Young Stars Tourney

[Blob Mckenzie]

Just got back from some R & R in the beautiful Okanangan. Fuck I love it up there. The countdown is on until I flee the rain forest and live up there full time. I almost have the wife convinced. Four hors from the coast, four hours to the property. Dry weather, golf courses, lakes and wineries, what more could a fella want ??

Went to two games . Friday and Monday. I like the kid Lotz. I think he can be solid AHL goalie and perhaps a backup one day. He really makes himself big in the net and moves pretty easily. I would bring both he and Valk to main camp and see what they are made of. Valk should be able to be a decent player in the AHL and I would probably eat a contract on the guy depending on if he gets a few pre season games.

Big Bo looked like the 2nd coming of Manny Mo in the games I saw. Nothing flashy but a big bodied centreman who can do the little things right. He is a bit quicker and the kid is a smart player with a good stick. He disturbs opposing D and at worst I see this player as a Manny Malhotra or Chris Kelly type who can give you fifteen minutes of solid two way hockey every night . It will be interesting to see if he can break out a little in the exhibition season playing with better players.

Hunter Shinkaruk will play in the NHL. He has the skill, the moxie and the tenacity and is definitely selfish enough to succeed as a scorer..... hopefully not too selfish though. He will need some time in the AHL though, perhaps a year + .

Fox and Gaunce had a few moments but these are definitely AHL players and they are both awful skaters. I can't see a future for either player in the NHL unless their foot speed improves dramatically. Fox at least plays with some jam. Gaunce looks like he is sleepwalking out there.

Corrado and Jensen looked ok out there as well as Zalewski. None of them however look NHL ready atm. It's early for sure and I had the beer goggles on Friday big time. Some of these guys games will improve playing with the pros instead of the scrubs. The pre season will separate the men from the boys.

Even with Tryamkin and Hutton I believe the defence of the future Canucks licks pipe. Liberachi, Mceneny and
Cederholm are all garbage prospects and the team needs to start bringing along some talent here. Subban is a runt and hears the footsteps too much for me.

Lots of people seemed to be having a good time at the SOOEC in the games I was at. What a beautiful little arena. The Coiler fans were hilarious Friday, a lot of them ripped and having a good time. The Flames fans I saw in our section on Sunday seemed a bit belligerent. A few chest thumpers after the score got one sided......which is gay but whatever. When Corrado hit Gaudreau with the elbow a Canuck fan pipes up it was a dive ,and in turn got shoved by one of the mouth breathers from Alberia. I had one Flaming mongoloid try to cut in front of me at the beer lineup. Oh well could be worse.... they could hold the tourney in Red Deer or Medicine Hat.

[Chef Boi RD]

Beer Nuts McKenzies! Have you not been to the Okanagan in the winter. It sucks massive. You should have bought in Arizona when prices were down with the rest of the snowbirds. I fucking hate the interiors cold winters, slit my wrists depressing up there when old man winter hits

Dane Foxs skating is hilarious bad. Feel bad for the kid. Gaunce is too pillowy soft

Horvat, Shink, Virtanen, McMann and Cassels will be good pros

Our Defence pool is embarrassingly bad. Tank it for Kylington/ Hanafin. Outside of those two, the 2015 draft class is a weak one for defence. Roy and Werenski are the next two on the 2015 rankings but there are 10 forwards I would take instead

[Topper]

slit my wrists depressing up there when old man winter hits

LOL for someone in N Van' RAIN forest

[Blob Mckenzie]

slit my wrists depressing up there when old man winter hits

LOL for someone in N Van' RAIN forest

No kidding. The Okanagan winters aren't that bad. A little colder than here and a bit more snow but at least its dry . Dude makes it sound like Whitehorse.

But hey its warmer here . It only rains for 7 months straight but its 7 C .Yeah...no I will take the Okanagan climate 11 times out of 10 compared to here.

[rats19]

Cold sucks..been there done that.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Cold sucks..been there done that.

It really isn't that cold in Penticton- Peachland area in the winter. Is - 5 to - 10 that cold ? You can dress a bit warmer but at least it doesn't piss rain daily from October to May. Cold is Cariboo winters ....no thanks .

[ukcanuck]

Cold sucks..been there done that.

It really isn't that cold in Penticton- Peachland area in the winter. Is - 5 to - 10 that cold ? You can dress a bit warmer but at least it doesn't piss rain daily from October to May. Cold is Cariboo winters ....no thanks .

It can hit minus 20 for about a week or two in January but that's when the ice fishing gets great, and if you hit a mountain lake you'll be treated to beautiful sunshine, which disappears for long stretches in the OK in winter.

The only downer in living there...that and all the transplanted calgarians

[Cousin Strawberry]

Cold sucks..been there done that.

Lived in the OK for 10 years and winters arent cold but the valley cloud just sits there. Pretty grey and depressing too. The trick is hit the slopes. Its always sunny and warmer up there for some reason.

[Island Nucklehead]

Cold sucks..been there done that.

It really isn't that cold in Penticton- Peachland area in the winter. Is - 5 to - 10 that cold ? You can dress a bit warmer but at least it doesn't piss rain daily from October to May. Cold is Cariboo winters ....no thanks .

No shit. I live in Yellowknife. -30 to -40 for weeks on end... that's fucking cold. -5 to -10 is late April here (ie t-shirt weather).

[Chef Boi RD]

Blob yes the interior is nice in the summer, but it's deadsville depressing up there in the winters. BTW, I much prefer Christina Lake in the summer than that cess pool osoyos, but that is just me.

The coastal warm rainy winters are much nicer than the winters up in the interior, IMHO.

[rats19]

Yah my experience in winter is cariboo and red deer...kamloops way back but I was drunk that winter...lol

[BladesofSteel]

Cold sucks..been there done that.

Lived in the OK for 10 years and winters arent cold but the valley cloud just sits there. Pretty grey and depressing too. The trick is hit the slopes. Its always sunny and warmer up there for some reason.

Therein lies the rub.

If you're expecting blue skies, you will be disappointed. It's definitely colder than the mainland, but it's not clear skies prairie weather. The mountains bring on the clouds, so if you're hoping to avoid the LML gloom, it's not much better in the OK.

South Surrey/White Rock and South Delta is the best weather you'll find on the mainland.

Otherwise, Victoria or if retired, Qualicum.

OK is the shit in the summer though!!!

[Strangelove]

It can hit minus 20 for about a week or two in January but that's when the ice fishing gets great

He's an ice-fishing guy!

[Topper]

I much prefer Christina Lake in the summer.

Now you're getting into my neighbourhood swim in Christina Lake regularly. Summer in the 30's, winters -5 to -10. The bit of overnight snow is easily blown off the driveway and no freeze thaw freeze cycle to develop ice sheet roads.

beware of the douks

[ukcanuck]

It can hit minus 20 for about a week or two in January but that's when the ice fishing gets great

He's an ice-fishing guy!

love that scene, CK is da man