Saturday nights, historically, has been owned by Hockey Night In Canada, and with good reason. Since 1952, the CBC flagship has graced our flickering television sets with the likes of Maurice Richard, Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Phil Esposito, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Aaron Gavey, while we, the hockey mad gluttons that we are, kick back with our beer and nachos and watch progressively angrier as Bob Cole continues to wither and decay live on the air and Jim Hughson makes even less of an attempt to hide his ever present Vancouver Canucks er...tent pitching.

The only times that we fail to embark on our weekend hockey constitutionals is during the offseason, obviously, and in those now more frequent moments where dudes with more money than we could ever hope to make butt heads with other dudes with even more money that we could ever hope to make.

And that's when the shakes start. What's worse, when the NHL locks out it's players, CBC has it's contingency plan in place, and they're getting as good at utilizing it as the NHL is. I of course refer to the now legendary MOVIE NIGHT IN CANADA, which, I don't need to tell you noble citizens, is just the absolute worst. I love Mr. Bean as much as the next guy, but try putting up with him 30 times over the course of a hockey season and not wanting to Shea Weber his head into the glass of his Austin Mini windshield.

Let's Ge this Party Started

We here at FlamesNation do not want to put you through that level of torment, and we have offered you a solution. If you're like us, which, you know if you are, we're sorry and we empathize, and there's also a good chance that you don't have any friends or loved ones to pay attention to or get intimate with or whatever (again, we know). Knowing this, we've set up an EA Sports NHL 13 GM Connected Hockey League. Now, if you're like us, but you play NHL 13 on a PS3, well then we're really sorry, but we have nothing for you. After most of you answered in the form of "I have an Xbox" when polled about the potential of an online league, it's the only one we set up (also mostly becase none of us have a PlayStation either).

Regardless, it's time for you Citizens to put up or shut up and duke it out for digital bragging rights. There are 28 spots available for the FlamesNation league in GM Connected (we thought we'd make it really hard for you to figure out what the league name might be called). Arik and myself, working under the Xbox Live names of ErasingArik and PeelinStucco (named gloriously after the bathroom ceiling in the house I lived in when I created the account) have graciously done you all a solid by taking control of the Florida Panthers and the Columbus Blue Jackets respectively, so none of you have to worry about that (However Vancouver and Edmonton remain ominously available as options as well).

The Nation Citizens are as social and close knit as any other random group of anonymous strangers, so let's use that closeness and warm feelings to good use by exploiting them and turning you against each other in the spirit of competition and militant destruction. 

If you want to join, we're all for it, under these caveats:

• Again, we can only take 28 more of you (however you can always team up with up to 5 people to manage a team, so there is flexibility here)
• We're going to do this on a first come first serve basis.
• If you want to join, request an invitation from the Commissioner (THAT'S ME!) in the FlamesNation league, but also leave a comment under this Weekend Open Thread comments section and leave your xbox live name, so we know that we're admitting the right people

Want the Flames? It'll Cost You (a donation)

One last thing on this, and that's that we know (or maybe just assume) that most of you joining would want to control your hometown boys, the Calgary Flames. Especially considering that we've completely randomized the rosters, and Calgary boasts the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Alex Semin, and Kevin Shattenkirk on its roster. In other words, they're actually pretty good. Although you'll have to suffer with Brian Elliot as your starting goaltender, but it sorta worked for St. Louis, right?

Well knowing this, we decided we're going to make you earn it. The comments section here is also going to serve as an impromptu auction section as well, because if you want to play as the Flames, it's going to cost you a donation to Ryan Lambert's 826 Boston Write-a-thon. Highest winning bid by the end of the weekend wins the glory of leading the Calgary Flames to like 8th place or something.

And obviously if none of you donate, you're all selfish jerks and no one gets them and we've all learned a vauable lesson in charity and goodwill.

So have a good weekend, and rest up, because the Quest for Glory is forthcoming.

PS - As mentioned this is the XBox group, but if there is enough demand we can get a PS3 group going too. If there's enough participation across either or both, Kent will see about rounding up prizes for the seasons champions and such.