Des Moines new AHL team is making its first big player move. The Iowa Chops today announced they are planning to offer a contract to Brett Farve.

Yes, that Brett Farve. Since making a splash with their new logo and colors, Chops Prez Steve Nitzel is making a grab at more off season headlines, by offering Green Bay’s waffling quarterback a chance to keep playing professional sports.

“Brett is one of the greatest American athletes of the past 50 years and deserves a place to play, so we are extending an offer to him to become the newest member of the Iowa Chops Hockey team of the American Hockey League,” said Nitzel.

“All we have to do is sharpen his skating skills and after that his athletic instincts will take over and he’ll be one heck of a hockey player.”

Nitzel said the Iowa Chops have contacted and will be sending a contract to Brett Favre’s agent, James ‘Bus’ Cook Jr., in hopes that the quarterback will consider signing with the Iowa Chops.

I haven’t been to the Missouri Valley Tourney for a few years. The last time I was there it was held in the Saviss Center. With the building now being called the ScottTrade Center, I hopped on over to their website to see if any changes had been made since my last visit.

While bouncing through the site I came across a video on how they convert the arena for hockey. Very cool video.

To make ice, the floor is chilled to 24 degrees and then a thin sheet of water is poured over the floor. This process is repeated every 20 minutes until a ¾” sheet of ice is made. It takes approximately 12-18 hours to make a ¾” sheet of ice. When 1/3 of the ice thickness is completed, white paint is coated over the ice. When 2/3 of the ice is frozen, the lines and logos are painted onto the ice, then the final 1/3 is laid. During hockey season the ice is left down and is covered with a Styrofoam insulated plastic-coated floor and the basketball floor or concert is placed on top. For the circus the ice is removed and then re-made after the final performance.Icy Facts:

* An average of 50,000 gallons of water are used annually to form the ice floor.
* This is more water than is contained in four standard-size swimming pools.
* The ice rink floor features more than 13 miles of one-inch steel piping.
* The floor has over 2,200 welds in the solid concrete slab.

For more information visit the ScottTrade Center site.

Vote online for your favorite Iowa Stars players in the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic Fan Balloting.

Vote now through January 6 and help fill the AHL Planet USA team with Iowa Stars. You can also win prizes including a team signed 2008 AHL All-Star jersey, an autographed commemorative magazine or a t-shirt.

Hurry, this maybe one of your final chances to vote for an Iowa Star!

2008 AHL All-Star Voting

Check out 9-year-old Max Gerlach from Flower Mound, Texas. Someone needs to forward this video over to Dave Allison and Scott White. We need to sign this kid.