Entusiasti di Snowmobiling, abbiamo passato sulle chiamate di pieno inverno là i due inverni scorsi perché la terra ha ‚ marrone rimasto  del throughoutà Dicembre e Januarys. And so on the phone Monday night I sat rapturously as Michael detailed five inches of fresh powder outside his house and the regular chiseling of ice off of his truck’s windshield.

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May 2007, the locals informed Michael, ranks as the coldest in Cape Breton since 1937. In the Cape Breton Highlands, a mere 30-minutes’ ride up a steep ascent from Michael’s house, there’ll apparently be snowmobiling solidly into June.

Many Americans by late May are heartily ready for the opening of swimming pools and the lighting of deck and patio grills, but with the Memorial Cup in full bloom last week, the news of one last blast of winter within which to watch it struck me as refreshingly novel. Michael is returned home this morning, meaning, necessarily, that he’ll know his share of 90-degree days in the three months ahead. Incidentally, he, too, grilled out back of his home last week; he just did it in a turtleneck.

An American arriving in Belle Cote after two full days’ journey is big news in town, and with each arrival Michael is feted with daily deliveries of freshly caught cod, trout, salmon, and lobster from his neighbors. The really thoughtful ones offer up a few bottles of the planet’s finest pale ale, Alexander Keiths. Some hardship, Michael’s missing out on our mosquitos and Bay Bridge gridlock.

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Futurewatch in Net: Nuevirth at the Memorial Cup

By pucksandbooks
Saturday, May 19, 2007

Memorial Cup 2007 Vancouver LogoThe Memorial Cup commenced last night in Vancouver, and the WHL host Giants knocked off Michal Nuevirth and the Plymouth Whalers 4-3, the winning goal coming at 5:06 of overtime. Neuvirth, whose Whalers defeated Sudbury four games to two to earn the OHL title on May 13, is now 14-3-0-2 in the 2007 CHL postseason. He remains a viable MVP candidate; heading into last night’s action he boasted a 2.45 goals-against and a .932 save percentage.

The Memorial Cup has been the holy grail of Canadian junior hockey for almost 100 years. This weekend and throughout next week four CHL teams  Plymouth (OHL), host Vancouver (WHL), Medicine Hat (WHL), and Lewiston (QMJHL)  will square off in a round robin format. The CHL adopted the round robin format in 1972. A host team was added to the format in 1983.

The team with the best record at the conclusion of the round robin gets a bye all the way into the Memorial Cup final. Second and third-place clubs meet in the semifinals on May 25, with the winner advancing to the championship game on Sunday, May 27.

Lewiston and Medicine Hat square off Saturday (4 p.m. ET). Plymouth will play again on Monday against Medicine Hat.

The Caps selected Neuvirth with the fourth pick of the second round last June, 34th overall.

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