Seriously?

"In attempting to free himself, Pronger carelessly and recklessly brought his foot down," said Colin Campbell, NHL Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations.

So, Chris Simon is a deviant who needs counseling, but we're more than happy to offer an excuse for Chris Pronger. Colin Campbell's statement, especially the first five words, says to me that Pronger was suspended for eight games because Campbell had no choice at this point, but he's not happy about it. If you're going to suspend him, just levy the punishment. Don't start offering explanations now that they serve you. Or just admit that you made a mistake the first time. Enjoy the playoffs, Mr. Pronger.

Here's a post from Battle of California, another blog that is crediting the Internet for forcing the NHL to reverse its course on disciplining Pronger.

And I still can't get over the notion that the original video was too grainy for the the league to take action. It's not as though the Simon video was crystal clear. The mess of bodies and legs in that one made it confusing at best. But you could basically figure out what happened, just as you could in this case.

The Power of the Blogosphere

I didn't have time to write about the Chris Pronger stomping incident last night, but my intention was to put up the video and the requisite "You've Got To Be Kidding Me" post today because I thought the issue deserved as much exposure as possible. Well, I have to commend the bloggers of the hockey world and a fair amount of mainstream media writers. In the past 24 hours, the hypocrisy, favoritism, and lack of credibility and accountability in the NHL's department of discipline has received top-story attention all over the place. Islanders VP of Media Relations Chris Botta has weighed in on the matter twice on his blog.

I find it hard to believe that the NHL would revisit the incident because better footage became available. It's a convenient line for the league to put out. But the idea that the original evidence wasn't clear enough to justify a punishment is hard to stomach. The first video was certainly clear enough to launch an outcry from fans and bloggers. And that, my friends, is where we can rejoice in the power of the masses. There was a time when a fan's ability to protest an injustice was limited to call-in radio shows and letters that most likely would never be addressed. Now, of course, those same protests resonate on the Internet where hundreds of writers may call attention to them and thousands of readers will echo their voices. I have no way of knowing if pressure from the blogosphere and other online sources will ultimately be responsible for a do-over. It's shameful that the NHL would need such goading to get this right.

Okposo Net asks of Colin Campbell, "...if the above video isn't evidence enough to suspend Pronger, then it would be nice if you could go public and explain specifically why that is not the case (not that most people will buy it, but at least you're taking some responsibility)." It would be nice, but the NHL has built not explaining itself into its disciplinary process. I understand how not explaining every punishment or lack of punishment prevents the league from tripping over its own words. But building in a lack of accountability surely does not support the integrity of the process and it undermines the credibility of the league. Pronger's rap sheet and most recent offense align perfectly with the precedent that the league has already set for these matters. He is due for 20 games. If he gets anything, I doubt it will be more than five to seven.

As for the double standard being applied in relation to the Islanders, we will likely get nowhere by claiming an institutional bias. All we can do is continue to point out loudly the glaring incidents such as this. Did you notice how Garnet Exelby quietly got away without further punishment for forcefully raising his stick to Blake Comeau's nether regions? It was not an egregious, violent act, but we know that an injury is not required for disciplinary measures to be handed down. As a completely unnecessary and non game-related stick foul, the act deserved at least a symbolic suspension of one game--set the precedent that even thinking about that type of behavior will not be tolerated.

Botta postulates that maybe it is the name on the back of the sweater. What he can't say as a representative of an NHL team is that maybe it's also the logo on the front.

Isles Execute Perfect Dive at the Deadline

That is to say, no splash. Greg Louganis would be impressed. I can't say that I'm too disappointed at the way in which the day unfolded, especially considering my recent call for stability and continuity. My only concern is whether Garth Snow will be able to add a top-tier talent or two over the summer to boost this club out of the middle of the pack. That would have been a concern regardless of what happened today, barring an aberrant inflation in the value of Fedotenko, Vasicek, or Satan. I certainly wasn't expecting anything splashy.

It's good to see that Jeff Tambellini will continue to get a look, and I hope that when the season is over there's no doubt that it was a fair look. When Tambellini was sent down recently to accommodate Chris Simon's return, it didn't bother me that much simply because it was obvious that Tambellini wouldn't be receiving worthwhile minutes. He was better off back at Bridgeport getting first-line minutes than playing 6-8 minutes a night on the Island.

