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#xlcenter #fittwins #fitness #summer #sardinia #italy #mare #prozisItalia #Prozis #ExceedYourself (presso Palau, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzZvpFQoerh/?igshid=auovozeaj7fd

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Great capture! Stevie last night in Hartford. . #Repost @kregdkelley ・・・ The Moon Goddess 🌙🎶🦋💕 🌠 #stevienicks #fleetwoodmac #moongoddess #whitewitch #rhiannon #xlcenter #blessed (at Hartford, Connecticut) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvFJtymB4Tj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=11hz6kpe4154o

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#fittwins #postwork #Prozis #prozisItalia #ExceedYourself #selfie #gym #body #naturalbodybuilding #fitness #wellness #xlcenter (presso XLCenter) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByaphsnoFEq/?igshid=tbd3j60lnx7n

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CYCLONES FALL TO HEARTLADNERS 6-4

Iowa wins in Cincy for the first time ever. CINCINNATI, OH – The Cyclones came up short against the Heartlanders 6-4 inside the Heritage Bank Center Wednesday night. Cincinnati moves to 1-3-1-0 against its Central Division rival this season.Iowa opened the scoring just 2:18 into the first period, with Liam Coughlin and Yuki Miura combining in the offensive zone. Moments later, defenseman Kyle Masters beat Talyn Boyko with a wrister and forced a Cincy goal change. With Olof Lindbom now in the cage for the ‘Clones, Jalen Smereck sniped in his 8th of the season from the blue line to make it 2-1 Iowa. The Heartlanders regained the two-goal when Pavel Novak curled the puck back and shot it over Lindbom’s shoulder.In the 2nd period, the Cyclones rallied to tie the game at 3-3. First, Brandon Puricelli slotted his first goal in a Cincy uniform from the hash marks. Zach Andrusiak extended his point streak to 11 games with his tying goal. Iowa countered with a pair of 2nd-period goals themselves. Casey Dornbach and Louis Boudon put the Heartlanders up 5-3 after 40 minutes.Cincinnati trimmed the deficit to one thanks to a Colton Kalezic deflection on the power play. The score stayed 5-4 until the final minute when Chris Lipe scored an empty-net goal.Up next, Cincinnati will continue its three-game homestand inside the Heritage Bank Center. Friday, January 26th, the Cyclones host the Walleye for a 7:30 pm ET puck drop and the commencement of Marvel Weekend.Call (513) 421-PUCK for tickets and more information, and stay on top of all the latest team updates and information on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, cycloneshockey.comCINCINNATI CYCLONESHOWLINGS

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XL CENTER IN FULL CRISIS MODE PART 1

