Help! What to do when you're off to a 5-9 start and looking unlikely to contend in your own league even as Memorial Cup hosts? Well, the Saskatoon Blades have found a creative way to engage their fans and promote interactivity, offering one of the coolest mid-season giveaways I've seen yet:

On February 2 in a game against Swift Current, the Blades will skate out in a jersey designed by their fans. Announcing the contest on their website Tuesday, the Blades also gave five jersey design templates for fans to mock up and mail to the team for consideration.

All they ask is entrants follow a few simple rules:

- Please stick to the Saskatoon Blades colour scheme.  Blue, silver, white, gold are all acceptable colors.  Please avoid going with black jerseys or any other color that has never been previously used in a Blades sweater.

- You can design your very own Saskatoon Blades logo or use any version of the Blades current logos or shoulder patches.

- The team name must remain as the Saskatoon Blades.

We've seen some minor league teams hold some fun promotions with creative jersey designs before (who can forget the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals' "Bob Uecker Night" when the team wore plaid jerseys) but giving the freedom for fans to do similar things is pretty fun. Newspapers have run contests like this, but winners only get to see their name in print and don't get to see their favourite team skate out onto the ice sporting a design they created.

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Still of a video obtained by CBC

No, this is just an isolated incident, and not a sign that every hockey parent takes their child's minor hockey career too seriously. It is a serious isolated incident, taking place in a Saguenay region midget house league game Saturday night.

The Québec Ice Hockey Federation brought down the hammer on three players and two coaches who instigated a brawl between the Chicoutimi Cougars and Jonquière Pumas, suspending all five indefinitely before sending out a release that the federation has a zero tolerance policy on acts of violence.

Video obtained by the CBC's French-language service shows a fight involving several players in the final seconds of a Saturday game between the Chicoutimi Cougars and the Jonquière Pumas.

A referee trying to break up the fight was knocked down and players are shown striking him while he was down.

With players fighting near the Jonquière bench, coach André Harvey throws a punch that appears to strike a 16-year-old Chicoutimi player in the head. [CBC]

The

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Prospective Team Canada starter Malcolm Subban (The Canadian Press)

The World Junior Championships will be played this winter in Ufa, Russia, on a big ice surface for the first time since 2008. Does this give Malcolm Subban the natural advantage to take the starting goalie job, since he gets to play half his games at Yardmen Arena on internationally sized ice?

The other thing worth looking at is whether Subban's save percentage has been artificially inflated by the ice surface. There are goaltenders who do well on international surfaces and poorly on the North American-sized rinks. Vitaly Kolesnik, the former Colorado Avalanche "goalie of the future" comes to mind in that regard.

Heading into Thursday's games, Subban is tied for second with Jordan Binnington and behind Spencer Martin in save percentage this season. Part of my theory is that shots on big ice surfaces can come disproportionately from the perimeter, though that isn't always the case. The scoring and shooting areas don't change on either size of the ice surface.

When you split Subban's home and road stats, or, we'll do it from last year's games because we have a higher sample size, there isn't a real difference. He was 5th in the OHL in save percentage with .923 last season, but he had an identical save percentage at home and on the road: .923 at Yardmen, and .923 at all other buildings.

Read More »from Does the big ice surface in Belleville contribute to Malcolm Subban’s success?

Rouyn-Noranda's Jean-Sebastien Dea (The Canadian Press)It's unfortunate that there isn't a way to contextualize what certain goal scorers have accomplished in the Ontario and Western Hockey Leagues. Those leagues don't release individual shot data, which makes it particularly tough to judge player performance, particularly in the early part of the season.

A good example of what we can do with simple shot numbers, like the ones the Québec League offers, is be able to tell when a scoring streak is percentages or performance-induced. The somewhat controversial idea among a few National Hockey League analysts (including myself) is that goal-scoring itself is not the repeatable talent possessed by hockey players—rather, getting pucks to the net and shooting lots, is what separates sheep from the flock.

Upon first glance, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies' Jean-Sébastien Dea is having a killer season in the QMJHL. At 15 goals in 11 games, you could say he's on pace for 93 goals over a 68-game season. The problem is that his brief uptick in scoring hasn't been performance-induced. It's situation, and he's gotten some excellent luck along the way.

Which should be obvious enough, right? In his draft year, Dea scored 17 goals. The transition from an above-average QMJHL scorer to Mario Lemieux doesn't happen one summer. A lot of his goal-scoring has come thanks to the fact that he has an unbelievable 46.9% shooting rate, scoring 15 goals off of his 32 shots.

Read More »from Reasonable expectations: The curse of the hot start

Morgan RiellyNo. 1 Star - Morgan Rielly, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)

Give credit to everybody on the Moose Jaw Warriors roster in this one tonight. In the highly-competitive East Division against a tough opponent in Prince Albert, the Warriors struck early and often, led by Leafs No. 1 pick Morgan Rielly, who paced the Warriors with five assists in a 9-0 victory for Moose Jaw.

Not to be outdone, however, Sam Fioretti recorded a hat-trick and potted a pair of helpers, while overage Justin Kirsch picked up two goals of his own. If the score-line is any indication, it was a fairly dominant performance from Moose Jaw, but particularly on their powerplay. Rielly, who is just so good at the little things, finding those small gaps on the ice and starting up good down low plays. Just one of his assists came on the PP tonight, but the Warriors struck twice in their five attempts.

The other fun thing to consider with Rielly is that with 17 12 points now, he's right up there with the WHL defensive scoring leaders in his 18-year old season. Offensively, he's got it together.