Here are some quick thoughts on the deals that were made...

Rob Davison from San Jose for a 7th-round pick. Here, Garth Snow simply filled a need. In his fifth season in the NHL, Davison has yet to establish himself as a no-brainer for a spot in the lineup every night, partially due to being injured frequently. However, his reputation as a tough customer and a tough, reliable defender should make him a welcome addition to the Islanders' depleted defensive corps. For now, Davison slots nicely into the role vacated by Andy Sutton. Brendan Witt's pending return will create job competition between Davison and Aaron Johnson for the last spot on the blue line--unless Ted Nolan becomes dissatisfied with Bryan Berard.

Marc-Andre Bergeron to Anaheim for a 3rd-round pick. This one is puzzling mostly because you have to wonder what Anaheim wants with Bergeron. He's not going to take power-play time away from Pronger, Niedermayer, or Schneider. Perhaps Brian Burke is sending a message to Francois Beauchemin, whose play has slipped this year. I have to think that Bergeron will be spending most of the next 20 games in the press box (Burke knows how to get tickets there). From an Islander perspective, it's not as though Bergeron's relative success on the power play was raising the level of the team's overall man-advantage play. The Islanders entered tonight's game succeeding with the extra man at a rate of only 16.2%, ranked 24th in the league. Given the choice, I might have kept Bergeron over Berard. There's little chance that choice was available because I doubt Berard had much trade value, let alone a third-rounder. Call this one moving on now, rather than sooner or later.

Chris Simon to the Wild for a 6th-round pick. I understood Ted Nolan's reasoning for wanting a player like Simon in the lineup. You don't necessarily need a guy who's going to beat the stuffing out of someone every game. But it helps when the other team knows that there's a guy around who can do that. That being said, my biggest concern about the trade of Simon is not the loss of his protection services but how it affects the relationship between Nolan and the front office. Mike Schuerlein of IslesBlogger.com reported today that Nolan was "clearly unhappy" that Simon was sent packing. I don't think Nolan will punish Tambellini because he's taking Simon's spot in the lineup. I hope the coach doesn't take the deal as a personal slight, and I have no reason to believe that he will. The bottom line is that Simon would have had a diminished role with the Islanders and his roster spot is better spent on a player who is up and coming. I'd like to put a smiley face on the trade by telling you that moving on and getting a fresh start is the best thing for Simon, and that Nolan endorsed the idea for that reason. Of course, I don't know if that's really the case. I imagine that, like Brian Campbell, Colby Armstrong, and others, he would have been happier to stay where he was.

With only a few hours of perspective, I feel that the net result is that it became harder for the Islanders to make the playoffs today. The team obviously didn't improve its talent level and I have this fear that the power play is going to go 0-for-80 the rest of the way (0-for-7 so far tonight). The unusual thing is that if they do miss the playoffs, I'm already excited about next year. The Kid Line is looking more and more comfortable, and the biggest kid isn't even here yet. The GM has a plan, and so far he's sticking to it.

Some may think that the best thing now is to fade into a lottery pick. That just goes against all of my instincts. Maybe I still haven't recovered from seven straight years of being on the outside looking in (and 22-win seasons). With only 18 more games left after tonight, I still want the Islanders to be in the thick of things come April.

Two-Minute Minors

In an effort to get the writing juices flowing again, here are a few things that have been bouncing around in my head without compelling me to dedicate entire posts to them:

Ted Nolan committed to a full-time pairing of Bryan Berard and Marc-Andre Bergeron to start last night's game against Philadelphia. He had previewed this twinning of offensive-minded defensemen for a shift or two at a time in a couple of games over the past few weeks, so I wasn't entirely surprised to see it resurface. Still, it was impossible not to question the sanity of the move even considering the absences of Chris Campoli and Bruno Gervais. But maybe there was method to the madness. Maybe Berard and Bergeron, fully recognizing the perception (and reality) of them as a pair, are working that much harder to tighten up their game for each other. Against the Flyers, they each finished +2. Is Nolan on to something? Well, it's a theory. But it's only been one game. Now that Witt is down, we may have a chance to witness study carried out to its conclusion.