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The XL Center seems to be finally reaching an outcome. Last Thursday, at its monthly meeting, the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) unveiled a cost estimate of $107.2M to update the nearly 50-year-old building. But this is by no means a done deal. This estimate was presented to the entire board of the CRDA by two estimators and the design team, SCI Architects, of the yet-still unopened sports betting facility at the XL Center and Construction Manager, Dimeo of Providence, RI. Unfortunately, they now have to marry the theory they presented with real-world economics, which is not a sure bet with rampant inflation in the marketplace. "It does have a 25% contingency built in (to the proposal) and it's based on the construction cost and material required, that's why the contingency is so fat and now it goes out for bid," remarked CRDA Executive Director Mike Freimuth. The CRDA oversees the XL Center and contracts with a private operator to manage it. They're on their sixth in 26 years. Currently, it's the Oak View Group (OVG), a Los Angeles-based conglomerate that bought Spectra out of all its building operations (more than 300 in North America) last November. They assumed the remaining terms contract that expires in 2025 to operate the XL Center, a deal "grandfathered" by a pandemic extension. The mantra now coming from the halls of the CT Convention Center, where the offices of the CRDA are located, and the state Capitol building is as well, is "land the budget." "If (the estimates) go $107M or below, we'll go forward. If the bids come in higher than $107M, then we'll have a different conversation and various questions before us. Can we find more money? Do we have done more engineering (studies)? Can we put off certain things until a future phase? Can we leave stuff on the table? "In that case, neither party, the state or OVG, would be obligated to go forward. So if we can't find a solution above $107M, we don't execute the agreement. "If we get below $107M, we can execute the agreement, which allows OVG to come in and manage the building under terms negotiated with them and investments in the building that will be constructed over a two-year window," Freimuth said. "And if it goes forward the next two summers, the XL Center will go dark during that time period, then re-open in the fall for basketball and hockey." The CRDA, the quasi-public state agency that oversees the 48-year-old arena that, 's owned by the city because of the water pipes that come into the building that help make the ice for the brand-new chiller system and flooring installed over the past three years. This spring and summer will determine the actual costs of a significant, necessary upgrade, which is the estimated above of $107.2 million. But the question lingers if that can be done for that money. The effort is an attempt to move beyond years of thick folders of drawings, colorful renderings, open public hearings, grand plans, and ideas coupled with inexact, wildly optimistic cost projections (a powerful feature of CT construction projects - never on time or under budget) that have changed over time and in the last ten years. The decision also comes as the CRDA is hip-deep in negotiations with OVG for an ambitious, yet not agreed to, millions of dollars in private investment required for this project and a new lease of potentially up to 20 years. However, OVG appears to be unfazed by the number. "We've been talking with (them) about the $100M range for two years now. The scope of the work we are putting out to bid and what OVG has wanted and expects, that helps them accomplish their building plans includes the stage reconfiguration (to a price point of 13,500 fans facing the stage), the loading dock issue (they did a study on last summer and made the necessary physical changes last year) all are important to OVG and our models," commented Freimuth. Accomplishing the 13,500 facing the stage can be tricky but is doable, according to Freimuth. "You can put 15-16 thousand people in there, but move the stage forward the seats behind the stage. You can recess the stage; you can get 270 degrees of eyeballs. The closer you bring the stage forward the more seasting you lose. OVG came up with 13.5 number," commented Freimuth. The renovations have focused on the lower half of the arena, known as the "Lower Bowl Strategy." It's an enormous task aimed at making the XL Center more competitive with new arenas in the marketplace for events in the 21st century on a regional and national scale. The idea is to help the venue turn a profit (which it never has during the CRDA term) and carry it through another two decades of functionality. A major renovation would target the necessary addition of premium seating to command MUCH higher ticket prices to match the market and new amenities and features they wish to install. There are also much-needed upgrades to the concourse needed for the building, which is inadequate in the 21st century, and becomes a glorified sandbox during large crowds. "We're responsible for the operating subsidy (and) in turn we pay them a simple, straight forward management fee. The deal includes an incentive mechanism and in the ten years I have been here, we've never triggered it." But are they making the building profitable? Has it ever been? "Maybe in the magical, halcyon days of the (Hartford) Whalers, they did. That's ancient history. Since I've been here, none." The technology systems presently are archaic. For example, its WIFI system would become priority number one. This is partly to accommodate the heavy social media posting and texting done during events and event seat food ordering. The CRDA will complete the full scope of designs in the coming months and seek bids for the different renovation components to see if the actual costs are close to the $107.2 million estimate and projections. "The deal is designed at a certain number. When they make a profit, we split it with them as they realize from their initial investment. At the same time, they would be responsible for negative losses, deficits, or cash flow. There are no guarantees in any of this. "The idea is that by reconfiguring the building for specific events, they can make a profit on, especially concerts. That's the big payday in these buildings. "We haven't been able to secure concerts for two reasons. "One, the building is technically (deficient) and physically tired. The second is the casinos (in Western MA and eastern CT) that can underwrite these shows to drive people to the casinos. You can't compete with that. "All we can do to compete is have a building that produces better revenue and operating expense profile and the ability to sell tickets in multiple, variable pricing and style of seats, and that's the concert business," said Freimuth. The CRDA and OVG want the numbers to come in line together. A ballooning of renovation costs will doom this project if returned bids are higher than expected. "The losses, pre-pandemic, were in the $2.5-3 range and during the pandemic was above $4M. We're coming back to the general $2.5-3M range," said Freimuth. The funding mechanism, a sunset of federal COVID funding known by its acronym of ARPA, will end after this budget year as it will be retired. Governor Ned Lamont has maintained two benchmarks he has not wavered or changed on that must be met before he will put the expense on the bond agenda. First, the operating subsidy must go away. Who will pay for it? As Freimuth stated, it rose to $4M during the pandemic. It was covered with federal funds, but with that money now being retired, it will be back around in the $2M range. Secondly, a private entity (i.e., OVG) must be found to invest in the building kicking in at least half the cash needed for the long overdue renovation when it finally does commence. The state isn't going in alone, and finally, the public-private laws will need to be rewritten, a most likely tortuous exercise to come. XL CENTER HOME Read the full article

