And so it begins...

by birky on Sep 11, 2010 7:00 AM EDT in From The Branches

The weather is cooling. The sun is setting earlier. Even a few leaves are starting to turn. That can only mean one thing: hockey is close. After a somewhat turbulent offseason, filled with several departures and arrivals, countless (and repetitive) interviews, and plenty of over-analysis, the pre-pre-season of Toronto Maple Leafs hockey is upon us. The Leafs rookie crop will play in the 2010 NHL Rookie Tournament at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario beginning tonight. Pittsburgh, Ottawa, and Chicago will also be represented in the 4 team, round-robin style event.

The Leafs schedule is as follows:

Chicago vs Toronto - 7PM - Saturday, September 11th

Toronto vs Pittsburgh - 7PM - Sunday, September 12th

Toronto vs Ottawa - 7PM - Tuesday, September 14th

All games should be available on mapleleafs.nhl.com

Some players to keep an eye on during the tourney and your Saturday links after the jump.

Players to watch:

Eric Tangradi - Pittsburgh - LW

Dustin Jeffrey - Pittsburgh - LW

Simon Despres - Pittsburgh - D

Jared Cowan - Ottawa - D (you know, for a laugh)

Patrick Wiercioch - Ottawa - D

Bobby Butler - Ottawa - RW

Jeremy Morin - Chicago - C

Kyle Beach - Chicago - LW

Shawn Lalonde - Chicago - D

Chris DiDomenico - Chicago - C (6:00 pm update - availability in question)

Nazem Kadri - Toronto - C

Jerry D'Amigo - Toronto - LW

~~Keith Aulie~~ ~~- Toronto - D~~

Korbinian Holzer - Toronto - D

Jussi Rynnas - Toronto - G

And now your Saturday links:

Dear son, welcome to life as a Leafs fan

New DGB

Weekend Stir-Up: Give Tomas Kaberle a Break Already

MSU wants a respite for Tomas

And that's all I had as of 12:30 am. If you added late or for some reason my reader didn't catch it, throw it in the comments.

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Comments

It’s also a certain date that will live in infamy. I was sitting in school, 3rd grade. My teacher, a Pens fan, broke the news.

I think Kadri is going to tear the tourney apart. Looks clearly the best to me.

My blog and Twitter, featuring coverage of the winger that has now terrorized over 70 NHL goalies.

by red army line on Sep 11, 2010 7:11 AM EDT reply actions

I think I was in 2nd grade. My teacher broke the news and we spent the rest of the day watching CNN. I was super scared someone was going to attack the ACC (I was little)

"Hockey captures the essence of Canadian experience... hockey is the chance of life, and an affirmation that despite the deathly chill of winter we are alive." - Stephen Leacock.

by Leafer87 on Sep 11, 2010 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Remember it like it was yesterday

This is really off topic but I’m just wondering if anyone has heard about the Pastor in Florida who plans to burn a Qu’ran on live television today. If he does go through with that, it will only lead to more trouble.

Proline Experts provide free reliable picks daily

by Schenn4captain on Sep 11, 2010 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions

He did not go through with it. But this is a discussion for the CC.

Negative. I am a meat popsicle.

by birky on Sep 11, 2010 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions

Bobby Butler – Ottawa – RW

: (

Chris DiDomenico – Chicago – C

: (((

20 miles to Legoland!

by nhlcheapshot on Sep 11, 2010 7:14 AM EDT reply actions

My DiDo wound is primed for reopening. Only Versteeg can stop the bleeding.

Can it before I drive this truculence through your faceulence and put you in an ambulance.

by Brunswick Bruiser on Sep 11, 2010 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions

as per @bartsbytes on Twitter….

No DiDo for CHI tonight, but Phillippe Paradis will be in their roster.

Marc Pilgrim vs. The Twitter: A 140-Character Exhibition of Insanity and Profanity.

by Marc Pilgrim on Sep 11, 2010 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions

He has since corrected himself. DiDo will play.

by fatassjackson on Sep 11, 2010 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Apparently the online broadcast is tape delayed by one hour. So to watch online, you have to wait until 8pm. It was on the leafs site.

by Leaf in Habland on Sep 11, 2010 8:22 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

I am assuming the games are NOT on Leafs TV?

by Parkie10 on Sep 11, 2010 8:25 AM EDT reply actions

Mapleleafs.com said ‘game in an hour’ will be available as a replay on LeafsTV.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."

Albert Einstein

by Say *plan the parade one more time*... on Sep 11, 2010 9:17 AM EDT up reply actions

MapleLeafs

Rookie tournament begins tonight, Leafs vs. Hawks, 7 p.m. Rogers TV and 8 p.m. mapleleafs.com http://bit.ly/9gMYTj #Leafs #NHL

...sometimes I wake up cradling a gourd.

by Fergus30 on Sep 11, 2010 9:18 AM EDT up reply actions

The Leafs games will be shown LIVE at 7 p.m. on Rogers London and Rogers Toronto. The games will be shown on tape delay at 8 p.m. on mapleleafs.com. Leafs TV will air Game in an Hour on Leafs TV and Game in Six will be available on mapleleafs.com.

http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=537182&navid=DL|TOR|home

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."

Albert Einstein

by Say *plan the parade one more time*... on Sep 11, 2010 9:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Good stuff

by Parkie10 on Sep 11, 2010 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions

HOCKEY’S BACK, BITCHES!

verbeauty!

by A Lindros Jaw on Sep 11, 2010 8:53 AM EDT reply actions

WOOOO! HOCKEY!!!

Brain: The irony of it all, Pinky. Years of trying to take over the world, and all I had to do was say "truculence".
Follow me I'm Boring!

by blindfolded tank driver on Sep 11, 2010 9:30 AM EDT up reply actions

HACKEY NIGHT!!!1

Marc Pilgrim vs. The Twitter: A 140-Character Exhibition of Insanity and Profanity.

by Marc Pilgrim on Sep 11, 2010 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Puck.

Blue, White and Full of Fight.

Colton Orr is a Beauty.

by happiergilmore on Sep 11, 2010 9:35 AM EDT reply actions

It ain’t November yet so this shit is moot

by PhilSpecter on Sep 11, 2010 10:22 AM EDT reply actions

according to the Leafs TV broadcast schedule

found here:
http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/v2/ext/LeafsTVGrid-September6-12V2.pdf

Tonights game in an hour will be shown at 11PM-12PM, and then again if you’re up really late at 3AM-4AM. It’ll be repeated several times tomorrow. Same deal (11PM) for the Tor vs. Pittsburg game.

I’m disappointed that TV Cogeco doesn’t have it, but oh well. Go Leafs Go!!!!!!!

The most pessimistic Leafs fan on the board.

by Peter de Chatham on Sep 11, 2010 5:48 PM EDT reply actions