SensBlogCon a total success: Report

...oh jeez... where am I? I remember drinking some beer with the guys from Sens Underground, and Don from Battle of Ontario...

Where are my pants?!
....
Why does my mouth taste like pool cues?
...
What the hell am I doing at Scotiabank Place?!
...
WHY AM I WEARING A LEAFS JERSEY?!

"Welcome to the organization, son."

Ahhh! Cliff Fletcher!

"We saw you stumble up on stage around the 7th round of the NHL draft and well, we were just going to trade that pick for Eric Lindros again, so we drafted you."

NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo!

Fletch, it was SensBlogCon, the first ever meeting of the greatest hockey minds in Ottawa. I remember insulting Martin Gerber, and throwing punches at Shredder... How the hell did I make the two-hour trip from Ottawa to Scotiabank Place?!

"Originally, we sent Mats Sundin to get you. But he just kept on driving... so we traded his rights to the Habs for a Quebecois Pizza and a stake in MusiquePlus."

But our combined stories barely tell our readers and fellow bloggers anything about SensBlogCon!

"Then they'll just have to show up at next year's SensBlogCon ... when I'm STILL THE LEAFS GM!"

*Fletch disappears into a puff of smoke that smells vaguely of temperance values and the Scopes monkey trial*

FIN.

SensBlogCon Press Release

With the SBC 08 less than a week away, I will be sending out a press release to some Ottawa media outlets in hopes of drumming up some support for our little event.

Maybe a preview coming to 24 Hours or Metro? Let's hope there's isn't an intriguing story about tomatoes or Paris Hilton in the next couple days!

SensBlogCon – The Ottawa Senators Bloggers conference 2008

The online voices of the Ottawa Senators meet for the first time.

Saturday, June 21 2008 -- 8pm

MacLaren’s sports bar -- 310 Elgin st. Ottawa, Ontario

What:

Following the 2008 NHL draft, the first ever meeting of the Ottawa Senators fan-managed websites will take place at MacLaren’s sports bar on Elgin June 21^st at 8pm.

These websites serve as alternative voices to the mainstream sports coverage. Average fans have taken to the internet to get their own views on NHL hockey to their fellow NHL followers. Many of these websites have been in operation for years and have become a primary source of news and opinions about the Senators.

Who:

Writers from the top independent blogs covering the NHL’s Ottawa Senators will be in attendance. These websites receive tens of thousands of hits monthly, and attract a loyal following of readers, commentors, fans and detractors.

Bloggers from Sens Army Blog (www.sensarmy.blogspot.com);

Sens Underground Podcast (www.sensunderground.com);

Scarlett Ice (www.scarlettice.blogspot.com);

The Battle of Ontario (www.battleofontario.blogspot.com);

...will all be in attendance.

The event is open to all Ottawa Senators bloggers and fanatics.
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=20325446802

For more information, contact:

Ben Myers (of Sens Army Blog)
myersmedia@gmail.com
613-322-0121 (after 5pm)

Draft update: Drafting positions released, and other fun things

As an update to the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa, here are the positions the Sens will be drafting for all seven rounds:

Round 1, pick 18 (18 overall)
Round 2, pick 12 (42 overall, acquired from Chicago)
Round 3, pick 18 (79 overall)
Round 4, pick 18 (109 overall)
Round 4, pick 28 (119 overall, acquired from Tampa Bay via Dallas)
Round 5, pick 18 (139 overall)
Round 7, pick 18 (199 overall)

And that's all she wrote. After only four picks in last year's draft, the Sens will make seven in 2008 (and maybe more, if Bryan Murray really wants to keep the hometown fans busy).

Ottawa's second-round pick was traded for Oleg Saprykin back in 2007, but Murray will still make a pick in that round thanks to the second-round pick we got with Tom Preissing, Michal Barinka, and Josh Hennessy in exchange for Martin Havlat and Bryan Smolinski; it had better be good, because--with the exception of one year of sixth-defenceman services from Preissing--so far it hasn't been a fruitful trade.

That extra fourth-round pick was part of an all-draft-pick trade at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, where the Sens sent a fifth- and two seventh-round 2007 picks (one seventh having been acquired from Phoenix) for one 2008 fourth-round pick.

Finally, Ottawa got rid of the 2008 sixth-round pick when Martin Lapointe was acquired at the trade deadline this past season.

Funny notes about the draft:

• Toronto has ten picks altogether (tied for the second-most with the Islanders and Coyotes), including three consecutive in round five (numbers 128, 129, and 130 overall). Look for them to package some in an effort to move up a few rounds
• Los Angeles has more picks than anyone else, with fifteen. It pays to suck, I guess, at least when you get to the draft. Two picks in round one, three in each of round two and three, two in round four, one in round five, and two in each of round six and seven. Picks 2, 28, 32, 48, 61, 63, 81, 88, 92, 101, 123, 153, 179, 183, and 185 overall. Holy crap. Maybe a trade?
  
• Florida (31, 80, 100, and 190 overall), Minnesota (24, 55, 115, and 145), Philadelphia (27, 118, 178, and 208), and Pittsburgh (120, 150, 180, 210) only have four draft choices. Pittsburgh won't pick until the fourth round.
• Like Pittsburgh, San Jose won't pick until the fourth round, but after that they've got seven picks to go (117, 146, 147, 177, 186, 194, and 207). They'll probably try and package some up to move higher in the draft.
  
• Phoenix has four picks in round two (35, 38, 39, and 49), the most of any team in one round.

Speaking of the draft, Sens Army Blog would like to invite all friends and fellow bloggers to SensBlogCon '08, at MacLaren's (on Elgin at MacLaren) in Ottawa on June 21, the second night of the draft. Come by for drinks, discussion, and rumours. Check out the event on Facebook.

SensBlogCon update 1

MacLaren's restaurant and pool hall on Elgin in Ottawa
June 21 - 8pm

Attendees include:
Ben and Peter from Sens Army Blog (of course)
Shredder of Sens Underground fame(how come Ben and Peter don't have cool nicknames?)
Sherry the sassy curator of Scarlett Ice (I'm more suave than sassy)
Don reppin' the Sens side of Battle of Ontario (The Sens know the greatest battles are fought within)

(your name here!)

Go to the facebook event, or leave a comment on this post to let us know if you're going to show up!

More announcements to come this week.

Draft here, then draft beer

I finally fulfilled a year-long dream: I am organizing an Ottawa Senators Bloggers Convention.

The facebook event is now created, thus making the event both official and legally binding.

If you want to get in on the fun, join the event. If you run a blog, post a link to it on the event page.

Sure, some learning and networking might occur, but it's mostly about badmouthing Garroich... unless he attends.

JOIN THE EVENT.