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CANTLON: (1/15) UCONN KNOCKED OFF BY BU

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT -  Boston University’s Jay O’Brien cashed in the game-winner just eight seconds into the overtime session. Off the opening draw, O’Brien carried the puck uncontested all way to the net and beat Darion Hanson with his fifth of the season to give the Terriers the extra point in a 2-1 win. Boston University is undefeated over their last seven games (6-0-1). The Terriers own a record of 10-6-3 overall, 6-5-3 HEA. “Fans got their money’s worth. It was a great game between two good hockey teams. Back and forth, good chances for both sides. I thought both goalies played excellent games. It’s a shame in overtime the puck went under Carter’s stick,” UConn Head Coach Mike Cavanaugh said afterward. The resulting eight seconds were not in UCONN’s (9-9-0 overall, 6-5-0 HEA) favor from the opening draw. “John Spetz bailed out because he thought Carter (Turnbull) was gonna pass the puck to him and backed off (that created the space and opening for O’Brien).” OFFENSIVE OUTPUT IS A PROBLEM Some games’ anemic regulation offensive output is problematic, not that it has been raised to a five-bell alarm fire status. “It’s a concern that we haven’t scored a lot in the last few games, but we did have chances tonight. We gotta start bearing down on chances. It was a good shot by O’Brien that beat Hanson far side. Overall, I was pretty happy with the effort,” Cavanaugh said of the game-winner. UCONN had some chances in the last few minutes of regulation, but Drew Commesso showed why he is Olympic bound. He stopped Carter Turnbull with 4:12 remaining while Vladislav Firstov had several chances stopped. “He’s a good goalie, been around college hockey for some time.” BU WAS ON THE ATTACK BU hit four posts in the game as they sought to bust the game wide open from the usual UCONN-BU nail biters. UCONN stayed even with the Terriers throughout the contest. “Against AIC, we lost battles in the third period and didn’t deserve to win. That wasn’t the case (here). We went toe-to-toe with them; it just didn’t go our way (tonight). We played well enough to win,” remarked Cavanaugh. UCONN finally solved the Commesso riddle (25 saves) with precisely seven minutes to go in the game. BRADLEY SCORES Chase Bradley was the goal scorer as Jachym Kondelik took full advantage of his height, extending his stick full length on a forecheck, lifting the stick, and creating a turnover. Bradley, who had just fallen, popped right back up and put in his third of the season past Commesso. “We forced the turnover as Nick Capone found Jachym. The effort of (goal scorer) Chase Bradley was incredible. He was knocked down when he shot, but he was able to quickly get himself back up. Jachym was able to get him to make a turnover and Chase buried it.” HANSON STRONG BETWEEN THE PIPES Hanson (26 saves) also turned in an Olympic-like performance. The grad transfer stretched out with his right leg on one play, making a last-second save on the goal line on Kade Webber’s scoring chance with 3:36 remaining in the second period. The save left Webber muttering to himself. “It was crazy. I was right on the sight line. I was sure that puck was going in. For him to get his pad on that was an incredible effort,” Cavanaugh said. Jay O’ Brien then took a perfect stretch pass from senior Dominick Fensore from the BU end of the ice and cruised in at top speed. Hanson shut the five-hole door and kept UCONN down by just one goal with 15 seconds left before heading into the second intermission. WHAT A SAVE “That save was huge for us better to be down 1-0 than 2-0. I liked the way we played five-on-five. It feel like a loss because it’s a skills competition (in overtime). I told the players to remember in the playoffs it’s five-on-five, but give full credit to BU. They played well.” BU played a solid road game at XL, making UCONN’s life quite difficult in the first period. They held the Huskies to two shots on goal in the first ten minutes and shut them down on the first power play. The game’s first goal came from Matt Brown, who snatched the puck away from Ryan Wheeler in a one-on-one puck battle in the right-wing circle. He lifted a backhander at 17:10 and put it beautifully over Hanson’s glove and bar down in the process.  NOTES BU has junior Jamie Armstrong from Avon Old Farms. He is the son of Arizona Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong. Former UCONN Husky Karl El-Mir signs a PTO With the Ontario (CA) Reign (AHL), the top farm team of the LA Kings. LINES Firstov-Kondelik-O’Neil Gatcomb-Evans-Turnbull Teleguine-Schandor-Tverberg Bradley-Schlaine-Capone Wheeler-Rees Berger-Spets Kinal-Gorley Flynn UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT HOME Read the full article

