Panthers on a Roll

Last Thursday, the Florida Panthers continued their road trip to Ottawa. They entered the nation’s capital on a bit of a roll, with six wins in their last ten games.

 

They have a couple of key players missing from the lineup at this time, and that is bound to make a difference. Tim Thomas has played well in the net for the Panthers, but he was on the shelf, as was Ed Jovanovski. They are both seasoned veterans who can steady a young team through turbulent times.

 

Executive Vice President and General Manager Dale Tallon was at the rink in Ottawa overseeing his players. Tallon hails from Noranda, Quebec, and is no stranger to the chills of winter. I suggested to him that it was a bit cooler here than in Fort Lauderdale. “It’s minus forty in Noranda today!” he told me.

 

Tallon was the second overall draft pick by the VancouverCanucks in 1970. A guy named Gilbert Perreault was chosen ahead of Tallon, by the Sabres. Tallon’s career was marked with serious injuries, and three years after signing with the Canucks, he moved on to the Black Hawks.

 

He remained with the Hawks until he retired in 1980, when he moved to the broadcast booth. He entered the managerial world of hockey shortly thereafter, and directed the Hawks to their first StanleyCup in many years, the first since the days of Bobby Hull and Stan Makita.

 

A couple of years ago, he joined the staff in Florida, and has been attempting to assemble a winning lineup since his arrival. There are times when he feels the frustration. He replaced Coach Kevin Dineen a little more than a month ago with his minor league coach from the San Antonio Rampage of the American league, Peter Horachek.

 

At the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, former Belleville Bull Shawn Matthias picked up his fifth assist of the year on their first goal. There are years when things do not come easy for players, and this has been a bit of a tough one for Matthias. When we spoke after the game, he was pleased with the win. “It would be nice to bury a few more in the net, but the win is great.” He notched his fourth goal of the season the following night in Winnipeg. He spends considerable time killing penalties for the Cats, most effectively.

 

With less than five minutes remaining in the third period, the Senators Jean-Gabriel Pageau clipped rookie Dylan Olsen with a high stick. On the ensuing power play, Tomas Fleischmann fed a perfect pass to defenceman Tom Gilbert. Gilbert buried the puck past a well-screened Craig Anderson to put the Panthers ahead. Kopecky’s short-handed marker sealed the deal for the Cats.

 

Despite their poor start to the season, the Panthers have moved up to within one point of the Senators. It has been a frustrating time lately for the crew from Ottawa, with few bounces going their way. The breaks of the game.

 

If you happen to find Dale Tallon in the clubhouse looking for a game of golf, please be advised that it would be unwise to play for money. He won the Canadian Junior Golf title in 1969, and he knows his way around the links. Considering that he lives far south of the Mason-Dixon Line, he likely has time for a round or two during the winter as well.

 

 

A very Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukuh, and a Happy New Year. I will see you at the Dudley Hewitt Cup. Get out your bills for the 50/50. Mr Baitley and I will look after you.

 

                                                                   Robert Baitley

 

James Hurst

Sportslices.blogspot.com

 

 

Black Hawks Get Caught Napping

I am quite certain that teams do not lose NHL games intentionally. Just the opposite, in fact. Every game is important, when it comes down to it. I get a little tired of hearing people say that they are hockey fans, then add that they only watch the playoffs because that’s when players really play with intensity. Hogwash.

 

Every player plays every shift intensely; otherwise, he will soon find himself in the press box, or in the American League. Players do not like to sit out games, either as a punishment, or with an injury. They are paid to play, and they love the game.

 

Last Saturday night, the Chicago Black Hawks went into Toronto on a roll. They had won seven games in a row, and were confident that their game against the Leafs would end up in the win column. A funny thing happened on the way to the Air Canada Centre. The Leafs turned the tables, and clobbered the Hawks, 7-3. The game was never in doubt.

