Monday notes

We are now just 11 days away from the start of the 2010-11 season. Time flies, doesn't it?

A few notes this morning....

If you're interested in following the progress of some WHLers and ex-WHLers at the eight-team Traverse City NHL rookie tournament, the site Red Wings Central has rosters, statistics, and standings.

I've received a few e-mails about the Great CHL Website Boondoggle, and it seems that perhaps the WHL and its teams are not very much to blame for the situation. It sounds like this is all being driven by Forces From Out East, and the WHL and its teams don't have much blame in the matter, except of course for the fact that they agreed to this CHL-wide project in the first place. I can't imagine that they had no choice in THAT decision.

Sounds like the website design is/was being done by a group in Ontario. Regardless of where they are, they are not competent for this job. If I did this kind of crap at MY job, I could probably start looking for work tomorrow.

Speaking of website redesigns, Gregg Drinnan has unveiled a spiffy new look for his blog today - check it out. Perhaps the WHL could hire Gregg to fix their problems.

And lastly, a final comment on the Red #23 situation in Portland. By now everyone has probably heard that it turns out that the mysterious "Red #23" in Portland's camp was actually a 17 year old Swiss player who Portland had no right to have in their camp. The WHL has investigated and has laid down a punishment on the Winterhawks, although the details of that punishment will be kept under wraps for some reason.

Let me say this though: As a fan of the WHL, I'm very disappointed in the Portland organization, and I am certain that I am not alone in that sentiment. Not just the fact that they broke the rules in the first place, but the attempts to cover it up afterwards instead of just owning up to a mistake. Any kind of perception of the league as a place of rule-bending and coverups and secrecy hurts EVERYONE in the league. It comes back to the same theme over and over again: professionalism. If you want to be perceived as professional, act like it. If you want to act bush league, don't be surprised when some people start to regard you that way.

Portland's franchise just came out of a forgettable era of bushleague-ism under its previous owners. I think everyone in the league saw the new start as a chance to erase that stigma, and last season's on-ice turnaround was a good step in that direction. Which is why it is so disappointing to see the new regime pulling this kind of shady crap....lets hope this is the last we have to see of this kind of thing.