RoughRiders could sound different this season

Been sworn to secrecy, so that's all you're getting at this point. Things should become "clearer" perhaps in the next couple of days.

A couple of other Cedar Rapids RoughRiders-related notes. Cedar Rapids will host a preseason tournament in September called "The Battle of Iowa" that consists of the four Iowa teams in the league: Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Des Moines and Sioux City.

Here's the schedule:

Saturday, September 19

3:00PM Des Moines vs. Sioux City

7:00PM Cedar Rapids vs. Waterloo

Sunday, September 20

1:00PM Waterloo vs. Des Moines/Sioux City

5:00PM Cedar Rapids vs. Des Moines/Sioux City

Tickets will be $15 per day for adults, $10 for children 12 and under.

Also, a pair of guys who skated in the USHL last season are jumping straight to pro hockey. Green Bay's Michael Forney has signed a multi-year contract with the Atlanta Thrashers. He was a third-round pick of the club in 2006.

Chicago's John Moore has signed a three-year entry level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The defenseman was Columbus' first-round pick this summer, the 21st overall.