 

There was plenty of support in Torontofor the Hawks. Historically, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of Black Hawk fans in the Quinte Region. This stems from the efforts of one Robert Marvin Hull, and, to a lesser degree, to his brother Dennis. They came from Point Anne, just down the road from old highway number two, a little south east of Belleville. Because of their play, many from the area became devoted Hawk fans.

 

There is a new part of the equation that beckons understanding: a certain Andrew Shaw. He is also a native Bellevillian, and he makes it known that he is from this area. The Shaw contingent at the game on Saturday night was extensive. Several of his fans made the trip: Chisholms, Haggartys, a couple of the Pope boys, Ryan Griffin, several Tanners, Tim Clodmaker, the intrepid Corey Engelsdorfer, Mike Heuving, Jacob Panetta, the Boyles, the Cooneys, Mike Sainsbury, a brother and a sister, and, of course, Doug and Darlene.

 

Doug and Dar were stationed at centre ice, between the benches. It sounds like a great place to watch the game; however, they had to look over the shoulders of Glen Healey and his cameraman, and they watched most of the game on the big screen at centre ice. The lads from Andrew’s home town also managed to critique his attire after the game. They asked if his tie came in men’s sizes as well. Tough crowd!

 

A note was made in one of the Torontorags about the importance of fans while playing on the road. When the Leafs play in, say, south Florida, they appreciate the cheers of their fans. Most teams visiting Toronto have no trouble filling seats with family and friends.  There really aren’t enough tickets to go around.

 

A core of reporters circled Hawks starter Antii Raanta after the game to get his comments. He had allowed five pucks to get past him in the first two periods. He gave standard, and very understandable answers to the relatively idiotic questions. “I’ve just got to go out and work hard in the next practice, and find my focus”. Those nights do occur, for everyone. His backup, Kent Simpson, saw the first Leaf shot slip under his arm for their sixth marker. Not a happy time for Coach Quenneville.

 

The Hawks rebounded the next night for a victory against the Los Angeles Kings. The Leafs came ever so close on Monday night, but a young Maritimer named Sidney Crosby burst the balloon with a wicked shot from the slot to seal the deal for the Penguins.

 

We have not yet reached the midway point in the season. There will be many great games to watch, always best at the rink. Stay focussed, for goodness sake!

 

James Hurst

December 17, 2013.

 

 

Maurice "Moe" Benoit

Date of Birth: July 26, 1932

Died: December 10, 2013

Hockey fans in the Quinte area, and in many parts of the United States were saddened to learn of the recent passing of Moe Benoit.

Moe’s hockey career really began in Montreal, when he played one game for the Royals in the Quebec Senior Hockey League when he was sixteen years old. He followed that with seasons in Pembroke with the Lumber Kings, and in Trois Rivieres playing for the Lions.

Prior to the 1956-57 season, Floyd Crawford was one of the first players selected by manager Drury Denyes to come to Bellevilleto play Senior “A” hockey. At about the same time, Armand “Bep” Guidolin joined the team from the North BayTrappers of the Northern League. Guidolin had played against Crawford in the Quebec Hockey League. 

Along with some guidance from Wren Blair, general manager of the Whitby Dunlops, the players and Denyes pooled their resources to ice a team to challenge for the Allan Cup. One of the first players they approached was Moe Benoit. Benoit is described in Aaron Bell’s history of the McFarlands as “an imposing opponent”, but that does not do justice to what Moe brought to the arena.

They say that great teams are designed from the goaltender outward. Gordie Bell was responsible for the net. Crawford, Jean Paul Lamirande, and Benoit formed an awesome defensive corps. That was the nucleus of the Bellevilleteam which won the World Championship in 1959 in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

Benoit endeared himself to the Bellevillefans almost immediately. There was a great rivalry between the Macs and the Dunlops, absolutely no love lost between the two. The Macs took 101 minutes in penalties in only the third home game between the teams. In those days, there was only one penalty box for both teams. Benoit continued one of his scraps in the box, and issued an apology to “The Hockey Public of Belleville and the Officials” for his actions the next day.

