The Forgotten Member of The Oilers Octane Cheer Team!

With the announcement of the first NHL cheer team in Canada, the Oilers Octane, the other night we at Oiler Spill noticed that when constructing the website for the team one member was left out. I assume it is an age thing; at 34 Shelly is the oldest member of the team (though not by as much as you'd think. I'm no expert but at 29 years old would you consider yourself a lifer in the cheerleading industry?). We took it upon ourselves to give Shelly her own bio page, because let's not forget, she is a member of this team too!

ABOUT SHELLY
Age: 34

Occupation/Post-Secondary program: I am a professional hockey player but unlike a lot of American Hockey League players I don't need a summer job, I make way more money than my peers ;) I'm not studying health care like most of the Octane girls, but you could say I have a lot of experience in that field, especially physical rehabilitation.

Hometown: Elk Point, AB.

Hobbies: Riding buses, punching helmets, taking slap shots, having constant, like every second, communication with team officials while I sit in a hospital bed watching old Baywatch reruns.

Why you love hockey: I guess you could say I love hockey, I mean even though I'm way better than everyone on my team I continue to play even though I know I will not be back in the NHL this season. So maybe it's not that I love hockey, it's that I like getting paid. To be honest I'm still shocked someone was willing to pay me this much ($5.4 million NBD) to play 40 games a season!

Life Lesson: Word is bond. Contracts may be guaranteed but that doesn't mean you can't find ways around them!

Favourite thing about Oil Country: I love how passionate the fans are! I mean when I first arrived they treated me like I never left since I did grow up in Oil Country, now they treat me like they never wanted me to come home. I still don't get what I did wrong :(

Dancing/Cheerleading since: Age 3

Highlights of your dance/cheer experience: Ummm definitely the 2007/08 and 2009/10 seasons. I only got to play 26 and 37 games in those seasons so that gave me a lot of time to practice and work on my moves. Oh yeah and of course making the Oilers Octane Cheer Team. Muuuuuuah!

Cool fact about Shelly: I played Junior hockey in Prince George (bbbbbrrrrrrrrr!). Me and my friend Marty own a restaurant in Montreal. I have a really hard slap shot. I was once married to a former Baywatch hottie. On December 3, 2008, the Stars' broadcast team called me a "Studly Wonderbomb," so yeah I know I'm a hottie! KTHXBYE!

Souray 4 Hartnell? Really?

By Dan Moser 

On Thursday it was reported by Dan Tencer that, at some point last season, Edmonton Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini was offered Philadelphia Flyers power forward in exchange for currently upset Oilers defenceman Sheldon Souray.

Souray making his 5 year "commitment" to the Oilers

Tambellini reportedly nixed the trade.

So far this sounds like the yearly Oilers rumour of a player the team almost landed. For a change though, this time the player coming back has apparently agreed to waive his no trade clause. When its said and done it doesn't really make that much of a difference, but you have to admit that it is nice for once to hear the magical "has agreed to waive" words.

Taken at face value this looks like another D'oh moment for the Edmonton Oilers. To think Oiler fans, a line featuring Dustin Penner AND Scott Hartnell; the damage they could create, the goalies they would crash into.

Scott Hartnell doing his best Ogie Oglethorpe impression

Digging a little deeper though, this is a trade that would have sent Oil Country into a frenzy last summer. Given Souray's salary, it is fair to assume that this trade was negotiated before the Flyers landed Chris Pronger at the Entry Draft in 2009.

Souray was probably viewed by Flyers GM Paul Holmgren as a much cheaper trade option than Pronger, considering that Pronger cost them Joffery Lupul, Luca Sbisa, and 2 first round draft picks. The rumoured deal for Souray was a package of Gilbert Brule, Souray, and a 2nd (Anton Lander) for Hartnell and a mid-range prospect.

Still sounds like a great trade in the present, Souray is basically dead weight to Oiler fans right now and Hartnell, coming off a Stanley Cup final appearance, is a better player than Brule.

At that point in time though Souray had yet to publicly ask for a trade,  he was coming off his best season as an Oiler. With 23 goals and 30 assists in 81 games, the defenceman had only a marginally less offensive year than the power forward Hartnell who had a 30 and 30 season and has been known for his Ethan Moreau moments.

So, would it be nice to have Scott Hartnell on the team today? No question the answer the yes. Would I have traded the teams number one defenceman, coming off a solid year, and a player with the draft pedigree of Brule for him? Absolutely not.  And if you disagree, keep in mind hindsight is 20/20.

Even though I wouldn't have made that trade either, and you and the Philadelphia Flyers are in full denial mode, I'd like to say thank you Scott Hartnell for not being afraid to play for the Edmonton Oilers.