The buzz surrounding the return of Chris Simon is in full crescendo. The official Web site is full of pictures of Simon smiling. I've said all I care to about the issue for now, and thanks to Islander Frontier for recapping the generous amount of blogger coverage. Instead, the pictures of Simon provoked a funny thought in my head. What if Simon returns a changed man? I mean totally changed. What if he returns to the lineup with that smile fixed permanently on his face offering only pleasantries to opponents before politely skating around them? He could be like the hockey version of Pedro Cerrano in Major League II.

We often gripe about the lack of media coverage the Islanders receive. So I feel it is responsible to recognize when that trend is pushed back, even if only briefly. The New York Times recently featured a Dave Caldwell piece on the AHL rivalry in Connecticut between the Sound Tigers and Wolfpack, as well as a Tal Pinchevsky profile of Mike Sillinger. I read the latter in an actual print copy of the Times, and you can imagine my shock when I turned the page and saw Mike Sillinger's name in a headline. Anyway, good work Times. Keep it up.

Of course, not all of the Times's recent coverage was flattering to the Isles. But I never imagined that Lynn Zinser's Slap Shot post on the Pat LaFontaine/Brian Burke incident would give these guys another chance to take a swipe at the Blog Box. I had a long post on the subject of LaFontaine prepared, but various circumstances have conspired to confine it to my inner blog.

On the Roster

I'm as anxious as anyone to see how the most recent Bridgeport callups fare against the Los Angeles Just Ducks of Anaheim. Will Tambellini and Nielsen be paired on the same line with an incumbent? Or will they be assigned to different lines, thus giving the team a transfusion on three of its four lines (assuming that neither one was going to play with Brennan)?

The braintrust had some difficult decisions to make as far as where any callups would be slotted into the lineup (assuming that the decision to actually make callups was not difficult itself). It's rather unfortunate that the decision was rendered easier by injury (Sillinger) and illness (Park and Hunter). I'd certainly rather see a new-look squad that included both Sillinger and Park. While Sillinger's numbers have fallen off from last year, and Park's have fallen off in the last few weeks, they remain key components of a successful Islander team. As for Hunter, I have to admit that I am curious to see how the team looks with a little more speed and skill. The downside is that I like having a hitting machine out there, and Hunter's performance on the penalty kill cannot be overlooked. I don't imagine that he'll be spending additional time in the press box once he's recovered from the flu.

Then there are the ancillary stories. First, how will Okposo fare with new Sound Tiger linemates? It's not as though he can't adjust to playing with new faces. He went from Minnesota to Team USA to Bridgeport in a matter of weeks. But there will be a dropoff in talent no matter who fills in for Tambellini and Nielsen next to Okposo. Furthermore, Kyle will likely be looked to as more of a leader on his new line, whereas he was clearly the protege next to two guys with successful careers in professional hockey and tastes of the NHL. Of course, the convenience of having two forward spots open on the Island may last only a few days. Once Hunter and Park are healthy, I wouldn't be surprised to see Nielsen and/or Tambellini right back next to Okposo.

Second, no matter how well Brennan fills Jackman's shoes, his big-club tryout has a finite lifespan. The Islanders have made it clear that the door to the bench is wide open for Chris Simon, whose return stands just over two weeks away. By then, the team will either have a lot of competition for jobs (if they turn things around) or a lot of vacancies to fill (if they're out of it).

Update: Now that I've had a chance to read the literature from the Islanders, I see that Nolan intends to play Tambellini and Nielsen together. I like this decision and it indicates to me that the pair will get a decent shake at quality ice time. Nolan also suggested that Park would be ready to go tomorrow night, but didn't mention Hunter. So, we should see Tambellini, Nielsen, and Brennan in for Sillinger, Hunter, and Jackman/7th defenseman, at least for one game. After that, it will be interesting to see whether one of the struggling regular forwards takes a seat.

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

The Shadow from Above
I hadn't seen any mention of it anywhere, so I was all set to discuss Tuesday night's appearance at the Coliseum by Chris Simon. The Versus production crew caught Simon on camera having an involved conversation with Charles Wang high above the Coliseum ice. However, with Dee Karl now having published a sparkling essay on this latest development, I will defer to the impressions of my esteemed Blog Box colleague. Dee has elegantly captured all of the complexities surrounding the status of Simon and, quite appropriately I think, refrained from passing judgment.

