The FHL continued it's summer league action this past weekend, and the story of the day was definitely the emergence of the McDonald family, and the impact they may have on the league this upcoming season. Everyone was aware of the great rookie season Andrew had last year (30g-23a) as well as how pivotal Roy was during the Crosby's playoff run. Sunday we saw the man who spawned these two studs in action and he showed where they got the talent from. Roy McDonald III played a brand of old school defense rarely seen in this league. If a solid commitment to the league is given by Mr. Mac he could be a steal for teams needing that stay at home defensemen (Boyle, Pirates, Jets) however anyone could be in the running, as that combination of talent and veteran leadership isn't easily found. If Andrew can manage to draft his brother as well as his pops, the chemistry would make Mrs. Logan's room explode. The Pirates young captain had this to say, "Playing on the Franklin ice with my family is unbelievable. The three of us were on the same team in a pick up game on Sunday, and it was just unreal. The chemistry was there. It was very fun. I know both Roy III and Roy IV are going to be early draft picks, but I'd love to have both of them playing with me." Can't wait to see how that plays out. Another guy to keep an eye on is Ryan Cleary. The former SV golf standout has taken to slapping pucks around now in the summer and has been climbing up teams draft charts with every shift he takes. Comparisons have been made to Dustin Hess for his style of play, he also has the determination and defensive awareness coveted by most teams that are chasing down Lord Franklins Cup. Finally I would just like to extend thanks to the goaltenders for the past week as always. Especially Chad Kanz who has taken a break from schooling all of us on the floor to do the league a favor and play some net.

This is the start of a weekly column that I, John George, Commissioner of the FHL will be writing to keep the members and fans of the league in tune with all of the hackey happenings. This past weekend some select members of the FHL got a first hand look at future superstar Tony Bonacorso. "Bono" who is already being referred to as "the next one" of the FHL, displayed why he will be a force to be reckon with as he scorched some of the leagues finest in this past weekends pick up game. He played well enough to be slapped with the Pirates franchise tag by new captain Andrew McDonald. If surrounded by a solid group of guys, there's no reason not to say this guy could challenge for the single season points record (84) set by Hawks phenom Chad Kanz. With Bono now being off the market, the consensus number one pick is looking to be former Jets standout Mark Fetsko. Something scary to think about, there is a 50% chance that Mark will be lining up with either Brian Barca (Jets) , Kanz, or Bono next season. Wherever he ends up you can guarantee he will be welcomed with open arms, my sources with the Crosbys tell me that GM John George as well as franchise player Bill Seaman are very high on Fetsko and would even look to make a deal to lock him up, given his style of play its easy to see why he is so highly coveted by the storied franchise. Look for more to come next week with special news regarding the awards ceremony as well as a sit down with the new face of the Flyers (Kings) Jamie "Chink" Zelena.

All of the questions about who Pirates' General Manager Andrew McDonald would franchise have ended. The announcement came quickly after a FHL scrimmage game at Franklin this afternoon. There were many names in the running, including Mark Fetzko and Jeff Rogers, but there was one person who stood out over everyone. His name is Tony Bonacorso. Tony is making the step from college hockey to the FHL next season, and he'll do so wearing red and playing for the Pirates. "There was a lot of question of who I'd pick", said McDonald. "After watching Bonacorso play, this pick was a no doubt. He is now the best player in the Franklin Hockey League, hands down. I knew it from the moment he stepped on Franklin ice." Bonacorso has a history of playing hockey for great organizations. He was a member of the USA Juniors team, who played in Italy. He also played four years at Arizona State, where he was a senior captain last season. Now, Bonacorso will join the Pirates, who are now focusing on the draft and winning a championship. In his press conference, McDonald stated, "This is all just a step-by-step process. The first step was being approved by FHL Officials. Next we decided on a name. Now we found a franchise player. The next step is obviously the draft. You know, you just got to take things one step at a time. That's what you got to do." The FHL record for points in a season was set last year, by Chad Kanz, at 84. McDonald says Bonacorso is the best player in the league. Will he set the bar for perfection even higher? We'll just have to wait and see. By: Andrew McDonald

- - - - - - - The Six Organizations that will make up the FHL next season are as followed: (C) - Captain of Team, (F) - Franchised Player (C)Zak Campbell, (F)Brian Barca [C)Matt Gori, (F)Chad Kanz (C)John George, (F)Bill Seaman (C)Brian Grise, (F)Dustin Hess (C)Jamie Zelena, (F)Jeff Pingor (C)Andrew McDonald, (F)Tony Bonacorso