Floyd Crawford had a monumental fight with Harry Sinden, with both men tumbling ten feet over the side of the penalty box in the fray. They were both cautioned by one of Belleville’s finest to show some dignity. Benoit hooked up with Whitbyplayer-coach Bus Gagnon for an early season battle of the heavyweights.

George Carver’s description in The Ontario Intelligencer: “Gagnon, it appears, also made the unfortunate mistake of selecting Moe Benoit as target bait. Moe was in his element, and politely pulled the sweater over Gagnon’s head, and proceeded to pummel what was underneath it. It took two minutes for Gagnon to get his hair back in place.”

Former teammate David Jones was amazed at Benoit’s game. “Moe was an exceptional hockey player, and led the defense. He was very effective on the power play. But above all, he mixed really well with people.”

Lionel Botly also patrolled the blueline with the Macs. He described Moe as “The People’s Choice”. But he also loved his unbelievable hip checks. Benoit cruised the ice, looking for unsuspecting foes foolish enough to have their heads down. He would send them flying, some times over the boards. (Note: There was no glass around the boards at The Memorial Arena. Andre or Paul Mercier, or perhaps Harry Rollins would shove the opponent back onto the ice.)

Lionel also recalled Moe’s restaurant on Front Street, a place where people congregated to talk hockey.

Moe played four games for the KingstonFrontenacs in the Eastern Pro League before heading south of the border. He then spent the next ten years in the International Hockey League with the Omaha Knights, the ToledoBlades and the DaytonGems. He was named to the All Time IHL All Star team, and was selected as the All Time best defenceman in the IHL.

In 1960, he joined several Whitby Dunlops and KitchenerWaterlooDutchmen to play in the Olympics, winning a silver medal.

Keith MacDonald also played with Benoit for several years. Amongst other things, Keith was impressed with Moe’s slap shot. “It was just coming into its own, from guys like Bobby Hull and “Boom Boom” Geoffrion. Moe could really fire it, and sometimes it was on the net”.

Russ Kowalchuck also noted Moe’s fine people skills. “When I arrived in Belleville, Moe took care of me. He was a great hockey player, and a good team man. Everybody loved him.” Wayne “Weiner” Brown went through many of the hockey wars with Moe, and appreciated his ability. “He was a great player, and a great guy”.

Moe is survived by his wife Sharon, two daughters and three sons, ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

 James Hurst

December 18, 2013  

Doc is Hanging Up the Spikes

Some of us were caught napping today when we read that “Doc” Halladay was retiring from baseball. In a move with some precedent, he signed a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, so that he would retire as a Jay. He did spend the past four seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, but the bulk of his career, twelve seasons, was spent on the mound for the Jays.

 

For many of us, the trips to the ballpark in Torontoto see Halladay on the mound were so worthwhile. He brought a special kind of magic to the game, and showed us how the game could be played, without the assistance of performance enhancing drugs.

 

At six feet, six inches, he had an advantage from the mound. When he crossed the white line, and headed to the rubber, it was all business. There was little hesitation between pitches, and when he had his best stuff, you were almost guaranteed to be out of the park in less than two hours. Nowadays, games will drag on for more than three hours.

 

Harry Leroy Halladay was a first round draft pick by the Jays in 1995. But it was not until September 20, 1998, that he would begin his work with the Jays. Never considered to be an overpowering pitcher, he worked hitters with nasty stuff. He could hit the spots, and make the ball dance with his variety of pitches. He drove batters to distraction.

 

Baseball is noted for its myriad of statistics, and Doc’s name is near the top of the list in many categories. He logged a lot of innings for the Jays, appearing in more than 400 games, with 2749 innings to his credit. He was a workhorse, and he is now paying the price. He says that he is retiring because of problems with his back.

 

At the end of the career of a great baseball player, there is always discussion about his entry into the Hall of Fame. For a pitcher, the yardstick has always been 300 wins. That is changed in recent years, for a variety of reasons. Halladay won only 203 games; however, he will be given serious consideration for the Hall for several other reasons. He won a Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in both the American and National Leagues.

