Article here.  In completely un-related news, Eric Lindros retired from the NHL yesterday, and the Leafs still suck this year. 
NOV.8 - ICEDOGS MERCHANDISE @ CANADIAN TIRE:  The two Canadian Tire "superstores" in St. Catharines on Fourth Ave. and Welland Ave. now have a nice selection of Niagara IceDogs merchandise for sale.  Mini-cowbells, foam hands, mini-sticks, hats, youth jerseys, car flags, and noise maker pucks.  IceDogFans webmaster just dropped $105 on stuff there!
NOV.7 - CORRENTE SUSPENDED:  Well it's official.  IceDog defenceman Matt Corrente has been suspended by the league for 8 games, and will be illegible to return Nov.23.
NOV.6 - LEGEIN SIGNS WITH BLUEJACKETS:  Niagara IceDog forward Stefan Legein has signed a 3 year contract with the NHL's Columbus Bluejackets.  Talk about it in this discussion thread.
NOV.4 - PATHETIC PETES:  The IceDogs were all over the Petes this afternoon both on the ice and on the scoreboard.  Puck control and scoring opportunities were dominated by Niagara, who came out flying, scoring fast and furious, leaving a 7-0 trail of destruction when all was said and done.  A *rough* game with 8 fighting majors and a match penalty handed out to Zack Kassian who, after realizing their level of patheticness late in the game, KO'd IceDog Chris DeSousa with a hit, leaving him unconscious on the ice.  But wow is DeSousa ever a tank - after being out cold for about half a minute, he actually skated off the unassisted.  They don't come any tougher than that.  The fury of the 2,545 Hell Hounds in attendance was everywhere throughout the 3rd period as Peterborough continued to try and beat us with the gloves off.  Lucky for Peterborough that fury didn't materialize, but there were times when people next to the Petes bench were almost ready to jump the glass at the players.  By far the meanest crowd we've had on hand this year (and that's a good thing!) Great game by Loverock who stopped all 35 shots he faced.  On another note, IceDogFans webmaster AlphaDog got to meet and talk to Niagara tough-guy Scott Fletcher during the 1st intermission, who was out of the lineup due to a minor injury.  Talk about the game here!  Pictures onilne here.
NOV.3 - PHOTOS ONLINE:  38 photos taken by WellandDogsFan of last night's game in Mississauga are now online.

NOV.2 - ICEDOGS STILL OWN MISSISSAUGA RINK:  It may no longer be home ice but the IceDogs commandeered the arena and took control early, beating the St. Michael's Majors 10-2.  Granted, Mississauga lost their starting goalie early in the game, and only had a small inexperienced rookie to tend goal after that - who was outshot 40 to 24.  Hat-tricks by Traccitto and Legein, 5 fights as well.  The Rogers guys calling the game said it was the largest crowd in the Mississauga rink so far this year.  The one area the Majors did get the advantage in was the fisticuffs.  There were no solid wins, but the did however get the decision in most, if not all, of the scraps.  And what have the forum members been saying all along?  We WIN when we FIGHT (or at least play tough).  Lets see if the boys can carry that toughness on into Sundays game versus the Petes.  Post your thoughts and comments about tonight's game here.
NOV.2 - NEW MERCHANDISE!  The IceDogs have a bunch of new merchandise available - more info here!  Article from the Mississauga News on the game here.
NOV.2 - THE HONEYMOON'S OVER:  After showcasing themselves as a high-scoring powerhouse, our IceDogs have been shut-out in 3 of their last 5 games, including last night's 4-0 loss to the visiting Plymouth Whalers.  Three fights last night, only one being a good one when Sanderson took on Geldart - although Plymouth got the decisions in all three of the fights.  As the TV Cogeco commentator mentioned, the leaders on the team have not stepped up during this time.  They need to lead during example - if not by scoring goals, then at least showing every shift they're banging and crashing every opportunity they get - to the point where it's just *ridiculous*.  Photos here.
NOV.1 - GAME NIGHT:  Plymouth is in our rink tonight to take on the IceDogs!
NOV.1 - WHAT'S UP WITH THE RANGERS ANYWAY?  Ever wonder why the Kitchener Rangers are the only unoriginal team in the league?  (copy the NYR's name, colours, uniform).  Find out why here!
NOV.1 - VAN LAREN ARTICLE:  St. Catharines Standard article on Chris VanLaren
OCT.31 - CORRENTE SUSPENDED (AGAIN):  Well you heard it here first...  that Match Penalty that IDF hinted might be a suspension turned out to be true.  The number of games is not yet given, but Corrente's suspension is currently listed as "indefinite".  Latest updates on it, and discussion are here.
OCT.31 - HAPPY HALLOWEEN!  Some good OHL history here.
OCT.29 - CORRENTE SUSPENDED AGAIN?  Matt Corrente, one of our star defencemen (in case you haven't seen him - he's only played a couple games at home for us) may be facing yet another suspension due to an incident last night @ Plymouth which he received a match penalty for.  He was away at the beginning of the season because he was at New Jersey's camp for an extended stay, then came back, got suspended, then got injured, came back last night, and may be suspended again.  ARG!  Talk about it in this thread.
OCT.29 - ARTICLE ON LAST GAME:  Standard article on Niagara vs. Saginaw.
OCT.28 - ICEDOGS WIN!  ICEDOGS WIN!  ICEDOGS WIN!  Yes, the IceDogs will be leaving their loosing streak in another country with this afternoon's 5-3 win over Plymouth.  There were a couple of good scraps with Fletcher and DeSousa - from the radio broadcast it sounded like our boys faired well in both.  IWS (IceDogs Withdrawal Syndrome) ends this Thursday as the team plays back at home taking on Plymouth.
OCT.28 - UH OH:  The IceDogs almost went -3 straight games- without scoring a goal.  It wasn't until mid-way through the 3rd last night they managed to put one between the pipes, and that was coming against a team they should have walked all over.  Luckily for the IceDogs, last night's game wasn't televised so it wasn't visible how poorly they played, but you could generate some fairly horrible mental images listening to the radio broadcast.  The team is falling in the standings resulting from this slump (they've lost 4 of their last 5 games), so coach Cicchillo needs to diagnose and cure this lethargic team's problems and get us back on track!  To make it more frustrating to the fans, IceDog Scott Fletcher got into a fight last night, which sounded like a good one - we never see them fight at home!  It seems all the good scraps have been away from their fans lately.  We're in Saginaw for a game at 2PM today.
OCT.26 - LAST NIGHT'S GAME PHOTOS ONLINE:  Thanks to WellandDogsFan who made the trip down to Windsor for last night's game photos.
