In one of the most ingenious marketing partnerships in recent memory, the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL (East Coast Hockey League) are teaming up with the Girl Scouts of America are teaming up for "Girl Scout Night" on March 12th when the Wranglers take on the Bakersfield Condors.

Mmmm....Do-Si-Dos.

Russia's new Continental Hockey League (CHL) is off to a dubious start, you might say. You may recall in 2008, when a 19-year-old player collapsed during a game and later died from heart failure. And now this; a brawl unprecedented in Russian hockey, in which 691 penalty minutes were doled out, and so many players were thrown out or penalized that the game had to be abandoned. Bonus: The game lasted only 3:27, and Jaromir Jagr of the Pittsburgh Penguins was involved. Best hockey fight ever? You be the judge.

Video following the jump.

Yes, the Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin will be charging $150 per autograph at an appearance at a sports memorabilia store on Jan. 30, but that's only if you want your jersey or helmet signed. For a card or a puck, it's only $125; very reasonable I'm sure for all the young Caps fans out there. Here's the rundown from PS Game Gear.com, which is playing host to Ovechkin's appearance in its Dulles, Virginia store ... in the mall, right across from Banana Republic!

* 8x10, Puck, Card, Program Autograph Fee: $125.00
* 16x20, Jersey, Stick, Helmet, Skate or other Autograph Fee: $150.00
* Tickets are limited to only 200 available!!

What exactly is Ovechkin spending this money on? It sure isn't for dentistry or shoes. May I suggest the much more affordable Brooks Laich autograph instead? A bargain at only $30, plus he'll walk your dog.

Is it my imagination, or are NHL players stingier with their autographs than players in other pro sports? I've noticed that at a few celebrity golf tournaments, although my sample group is admittedly a small one (Mario Lemieux, Gretzky, a few others).

Tuesday will sign only one book, but will not personalize the inscription. Please keep the line moving. He will not sign body parts.

According to the Bible, or at least Catholic Shopper.com, Christ was an avid hockey player who enjoyed mixing it up in the local youth leagues. Remember Billy; hooking Jesus is considered a sin. That's why this recent development at Notre Dame is welcome news: The university has just announced plans to design a new 5,000-seat hockey arena to replace their current 42-year-old facility, and that it should be ready by 2011. But it's more than just a hockey arena, according to its designers. Much more (chorus of angels here).

This morning's message comes from the small town of Dowling, Ont., where 9-year-old Miller Donnelly made a YouTube video admonishing adults for yelling at players and taking all the fun out of youth hockey games. The video was only supposed to be for members of his family, but roughly two years after making it, Donnelly has watched it go viral: The video, entitled The Magic Hockey Helmet, has received nearly 300,000 views -- most of them during the past six months.

The video consists of Donnelly standing in front of his family's fireplace and describing his hockey helmet, which he calls "magic," because when he puts it on, "a nine-year-old boy becomes a 20-year-old man." Why, wondered Donnelly, did adults treat him with respect when he wasn't wearing it; but as soon as he put it on, they started yelling and criticizing his mistakes as if he were an adult? A rather clever metaphorical device for a pre-teen; I give it four stars.

See the video here.

Donnelly, now 12, has been interviewed on several Canadian TV shows, and his video is shown on dozens of minor league hockey web sites; making him the Canadian poster child for responsible sports parenting. Well played.

Look, yelling at Thursday isn't going to make it go by any faster. So pipe down, eh.

The 21-member USA women's hockey team to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics will be named on Dec. 17, and I have my fingers, toes and my dog's paws crossed in hopes that Jocelyne (on the right) and Monique Lamoureux both make it. Because what in the history of the world has ever failed to be better with the addition of hot blonde twins?