 

He pitched a perfect game, then added a no-hitter in his first post season start with the Phillies in 2010. He won 22 games in 2003, still a Blue Jay club record.

 

Another dominant pitcher who came up with the Jays, Chris Carpenter, has also announced his retirement from the St. LouisCardinals. He also stood six inches over six feet. He spent six seasons with the Jays, and amassed 2 219 innings in his career. He also won a Cy Young in 2005, and was the Comeback Player of the Year in 2009, after sitting out the 2008 season in rehabilitation.

As the Jays improved nearing the 2010 season, it would have been a treat to see a healthy Carpenter working with Halladay as Blue Jays. That was not to be, and the Jays have not won all of the marbles for several years.

 

Halladay’s legacy also includes the work he did for the community, through the Jays Care Foundation, and through his own quiet efforts.

 

Without being too cynical, it is worth a mention to say that there will not be a tag day for either Halladay or Carpenter. Carpenter made almost one hundred million dollars in his career, and Halladay a hundred and a half. Not too shabby.

 

But the game has lost two classy individuals.

 

 

James Hurst

Sportslices.blogspot.com

 

 

Football in November 2013

 

 

Football weather has arrived!

 

Last weekend in Quebec the Laval Rouge et Or captured the Vanier Cup as the best university football team in Canada, disposing of the CalgaryDinos in short order. The temperature was brutally cold, with enough wind to seriously affect the game.

 

The 101^stGrey Cup game was played in Regina, in relatively balmy weather. It was slightly below freezing, quite nice compared to the minus 30 degree weather earlier. In case you were asking, 30 degrees below zero is cold, no matter if you want to use Celsius or Farhrenheit.

 

Those of us who have become reasonably adept with a channel changer were treated to a fine NFL game on Sunday night. In a battle between two of the very best quarterbacks of all time, Peyton Manning laid a severe beating on the New England Patriots, and their QB Tom Brady, in the first half. An almost insurmountable lead, 24-0. For those of you who managed to stay up for the entire game, AND the overtime, it was truly a remarkable result. Their place kicker, Stephen Gostowski, split the uprights in the overtime to grab the victory.

 

Closer to home, the Trojans from Moira Secondary School captured the National Capital Bowl title, defeating the Gananoque Trojans 26-8 in Belleville. This is the second year in a row that Moira has won the Ontario title, the only Belleville team ever to do so. The Centennial Chargers won the same title in 2000 at the SkyDome in Toronto, and became the first local team to capture the title.

 

All in all, the Grey Cup victory was a very satisfying achievement for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Quarterback Darian Durant won his first championship as a starter, future Hall of Famer Geroy Simon caught his first two Grey Cup touchdowns, and running back Kory Sheets rewrote the record book. Sheets ran for 197 yards, breaking the record established by Edmonton’s Johnny Bright in 1956.

 

Home cooking may have contributed to the success of the Green Riders. Twelve of the starters for the Riders are Saskatchewannatives, including Chris Getzlaf. He snagged three passes for 78 yards in the game, and was chosen as the top Canadian.

 

Durant was on the money most of the game, completing 17 passes on 24 attempts for 245 yards. His pass to diminutive Weston Dressler in the end zone sealed the deal for the Riders. Dressler is listed at five feet, seven inches, on the charts, but that may be stretching it a little. With teammates in the huddle, he looks a little out of place; however, since entering the league in 2008, he has made his mark. He gained Rookie of the Year status, and always ranks with the best as a pass receiver.

 

The BuffaloBills spent the weekend gearing up for their game against the AtlantaFalcons this Sunday in Toronto. Naturally, there is plenty of excitement surrounding the game in Hogtown, beginning with a Friday night tilt between the Sabres and the Leafs. Folks in St. Catharines will be using the fast lane through customs in Fort Erie a number of times this weekend.

