Things that make me go hmm....

• What is Prince George Cougars forward Brett Connolly's attitude coming back to junior? I asked him that question Saturday night. "I want to be a leader. I want to help the young guys we have here. I want to get this team into the playoffs. I think we have the guys and the character to do it. I think if we have everybody on the same page, its (playoffs) doable."
  
• Now that Connolly is back in Prince George, lets hope hockey fans in Prince George get off their wallets and come out to watch this dynamo. Not only is he a tremendous player, but he's a hometown boy. If that isn't enough to draw fans to the arena, I don't know what is? Ok, winning doesn't hurt either.
• Prior to Zach Franko scoring a goal Saturday night, who was the last 17 year-old Kelowna Rockets forward to score a goal in his first WHL game? Justin Keller also scored in his 17 year-old season, in his first career game on his first shot on goal. Keller would score 51 goals two seasons later.
• Kyle St. Denis scored in his first career game as a 16 year-old against the Prince George Cougars January 12/2007. Tyson Barrie scored a goal in the first game of the 2007-2008 season when he was just 16, but it was his 5th career WHL game. Barrie played seven games as an underage 15 year-old a season earlier.
  
• How many players have worn sweater #7 since Josh Gorges wore it as captain of the Rockets' during the Memorial Cup championship season of 2004? Only three players have worn that number since. They are Colin Joe, Aaron Borejko and 16 year-old Damon Severson
  
• In case you were wondering, Ryan Howse of the Chilliwack Bruins is on pace to score 175 goals this season. Now do I have to explain why I picked the Bruins to finish first in the BC Division?
  
• A funny comment from the lips of colour analyst Gord McGarva following Saturday's loss to the Cougars. "It looked like a Saturday night at the Eldorado.....it was all Cougars".
• Prince George Cougars broadcaster Andy Neal had an interesting weekend. In his first official game Friday night in Kamloops as a play-by-play broadcaster of the Cougars, he was forced to do the game on a cell phone. His broadcast gear wasn't working, so the cell phone was put into action. I wonder what that bill will look like? No matter how much advertising the radio station sold on that night, it was a losing proposition. The only good thing about what happened to Neal was it will provide for a laughable story for years to come.
  
• Just a reminder that our post game show on AM 1150 will take place in Manhattan Restaurant only on weekends this season. During the week, we will be doing the entire post game show from the broadcast booth, with Gord McGarva going down to the Rockets dressing room for player reaction. Why the change? After nine seasons it was time to switch it up. Only a handful of fans attend the post game show at Manhattan Restaurant during week day games, so it only makes sense to stay up in the broadcast both and do our business there.
• Did you happen to notice that Stepan Novotny has been named an assistant captain with the Swift Current Broncos while Collin Bowman, another former Rocket, is wearing an 'A' with the Moose Jaw Warriors.
• Give the Red Deer Rebels high 5's for the show they put on prior to the start of their home opener. Pyrotechnics were used to provide fans with a mini version of fireworks indoors. The Rebels didn't cut corners with that on-ice presentation. Impressive to say the least.