Back in "The Lou"

It's been too long since I've been to St. Louis to work an event (I haven't been here since 2005 when we were at the Triplex) and the hockey and people are as good as it gets.  

We're at The Wheel this weekend, and I have to say while I was nervous coming in to this rink, not really knowing what to expect when I pulled up to it, they've done a great job turning a warehouse into an inline hockey hotbed.  They've built 2 awesome viewing areas, one on the side of the rink which is elevated above the glass, and one on the "third level" with a brand new snack bar that overlooks the home goal.  At the snack bar you can get anything from the standards of candy, hotdogs, and pizza to beer, cocktails, and even wheels and tape.  Top to bottom, it's truly a great set-up here in Wright City.

On to the hockey, we have 4 divisions running here, PeeWee, Bantam, Midget, and Pro.  The PeeWee division highlighted the morning so far with the Jr. Mudcats and Tour Blast "going freak" (that's for you Joe).  The Blast were up 5-2 with 7 minutes left, but the Mudcats coached by Pro Series veterans J.P. Beilsten and Kyle O'Kane never gave up.  They tied things up late, then ended up getting the W in a shootout 6-5.  In Bantam, Mission Coast 2 Coast is strong as always, this weekend they've got 2 great teams playing in that division.  It may just be a matter of time before those two face off in the playoffs.

The Pro Division is amazing.  RB Selects, MO Meltdown, Leaderone Financial, and Coast 2 Coast are all skating this weekend.  Leaderone has brought some "blasts from the past" out of semi-retirement and they look awesome.  Names like Davies, Muncy, and Turnbull just to name a few are all skating and they're going to be tough to beat.

Now I'm heading back to check out the end of this PeeWee game between the Cobras and Blast.  It's knotted up at 2 after 1 period, and it looks like it's going to be a high paced second!

I'll be back soon, and don't forget to check out the scoreboard to keep up with all the action here at The Wheel!