 

Speculation has it that the Bills will spend a lot of time in the Falcons’ backfield. The Atlanta offensive line is porous, and the Bills’ rushers can’t wait to fatten up their sack totals.

 

The grid iron in late November? It is where you should be.

 

 

James Hurst

Sportslices.blogspot.com

November 25, 2013   

 

On the Road again...

Between forty and fifty times a season, National Hockey League players stuff all of their gear in their hockey bags. The bags are then carted to a truck, loaded onto an airplane, and carried to the next town on the schedule. Fortunately for the players, the trainers and equipment managers are responsible for getting the bags into the right locations at the arena. (One equipment manager once told me he would prefer to be the equipment manager of a basketball team. Think about it: shorts, top, warm up suit, shoes, a roll or two of tape. It all fits in a small gym bag!)

 

Following their victory over the Ducks last week, the Florida Panthers tossed their stuff into the bags. I caught up with former Belleville Bull Shawn Matthias as he finished zipping up the bag. He was quite pleased with the result of the game. The Panthers have struggled this year, to the extent that the coaching staff was replaced last week. General Manager Dale Tallon also let it be known that he expects more from each player every night.

 

Matthias scored his second goal of the season on a nifty play from the slot. The Panthers trailed by two goals heading into the second period. Unfortunately, that situation has been all too common for the Cats this year. Matthias received a pass from Brian Campbell, wheeled around and threw a backhand shot at the Duck’s net. It slid under Frederik Andersen’s pad to put the Panthers on the board. Florida scored twice more gain the victory.

 

Tim Thomas made some fine saves in the third period to lock down the win. One of their best players, Ryan Getzlaf, was missing from the Duck’s lineup, as was Matt Beleskey. I was looking forward to chatting with Beleskey, another former Belleville Bull. He was injured in a pre-season game, and is on a conditioning assignment. Teemu Selanne did skate for the Ducks, in his final visit to Sunrise, Florida.

 

Selanne has experienced a remarkable career in the NHL. He scored 76 goals in his rookie season, and has continued filling nets since that time. He currently has 678 goals in his career, a few behind the incomparable Jaromir Jagr. He needs 12 goals to reach Mario Lemieux, who stands in ninth place on the all time list. This is Teemu’s 22^ndseason in the NHL, and he has accumulated 1 437 points in 1 401 games. He is a lock for the Hall of Fame when he retires. You can take that to the bank.

 

Like so many of the Panthers, Matthias has struggled somewhat this year. “We’re really pleased to get this one for Coach Horachek. It’s his first win. It’s a great way to get the ball rolling as we head out on a five game road trip. We have put ourselves in a tough situation, so we are really happy with this win.” Someone asked about the puck on his goal. “Soupy threw it to a fan,” he chuckled. I asked Bryan Campbell about it, and he also smiled about the situation. There will be others, they both know that.

 

Coach Horachek was also pleased with his first win. “We played with a lot of energy, and a lot of gumption. Up to this point, we have not played up to our capabilities. There have been too many unforced errors. We need to keep our emotions in check. We’re looking for more consistency.”

 

The Panthers knocked off the Colorado Avalanche on the weekend, yet another team near the top of the heap. But, as Matthias hinted, they will need to play really well to get themselves into playoff contention in the near future. Especially on the road.

 

James Hurst

Sportslices.blogspot.com

November 18, 2013

 

Big Win For Eagles!

Big Win for the Eagles

The Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles clawed their way back from a twelve point deficit early Tuesday morning to defeat the Hartford Hawks 65-51. It was the first home game of the season, following a disappointing loss last Friday night in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Winning in Nebraska, as I learned after the home game, would have been a very tall order. The Cornhuskers were playing their first game in a new site in downtown Lincoln. The place was jammed to the rafters, more than 15 000. They started long before tip-off with tailgating, pep rallies, and cheerleading. At that point, they cranked up the music, spinning hits from Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, and the like. And then….and then…..

