Introducing... Lisa McRitchie

While Steve Tambellini continues to drag his heels on signing a tough-minutes centre, we at The Copper & Blue have been proactive on the free agent market. Our indefatigable managing editor Derek Zona will search anywhere for talent, even Calgary.

"I am in no way a Calgarian. I am an Edmontonian living in Calgary, thank you very much," retorts Lisa McRitchie, the latest addition to The Copper & Blue's team of columnists. Lisa, a.k.a. BlueBelle, has been a staple of HF Boards over the past couple of years, putting out a daily "News and Blog Report" with a comprehensive list of links to all things Oiler.

Lisa will provide a new feature for Copper & Blue readers in the form of a "weekender" every Saturday morning. The inveterate reader will recap Oiler news from the week and provide us a "best of" blogs selection, a weekly poll question, along with her own personal spin on things. She will also be posting occasional columns on other matters, especially when she hits the road to follow the Oilers, which she does for one or two road trips every season.

As an outspoken supporter of the Oilers deep behind enemy lines, Lisa puts her money where her mouth is. "Being an Oilers' fan in Calgary for the past nine years, I have long felt that you need to be an informed fan so that you can answer with more than 'no we don't!' when someone shouts 'Oilers suck.' "  The self-described "every day, average, ordinary gal" can number modesty among her many virtues, which also include a sunny disposition and an optimistic outlook, which should provide a little balance to the grumpy old (and young) men who write here.

Welcome aboard, Lisa!