No. 2 Star - Anthony Mantha, Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)

We may have to check the archives, but I'm of the belief that J.C. Lipon and Anthony Mantha represent the first time that CHL players have scored natural hat-tricks in the first 8:30 of play on consecutive nights. In Mantha's case, he provided his three goals, like Lipon, in the first 8:30 of play. Unlike Lipon, he did it against a Saint John squad that has now conceded 40 goals to the 28 it has scored. It was but three goals in a 7-1 whipping. Not exactly the dream start Dogs fans envisioned after consecutive Presidents' Cup titles.

Not to be out-done, Val-d'Or's second line was also buzzing. Anton Zlobin, hero of the MasterCard Memorial Cup in Shawinigan, had two goals straddling the first intermission. By the time him and Mantha were done, this game was over.

The fun thing about Mantha? He was a day removed from being eligible for the last NHL draft. He now has 7 goals and 17 points in 10 games.

No. 3 Star - Malcolm Subban, Belleville Bulls (OHL)

The Oshawa Generals didn't necessarily get a tonne of powerplay opportunities, nor a tonne of scoring chances on the big ice surface at Belleville's Yardmen Arena, but Malcolm Subban's endurance and mental toughness were both challenged as the Bulls spent a pile of time in their own end. In the end, Subban stopped 44 of 45 shots, no easy task, and shut out OHL scoring leader Boone Jenner.

Read More »from Morgan Rielly records five points in Warriors rout: Saturday’s 3 Stars

Last week, our NHL counterparts at Yahoo stumbled across the Columbus Blue Jackets' mascot dancing to Gangnam Style, the latest fad song to hit the FM airwaves thanks to a funny music video. But Stinger is just bouncing around. The boys at the Kraze 101.3 Morning Krew in Red Deer had a better idea.

Enter, Red Deer Rebels Style, presented by Diesel and Rae:

Anybody who has tired of the original video since it debuted about a month ago can take solace in the fact that the production team behind this video appear to get that simply using the singular dance move in different locations can be tired. There's a lot more "parody" that goes into this one rather than just getting a few people in Red Deer jerseys dancing around in front of the arena.

Sample lyrics:

Hit the ice all Rebel boys and Jesse Wallin
Yeah they're slinging pucks and bucks
Because you know our team is ballin'
The other guys got their heads down
You best watch out for Dumba
Goals, hits, lay the lumba'

Read More »from Rebels players, Red Deer mayor make appearances in WHL Gangnam Style parody

Edmonton's Laurent BrossoitThe first thing you'll notice about Laurent Brossoit if you ever meet the guy is the size of his hands. The second thing you'll notice is how the Calgary Flames prospect takes responsibility for his poor performance since his Edmonton Oil Kings lifted the Ed Chynoweth Cup last May. In 20 WHL playoff games, Brossoit had a .933 save percentage, was named MVP, and was Canada's next best hope in goal.

Unfortunately, Brossoit has not performed up to his own high standards since those glory days. In four Memorial Cup games, Brossoit posted an .871 save percentage and allowed six goals in the team's elimination game against the eventual champion Shawinigan Cataractes. Brossoit had one start in the Canada-Russia Challenge in August, allowing six goals on just 27 Russian shots and Canada lost 6-5 despite manhandling the Russians in puck possession.

And now Brossoit's struggles at the start of the 2012-13 WHL season indicate that perhaps a streaky side, a goaltender who is perhaps not ready to carry the torch with Malcolm Subban this winter in Ufa, Russia for the World Juniors.

Brossoit went back and forth in an interview with Jim Matheson at the Edmonton Journal as to whether he's affected by pressure:

"To be there with Team Canada was an honour, but I didn't play as well as I wanted," he said. "There's a lot of pressure, but you know that going in. The pressure didn't get to me. It was because of me not watching the puck and doing what I usually do, certainly like I did in the playoffs (last spring). I have to keep it simple here, going forward."

The world junior experience is a thrill of a lifetime for every player, but Brossoit has tried to not think too far ahead.

"It's in the back of your mind, but you have to keep it back there ... that's just added pressure, thinking they're watching me and how I'm doing," he said. "I'm trying to manage my own game and the practices."

For certain, the pressures of the WHL playoffs and championship series hardly mirror nationally-televised games on Sportsnet or TSN. It's just a matter of your team winning or losing, but players aren't as carefully scrutinized.

Read More »from Laurent Brossoit’s early season struggle not indicative of a career trend

Taken 2 earned a wide-release last week, but that doesn't mean the threatening quote from the first Taken film starring Liam Neeson, doesn't have a lot of staying power, particularly in the world of college hockey.

Thanks to Chris Peters for directing us to this story from yesterday. It seems a banner commemorating the Western Michigan Broncos' CCHA Championship from last spring that hangs in the team's Lawson Arena vanished this week. While the "official" team championship banner resides at Joe Louis Arena, the replica banner stands as a memento for the team's run to the NCAA tournament last season.

Luke Witkowski, a Tampa Bay Lightning-select from the 6th round of the 2008 NHL Draft, was having none of it. Listed at 6'2" and 212 lbs, he's not the biggest defenceman on the Broncos, but he's acquired a very particular set of skills over his short career:

For the person who stole the CCHA banner outside of Lawson Arena:I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking.. — Luke Witkowski (@L28witko) October 8, 2012

for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very.. — Luke Witkowski (@L28witko) October 8, 2012

Read More »from Lightning prospect Luke Witkowski makes Liam Neeson-inspired threat, recovers championship banner