OCT.25 - WHAT'S GOING ON?  Probably a popular question being asked, as the last time the IceDogs scored a goal was 3 games ago.  Niagara was in Windsor tonight and were shut-out / blasted-out 6-0.  Post your comments on the game here.
OCT.25 - JACK GATECLIFF ARENA REVIEW:  The OHL Arena Guide site has posted its review of our rink.
OCT.25 - GAME DAY:  It may seem like the IceDogs have been off for weeks, but it has only been 4 days surprisingly.  Tonight the IceDogs are in Windsor to take on the powerful Spitfires.  This is the first time Niagara will be playing a team with more points than them in the standings (although they're in separate conferences so one can't base too much on points alone).  Windsor also has more goals fore and considerably less goals against than Niagara, and is also near the top of the league in penalty minutes (Niagara leads the league in PIMs).  Tonight is the first game of a 3 game road trip.  Don't forget to enter the chat room during the game!
OCT.24 - RETAIL STORE OPEN ON NON-GAME DAYS:  The merchandise store inside Jack Gatecliff arena will be open on non-game days for the dates specified here.
OCT.24 - ROAD TRIP ARTICLE:  The St. Catharines Standard has an online article about the IceDogs upcoming road trip.
OCT.24 - CHL RANKINGS:  The Week 5 rankings for the top teams are now online.  The IceDogs have fallen one position from 8th to 9th, which is still good.
OCT.23 - MAIONE UPDATE:  It was reported to IDF that Maione was out with a fractured shoulder, but IDF members saw him on the road @ Barrie and at home, and he didn't seem to be in any pain or discomfort, and was freely using both arms (which would NOT suggest a fracture).  Hopefully we can get an official update soon, as we're already without VanLaren (should be back on the 28th), and Corrente (who knows).
OCT.22 - MAIONE HURT?  Rumor has it that Matthew Maione is out with a shoulder injury.
OCT.21 - WANT TO GO TO WINDSOR?  IceDogFans has people heading down to Windsor to see the IceDogs take on the Spitfires.  There's still room for 2-3 more people.  See this thread and reply to WellandDogsFan for info.
OCT.21 - CP ARTICLE:  Canadian Press article on today's game.
OCT.21 - TRAVEL IN STYLE:  Want to see the inside of the IceDogs team bus?  Check it out!
OCT.21 - @ BARRIE PHOTOS:  Thanks to WellandDogsFan and slamr for their photos of the game in Barrie.
OCT.21 - CKTB INTERVIEW:  Chuck LaFleur (who does the play-by-play broadcasting of all IceDog games, on CKTB610) saw WellandDogs fan at the game in Barrie last night and asked if we'd like to come on the show during 1st intermission of today's game.  Of course we jumped at the chance - I've never met him and he sounds like a good guy on the airwaves so I wanted to put a face to the voice.  GREAT guy.  Very friendly.  You can catch the interview here (audio MP3 file).OCT.21 - SHUT OUT:  Unfortunately the burst of goals that occurred during the 2nd period last night didn't occur in any period tonight.  A single goal would have been great today, but it wasn't meant to be.  The IceDogs outshot Barrie throughout the game but couldn't put one past the Colts netminder.  The team seemed unorganized and unable to get a play going, much of it contributed by Barrie's excellent man-to-man coverage of the IceDogs.  Loverock was solid in net again, but he can't win the game from between the pipes, he can only keep the team from loosing, and without any offensive support, that's an impossible task.  We did however outshoot Barrie 35-16, but there weren't a lot of actual scoring chances in those shots.  This is the first time the IceDogs have been held scoreless this season, but averaging almost 5 goals per game, that should be a rare occurrence this season.  The Dogs now start a 3 game road trip, and will be back home at the Jack to face Plymouth Nov. 1st.  Talk about the game in this thread. Pictures online here.
OCT.21 - PIETRANGELO ARTICLE:  Nice article on IceDogs defenceman Alex Pietrangelo about being an NHL prospect.
OCT.21 - BIG WIN!  (Pictures here) The IceDogs made it interesting by falling down 2-0 to Barrie early in the game, but a period that in the past has been a curse for the Dogs, turned out to be an explosion of offense as they scored *4* goals in the 2nd period, and added another in the 3rd for good measure.  Loverock was solid in net stopping 37 of 39 shots.  Final score 5-2 Niagara win.  Watching the game on TV, some of those modern arenas might look great, and our Jack might be old, uncomfortable and crowded, but it's got CHARACTER.  Some of these new OHL arenas resemble the mass-housing neighborhoods you see cramped next to each other on the outskirts of Toronto (McMansions as we like to call them).  Nice to look at as long as you don't have to live in them.  Granted, you can't judge an arena from just seeing it on TV, but that Barrie rink looked more like a museum then a place where hockey memories were made.  The IceDogs are back in Niagara today to face off against the Colts in part 2 of the home-and-home series.
OCT.20 - GAME DAY:  The IceDogs are in Barrie tonight for their first game against these division rivals, and they'll be back in Niagara tomorrow play them again.  Hopefully it will be a rough and energetic game tonight, which could carry over and make for a great game at the Jack on Sunday.
OCT.20 - LEGEIN RADIO INTERVIEW:  The OHL radio show had a segment were IceDog Stefan Legein was interviewed. 
OCT.19 - BELJO ARTICLE:  A St. Catharines Standard article interviewing ex-Dog Jadran Beljo.  After reading this article one can almost feel sorry for the kid, not even knowing why he was being boo'ed.  Well, popular belief is that Beljo refused to show up to play in St. Catharines, that we were "beneath" him.  Other rumor has it that he missed curfew too much during training camp, and yet another rumor has it that he didn't want to play in all pre-season games and wanted to be able to pick which ones he was in.  But popular opinion is that he didn't want to follow the team to Niagara once they moved from Missisissauga.  This is what happens when official explanations are not released!!!
OCT.18 - KNIGHTS SLAY DOGS:  It was a pretty good game until the 3rd period.  The IceDogs went up first but London came back, and took hold of the game 5-3 in the third period, adding an empty net goal for a 6-3 final.  Loverock was solid in net as London was firing twice as many shots on him as they were getting on the London netminder.  At one point shots were 32-16 for London.  With their lack of size on the blue line, Niagara seemed to be having a hard time clearing out London forwards from in front of Loverock, allowing the Knights to whack away at the puck once in front of the net.  The Dogs were also having a hard time getting possession of the puck in their own zone, and were often beat to the puck in the corners.  'Strong game by the Knights, which could have had a 8-3 score if it wasn't for some strong goaltending by Loverock.  To add insult to injury, ex-IceDog Jadran Beljo got the game winning goal.  On a positive note, the abundance of London Knight fans that made the trip down helped us with our 2nd sellout crowd of the year.  Pictures here.  Video clips here.
