It's been a hectic few weeks in professional hockey as the AAHL, SPHL, CHL, ECHL, IHL, AHL and National Hockey League seasons are underway. It's great to see hockey thriving once again in several new markets.

After a little bit of an absence it's good to see Rod Davidson behind the bench once again. He is the head coach of the Madison Ice Muskies in the All-American Hockey League. Rod has been coaching for many years and I think his experience will be very valuable to both the off-ice staff and the players of his team. I remember first meeting Rod in Amarillo in my first year with the Rattlers and he hasn't changed a bit.

The three new franchises in the Southern Professional Hockey League are off to great starts. The Mississippi Surge and Pensacola Ice Flyers have won a combined three games in the first weekend. Despite not winning a game, the Louisiana Ice Gators have been victorious in the attendance department. The Ice Gators have averaged more than 3,200 fans which is terrific. The Surge lead the attendance parade with more than 3,500 folks.

There is certainly a lot coaching experience in the International Hockey League with the addition of Rich Kromm in Muskegon and John Marks in Dayton. The two join Al Sims in Fort Wayne and Stan Druila in Port Huron. The two young coaches are in Bloomington and Flint with Jarred Skalde and Jason Muzzatti. It's great to see Jason Muzzatti now coaching at the professional level. I believe he'll be a perfect fit with the Generals and the IHL.

Two long-time friends are at the top of the Central Hockey League overall standings after the first two weeks. Brian Pellerin as the Gorillas off to a 5-1 mark in the first six games, while Joe Ferras is 3-1 in Rapid City. I hope that the fans will start coming back to The Jungle in huge numbers to support the team and what Pellerin has done. It's just the second year for the Rush in their new building and it looks like Ferras' hard work of recruiting during the summer is making an impact.

Over in the ECHL, two former United Hockey League franchises are leading the way.
The Elmira Jackals and the Kalamazoo Wings are perfect through 10 games as each are 5-0 The only other perfect team is the Idaho Steelheads with Derek Laxdall behind the bench. Fans are coming out in droves to see games in Toledo. The Walleye officially opened the Lucas County Arena and, wow, as they are averaging more than 6,000 fans including a couple of sellouts.

The San Antonio Rampage are having a nice turnaround in the American Hockey League after some difficulty one year ago. The Rampage have already won six games which is more than they had at the start of last season. The Manchester Monarchs and the Rochester Americans have the best records through the first two weeks. The Hamilton Bulldogs are the lone club without a regulation loss this season. The three new teams are doing very well with attendance. The Texas Stars have averaged more than 4,500 fans, while the Adirondack Phantoms have more than 4,200 and the Abbotsford Heat are at 3,300. In two of the cases, it's the return of professional hockey, while in Abbotsford, they must teach fans in the area about the American Hockey League and get them excited about it.

It was a positive last few weeks in professional hockey, let's see how these stories and play out in the coming months.

Well it appears the Phoenix Coyotes are back to square one this week after a US bankruptcy judge rejected bids by the National Hockey League and Canadian Billionaire Jim Balsillie to purchase the troubled franchise.  

So what is next for that franchise and hockey fans in the desert? The NHL got what it wanted with the ability to select owners for the franchises. This should pave the way for the league to sell the team to whoever gives them the best deal.

One thing that the judge stated was that creditors who are owed money should be considered when making a deal. This includes Coyote owner Jim Moyes and ex-coach Wayne Gretzky who have been out in the cold. It baffles me that Gretzky, who helped to shape the NHL to what it is today with his exploits on the ice, was being left out of any type of deal. How can this happen, this man who has done so much for the game should be given some sort of shake. 

Does this ruling bring back some of the interested parties who dropped out of the bid because of Balsillie’s ability to sweeten any offer? Ice Edge Holdings may come back into the picture, Jerry Reinsdorf is another interested party and then there is the group with former NHL legend Luc Robitaille. 

However, the Phoenix Coyotes franchise woes are just the beginning of what the NHL has to deal with. They have the whole NHLPA controversy with the recent ousting of Paul Kelly and the possibility of another franchise on the way out of the south.

There was a report on Hockey Night in Canada suggesting that a Canadian group is interested in purchasing the Atlanta Thrashers franchise and moving them to Winnipeg. The Thrashers have struggled on the ice and off the ice with poor attendance and lack of corporate interest. Here is a question – will the NHL allow this possible move, try to fix what is wrong in Atlanta or again offer up Kansas City as a possible solution. 

The NHL season is just a few weeks old and yet there are many unresolved off-ice issues that will give fans and media lots to think about and discuss throughout the year.

Now that the NHL season is officially underway, here are some early questions and thoughts of what we have seen so far. 

Can the Pittsburgh Penguins pick up where they left off and repeat as champions? Does the addition of Brent Johnson give them a solid back-up goaltender so Marc-Andre Fleury can get the rest when he’ll need it? 

Do the Detroit Red Wings have enough firepower to be effective this year or will they have to go shopping and add more weapons? Jimmy Howard struggled in his Red Wings debut and he must calm down and show that he deserves a shot as the back-up of Chris Osgood. 

The Montreal Canadiens have already been hit by major injuries at the start of the season. Do they have enough depth in their minors to fill those holes or will the Extreme Home Makeover continue? 

The Los Angeles Kings appear poised for a breakout year in the NHL. They have been very dominant and exciting to watch early on. Is their young goaltender Jonathan Quick the man between the pipes or do the Kings need a veteran presence as back-up? 

What’s up with the Vancouver Canucks? Their start has been terrible and much was expected this year. Roberto Luongo has looked shaky at times and the Canucks appear disorganized. Is Alain Vigneault’s job in jeopardy? 

The Toronto Maple Leafs begin the road back to rebuilding that storied franchise. However, it’s already been a bit of a shaky start and unless things get better, do the Leafs put a push on the rebuilding movement to keep the fans and media happy? 

Who owns the Coyotes? I know, “owwwnnns, owwwnnns”….Well what is the fate of hockey in the desert? Will potentially new owners keep hockey in Glendale and get a better lease that includes concessions and parking or is it time to get along little doggies? Do the Coyotes head to that new building in Kansas City?