Q and A with Brian Clark: Director of Hockey Broadcasting for the Rage

How do you think the season will pan out for the Rage?

I think the Rage are closer to the dominant club we saw out of the gates last season than the club that struggled down the stretch. The key will be the blue line. The Rage has so much talent and experience up front; scoring goals should not be a problem. Goaltending is another strength-- four-time All-Star Scott Reid plus Marty Magers, a former 4th rounder of the Sabres. But the defensive corps is unproven. Tyler Butler is a stalwart on the back end, but everyone else must play up to their potential.

How is the Eagles-Rage rivalry looking this year? (Eagles defeated Rage 5-1 in first contest Oct. 22.)

It will be heated as always. Even when the Rage was not a very good hockey team during their inaugural season in 2006-07, the head-to-head battles with the Eagles were always intense. Last year Rocky Mountain won the season series but Colorado was the club advancing into the playoffs. The Northwest Division title still goes through the Eagles, and no one knows that better than the Rage.

Anything new in the CHL fans should be aware of?

Couple of things:

1) The league has mandated that games will be called at an NHL standard for obstruction. The CHL has allowed a bit of clutching and grabbing in years past, not this season. They want players to be able to skate, so there will be lots of penalties, especially early in the season as players adjust to the new rules. Special teams will be paramount for every club.

2) Penalties in overtime will be cut in half (regular season only). This experiment should be interesting. Minors last just one minute if called in the extra session. If a penalty carries over from regulation, the time remaining gets slashed in half as OT starts.