HOLTY’S BLOG: READY TO ROLL

We have a lot to cover and not that much time, so let’s get right to the blog. OK, we have as much time as you want to spend reading a blog, but who wants to read pages upon pages?

You may like reading books, but as I’ll remind you, it’s my blog and I’ll do what I want. And I want to write short, easy-to-read, blogs.

Now for the blog…

The Condors reassigned goaltender Eetu Laurikainen to Norfolk and released Kevin Henderson from his PTO today. What’s it all mean? It means the Condors are down to 24 players with two extra forwards and two extra d-men. Mikael Tam is injured, so it’s really one extra d-man for the Condors. That’s your roster for Manitoba.

I see a lot of tweets about the Condors App and that’s cool since we haven’t even announced it publicly. We had it approved in the iTunes and Google Play stores earlier this week and it will be pressed out tomorrow. There is good content already on there, it’s very easy to navigate, and you can get deals thru the app that you wouldn’t get otherwise. So download it. Thanks to Jason Best and his crew at iSportsMedia. They’re the best.

How ‘bout them Oilers? Or should I say, Condors alums? If you’re keeping track, the Oilers throttled the Flames last night, 7-4, and Condorstown alums played a huge role. Tyler Pitlick and Zack Kassian each had goals while Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl each had assists in the win.

What do you think of the Condors roster? I think it’s not complete to be honest. Iiro Pakarinen, Matt Hendricks, and Drake Caggiula were all injured in the preseason leaving the Condors “short” one or two forwards that would have started the season in Bakersfield otherwise.

I mentioned last week it’s a good opportunity for Kyle Platzer to step into an increased role. Joey Benik should benefit from the added ice time as well and has proven in the preseason to be a formidable shooter on the power play. It also gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate more players earlier in the season in different roles, which can prove valuable later on in the year.

New to this whole following the Condors thing, how do we catch broadcasts? All games are available on radio (Fox Sports 970 AM), online FoxSports970AM.com, and thru the iHeartRadio app on your mobile device. If you want to watch the games, AHL Live is your option with early-bird pricing right now. Remember – when the Condors are on the road, click the “away” feed on the bottom right of the viewer to listen to your favorite Condors broadcaster.

Looking forward to Winnipeg? I’m looking forward to the season, the great press room food, and as of now, no snow in Winnipeg. We’ll have road reports all season long, so be sure to tune in on game days to Condors.TV and across our social media channels for the latest news and notes on the team even when we’re on the road.

Lock of the week? What a rush in Oakland last week! Caught the game in the Sharks Ice restaurant with Keith Gretzkty and Kelly Buchberger. I survived the pool, so we’re on to this weekend. Let’s go for a parlay. I like the Pats and the Bills both at home and both cover.

Until next time Condorstown…

Ryan Holt, a.k.a. Holty enters his 6th season with the Condors in 2016-17. He did become an uncle yesterday as Paige Allison Holt was born to his brother and sister-in-law and he’s really excited about that. Follow him on Twitter @CondorsHolty for more nonsense or shoot him an e-mail to rholt@bakersfieldcondors.com with questions, comments, or blog ideas.