OCT.18 - ARTICLE:  Good article on the OHL teams including a few good paragraphs on the IceDogs [thanks: Dog Scout]
OCT.18 - ICEDOGS AQUIRE FORWARD:  Aaron Snow has arrived to the IceDogs roster from the Windsor Spitfires.
OCT.17 - ICEDOGS RANKED IN TOP 10 IN ALL OF CHL:  See this page for the rankings.
OCT.17 - CAPUTI ARTICLE:  Good online article on Luca Caputi.
OCT.16 - TRIP TO MICHIGAN: [the following posted by Clark17] : Just a note to let you know about a great bus trip to Plymouth & Saginaw Oct 27th, & Oct 28th. Take the bus, catch the first game, stay overnight in Plymouth and on to the Saginaw game on Sunday. Great Price!!!! If interested call Brenda at the Ice Dogs office or sign up in the lobby at the Booster Club table (50/50) at Thursday or Sunday's games. You don't have to be a member but it would be $10.00 cheaper if you are. The Dogs need lots of fans to cheer them on down there!!!!!
OCT.16 - SCOTT FLETHER LAYS DOWN THE LAW:  Some good video clips of IceDogs tough guy Scott Fletcher.  The thing is - he's also a reliable defenceman!
OCT.16 - GUELPH TALKS ABOUT OUR BARN:   Article by someone from Guelph who attended the game here on Sunday.  And here from Guelph's newspaper.
OCT.14 - ICEDOGS SERVE SUPPER MONDAY!  Don't forget that Boston Pizza on Ontario St. in St. Catharines is having 8 of the IceDogs as guest servers.  Show your support - throw on your IceDogs jerseys and go down for a bite to eat!
OCT.14 - ICEDOGS WIN IN O.T.! :  The game was a bit sloppy at times, with quite a bunch of bunching up and play back and forth in the center ice area, and not a whole lot of physical play, but the climatic ending was great!  Late in the 3rd, Maoine (who scored his 1st OHL game this afternoon by the way!) put the puck over the glass in his own end.  Being a defencemen, that's a delay of game penalty.  The game was 5-4 for the IceDogs at that point.  Guelph managed to bank one in the net while on the power play, evening up the scoring and putting the game into overtime.  Soon into OT, a Guelph defenceman made the same play and received the delay of game penalty, making it a 4-on-3 for us, and during that powerplay Guelph took another penalty (slashing) allowing the IceDogs to bring out the 5th man for a 5-on3.  It was obvious it was just going to be a matter of time as the IceDogs had full control of the puck and were just waiting for the opportunity, which arose when Pietrangelo had the puck and fired it into the back of the net, winning it for the IceDogs 6-5.
OCT.14 - HOCKEY TOWN INDEX:  There are three main opinions as to why Niagara is ranked 15th out of 20 in our percentage of the city's population that come out to see the games, and 17th out of 20 in attendance at the arena.  One being, that it's not the arena's fault and Niagara just isn't a hockey area - which is nonsense.  Look at the amount of NHL clothing you see on people walking around town, stickers and license plates on cars, etc.  Another opinion is that there just hasn't been enough time to make people aware of the IceDogs.  Well, they've had numerous front-page articles and a great amount of coverage in the St. Catharines Standard sports section.  Are the radio stations doing well in promoting the team?  The third reason being that the Jack Gatecliff arena has had it's day, people have "been there done that", put up with the lack of parking, the bench seating, the lack of "modern arena atmosphere".  Granted, we'll be able to get a better judgement on whether or not promotion just needs to be given more time, but it is this site's opinion that the arena is to blame.  NOTE: THIS IS NOT a knock on the Team management!  The organization has done a WONDERFUL job in bringing the team to the region and putting a TREMENDOUS team on the ice.  For the price it's easily the most exciting form of hockey you'll ever see.  This is the main breeding ground of the NHL!  Now before we start to panic, lets keep some things in mind.  Attendance shouldn't drop off TOO much once the snow and ice plague our sidewalks and streets, because the growing promotion of the team will keep that in check.  And even at 2,000 people per game, that's still well over $35,000 the team brings in with ticket sales per home game, plus merchandise and drinks/food.  Is it enough to pay for a new arena?  Hell no, but it's enough to not be loosing money.  What we need is interest to be generated in the schools.  With the thousands of high school students in the area, this would be a great way to spend a couple times a week, watching some great hockey and socializing as well.  The majority of the crowds seem to be adults and children.  The high-school demographic seems to be missing.  Many interviews have stated that promotion is going well at the business level, but if we want to pack the house every night, we've got to get the average Joe and his friends coming out.  If you do your morning announcements at your high school, ask permission if you can mention IceDog home games that day.  If you work with a lot of other people on your job, try and generate interest there.  If Sault St. Marie with half our population is putting 4500+ in the seats each night, there's no reason we can't pack the Jack.  Yes, it would be more fun to pack a modern arena with modern amenities and ample parking instead of driving around side streets looking for a spot, but what we have isn't impossible to put up with.  And once your in your seat, you've got two and a half hours of great hockey to witness!
OCT.13 - ARTICLE ON SUDBURY GAME:  Here's a newspaper article on last night's 5-2 victory in Sudbury.
OCT.12 - MISSING A GOOD GAME!  Listening to the CKTB610 broadcast right now, Alex Pietrangelo just LEVELED Jared Staal with a huge hit, then a brawl broke out - Fletcher and Sudbury heavyweight Tyler Arps went at it with Fletcher ending up on top still pounding away, MacEachern was squaring off with someone, as well as Friesen.  Sounded like a great set of fights!  Penalties for the brawl:  MacEachern, Friesen, Fletcher: all 5 for fighting + game misconducts.  Pietrangelo 2 for interference and 5 for fighting.  Poor Alex Friesen - it's his first game getting to suit up and play with the IceDogs and he gets kicked out soon after the game starts.  :(  Another fight between Traccitto and Guimond in the 1st period.  Caputi scores on a penalty shot in the 3rd.
OCT.12 - MORE PHOTOS ADDED:  Thanks to your contributions, 54 more photos from last night's tilt with Brampton are now online.
OCT.12 - EAT AT BOSTON PIZZA OCT.12TH, GET SERVED BY AN ICEDOG!  8 players of the IceDogs will be helping serve at Boston Pizza on Monday the 15th (this Monday).  Head down there, grab some 'za and meet some Dogs!  Article here.
OCT.12 - NEWS ARTICLE:  An article by The Standard on last night's game.
OCT.12 - CHRIS VANLAREN GETS 10 GAMES:  The OHL has finally handed out the full suspension to IceDog Chris VanLaren for his shot to the jaw of a Mississauga player, and ended up dealing out 10 games to him.  He'll be eligible to return Oct.28th.
