The Alaska Avalanche of the North American Hockey League get back their deadliest sniper Friday night.

Avalanche coach/general manager Keith Morris said center Brad McCabe, who has missed more than two months with a knee injury, will return to the lineup when the Avs entertain the North Iowa Outlaws at 7:30 at the Menard Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla. The teams play at again Saturday night.

The NHL's Central Scouting Service on Wednesday released its mid-term rankings for the 2007 draft and Alaskans were nowhere to be found.

And that's news, because it hints that next summer's draft could be the third straight that goes by without an Alaskan being selected. If so, that three-year drought for Alaskans would be our longest since Harry Armstrong and Kory Wright of Anchorage were the first Alaskans drafted in 1983.

In the 12 NHL drafts from 1993 to 2004, at least one Alaskan was selected in 10 of those drafts.

No kids selected from here for three straight summers would be quite the comedown for a state that once had two first-round picks in the same draft -- Scott Gomez and Scott Parker in 1998. And remember, puckheads, in a three-year span of the late 90s, four Alaskans were first-round picks -- Gomez, Parker, 1997 selection Ty Jones (retired) and 1999 selection and current Alaska Aces winger Barrett Heisten.

After a slow start to his rookie season as a pro, center Brandon Dubinsky of Anchorage is picking up his pace in the American Hockey League.

Dubinsky, 20, on Wednesday night scored goals less than three minutes apart -- one late in the second period, the other early in the third -- to help the Hartford Wolf Pack forge a tie at Albany. Hartford won a shootout -- alas, Dubinsky was denied in his post-overtime scoring bid -- to capture a 4-3 victory.

Dubinsky, a second-round draft pick of the New York Rangers in 2004, owns 9-9--18 totals in 37 games and is +3. After scoring just five points in his first 20 games this season -- and that came after a terrific AHL playoff run coming out of major junior Portland last spring -- Dubinsky is getting up to speed on the scoresheet. He has produced 6-7--13 totals in his last 17 games.

After a three-day break, the ECHL's West Division-leading Alaska Aces get back on the practice ice Wednesday morning, but Tuesday night a couple of former Aces shined in the American Hockey League.

Winger Charles Linglet scored his team-high 20th goal, the game-tying power-play marker, and goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu stopped 22 shots to lead the Peoria Rivermen to a 2-1 road victory over the Chicago Wolves.

New Jersey Devils center Scott Gomez of Anchorage is getting in gear -- Sunday, he recorded two assists for the second straight day.

The King of Airport Heights assisted on both of linemate Brian Gionta's goals in a 3-0 win at Montreal, following a repeat of the two Gionta goals he assisted on Saturday in a 3-2 win at Ottawa.

In the last six games, Gomez has put up 2-7--9 totals and gone +6. For the season, he's 6-27-33 in 34 games and +4. New Jersey has gone 5-0-1 in that span.

Around the minor leagues, hard-hitting former UAA winger Curtis Glencross is apparently feeling frisky for the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League -- in two games over the last 24 hours, he has scored three goals and engaged in two fights. He always did wear his heart on his sweater. The fearless, thin-framed kid we called Boo-Boo, because he played so recklessly that he was always nursing ailments, scored two goals and fought once in a 3-1 win over visiting Worcester on Saturday (Worcester defenseman Matt Carle of Anchorage sat out that game). Sunday, Glencross scored one goal, fought again and was named first star in a 4-1 win over Manchester. For the season, he owns 5-10--15 totals in 30 games, and it's good Boo-Boo is breaking out -- this is a contract year for him with the Anaheim Ducks organization.

Surely, after UAA had two apparent goals disallowed in a 4-2 loss at St. Cloud State on Friday night, there are some conspiracy theorists among puckheads who count themselves Seawolves fans.

That because the man in the stripes and armband -- WCHA referee Todd Anderson -- has directed this movie before.