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CANTLON: (12/13) UCONN HUSKY MAKES A WJC TEAM

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - UCONN’s Ryan Tverberg was selected to join the Canadian team and officially became the sixth UCONN player to represent a country on a World Junior Championship team. Tverberg heads off to Banff, Alberta, for the WJC camp. They’ll have three warmup exhibition games starting on December 19 against Switzerland, December 20 against Sweden. These WJC games will be played at the Peavey Mart Centaurium, the second site of the WJC. December 22 Canada’s entry in the WJC will play a pre-Christmas affair against Russia at Rogers Place in Edmonton that will air on the NHL Network. TOURNAMENT BEGINNING The tournament begins on December 26 (Canadian Boxing Day) with a Group A meeting against the Czech Republic in Edmonton. The puck drop of all WJC games is 7:00 PM. All games will air on the NHL Network who will pick up the TSN feed. Tverberg will be joined by several New York Rangers prospects, including returning goalie and ex-Hartford Wolf Pack, Dylan Garand of the Kamloops Blazers (WHL). Another ex-Pack from last year is center Will Cuylle of the Windsor Spitfires (OHL). There will also be Jack Finley, who was recently traded from the Spokane (WA) Chiefs (WHL) to the Winnipeg Ice (WHL). Finley is the son of ex-Pack, Ranger, and Springfield Indian Jeff Finley and is presently a scout with Winnipeg. Another son of an ex-Indian is Ridley Greig from the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL), the son of former Hartford Whaler and Springfield Indian; Mark Greig also made the team. The Canadian WJC team was shut out 3-0 by a group of Canadian University All-Stars in their first of two exhibition games at Markin MacPhail Centre-WinSports Arena in Calgary on Saturday. MORE TEAM MEMBERS Two names of note from the Canadian University All-Star squad in two defensemen. Nolan Volcan of the University of Alberta Golden Bears (CWUAA) is the nephew of former Whaler Michael “Mickey” Volcan and ex-Wolf Pack Tysen Helgesen. He is a senior for the Mt Royal University Cougars (CWUAA). While not getting a point, Tverberg opened his coach’s eyes and solidified his chances of making the team while playing on a line with Elliot “Destroyer” Desnoyers of the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) and Joshua Roy Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL). “I liked his game,” Head Coach Dave Cameron said to the Canadian Press in the Toronto Star, “He’s tenacious on the puck. That’s his biggest asset. He’s around the puck. I thought he had a couple of offensive chances he whiffed on. High energy. Good reads around the puck. Good on the forecheck, good on battles.” On Sunday afternoon, the team won 7-2 with thirteen players registering points, including Tverberg, who recorded his with a third-period power play goal. Cuylle was patrolling the left side, with the center being the Washington Capitals’ number one pick, Hendrix Lapierre. Helgesen scored one of the two goals for the University All-Stars. BIG RECRUIT HEADING TO STORRS UCONN scored a significant recruit with a familiar last name in New England hockey. Forward Mason Kesselring of Cushing (MA) Academy is 6’3 and 180lbs. He made a verbal commitment to the Huskies for 2022-23. Casey Kesselring, Mason’s father, was a star in Hockey East in the mid-1990s with Merrimack. He also had a five-year ECHL career. The New Hampshire native is also the younger brother of former Northeastern star Michael Kesselring. He had a short-lived minor pro career with the Bakersfield Condors (AHL). Casey has been a prep school coach at Pinkerton (NH) Academy (2003-2009) and New Hampton (NH) School (2014-2019), where Michael is the school’s all-time leading point-getter. Mason spent a year there before going to Cushing. Casey was also an assistant for half a season of the CT Yankees in 2009 before taking the job with Pinkerton. Casey is presently the head coach of the Northern (MA) Cyclones 18-AAA team and a New England scout with Fargo (USHL). He has previously worked with the Youngstown (OH) Phantoms (USHL). UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT HOME Read the full article

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CANTLON: (11/13) FRIARS OUTSKATE HUSKIES 6-4