What's best for the players? What's best for Wang and the organization? What's best for the NHL? What's best for Chris Simon? What's best for the fans? It is not easy to render a final verdict on Simon with all of these questions playing a significant role in creating the solution. Ultimately, as Dee's post posits, it is not our problem to solve. But understanding the difficulty of the situation is certainly something we can take on. One thing is certain: Simon's presence with the owner the other night is clearly suggests that the team was completely sincere in expressing its loyalty to Chris Simon the person. Of this, I had no doubt.

A Picture Is Worth More Than Two Points
It's amazing how easy it is for us, as Islanders fans, to take the smallest action by the media as a sign of disrespect. For example: The lead picture in today's Daily News article on last night's impressive 3-1 win over the Devils shows Rick DiPietro reaching back in vain to keep Travis Zajac's third-period shot from crossing the goal line. Yes, it is an exciting, telling action shot taken from the camera mounted inside in the net. But why, in a game in which the Islanders went to 5-0 on the season against the Devils and DiPietro was lauded universally for his outstanding play, does the lead photograph show him flopped on his back in his only low moment? The article does feature a smaller picture that shows the Islanders celebrating their victory. Shouldn't the lead photo be representative of the game? Where is the shot of DiPietro making one of a dozen outstanding saves? Maybe his reflexes are too quick to be captured on film. Anyway, these things just make me wonder sometimes.

Radio Tease
Here's another slight head-scratcher, but there are reasonable explanations for it. It was reported today that Long Island radio station WLIR is switching to an all sports-talk format. My immediate reaction was to think, "Hey, there's an opportunity to get some serious Islanders talk on the radio." Imagine the Islanders being the hometown team on a smaller version of WFAN. Of course, that thought lasted all of five seconds. It turns out that WLIR will simply be carrying the signal from 1050 ESPN Radio, which, by the way, is the radio broadcast home of the Rangers. So that accomplishes basically nothing for Islanders fans unless 1050 comes to the unlikely conclusion that its stronger presence in Suffolk calls for increased coverage of the Isles. Don't bet on it.

Overall, I'm not down on 1050 the way a lot of people are (despite some hosts that I can't listen to for more than two minutes). I like it as an alternative to WFAN, and I think the competition, as lopsided as it continues to be, is a favorable development for the listener. On the surface, the agreement between 1050 and WLIR makes good business sense for both parties, and may even benefit listeners who struggle to get a clear signal from 1050. So, I'm not going to kill them for trying this. It just seems like a missed opportunity.

Defense
Whereas I once thought it created some weird dynamics on the team, I now couldn't be more relieved that Garth Snow increased the defensive depth chart to nine.

Simon's Point of View

Good stuff today from Chris Simon, in so far as it at least explains some of his motivation to appeal the suspension. Much credit to Roy MacGregor of the Globe and Mail for getting the quotes and writing a compelling article (and to Mirtle and NYisles1 for leading me there.) I can't argue with the idea that other players have committed equally irresponsible and reckless acts on the ice without being so severely punished. There also may be something to the idea that Simon is the sacrificial lamb in the NHL's image campaign. Regardless, Simon is now a lightning rod for punishment. He likely will never be judged on a case by case basis again, a fate which he has earned. The Hollweg incident opened a new chapter in his disciplinary history.

My main contention with an appeal is that it diminishes the perceived acceptance of responsibility for the action. If he is going to be contrite and seek forgiveness, then part of the equation should be to take the penalty as assessed. Otherwise, it sounds like he's saying he's sorry, but not 30 games worth of sorry. Now we have quotes confirming as much. I don't agree that the kick was "...letting him know I'm there...like a shot in the arm." Because Simon does see it that way, it's no surprise that he thinks the suspension is unfair. It's heartening to read that he wasn't trying to cause injury, but he is still responsible for an action that could have caused one.

The strange thing is, outside of lost income, the length of the suspension is actually irrelevant if the Islanders and/or Simon determine that he's not ready to return after 30 games. There's little to be gained in reputation recovery by winning an appeal. And if anyone is worried about the length of this suspension influencing the length of the next suspension, then you really have far greater things to worry about in regard to Simon.

Here's a couple of other things that easily qualify as good stuff...

Another member of the Blog Box comes up with an impressive interview. Here's B.D. Gallof with Dick Pound, chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Jon Jordan takes a fascinating statistical look at the goal drought. Did you know that the Islanders have scored only 40 goals in 18 home games?