The Hartford Hawks coach was asked in his post-game interview why the Eagles might have had trouble in Nebraska. He replied: “After all that, they had Tommy Lee come out on the court to juice up the crowd! The Eagles had no chance.” Tommy Lee, as you may recall, is a rock and roll legend who sang with Motley Crue. He married Pamela Anderson and Heather Locklear, amongst others, and was famous for mooning his audiences at every show.

Tommy Lee cruised the campus at the University of Nebraska as part of a reality television show in 2004. He did not actually enroll at the school. But he was there long enough to establish a link, and he was successful in jacking up the crowd.

I digress. Apologies.

Head Coach of the Hartford team, John Gallagher, had a few nice words to say about his counterpart in Fort Myers. “With Joe Dooley, FGCU got one of the best coaches in America.”

His comments centered around the outstanding performance of the Eagles’ Chase Fieler. Fieler scored almost half of the Eagles’ points, netting 30 of the 65. He drained two of three from the 3 point rage, was perfect from the line, and 13 for 17 from the floor. Not too shabby. Gallagher: “we just didn’t have an answer for Fieler. We were trying to front him. We set a defensive play as you would in a football defense where the safety would come in to break up a play. In our case, the safety didn’t show up.”

When asked about playing so early in the morning, Fieler indicated it was not a new situation for him. “We had a few games like that in high school. We just tried to treat it as a normal game. By 7:00am, we had already been up for three hours, and had eaten well before game time.” About the game itself: “We were more calm than we were against Nebraska. I personally tried to be more aggressive, on offense and defense. And yes, it did feel good to dunk!” (Which, incidentally and understandably, brought the crowd to its feet.)

Brett Comer is also one of the mainstays from last year’s team. He had great praise for the folks at Alico: “This had to be the most energetic crowd that we have ever had. It was packed on other occasions, but this was the loudest. And we hope it continues that way!” When questioned about comparing this year’s team to last: “Every year, every team is a new team. We will try to build off this win”.

Following the game, the Eagles packed their bags to head to Furman. They return home to play Eckerd on the 18^thof November.

Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles Start Early!

FGCU Eagles Set the Alarm Clocks Early!

On Tuesday morning, several thousand supporters of the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles and the players, had to rise early for their first basketball game of the season. The event was part of a special day of basketball promoted by the sports network ESPN. Game time? 7:00am. It was advertised as “Breakfast at the Beach”. Hartford supplied the opposition.

 

At first I thought it was a printing error on the schedule. It is simply not a concept I would ever consider; nonetheless, it is what it is, and the Alico Arena near Fort Myers was packed to the rafters.

 

The Eagles gained national attention last year as the “Cinderella Team” in the NCAA basketball mix. They played their way into the “Sweet Sixteen”, quite unexpectedly. They knocked off Georgetown and San Diego State to advance last March. It is a relatively young school, with players not expected to be drafted high by the NBA teams.

 

Call it what you will: a fine mix, great chemistry, a perfect storm. Once they got into the playoffs last season, they had a magnificent run, waking the basketball world. Coach Andy Enfield vowed to stay with the team for years to come, then saw the colour of California money and flew the coop, heading to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He apparently signed for $ 1.5 million a season, just a touch more than the  $ 150 000 he had been paid at FGCU.

 

Some of the key players from last year’s team have moved on. Brett Comer, Chase Fieler, and Bernard Thompson are returning players, and are expected to lead the team this year. Two other outstanding players transferred to FGCU last year, but were ineligible to play, according to NCAA four year transfer regulations. Nate Hicks and Jamail Jones cannot wait to get on the floor.

 

“We have an enormous amount of talent on this year’s roster as well as an extremely knowledgeable coaching staff. We have the ability to be every bit as successful as we were last season,” Hicks reported to the FGCU newspaper.

Joe Dooley has taken over the coaching duties at the school. He was an assistant the past ten years at Kansas, under coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks won nine straight Big 12 regular season titles, and one national championship under Self and Dooley. Brett Comer described Dooley as being “intense,” and “more vocal and strict” than Enfield. Dooley is more defensive-minded than Enfield, which will involve some adjustment by the players.

