Two stories about hockey?

Yes. Hockey. In Wisconsin. Potential Hockey teams to be truthful.

#1. That Professional Hockey Hotbed of Madison.

Twin Lakes Hockey Partners, LLC, is proud to announce the return of professional hockey to Madison for the 2009-10 season.

We are currently in negotiations with Madison-area venues and several professional hockey leagues, but there is no doubt, PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY IS RETURNING TO MADISON.

While the details are being ironed out, we are asking the public to get involved and choose the name for the team. Using the poll on this page, please let us know what you want the name of the new hockey team in Madison to be.

That is from the official website of this new hockey "team". Why bring this up?

One of the choices is Ice Muskies, which is either a blatant rip-off of or an homage to one of the former Midwest League teams based in Madison.

Oh, and then there is this.

Madison has not fielded a pro hockey team since 2000, when the Kodiaks of the United Hockey League headed to Kalamazoo, Mich., after one season at the Alliant Energy Center Coliseum.

That concluded a five-year run in Madison by the UHL, with the Madison Monsters preceding the Kodiaks.

When the Monsters left town for Knoxville, Tenn., owner Andrew Wilhelm claimed to have lost $1.5 million during his four-year run.

After the Kodiaks departed, the man who was instrumental in bringing the team to the city said it was a mistake. "This is probably the worst minor league market I've seen in my life," Leo Hunstiger told The Capital Times in 2000.

Tjapkes said the new Madison team's prospective owner has done his research on the experiences of those franchises and will not repeat their mistakes.

Research! It solves everything and helps you to dream big in a market that hasn't supported professional hockey...ever.

Hockey story #2 comes from the backyard of the Beloit Snappers.

What’s in a name?

Janesville could learn the answer to that question in the next few weeks if the city council approves the $200,000 renovation plan for the Janesville Ice Skating Center. The upgrade, if approved at tonight’s meeting, would pave the way for the city to land an expansion franchise in the North American Hockey League.

An expansion franchise would need a nickname, of course.

“I think it’s important for the community to have ownership in the team,” said Bill McCoshen, head of the group seeking to bring junior hockey to the city. “I want it (selecting a nickname) to be a fun process.

“Janesville needs something to put its arms around.”

McCoshen hinted that he and his ownership group have a few ideas. He also said the team would most likely hold a communitywide contest to come up with a nickname.

The choices are at the story, but I had to share the Marvel Comics like logo for the generic sounding Janesville Jays.

I'm trying to decide if he is the newest member of The Mighty Avengers or if he is going to be fighting Daredevil for the next six issues.

Also, MWL President George Spelius gets a quote in this story:

Selecting a name and colors is an important first step for any franchise.

“You don’t want anything offensive to people or groups,” said George Spelius, president of the Midwest League. “Team owners have to go with what they think is right. You roll the dice on that sometimes.

“There are some real clever names out there. We’re fortunate in the Midwest League to have quite a few of the marks that are pretty good. They’ve all done quite well and have survived.”

The Snappers were mentioned earlier in the story as an example of a good nickname.