Does the star-studded Portland party for Grant as reported by Larry in the
article link, now in the recent past, make it likely there will be sparse
attendance at the announced Alumni Weekend in July ?

It has been extraordinarily quiet about an alumni game this summer, only
hearing that it was to be the weekend of July 20-22.  A private party for
Grant would have seemed a great accompaniment to a hockey game at Orono, but
it now is history.  Alas....

Speaking of Grant -- another typical Grant recruiting story, from a recent
ECHL online article:

Penner will never forget one comment in particular that Standbrook made
while visiting with his family in Winkler, Manitoba, after scouting him
playing junior hockey in Saskatoon.

"I was driving down from Winnipeg and I went through Carman and saw a 'Home
of Eddie Belfour' sign," Standbrook told him. "One day there'll be a sign
like that for you in Winkler."

It sounded farfetched at the time.

"I thought at first that he was just blowing smoke up my rear end, saying
all the right things. I guess he envisioned this, but I would never have at
that point in my life."