Anderson was the ref two years ago who jobbed the Seawolves in overtime at Denver. After reviewing video, Anderson determined the Pioneers scored an overtime goal against goaltender Nathan Lawson for a 3-2 win. Days later, I viewed the same video as Anderson and came to the opposite conclusion. While one could infer that the puck crossed the line, there was no conclusive video evidence it did -- and a referee cannot infer a goal was scored; he must have evidence. So the Seawolves got hosed, Lawson damn near snapped on Anderson (teammate Justin Bourne held him back) and then-coach John Hill and his staff were livid, especially after they watched the same replays Anderson did.

As he tries to rehab his game and get back with the San Jose Sharks of the NHL as quickly as possible, Matt Carle of Anchorage is proving a big help to the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League.

Friday night, the rookie defenseman assisted on both of Worcester's power-play goals in a 2-1 win at Providence. The game was Carle's second since San Jose sent him down earlier this week, hoping some games one level down will help him escape his recent funk. Unfortunately, he didn't get to go head-to-head with another Anchorage skater -- Providence's Nate Thompson, the second-year center who made his NHL debut earlier this season, has been shelved by injuries for more than two weeks. Still, there was uplifting news on the injury front at the Worcester-Providence -- Boston Bruins rookie center Phil Kessel played the first game of his conditioning assignment in Providence, a welcome return to the ice for a 19-yea-old who less than one month ago underwent surgery for testicular cancer.

Matt Carle's first game in the American Hockey League went off without a hitch Wednesday night, when his Worcester Sharks racked up a 5-3 win over visiting Springfield.

Carle, the 22-year-old Anchorage defenseman who the NHL's San Jose Sharks sent down to Worcester earlier in the week, didn't have a point, but was plus-1. On hand in Worcester, Mass., was San Jose general manager Doug Wilson, who knows a thing or two about playing on the blue line. (Hint: He won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1982 after a 39-goal, 85-point campaign).

Bouncing Back Big-Time

Under coach Davis Payne, the Alaska Aces usually follow something lousy with something laudable.

Check out Wednesday night, when they dispatched the Utah Grizzlies, 7-0, a win that came on the heels of botching a two-goal lead in the waning minutes and losing in a shootout in Victoria on New Year’s Day.

Until that stumble in British Columbia, the Aces had gone 67 straight regular season games without a loss when heading into the third period with a lead. They made amends Wednesday.

San Jose Sharks rookie defenseman Matt Carle of Anchorage, who got off to a fast start this season, but struggled of late, has been sent down to the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League.

Carle, 22, who has never played a minor-league game, was demoted Tuesday. The Sharks cited his declining production. Also, San Jose coach Ron Wilson said the grind of the 82-game season may be wearing down the rookie who last spring entered the NHL fresh off winning the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey’s best player during his junior season at Denver.

While who knows how many Alaskans spent Monday nursing sore noggins, the Alaska Aces gave themselves a headache.

The Aces owned a two-goal lead over the Victoria Salmon Kings with less than five minutes to play, yet ended up 3-2 shootout losers at the (seriously, this is the name of the rink, eh) Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, British Columbia.

That's called (fill-in-the-blank, rhymes with 'dissing') away a point in the standings. It happens. Remember, the Aces sort of stole two points in Stockton earlier this season when they scored with an extra attacker in the last minute of regulation and ended up winning in a shootout. Misery swings both ways, puckheads.

With the Governor's Cup already theirs, the UAA Seawolves further expressed their superiority with a 4-2 win over the UAF Nanooks on Saturday night. (Much love to UAA's Peter Cartwright for his second straight insurance empty netter in two nights! Kudos to all Seawolves for going 3-0-1 against their rivals.) And the Alaska Aces survived with a 5-4 shinny win on the road against the Victoria Salmon Kings, whom they have beaten six times in seven games this season.

New Jersey Devils center Scott Gomez had it going on Friday night in a 4-3 win over Washington.

