Sajak speaks...

...will the NHL listen?

Probably not but it made for an interesting segment on NHL Live today when the second most popular celebrity on the Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak, questioned the wisdom of the league and its 3-point games. It is a debate that dates back to the inception of the 'free points' and will not be re-hashed here but the topic just happened to become of interest when it was introduced today on the show by the Hollywood guest. One would have never thought that a guy like Sajak takes in multiple NHL games a year, split between the Los Angeles Kings and the Washington Capitals, where he is a season ticket holder.

The NHL Live host, who's name escapes me and because of the obscure access to the NHL, it is not easily found with a google search, invited Sajak to co-host to discuss this further, which he accepted...Wheel of Fortune NHL style I guess...

Blais sighting

It does not seem that long ago that North Dakota Sioux bench boss was Dean Blais, the Minnesota native who was rumored to be a candidate of the Minnesota Gophers job before Don Lucia was hired back in 1999...and again is rumored to be a replacement candidate should Lucia get fired. But back to Blais...he left North Dakota after the 2004 season to take an NHL job with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The only problem was that his first season of his employment with the Wild's expansion cousin came just as the league shut its doors, thus he kind of fell off of the radar. Blais held a position with Columbus for three seasons, first getting hired as an Associate Coach and later becoming in charge of player development. He then did a couple of seasons in the USHL before finally resurfacing again in a more familiar setting, back on a college campus and introduced as the new head coach of the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

The Blais sighting is not the Chucky Cheese one from a few years back but instead from today, where he was seen via rerun on the NHL Network at the World Junior Tournament. There, behind the bench of Team USA, was our old friend and Gopher nemesis Dean Blais.

Want Wild news?

Sorry, I may have been sitting too close to the television because it would seem that whatever ailment has been going around the team as of late has made its way into my house...and I have been sidelined for a few days, so I've got nothing.