OCT.11 - LOST THE GAME, WON THE FIGHT:  Well, one could tell from the first couple shifts that the IceDogs were in for a tough one.  Bad passing - some going straight to Brampton tape - not enough hustle, playing out of position, and bad defensive coverage around the net, all lead to a 4-2 loss (5-2 with the empty net goal - which was also a screw up) tonight.  Brampton is the only team that's beat Niagara this season so far, and they've done it twice (with a Niagara win over the Battalion in Brampton, making the series 2-1 in favor of the green jerseys).  Attendance was low for a Thursday night game too (2,018).  On the bright side, former NHL great Dennis Hull was in attendance, and the first 1500 people to walk through the doors got a free IceDogs fridge magnet.  Talk about the game in this thread.  Good shot of DeSousa's first goal since being back from suspension [by forum member: Schtick]
OCT.11 - JADRAN BELJO GONE FROM ICEDOGS:  Unofficially, 40+ goal scorer and 80+ point man Jadran Beljo who failed to show up to the IceDogs training camp, has been traded to London for a 6th round pick in the 2009 draft.  More here.
OCT.11 - LOVEROCK / DOGS ARTICLE:  Good article on goaltender Andrew Loverock and the IceDogs. [thanks: WellandDogsFan]
OCT.11 - PHOTOS NEEDED!: As you may know, this site's camera privileges have been cut off, so we *really* need your photos!  If you could take a few snapshots of your game experience and send them in to the site as email attachments, your photos will be displayed online!  (A copyright notice will be added to your photo, giving you full credit for the photo as well)
OCT.11 - GAME DAY:  The Battalion roll there artillery into the Jack tonight and will try to avenge the 5-4 loss handed to the in their own rink by the IceDogs Monday night.
OCT.10 - ICEDOGS IN NIAGARA SCHOOLS:  There was a good newspaper article posted about IceDog Barry Sanderson and how the team is coping with school, practice, travel, and the rest of their busy schedules since relocating to Niagara.
OCT.10 - CAN'T GET AN ICEDOGS JERSEY?  READ ON!  If you weren't able to get a jersey at the beginning of the year and tried to buy one recently, you already know that the IceDogs have sold out.  Great news that the team is getting this kind of support!  Bad news if you don't have a jersey.  BUT!   Front Row Sports in Thorold has said they have lots of jerseys in stock, so try and grab one before our next home game!  Front Row Sports:  133 Front St. North - open 7 days a week.
OCT.9 - ROAD TRIP!!  IceDog fans are making plans for a road trip to Brampton, Dec.7th - GET IN ON IT!  We plan on all meeting our cars at the arena then driving in a convoy - HOPEFULLY all sporting Niagara IceDogs flags from our windows/antennas (if we can get flags made available before that date).  All information and discussion on this trip is HERE!

OCT.9 - PICTURES OF OUR BUS!  Thanks to WellandDogs fan for these great pictures of our great team bus!
OCT.9 - GREAT ARTICLE ON FOREMAN:  One of IceDogFan's favorite players, Jordan Foreman, was featured in this St. Catharines Standard article.
OCT.9 - WE NEED YOUR PHOTOS!  Unfortunately IceDogFans (and other web sites) will not have camera privileges from now on for home games, so we need all the photos you can get us!  If you bring a camera to the game, please feel free to send your photos in to the site, and we'll get them online!  You can email your photos as file attachments here.  Please enjoy the photos that we have online while we were allowed to bring you some of the action, and we thank the IceDogs office for that privilege for those games.
OCT.8 - BATTALION FALL TO ICEDOGS:  (video highlights here) (talk about the game here) In a reversal of roles, the Niagara IceDogs defeated the Brampton Battalion 5-4 this afternoon.  A couple weeks ago it was the Battalion beating the Dogs 5-4.  This win is a good morale booster (not that it was needed) showing they can come back strong against a team who beat them in the past.  The IceDogs opened the scoring but soon fell down 2-1, then came back hard with 4 quick goals in about 7 minutes time.  Brampton pressed at the end with their net empty, but Loverock made some key saves allowing Niagara to leave the bunker with the 2pts.  Video highlights coming soon.
OCT.8 - AWAY @ BRAMPTON:  The IceDogs hit the road this Thanksgiving Day playing the Battalion in their rink.  The Dogs are coming off a strong performance yesterday afternoon at home vs. Saginaw, and hopefully that carries over to this game as the Dogs try to make up for their only loss of the season which Brampton handed them Sep.23 (by a close 5-4 game).  VanLaren and DeSousa remain out of the lineup due to suspensions.  Watch the game on TV (Cogeco ch. 10 and Super Sports Package) and listen on the radio (CKTB610am and online).  Don't forget to drop by the online chat to talk to other Hellhounds during the game!
OCT.7 - ON A ROLL:  (talk about the game here) (Saginaw news article on it here) Saginaw made it close but the IceDogs ended up on top with a 4-3 victory this afternoon.  The Spirit came out quick, keeping up with the IceDogs throughout much of the 1st.  Even though they only had 4 or 5 players under 6' tall, and had many 6'4" to 6'6", they didn't throw their weight around much and Niagara puck control early in the game helped them jump to a 4-1 lead.  Saginaw made it close, pulling their goalie at the end and coming within a goal, but time was on our side.  Andrew Loverock was stellar in net, stopping 43 of 46 shots.  Pictures online here.
OCT.6 - GAME VIDEOS ONLINE:  Highlights of the IceDogs/Majors game are now online.  Three videos here.
OCT.5 - GAME PHOTOS ONLINE:  Photos from last night's IceDogs/Majors game are now online.
OCT.5 - NEW ARENA DESIGN:  Help us design the new arena.
OCT.5 - ICEDOGS FANS:  Watching the Erie@Kitchener game tonight, the commentator made a remark that "even the fans" were getting in on the national anthem while it was being sung.  IceDog fans sing it every home game!
OCT.5 - LEGEIN'S MOHAWK CATCHING ON?  Apparently some of the parents at last night's game have mentioned their kids have asked if they could get a mohawk after seeing Legein sporting one.  3,000 fans at the arena all sporting mohawks in the future?  Why not!
OCT.5 - AFTER THE DUST SETTLED:  Chris DeSousa and Chris VanLaren both received suspensions for last night's 3rd period tussle.  DeSousa got 2 games (eligible to return Oct.11) and VanLaren got a minimum of 3 games (eligibility to return to be determined).  Suspensions here.