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings PROVIDENCE, RI - The Providence College Friars' Nick Poisson contributed four assists and a revived power play that went three-for-five on the night downed the UCONN Huskies 6-4 Saturday night. It was an exceptionally slow start for the Huskies that even after UCONN Head Coach Mike Cavanaugh changed his forward lines, it didn't solve anything. Cavanaugh was unhappy with his team’s offensive production despite a good game against Boston College. His reshuffling of the lineup sent top scorer Jonny Evans, who has struggled, down to the fourth line. Cavanaugh put Vladislav Firstov, Carter Turnbull, and Marc Gatcomb together, breaking up his top line. He shifted his entire fourth line brought back in Cassidy Bowes and made Sasha Teleguine, his extra forward, and played without an extra defenseman. “I was disappointed in the result, but was happy with the effort,” the tenth-year head coach said. "Quite frankly, of our last four games, it was the best one we played. We didn’t win the special team battle and that was the difference." GETTING IT STARTED Kohen Olischefski started off the PC scoring parade by getting inside position on Evans. He tallied the first goal as Poisson got his first of four assists. “We've got to be sharper on our penalty kill. We had been doing great,” remarked Cavanaugh, “They got some bounces and some funky goals like the first one. They like to throw pucks at the net. We got exposed.” Then Jarrod Gourley came off the right point, off a pass from Kevin O’Neil. He scored his first Huskies goal as Firstov waived at the puck in a vain attempt at a tip-in at 5:29.  It was tied 1-1, but it all went downhill quickly, THE SLIDE BEGINS PC regained the lead at 2-1 as Parker Ford registered a power play tally from Poisson from 25-feet out at 7:50. The goal came just 1:21 after Gourley had tied it. The third PC goal by Kevin Koopman came off a two-on-one with Mike Needham. Hanson made the initial save, but the rebound went to a wide-open Koopman, who was on the goal line. He backhanded the puck to Hanson whose feet got crossed. Before a back-checking Evans could get to him, the puck went over the goal line with 1:31 left in the period. “They got us running a little bit there. We didn’t get an icing there and they broke out. We have got to ice it in that at situation.” SECOND PERIOD In the second half of the second period, the score grew to 4-1 as PC tallied another power play marker at 14:47. Max Crozier drilled a blue line bomb from 55-feet out. Any struggles PC had entered the game with on the power play quickly evaporated against the Huskies. "Their power play was dangerous; three goals on nine shots,” remarked Cavanaugh. Ryan Tverberg extended his point-scoring streak to five games when he redirected a shot from John Spetz after 1:52 had elapsed as PC had gone up three goals. ALL PROVIDENCE Jaxon Stauber (32 saves) was strong in the net for PC especially denying hard-luck Carter Berger for a second night in a row. PC tacked on two more in the third as Poisson was red hot. Before Poisson's night took off, Evans ended a seven-game scoring drought on a pro play pass as Hudson Schandor backhanded a loose puck that came off another Spetz shot. While it made the score closer on the scoreboard at 4-3, the team just didn’t have enough juice to overtake PC. Jarrod Englebert got his well-earned second point at 12:48 from Mitch Callahan getting his second assist after Michael Moynihan had hit the post just a minute earlier. FUTURE NY RANGER GETS IN ON THE SCORING New York Rangers' sixth-round draft choice, Brett Berard, scored on the power play off a nifty backhander in close on yet another Poisson-engineered play.  Moynihan contributed to starting it with his eighth goal at 15:32 on yet another power play, this one from 35-feet out, nailing his third power play marker. Hanson faced 37 shots for UCONN. Nick Capone (East Haven/Salisbury School) closed out the scoring as did a turnaround on Artem Shlaine’s pass nailed his third goal of the season to finish the scoring. LINES BRADLEY-SCHLAINE-CAPONE TURNBULL-KONDELIK- TVERBERG FIRSTOV-O’NEIL-GATCOMB BOWES-SCHANDOR-EVANS TELGUINE BERGER-SPETZ WHEELER-REES GOURLEY-KINAL HANSON TERNESS NOTES Poisson’s brother Ben, a junior, plays at the University of Maine. PC featured Connecticut connections. Alex Esposito (West Haven/Loomis Chaffe) Jaxon Stauber is the son of former Hartford Wolf Pack/New Haven Nighthawk Robb Stauber Brett Berard, a Rangers' draft choice, is the son of current PD administrator and one-time UCONN (AHA) head coach David Berard. UCONN HOCKEY HOME Read the full article