Dandy dozen years in a row to the playoffs for RoughRiders

CEDAR RAPIDS -- What does it say about the program he has built that Cedar Rapids RoughRiders Coach/General Manager Mark Carlson hadn't receive his first congratulations for clinching a USHL playoff berth until Thursday. That's when a local reporter gave him off-the-cuff plaudits to begin an interview.

Apparently there had been nothing previously from fans, nothing from ownership, which he is a part of, by the way. Apparently nothing from his own family.

Guess it has gotten to the point where everyone just assumes the Riders will be part of the postseason.

"That might be it," Carlson said. "I can't speak for anybody else. In the end, if that's the case, that's fine. That's the type of environment you want to be in."

Cedar Rapids officially clinched last weekend. It's the 12th-consecutive season in the playoffs for the RoughRiders, who have another three-in-three weekend, including home games Saturday night and Sunday afternoon against Des Moines and Team USA, respectively.

The club has been around 13 years, as has Carlson. Late Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis coined the phrase  "Just win, baby," and it fits here.

"I tell our team this every year, I tell anybody (else) that will listen. And I say this with a ton of passion," Carlson said. "Making the playoffs in this league is a huge accomplishment. For me, it's the most competitive league in hockey, it's the toughest league in hockey. You're bringing in lots of new people every year. I have so much respect for the league, every team in the league and all the players in the league, that it is something to be proud of when you make the playoffs. No question about it."

The RoughRiders have overcome tons of injuries and illnesses to make it to the playoffs this season. They are pretty much ensconced in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with six regular-season games remaning.

Right now, they'd play Dubuque in a best-of-three first-round series that would rotate between the cities. If they get paired with Youngstown (the other first-round possibility), they would play every game in Ohio.

The top two teams in each division get first-round byes.

"We've battled hard," said RoughRiders winger Austin Ortega. "We deserve to be in the playoffs, I think."

It was telling that Ortega and the rest of the Riders' first-year guys had no clue their club's postseason run has stretched to an even dozen years.

"Really? That's amazing," said winger Davey Middleton, who spents parts of two seasons with playoff-less Tri-City before being traded to Cedar Rapids. "That's something special. It's an unbelievable thing to make the playoffs 12 years in a row. It's a tough league, and it's tough to make it any year. It's a grind. It's an accomplishment to make it to the playoffs. To make it 12 years in a row is pretty cool."

"I think it means a lot to the organization," Carlson said. "Obviously (it's a testament) to the players we've had. They've done all the work. They deserve all the credit. To make it to the playoffs 12 years in a row, I think that's something to be proud of."

ON TAP: The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders host the Des Moines Buccaneers Saturday night and Team USA Sunday afternoon at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. Opening faceoff is approximately 7:15 Saturday and 3:15 Sunday.

SCOUTING REPORT: Cedar Rapids plays Friday night at Chicago. Entering that game, it had a 23-20-11 record, its 57 points good for fifth place in the USHL's Eastern Conference. Des Moines (20-29-4, 44 points) hosts Sioux City on Friday night. Team USA (25-25-5, 55 points) plays Saturday night in Dubuque. The Bucs fired Coach/GM Regg Simon earlier this week and have been embroiled in a controversy in which two of their players are facing assault charges by Urbandale police for an in-the-stands fight with a player from Fargo and his grandfather. The players (Kevin Irwin and Tanner Karty) have been suspended by the USHL the rest of the season.

TICKETS: $10 to $20 at the Ice Arena box office (261-4625) or online at www.ridertownusa.com.

PROMOTIONS: Saturday night is ALS Night, with a postgame auction of customized Riders jerseys commemorating the night. Sunday features $5 kids tickets and a coupon for a free kid's meal from Culver's.

ON THE AIR: KMJM-AM (1360).

THIS AND THAT: Former RoughRiders defensemen Chris Wideman and Matt Tennyson signed entry level contracts with NHL clubs this week. Wideman signed a deal with the Ottawa Senators, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2009. He recently completed his collegiate career at Miami (Ohio). Tennyson signed with the San Jose Sharks as an unrestricted free agent. He recently completed his junior season at Western Michigan.