OCT.4 - WHAT A GAME!  Our first Thursday night game was filled with action - the IceDogs led 5-0 after the first period, although fell flat-footed after that as Mississauga came back 5-3.  Lots of penalties, an ejection, 2 Mississauga players required the trainer's assistance, 1 left on a stretcher, a Mississauga fan took a puck in the face.   Their team and fans probably couldn't see St. Catharines fade fast enough in their rear-view mirrors as the drove down the QEW.  Photos and highlights on the way!  The IceDogs are now up 2-0 in the rivalry season series with the Majors.  Legein sported a nice new mohawk tonight.  Talk about the game in this thread.  [Newspaper article on the game thanks to WellandDogsFan]  Some photos from WellandDogsFan (LOTS more coming, probably up Saturday)
OCT.4- GAME DAY:  Niagara vs. Mississauga tonight at the Jack.  Tonight will be the first time the IceDogs have played a regular season Thursday night home game.  The crowd should large, lets make it LOUD!  In the season opener the IceDogs defeated the Majors 4-1.  The Majors know what they're up against but will the IceDogs underestimate their opponents tonight?  Find out tonight!  Hell Hounds in attendance: 2,441
OCT.3 - COGECO GOES DIGITAL?  If you've got a digital box with Cogeco TV, you may have noticed channels 2 - 91 are much more clear.  It appears these channels are now digital, and the analog versions of them have been moved to channels 9XX (ch. 2 is 902, ch.33 is 933, ch. 50 is 950, etc..)  More info will be posted here when it comes in from Cogeco to the webmaster.
OCT.1 - PIETRANGELO NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK: [From the OHL main site]: Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Niagara IceDogs defenceman Alex Pietrangelo is the Boston Pizza OHL Player of the Week for the week ending September 30, 2007. Pietrangelo recorded three goals and four assists for seven points in two games. On Friday, September 28th, Pietrangelo registered three assists and scored the lone goal during the shootout for a 5-4 victory over the Ottawa 67’s. Two days later, Pietrangelo scored three goals for his first career OHL hat trick and added an assist, en route to a 7-4 victory over the visiting Sudbury Wolves. Pietrangelo set an IceDogs record for the fastest opening goal in franchise history after scoring 13 seconds into the opening frame. Pietrangelo’s four point performance wasn’t overlooked as he was named the games first star. Pietrangelo, a 17 year-old native of King City, Ontario, is currently tied for fourth in OHL scoring with three goals and seven assists for 10 points.  Pietrangelo was drafted by the IceDogs in the 1st round, 3rd overall, in the 2006 OHL Priority Selection and is eligible for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
OCT.1 - VIDEO ADDED:  Highlights from yesterdays games (goals, fights) are now online in this video.
OCT.1 - INTERVIEW VIDEOS:  Watch TV Cogeco interviews with Stefan Legein, Jordan Foreman, and Lucas Lobsinger
OCT.1 - WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:  A Sudbury newspaper had this to say about the IceDogs and yesterday's game against the Wolves.
SEP.30 - DOG FIGHT AT THE JACK: It was Dogs vs. Wolves in a game Sudbury hoped would end in their first win of the season, but the IceDogs came out quick opening the scoring only 13 seconds after the game started.  IceDogs defenceman Alex Pietrangelo stole the show with 4 points, made from a hat-trick and an assist.  Matt Corrente also played his first game with the Dogs after returning from an extended training camp with the New Jersey Devils.  This win puts the IceDogs back in 1st place in the Central division.  We even made a guy wearing a Sudbury Wolves jersey take it off and wear an IceDogs jersey (he got the jersey courtesy of the Dogs, and he just moved to St. Catharines, so he was going to be an IceDogs fan anyway, whether he knew it or not..)  After the game the IceDogs skated to center ice and put their sticks up saluting the crowd.  These Dogs have class!  There were just over 2300 Hell Hounds in attendance (+300 from last week) which wasn't bad for a sunny Sunday afternoon. 142 photos online here.
SEP.30 - ARTICLE ON CORRENTE:  The Standard had a nice article on Matt Corrente recently. [thanks: WellandDogsFan]
SEP.30 - OUCH / INTERVIEW MISWORDING:  During the Jordan Foreman interview in the 2nd intermission of today's game the interviewer stated was asking about the difference coming from London to "here in Mississauga".  DOH!  This happened numerous times during interviews in the pre-season, but it's time to start getting it right!  Maybe writing it down 100X on a blackboard will help?
SEP.30 - GAME DAY:  Niagara plays host to Sudbury this afternoon @ 2PM.  Hopefully the weather will be terrible outside, as the sunny afternoon last Sunday was definitely a reason for having only 2000 in attendance last Sunday.  Sudbury hasn't recorded a victory yet this season.  In fact, they've lost all 4 games.  So they're either going to come out shooting or come out punching, but either way it'll make for an exciting game!  Got your ticket yet?
SEP.29 - INTERMISSION TALK ABOUT THE DOGS:  During another OHL game's 2nd intermission, a couple guys were talking about the Niagara IceDogs, their move from Mississauga, the rink, etc.  Watch video here.
SEP.29 - NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ABOUT LAST NIGHT'S WIN:  Links:  St. Catharines Standard, Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Sun (thanks: WellandDogsFan)
SEP.28 - ICEDOGS PUT DOWN 67'S IN SHOOTOUT:  The IceDogs were up by 2 goals but Ottawa came back late, tying it up.  Loverock made some amazing saves in the last few minutes when Ottawa was pressing.  Overtime solved nothing.  Loverock was solid in the shootout, and the IceDogs leave Ottawa with their 2nd win of the season.  Talk about tonight's game in the forum.
SEP.28 - UPDATES WILL BE SLOW UNTIL OCTOBER 1ST:  Apparently Cogeco's "unlimited" internet access is NOT unlimited.  My internet access was shut down by Cogeco today due to over-usage - there was recently had a hard drive crash here at home so I had to pull ALL my web site files from all sites back to my home computer (over 90GB of data).  This put me over their 60GB limit.  So now I'm only allowed 1GB of usage for the rest of the month, or they will shut down access again (time for Sympatico eh!?  Sympatico specifically told me about a year ago that they do NOT apply usage limits to the internet access).  So for the next couple days media updates (photos, videos) will be at a minimum.  Sorry about all this - you can imagine how frustrating it is.  To top my day off, someone rear-ended me at an intersection this afternoon (nobody was hurt thankfully).  The good news of the day?  The Canadian dollar is now worth more than the American dollar.
SEP.28 - GAME DAY:  The IceDogs are on the road for the first time this season, playing in Ottawa tonight.  Be sure to hang out in the online chat during the game!