 

The Eagles played their first game on the road last Friday, and lost to a strong opponent in Nebraska. The Cornhuskers started fast, and never trailed, winning 79-55 in their new stadium in downtown Lincoln. But the night is young, and there is a strong movement for more success here in “Dunk City”!

 

James Hurst

Sportslices.blogspot.com

November 12, 2013

 

 

Blades off to Great Start!

Blades off to a Great Start!

 

The Florida Everblades lost a heartbreaking game against the Orlando Solar Bears in a ECHL shootout last Friday night; however, they defeated the Bears the following night to maintain their lead in the South Division. A good thing, as well, because the South Carolina Stingrays have had an identical start: 8 games, 7 wins, and one shootout loss.

Due to the nature of the game itself, the start is quite remarkable. There are about a dozen returning players on the team. The nature of the league is transitional; players move up to the NHL, or, most often, to the AHL. There is even a lot of movement between the teams, as most teams are affiliated with two AHL teams and two NHL teams. The Blades are tied in with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL, and the Charlotte Checkers and the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. Just before the game last Friday, forward Danick Gauthier was called up to Syracuse, joining goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis.

Forward Matthew Pistilli began his pro career with the Blades in the 2009-2010 season. He has spent time with the Charlotte Checkers and the Albany River Rats in the AHL. He is off to an excellent start this year, leading the team in scoring, and has been named the CCM ECHL Player of the Week. Not far behind Pistilli is a first-year player with the Blades, Kyle Bonis. That name may sound familiar to Dukes fans, as Bonis played some of his minor hockey for the Bancroft Hawks. He moved on to the Port Hope Predators in the 2006-2007 season and spent the next two seasons with the Traverse City North Stars of the North American Hockey League.

In 2009, Bonis entered Ferris State University, graduating in 2013 with a degree in Business. “It was an awesome place,” he told me after last Friday night’s game. “I went there to work out before beginning the season here in Fort Myers. I still talk to a lot of the guys from the school, friends forever.”

Bonis hails from Lindsay, Ontario, and knows a thing or two about hard work. His family has a two thousand acre farm, with soy beans, corn, wheat, and a herd of a hundred beef cattle. He returns to the farm every summer to help out with the chores. Hockey players raised on farms have a toughness that is hard to beat.

Bonis chuckled as we discussed his time at the old “Duke Dome”. “I hated that place. It was a terrifying place for us to play in the playoffs, especially with that “Whiskey Corner” right beside our bench.” He appreciated hearing about the new arena.

Bonis noted that the Blades’ start was especially fine due to the fact that six of their wins were on the road. They spent several days in the west, at Ontario  and Bakersfield, in California, and Las Vegas. He noted the great support the team receives at home, and loves the Fort Myers area. “But I’m not a beach guy,” he added.

He enjoyed his time in Bancroft, playing for one of his favourite coaches, John Johnson. He remembers his amazement one day at North Hastings Secondary School, when he arrived to half-empty classroom. The reason? “The first day of deer hunting season,” he told me. His father coached him until he was about twelve years old. He also credits his coach at Traverse City, Anthony Palumbo, for his success.

The Bonis family follows his game via the internet. “They have a huge television, and they watch the games at home. After the game, I hear from them. They are my best fans, but also my keenest critics.”

He also keeps in touch with Adam Wood, now with the Dukes.

The Blades face the Elmira Jackals and the Toledo Walleye this week, at home. Try to get to the Wednesday game: Hot dogs, Bud light drafts, and wine are two bucks each! There should be curb service to Whiskey Corner!

 

November 4, 2013

Sportslices.blogspot.com

A Belleville Kid, and His Mom, in South Florida.

A Belleville Kid and His Mom, in South Florida

 

 

A week ago, the Chicago Black Hawks lost in overtime to the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was the second of two games they played in a mini-tour of Florida. They had played the Panthers on Tuesday , a game which they won in a shootout. As a result, they took three of four points in the Sunshine state.