Catching Up on a Busy Day

The Simon Suspension
I suppose thirty games is just about right. It had to be more than the previous, record-setting 25 games that Simon received last year. That punishment obviously did not serve its purpose, which should have been for Simon to examine his actions and take responsibility for his self-control. In reality, it's not the 30-game suspension that will do that either. It will take an honest effort at getting to the source of the loss of emotional control. Still, Colin Campbell had to raise the stakes. I wouldn't have been surprised or bothered if he had suspended Simon for the balance of the season.

I'm not thrilled to hear that Simon is appealing the decision. And at face value, I don't agree with Ted Nolan's assessment of the penalty as excessive. However, I think it's only fair to view things from other people's perspectives. So let's look at it like this: By NHL standards, Simon is not making a mint this year. NHLSCAP.com lists his 2007-2008 compensation at $800,000. I know, nothing to sneeze at, and Simon has cashed in many a sizable paycheck over his career. But although these guys make way more than most of us, often their expenses are in proportion to their income. So imagine what it would be like if someone took away 37% of your salary. You'd fight to get as much back as you could. Anyway, I'm just trying to see the other side of it, and this is one line of reasoning I came up with. Who knows? The motivation for the appeal may not be financial at all.

Okposo Leaves Minnesota to Turn Pro After WJC
Despite hearing rumblings about this yesterday, I was really surprised to see it come to fruition so quickly. I didn't expect to see Okposo playing for the Islanders this year (still not a given he'll be with the big club), but I could have envisioned a jump to Bridgeport after Minnesota's season ended. The move certainly puts a damper on the theory that playing another year at the NCAA level was good for Okposo's development. But things change. Maybe Okposo, the Islanders, or both determined that the situation in Minnesota was no longer his best option for making progress as a player.

I'm still very uncomfortable with the idea of Okposo coming to the Isles as a savior. But with Buffalo having just gone ahead 2-1 with a little over 2 minutes left, it's time to add a skill player by any means possible. What remains to be seen is whether he can elevate the skills he's demonstrated up to this point for competition at the highest level. It's long past time for an Islanders forward prospect to do so.

New Twist on Defense
Tonight, Berard and Bergeron both sat and Freddy Meyer entered the lineup for only the second time since rejoining the team. Why not? I had this notion that Ted Nolan might go back to Bergeron even after his poor performance against Pittsburgh. You know, a reverse shakeup. Silly me. Throw Freddy in there, see what he can do. Apparently it didn't make much of a difference tonight as the power play was blanked in five chances. If Nolan continues to bench Berard and Bergeron, what I'd really like to see is Chris Campoli take ownership of the power play.

Sorry Won't Cut It

Update: Charles Wang did the right thing in taking action with Chris Simon before the league, and by being the mouthpiece for the organization. As a heavily involved owner, it was only right for Wang himself to address the status of Simon rather than drop the obligation in the lap of Garth Snow, or worse, Ted Nolan. Snow and Nolan will undoubtedly have to field questions on the matter, but they will do so with the official position of the organization clearly defined.

As for the content of the statement, I'm sure it will anger many NHL fans, as well as Islander fans, that the team didn't immediately sever its ties with Simon. Contract and CBA issues aside, it's apparent that the organization views Simon not as a threat to its integrity but as a troubled member of the family. It is not a sin to be loyal and supportive of someone in need. However, if Simon's acts of unbridled aggression on the ice are symptoms of problems that require counseling, then he should enter counseling with the goal of preparing himself to live a productive life beyond that of a hockey player. That life may be right around the corner, pending the league's involvement.

The Islanders should not saddle themselves with expectations of when Simon will be ready to return and how he will fit back into the team's picture. You can only apologize and say "there's no excuse" so many times. The team needs to move on and address its on-ice goals without such distractions. There are jobs to be won and roles to be established. From this moment on, the Islanders and Chris Simon are fighting very different battles.

***************

The severity of Chris Simon’s punishment depends on neither the force of the blow nor the extent of the injury it caused. Simon has demonstrated once again that he has no regard for the well being of another human, even if that human is a hockey player of questionable ilk like Jarko Ruutu. Whereas another player would have dismissed Ruutu with a shove, a face wash, or even an invitation to engage in legitimate combat, Simon chose to expose his adversary’s flesh to the forceful delivery of a sharp blade.