SEP.25 - LOCAL SPORTS BAR STAFF HAS NO IDEA WHO THE ICEDOGS ARE:  A member of IceDogFans forums called up Wrigley's Field, a St. Catharines sports bar/eatery, to inquire about whether or not they would be showing IceDog games on their big screens.  Basically a bunch of people in the forum were looking to set up an IceDogs fans "headquarters" where we could all hang out and watch away games together.  To his suprise, the establishment (or at least the person who represented it on the phone) had no idea who the Niagara IceDogs were.  The following is the message posted by the person who made the call to Wrigley's Field: "I called wriglies...and it was like speaking to a two by four...first i had to explain who the ice dogs where... then i had to explain where they were from.... oh sir..and what sport is it?.... this is when I smashed my head off the wall...so i continued to give a OHL history lesson... oh are those the ice dogs from mississauaga... oh boy... yes they are... what are they doing down here... if they play here then just go and watch the game at the arena....at this point i was at me end..."  Now how can a place which is frequented all day/evening long by sports fans, not know who the Niagara IceDogs are?  Even if they weren't sports fans themselves, have they never seen a newspaper in the last 3 months?  Granted, maybe they're not big fans of reading either, but you would think they'd overhear their own customers. It's amazing how one of the best known local sports eateries can be so ignorant of the largest sports news to hit their own city in  over 20 years.  Now, we can't be angry at places like this.  It's not like they deliberately choose not to know about it.  Heck, there's people in the United States that can't find Canada on a map.  So there's always going to be people that don't know about what's going on in their own backyard.  It's just surprising to hear about it sometimes.  [thread here]  UPDATE:  The parent company of Wrigley's Field is one of the founding sponsors of the IceDogs, and the owner of that company is a apparently a knowledgeable fan when it comes to local sports (and was owner of the Stompers - the Blue Jays farm club).  So it should be kept in mind that the knowledge of the bar/wait staff of a certain establishment does not reflect the knowledge of management/ownership of that place.
SEP.25 - DESOUSA IN THE NEWS:  Good St. Catharines Standard article on IceDog Chris DeSousa
SEP.25 - ALL SEASON TICKET HOLDERS - 2009 WORLD JUNIORS OFFER:  The Ottawa Senators have an offer to all CHL season ticket holders for the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championships from Dec. 26 2008 – Jan. 5 2009.  Read more here.
SEP.25 - ICEDOGS TV BROADCAST CHANGES/UPDATES:  Niagara vs. Ottawa this Friday will be delayed locally on Cogeco ch.10 due to election debates BUT will be shown live on the Super Sports Package (usually ch.438).  Also, Sunday's game vs. Sudbury will only be shown locally (not Sports Pack) live at 2pm and again at 9pm.
SEP.24 - PHOTOS ADDED:  165 photos from yesterday's game have been posted.
SEP.23 - DOGS LOSE BATTLE TO BATTALION:  The IceDogs opened the scoring early but lost their stride soon after, going down 5-3 by the third period.  The most exciting time of the game was the last 10mins. of the 3rd where they battled back 5-4, although they had many opportunities due to long 5-on-3's but couldn't get organized.  Game Pros: the LOUDEST "GO DOGS GO!" chants in that arena to date, a good sized group of Bramptonians made the trip to our barn to cheer on their team.  Game Cons: sloppy play, lack of energy, sloppy plays, Legein needs to show more discipline and stop taking retaliation penalties.  Anyway, now that the 'Dogs have their 1 loss of the season out of the way, lets hope for a great 66 upcoming games!  Unfortunately, there was only just over 2,000 people in attendance.  Maybe it was too nice a day to spend indoors.  Pictures coming soon.
SEP.23 - GAME DAY:  The IceDogs take on the Battalion today at the Jack.  It will be interesting to see if the Hell Hounds can pack the arena yet again.
SEP.22 - VIDEOS ONLINE!  A handful of video clips highlighting our season opener / franchise opener have been added.
SEP.22 - NEWSPAPER ARTICLES:  The St. Catharines Standard had two good articles on last night's game:  article 1, article 2
SEP.22 - PHOTOS ADDED:   3 more photos of Bones - the 'Dogs mascot - have been added by WellandDogsFan
SEP.22 - PHOTOS ADDED:  250 photos from last night's game have been added, along with 17 photos from WellandDogsFan.  Lots more to come throughout Saturday on last nights game.  WellandDogsFan has added his photos of the new "Gatorade Garden City Complex" sign that was unveiled before yesterday's home opener.  Video clips highlighting all the goals/hits/fights from our home opener will be online sometime Saturday.  Keep checking back!

SEP.21 - DOGS HAVE A MAJOR HOME OPENER!  What a game!  3,145 in attendance (SELL OUT!)  A 4-1 WIN, and 2 FIGHTS.  Stefan Legein enters the lineup and has a great game,  Chris DeSousa looks to have broken a Majors player's nose in a fight, Dogs show appreciation to the crowd at the end.  LOTS of pictures on the way!
SEP.21 - DAY 1:  The OHL's return to the Niagara Region begins tonight.  The actual OHL season began on Wednesday, but the majority of teams are starting tonight.  Niagara of course is hosting Mississauga in what has been billed to be our biggest rivalry this year.  Also, this is the first look the fans will get at Niagara's new jerseys.  The fans have had replicas of them on sale for a while now, but tonight is the first time the team will be suite up in them!  Remember to return here tonight and tomorrow to see the game photos! GAME TIME: 7:30PM
SEP.21 - LEAVE EARLY!  Geneva St. in St. Catharines is down to one lane each way between Linwell and Scott creating bad delays.  What would usually take 5 minutes took 20.  Queenston St. at St. Paul is also still under construction.  There was a lineup outside of the arena at 5:30pm, St. Michaels bus (nice looking!) was already parked out front.  PARKING:  The lot across from the arena entrance on the corner is now designated for "Founders Club" only, so that lot is now off limits making the already scarce parking, more so.
SEP.21 - GO DOGS GO!:  Be sure to help out in our GO DOGS GO chant during the warmup tonight, and before the first puck drop!!
SEP.21 - TAILGATE PARTY BEFORE SUNDAY'S GAME:  News is out that 97.7FM will be hosting a tailgate party starting at 12noon before Sundays game vs. Brampton.  Music, food, drinks will [reportedly] be available.  So get to Sunday's game early!
SEP.21 - TV COVERAGE:  Cogeco has supplied a quick reply to the game's coverage tonight (see "TV BROADCAST QUESTIONS" below for more on this).  Tonight's game vs. Mississauga will be shown on both ch.10 (local cable) *and* the Super Sports Package (subscription required) on ch. 438.  Both are live broadcasts.
SEP.21 - EXTRA COGECO BROADCAST ADDED TO SCHEDULE:  Cogeco will be showing the Sep.28 game vs. Ottawa @ 9pm that night (delayed due to a provincial debate).  This is not in most online listings, so write this down!
SEP.21 - TV BROADCAST QUESTIONS:  Yes, your local Cogeco channel 10 probably displays "To be announced" all through Friday.  And for those of you who have purchased the OHL Action Pak (part of the Super Sports Package), there's no listing for the Niagara/Mississauga game.  We're waiting for a reply back from Cogeco on this matter and will post the information here as soon as it arrives.  Check back!
