Huge, huge day of hockey this Friday. Who needs the NHL? Let’s get right to it.
In Europe today …
* Danny Briere and Claude Giroux take the ice for Eisbären Berlin for the first time. Berlin hosts Kölner Haie — Cologne Sharks if you’d like to be American about it — at 1:30 p.m. ET. You can watch the game at Laola1.tv. It’s a legal stream, too, believe it or not. Pretty awesome. We’ll be covering the game live if you can’t watch at work, so check back at the home page around 1:30 p.m.
* Wayne Simmonds is in action with ETC Crimmitschau in Germany’s 2nd Bundesliga, one league below Eisbären Berlin in the DEL. They’ll take on the SERC Wild Wings (no association with Buffalo Wild Wings, as far as we can tell) at 20:00 Central European Time, or 2 p.m. Philadelphia time.
In North America today …
* The Trenton Titans kick off their 2012-13 ECHL season tonight at home against the Greenville Road Warriors. The game begins at 7:05 and tickets are indeed available. If you can’t make it, you can pay to watch through the ECHL or listen live via a web stream. Locally, the game is on 107.7 The Bronc.
Jason Akeson will probably light up the ECHL while with the Titans this year. That should be fun. Also, look out for goalie Niko Hovinen, rookie Marcel Noebels making his pro debut and defenseman Blake Kessel, all probably AHL-level players pushed down thanks to the lockout.
* No Flyers prospects are on their roster, but Penn State kicks off their D1 schedule this evening in State College against American International College. AIC is perennially one of the worst teams in D1, so we’ll see where the Nittany Lions stack up. Full games notes, courtesy of PSU Athletics. Video feed available via the PSU website.
* 2012 draft pick goaltender Anthony Stolarz could find himself in action tonight. Chances of the freshman starting tonight’s season opener for the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks are slim, but you never know. UNO hosts Army in the first game of the Icebreaker Tournament at Kansas City’s Sprint Center. The game begins at 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network.
* Shayne Gostisbehere and the No. 9 Union College Dutchmen (0-1-0) are in action both Friday and Saturday against Bowling Green. Gostisbehere, a sophomore, is on the same d-pairing as senior Greg Coburn, the brother of Braydon. Listen live to the Union radio feed here or watch for $8 via BGSU. Puck drop at 7 p.m.
* Nick Luukko and the Vermont Catamounts are in Massachusetts for a Hockey East matchup against No. 6 UMass-Lowell tonight. It’s the season opener for the Catamounts. You can listen online to the UVM broadcast here or watch the video feed live for $9.95.
* Flyers prospect Michael Parks is injured, but his North Dakota Fighting Sioux (are we still allowed to call them that?) are in action against the US U-18 tonight. It’s an exhibition. UND is ranked No. 4 in the nation heading into their final exhibition this evening. Game preview and broadcast at UNDSports.com.
* Scott Laughton, Colin Suellentrop and the Oshawa Generals (6-1, first in the OHL’s East Division) host the Barrie Colts at 7:05 p.m. ET. Broadcast info via the Generals website closer to game time.
* Taylor Leier and the Portland Winter Hawks (5-3-1, atop the WHL’s US Division) are in Saskatchewan to take on the Prince Albert Raiders. Puck drop at 9 p.m. ET and broadcast info will be available at the Winter Hawks website closer to game time.