It does not matter that the target of the blow was protected by a sturdy skate boot. The act was heinously irresponsible and within in an inch or two of causing a catastrophic injury. The NHL cannot tolerate such a degree of callousness.

Maybe in Simon’s mind there is a difference between Ruutu and other players. Maybe Simon believes that players like Ruutu and Ryan Hollweg are so low that brutalization and mutilation are somehow justified. If this were an isolated incident, we would be searching for an explanation. What did Ruutu do to incite Simon’s wrath? Wasn’t Simon just being a good teammate, protecting his boys? But the act is indefensible and so is the body of work.

Following the game, one could sense the hesitancy to react among the players in the locker room. Certainly, they were unclear about exactly what had transpired. Additionally, they appeared to disbelieve that this had happened again—a selfish act that compromised their ability to win a game, and would put them in the awkward position of having to explain the detrimental actions of a teammate. It’s tough to put your teammates through that once. To make them do it twice in less than a year leaves little room for recovery. How fast will they be lining up for the next round of apologies?

It's almost painful to think about how Ted Nolan must feel in this situation. He must know that no one wants to hear an unqualified statement of support for Simon. But given their well-documented personal relationship, one has to expect that Nolan will express some sort of concern for his once-troubled protege. It is sure to be a delicate balancing act. You wonder where the middle ground is among understanding, imposition, and a sense of betrayal.

Time permitting, I'll have some notes from the game itself later today. Islander Frontier has an excellent piece on the Simon story that is well worth reading regardless of your perspective.

Opening Night II?

We had Opening Night and Kids' Opening Day. After a week with no hockey, tonight's tilt with Carolina almost feels like a second beginning to the season. You have to wonder how the team will respond to seeing game action for the first time since last Saturday's win over the Devils. My hope is that the week off won't be nearly as big a deal as we've all been making it out to be (hey, we needed something to talk about). Certainly, I'd expect to see the team come out flying and then skating hard for a full sixty minutes. With four full days off before the next game on Thursday, there's no reason to be conserving energy. Tonight will see Marc-Andre Bergeron back on the blue line and replacing the injured Bryan Berard at the helm of the power play. We may also see the return of Shawn Bates to the lineup. All in all, it feels like we're rebooting the season. And doing so with a 5-3 record means that the reboot feels like it was necessitated by a software upgrade rather than a fatal error. Let's hope the updated version runs as smoothly as its predecessor.

I finally had a chance to read Michael Farber's profile of Chris Simon on SI.com. It was interesting to digest it having already read Chris Botta's strong reaction to the piece. From an outsider's perspective, I thought it was a reasonably balanced piece. Yes, there were some cheap shots taken:

But Simon's apparent haze sounded like a hockey variation of the Twinkie Defense; instead of sugar, a concussion had made him behave aberrantly. Judging by his record, however, the concussion just made him more like himself.

Farber did, however, show that Simon is multifaceted and highly respected by many in the NHL brotherhood. You cannot tell his story without revisiting his previous transgressions, just as you can't tell it without quoting multiple players on how there's no better teammate with whom to go to battle. Of course, I don't work with Chris Simon and I don't know him, let alone consider him a friend. I completely understand how, in his position, Botta feels like he got burned after providing generous access for the story. I also understand how Botta and Nolan want to be protective of a guy who has made such strides in turning his life in the right direction.

But when Simon admits that he's a different person when he plays than he is in everyday life, you have to set limits for what is acceptable conduct by that on-ice persona. Simon has operated outside those boundaries on more than one occasion. His handling of the consequences of this incident has been right on target. He has been appropriately contrite, paid his penance, and is moving on with his career. We know that Simon can be a tough, effective NHL player and a great teammate without over-the-top acts of aggression. The future of his career depends on him continuing to do that.

By the way, I also think that the insertion of Simon into the lineup for the preseason game against the Rangers served to diffuse the bad blood more quickly. That's not to say that the two teams won't scrap again during the regular season. But at least the enmity between the teams hasn't been simmering all this time. Letting off some steam out of the glare of the regular season may have been the best of circumstances in this situation.

For those of you who are prospect watchers, note that Ryan O'Marra has been sent to Stockton of the ECHL. Thanks to bjoelson on the HF Boards for first bringing this to my attention. Read about the move here and here. O'Marra scored two power play goals in his first game for Stockton.