SEP.20 - OHL ACTION PAK STARTS TONIGHT: For those of you who have subscribed to the Super Sports Package, of which the OHL Action Pak is a component of, this is a reminder that OHL game broadcasts begin tonight, with 2 games on schedule - Sudbury @ Peterborough (7pm), and Ottawa @ Barrie (7:30pm)
SEP.20 - NEWSPAPER ARTICLE:  A good article was posted in the Standard about IceDogs GM Dave Brown and his thoughts on the team and upcoming season.
SEP.19 - THE SEASON BEGINS!  The 2007-2008 OHL season began tonight with Sault St. Marie defeating Saginaw 7-5.  There are two games tomorrow night (Thurs.) which is also the night the OHL Action Pak begins broadcasting games.  The IceDogs of course begin their season Friday night hosting what people believe will be their largest rivals - the Mississauga St. Michaels Majors (now that's a mouthful).
SEP.19 - FUTURE OF THE ICEDOGS: A great thread has been started by a London Knights fan on our current IceDogs and their future. Check it out.
SEP.18 - ONE-ON-ONE WITH ANDREW AGOZZINO: Get to know some personal info on IceDog forward Andrew Agozzino!
SEP.17 - LOVEROCK RETURNS: Our #1 goalie has reportedly returned to the IceDogs from the Montreal Canadiens training camp.
SEP.17 - ONE-ON-ONE WITH CHRIS DESOUSA: 'Want to know IceDogs centerman Chris DeSousa a bit better? Chris has filled out our "BioCard" questionnaire letting you get to know some general things about him you might not otherwise have known. SEP.16 - ICEDOG DOING WELL IN SABRES CAMP:  Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff had this to say about Niagara IceDog Drew Schiestel who is currently at the Buffalo training camp: "He singled out the line of Connolly between wingers Thomas Vanek and Mark Mancari, and praised the work by young defenseman Andrej Sekera and Drew Schiestel, a 2007 draft pick attending his first NHL camp. " [from the Buffalo News]
SEP.16 - THE DUST HAS SETTLED: With the pre-season now behind us, we can take a look at the upcoming season and what to expect. Or can we? With many key players off to NHL camps for most of the pre-season, the core of the team hasn't even yet been seen by the fans. Sure, from the high-scoring visitors who scored 28 goals against us in 6 games we could say the goaltending needed some beefing up at times, or we could hold the entire team accountable for a lack of defensive play. A 4.7 GAA would be terrible - if we weren't scoring 5.5 goals per game. Now THAT's exciting hockey. And before one jumps on the goaltenders, you have to remember: goals against average is NOT a goaltending statistic - it's a stat that shows how well the entire TEAM plays defensively. The only statistic that truely shows a goaltenders ability to stop the puck is save percentage. You throw a great goalie on a weak defensive team and he'll have a high GAA, you through a mediocre goalie on an all-offense no-defense team and he'll have a high GAA, and visa versa. How many shots a goalie stops compared to how many he faced is the only statistic that goalies should keep in mind. So if the team is going to take away from their defence to add to their offence, and have a higher goals for than goals against, it will only lead to much more enjoyable hockey to watch. Playing a strong defensive game at the cost of offence is the -last- thing we want. 'Ever watched a NJ Devils game? If these high-scoring games we've seen in the pre-season are a glimpse of what's to come in the regular season, the Hell Hounds in attendance at the Jack are in for a great year.
SEP.15 - GAME DAY:  The IceDogs are back down in Erie tonight with their last game of the pre-season.  Hopefully the confidence and bonding as a team that was gained against Plymouth will show in this 3rd attempt at a win versus the Otters.  Please join the live chat tonight and listen to the game on 610AM!

SEP.15 - PEPSI NAMES OUR ARENA COMPLEX:  Well, apparently the "complex" that is the Jack Gatecliff Arena and the Rex Stimer's Arena, is now going to be officially referred to as the Gatorade Garden City Complex.  Of course, since as fans we are only concerned with where the Dogs play and where we sit/stand to watch them, Jack Gatecliff Arena will still be used as the title..  The corporate sponsorship name is most likely to be used on TV/radio broadcasts.  So if you were worried that you might have to learn a new name after you finally switched to calling it Jack Gatecliff instead of the Garden City Arena, don't worry.
SEP.13 - DOGS HAVE A WHALE OF A TIME:  Huge brawl, a 10-1 victory, Foreman's back!, visiting team coach kicked out of game, Michael Swift with a hat-trick, 2016 Hell Hounds in attendance!  184 pictures here!  The IceDogs opened the scoring early in the game, which as been a rarity at home this preseason (hadn't happened yet actually). Then the goals kept coming, and coming. Plymouth eventually showed it's frustration with the  massive amount of early penalties they took, but having their GOON (anyone who watched the guy could see he had  only one purpose for being in the roster) #30, 6'7" 222lb Mike Yovanic after our star defenceman Alex Peitrangelo. This is when all hell broke loose. Players squared off throwing punches, the 2000+ in attendance were on their feet going wild, then jumps in to join the action (got ejected for it though, but it's great to see him jump right back into the action after coming back from the Oilers camp). Another IceDog jumped off the bench and entered the fray (not sure who).  When the dust settled a bunch of players were ejected from the game, and the player benches were MUCH more roomy. Eventually the IceDogs pummeling of the Whalers got to their coach, who was also ejected from the game for his antics, much to the joy of the home crowd. The IceDogs ended up with a 10-1 win, the only bad point of the game being the Plymouth goal late in the 3rd period, erasing our hope for a shutout. Mississauga is supposedly our rival this year, but after tonight, mark the Plymouth games on your calendars! (the first meeting being Oct.27th).  Newspaper article regarding the fight [St. Catharines Standard]: "There was also a spirited fight involving 10 players - six from Niagara. When the dust settled, Alex Pietrangelo, Foreman, Vladimir Bessenov and St. Catharines Falcons rearguard Jeff Amadio were gone with game misconducts. Paul Gismondi was also assessed a game misconduct for coming off the bench and Caputi was hit with a 10-minute misconduct.
Mike Yovanic, who started the fight with Pietrangelo, Jozef Sladok and Emyle Morgan all were assessed fighting majors and game misconducts for their part.
There most certainly will be suspensions arising from the fight. "  (Read the full article)
SEP.13 - GAME DAY:  The IceDogs last try for a home win (or any win for that matter) is tonight at Jack Gatecliff.  With a 4-3 loss last night in Owen Sound, the IceDogs are still winless this pre-season.  Hopefully it will come tonight versus Plymouth.