Our man, The King of Airport Heights, scored two goals and added an assist for his first three-point night of the season, had his best plus-minus game of the season at +3 and tied his season high with eight shots on goal.

And goaltender Ty Conklin of Anchorage made his first NHL start of the season, stopping 20 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss at Minnesota.

The blog hates to boast -- and, really, we don't expect the St. Louis Blues are listening -- but our quest for some big-time love for former Aces winger Charles Linglet has been answered.

According to this Peoria Journal Star story the Blues have signed The Linger to an NHL contract, which makes him available to be called up to The Show from the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League. The story comes courtesy of Journal Star writer Dave Eminian, who covers his AHL beat with a smothering, comprehensive tenacity that's the journalistic equivalent of the New Jersey Devils back in their best neutral zone-trapping days.

Aces forward Joe Talbot, whose lingering groin injury from hell has prompted two visits to the 30-day injured reserve list this season, is set to be activated in time for a weekend three-game series in Victoria, B.C.

Talbot, who scored 25 goals and 50 points in 38 games last season after coming back from ankle surgery, said he's ready to skate against the Victoria Salmon Kings.

Joe's got a lot of time to make up for: After all, he's already spotted little brother Julian, an Aces rookie, 20 points in their family scoring race.

The blog's championing of former Aces winger Charles Linglet continues apace.

Our man Linger the Winger notched another two goals, both on the power play, in the Peoria Rivermen's 4-2 AHL loss to the Milwaukee Admirals on Wednesday night. The gives the erstwhile Aces a team-high 16 goals and 16-8--24 totals in 27 games.

Surely, the St. Louis Blues have to give Linger a shot soon. Former Minnesota State-Mankato star David Backes, a pro rookie (and Mr. 4.0 engineer type in college), recently made the move from Peoria to St.

Goaltender Ty Conklin of Anchorage looks like he's looking at one month in the NHL, minimum. He'll be sticking with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

That's because Blue Jackets goalie Pascal Leclaire, usually billed as the organization's franchise backstop, will undergo knee surgery this week. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Leclaire will be out a minimum of four weeks.

In the meantime, Conklin will serve as back-up to Fredrik Norrena. Of course, you know how these things work -- Norrena stumbles, Conklin tosses in a few excellent games and who knows? Maybe Ty is back in the big-time for more than one month.

One man's agony is another man's opportunity.

Case in point: Goaltender Ty Conklin of Anchorage, who the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets returned to Syracuse of the American Hockey League earlier this week, got called back up to the big club today.

And Conklin, promoted after Pascal Leclaire was injured Friday night, didn't even have to leave New York to get back in The Show -- as this is written, the Blue Jackets are playing the New York Islanders on Long Island. Conklin, 30, is backing up Fredrik Norrena. Conklin last week played two games for Columbus, mopping up for Norrena twice got the hook. Conklin faced just 11 shots in a combined 54 minutes and surrendered just one goal, giving him a save percentage of .909 and goals-against average of 1.09.

Alaska Aces rookie forwards Julian Talbot and Kevin Croxton have been selected to play for the National Conference in the ECHL All-Star Game Jan. 17 in Boise, Idaho.

Talbot owns 8-10--18 totals in 24 games, is tied for the league lead among rookies in plus-minus at +11, and has proved himself an exceptional penalty killer.

Croxton owns 10-6--16 totals in 21 games, which ranks him second among Aces in goals and tied for fifth among league rookies.

Both players were selected in voting by National Conference coaches. The All-Star week also features a skills competition on Jan. 16.

The UAF Nanooks have received an oral commitment from forward Dustin Sather, who is tearing up the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

That word comes from Chris Heisenberg’s very reliable recruiting web site.

Sather, 20, owns 26-47—73 totals in just 34 games for the Grande Prairie Storm – he leads the league in assists and points. He owns a 16-point lead in the league scoring race.