Things that make me go hmm....

• The South Okanagan Events Centre is an impressive building. The Vernon Multi-Plex takes a back seat to this facility and the VMP isn't bad either. I love that you walk up two flights of stairs at the SOEC and enter the ice surface from high above. You then make your way down to your seats. You can still reach the seats from ice level, but entering from above gives you that "wow" factor. If you have never seen a game in that building, I encourage you to make the trip. While I don't promote the BCHL on this blog, this building should make the city of Penticton proud. The SOEC easily out classes some WHL buildings.
• At Duncan Keith's Stanley Cup celebration Saturday afternoon, I briefly spoke to Sportsnet's Craig McEwen. McEwen was covering the event and is spending the week in Penticton as his son attends hockey school. McEwen couldn't have timed his vacation better. He will also cover the BC Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony this weekend.
• I felt a little sorry for Keith during Saturday's celebration. Everyone wanted to get a picture with him and a signed autograph. He did the best he could to accommodate but people are aggressive. It's amazing what people will do to get a pic with a celebrity so they can post it on their facebook profile.
• Before speaking with Keith, I had to laugh at the number of people that approached him like they were his best friend. Keith was polite, but must have been saying to himself: "Who is this" or, "get me out of here".
• During the Stanley Cup celebration, references to Keith's hockey career in the Okanagan didn't mention his involvement with the Kelowna Rockets championship team in 2003. But in saying that, two pictures on the jumbo screen showed the Rockets team photo from that year and a pic of Keith in a Rockets uniform along with then captain Ryan Cuthbert and head scout Lorne Frey.
• One thing I will miss when the WHL season begins will be the visual of Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins firmly grasping his clip board. No coaches in the WHL had a clip board in hand during a game outside of Desjardins. He was also known for standing on the bench at Prospera Place during the intermissions. It looked like Willie had no where to go after speaking to his team, so he elected to stand on the bench to watch the Zamboni clean the ice surface.
• Now that Shaun Clouston has been named the Tigers new head coach, would he still sport that killer playoff beard like he fashioned in the Tigers championship seasons as an assistant coach? It seems as though you can get away with it as an assistant, but as a head coach is appears to be taboo.
• A buddy of mine out east is trying to convince me to get involved with Twitter. Should I open a Twitter account? Would you be interested to follow me on Twitter? Even Gord McGarva is on Twitter, and he is no techno-geek. I still don't understand the hype over it? Everett Silvertips broadcaster Jon Rosen is a big fan of it too.
• Manhattan Point Restaurant at Prospera Place is getting a face lift. While that's all well and good, shouldn't RG Properties focus on one of the real problems in that building...the oh so small press box?
• I have been playing in the Kelowna Men's Floor Hockey League this summer using a Shane McColgan 'second hand' hockey stick. It must be operator error because that stick isn't working the magic it performed when the 16 year-old had his hands on it during his rookie season. Scoring goals are hard to come by. Sweating in +35 degree temperatures isn't.