SEP.13 - JOSH DAY ARTICLE:  Thanks to WellandDogsFan for posting a good article on Josh Day.
SEP.11 - NO LEGEIN FOR THE LEGION:  Our growing legion of fans will still have to wait to catch a glimpse of Stefan Legein, who just returned from the Super Series - helping Canada to a 7-0-1 destruction of Russia - but has headed back out to the Columbus Bluejackets training camp.  It's still up in the air which of our players will be available to the IceDogs, as the NHL camps continue.
SEP.10 - 5 NEW VIDEOS ADDED:  Highlights from yesterday's game, interviews with GM Dave Brown and Michael Swift, and of course the two fights, have been added to the video section.
SEP.09 - NO DECISION (129 game photos here):  No, Michael Vick wasn't in attendance but there was a dog fight going on this afternoon at the Jack.  Unfortunately for Niagara who are still in search of their first pre-season win, it just wasn't meant to be.  After going down 2-0 (a start much like the previous game) the IceDogs managed to come back and gained a sizable 6-3 lead, but couldn't manage to hold on to it.  The game ended in a 6-6 draw.  The guys looked to be playing better together, making some great offensive passing plays, but some soft goals let in by the goaltenders on both sides were a major reason for the 12-goal game.  The IceDogs showed their grit throwing some big hits and getting into a couple of good scraps.  For those of you that couldn't get to the game (and again, as the goalie in "Slaphot" said about penalties - you should feel shame <grin> ) you can catch the game tonight on Cogeco ch.10 at 9PM.  If you haven't seen what the jerseys which are now for sale to the public look like, here's a picture of a jersey.  I talked to owner Bill Burke at the game (both times I've talked with him he's been very nice and informative - great guy), and they *will* be selling home (ie: dark) jerseys soon.  So if you want a home jersey and can wait, they'll be available in the future.  Or of course, buy both!  :-)

SEP.09 - ATTACK-DOGS:  The Owen Sound Attack are here in Niagara today to take on the IceDogs.  The Dogs are still in search of their first pre-season victory and will hopefully be able to do it in front of the home crowd this afternoon.  Game time: 2PM @ Jack GateCliff Arena.  Get your tickets!  If you can't make it to the game you can tune in to 610AM and listen to the broadcast (or listen online from their streaming audio site - link is at top of this page)
SEP.08 - MEET THE ICEDOGS TODAY!  The IceDogs will be at The Brick at 275 Fourth Ave. (new store in the west-end) in St. Catharines today from 2pm-4pm.  Be sure to tell 'em IceDogFans.com told yah about it!  If you manage to get down there it would be great if you could snap a couple photos and send 'em in!
SEP.08 - 4 NEW VIDEOS ADDED: Videos including highlights of the goals and hits from Thursday night's game, an interview with Alex Friesen during the second intermission, two Erie Otters skating face-first into one another, and training camp interviews with Pietrangelo and VanLaren.  Download them in the videos section.
SEP.07 - NEW VIDEO ADDED:  TSN did a segment on their top OHL players, listing IceDogs' Alex Pietrangelo as #3.  Clip is in the videos section.
SEP.07 - ICEDOG JERSEYS AVAILABLE SUNDAY:  Replica Niagara IceDog jerseys will be on sale at Sunday's game.  Price is $120.
SEP.07 - REGULAR SEASON GAME TICKETS AVAILABLE:  Individual tickets for games of the regular season are now available at the IceDogs office.
SEP.07 - NEW PHOTOS ADDED:  Another gallery of photos submitted by slamr and RioBravo from last night's game has been added.
SEP.07 - LAST NIGHT'S GAME ON TV TONIGHT:  In case you couldn't get to last night's game (shame shame...) it will be on local Cogeco cable tonight (ch.10) @ 8PM. 
SEP.06 - NIAGARA VS. ERIE:  (Game photos here)  Not a bad game!  Niagara went down 2 men short right off the bat (which Erie scored on), then we went down 5-3 again later on (which they scored on). Lots of hitting, or ATTEMPTED hitting. If some of those connected there would have been players going to hospital.  There was one particularly hard hit but involving no IceDogs -  2 Otters skated with both heads turned away and slammed face first into each other.  Both dropped to the ice but got back up. You could hear their face shields crack into each other throughout the rink.  Good turnout for a pre-season game. Estimate: maybe 1500-1800.  6 IceDogs were out of the roster because they're at NHL camps right now.  Watch this game be on Cogeco ch.10 Friday night @ 8pm.  The final score was 6-4 for Erie (was 4-4 going late into the 3rd then Erie scored twice quickly towards the end).  Now bring on Owen Sound!
SEP.06 - CHAT DURING THE GAME:  If you can't make it to the game tonight be sure to tune in to CKTB 610AM (link above on this page) and join the online chat during the game to follow along with other IceDog fans!
SEP.06 - GAME DAY:  The Niagara IceDogs 1st home game is tonight!  The Erie Otters will be in our house tonight, coming from a 5-5 draw against the IceDogs in Jamestown last Thursday night.  Pick up your tickets today at the IceDogs office (35 Queen St., downtown St. Kitts) Tickets are only 5 bucks (free admission for season ticket holders).  For those of you that can't make it to the game, you can listen in on CKTB 610 AM and chat with other IceDog fans in the online chat (link will be displayed on this page during the  game).  Go Dogs Go!  Are you going to the game?  If so please write a review of the game (even just your game experience - how you enjoyed it) in the forum.  If you brought a camera and took any pictures, please send us your pictures - we'll put them online!
SEP.06 - Regular game tickets - individual game tickets are reportedly going on sale Saturday.
SEP.05 - Super Series tonight :  Just a reminder that the Team Canada juniors goes for their 6th straight win against Russia in the Super Series tonight.  8PM/TSN.
SEP.05 - IceDogs @ NHL camps: Members of the Niagara IceDogs who will be participating in NHL training camps over the next week or so is as follows: Foreman (Edmonton), Loverock (Montreal), Corrente (NJ), Schiestel (Buffalo), Caputi (Pittsburgh), Legein (Columbus), Lobsinger (Colorado - note: injured)
SEP.05 - Thursdays game on TV:  A quick note to all - Thursdays pre-season home game vs. Erie will be broadcast by Cogeco on channel 10 Friday night @ 8pm.
SEP.04 - DAYS OF ETERNITY:  Since Saturday night's game vs. Erie, the anticipation of the first home game has caused the days between Sunday and Thursday to seem like weeks.  It was a strange beginning to the pre-season schedule, which sees most other games with only one or two days between.  And the five days we've been forced to wait actually are almost a week, so it's understandable.  Remember that pre-season tickets are only 5 bucks.  You can pick them up at the IceDogs office at 35 Queen St. in downtown St. Kitts.