 

Darlene Shaw is likely moderately happy with the result. She was part of an entourage of ladies who attended the game in Fort Lauderdale. “We want to leave Florida with four points, ” she told me from the box set aside for the Black Hawk mothers. There is an annual excursion   that the team provides, to the fathers and the mothers, on an annual basis. “I am thrilled to be here. Everything is first class. We flew in here from Chicago, and we fly out to Tampa after the game.”

 

Darlene is justifiably proud of her son Andrew. He was a key ingredient in the Hawks drive last year to win the Stanley Cup. Some pundits wrote off Shaw during his junior hockey days. He is relatively small, in current National Hockey league standards. But he more than made up for his size with his heart, and his tenacity. He is a feisty player, the kind who drives opponents crazy. As is often the case in hockey, when the opposition retaliates, they are penalized, giving the disturber a two minute power play.

 

Remarkably, only two of the players’ wives did not make the trip. Without checking off each and every Mom, the list would include women from many countries: several provinces in Canada, eight of the United States, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the Czech Republic. Many other mothers were also invited, including those of the broadcasters, managers, and a host of others connected with the team. Stan Bowman is the Vice President and General Manager of the Hawks, and, naturally, his mother made the trip. She also brought along his father, Scotty, a man who knows a thing or two about the game. Scotty is a senior advisor with the hockey operations of the Club.

 

Scotty was sporting an enormous Stanley Club ring which will likely take its place beside several others on his dresser. He won the Stanley Cup eight times as a coach, and a few more in a managerial capacity. He was born in Montreal, and player his Junior hockey there, with the Montreal Jr. Canadiens. His first coaching stint was with the Hull-Ottawa Junior Habs in 1956, and he coached there the following year when they skated against the McFarlands at the Memorial Arena in Belleville. He moved up to the NHL in 1967 with the St. Louis Blues.

 

Darlene Shaw got to know the other moms on the team during last year’s playoff run. “We all started going to the games on a regular basis during the last two series of the playoffs. Nick Leddy is Andrew’s roommate in Chicago, and his mother has become a good friend of mine.” The players ate with their mothers on this trip, and accompanied them on a cruise out of Tampa. She indicated that there was occasionally a language barrier with the European mothers, but nothing serious. Winning helps in those situations.

 

The Hawks ended the second period ahead 2-0 on a late goal by Bryan Bickell, assisted by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Andrew Shaw. The Panthers climbed back into the game with goals by Kulikov and Tomas Fleischmann, but lost in a shootout. Shaw is pictures in the USA Today chasing Kingston’s Erik Gudbranson around the net during the game.

 

Exciting times for a small town boy and his Mom!

 

 

James Hurst

Sportslices.blogspot.com

There is Energy in the House!

There is Energy in the House!

If you are a frequent reader of this column, you may tire of my suggestion that you must get to the house to capture the experience. By the house, of course, I mean the arena, the ball park, the field, the place where the sports event takes place. That is the only place where you can truly experience the magic of the game, as it unfolds before you.

 

Last Tuesday, I attended the game between the Leafs and the Minnesota Wild at the Air Canada Centre. With a little time on my hands, I was able to drop the car off at the GO station in Oshawa, and train into Union Station. Less than ten bucks, return. For those of you who battle Hogtown traffic every day, and search for decent “Event” parking for $ 20, the train is a great deal. Plenty of time for a pre-game nap.

 

The game against the Wild offered the opportunity to watch former Wellington Duke Matt Cooke with his new team. He moved on to the Wild in the off season. I spoke briefly with coach Mike Yeo before the game. “Matt Cooke is a big time character guy. That’s why we brought him here. He’s playing great for us.” Cookie leads the Wild with six points in nine games, with a game winning goal last week. I am certain that he is justifiably proud of his selection as the Edward J. DeBartolo “Community Service Award” for his time and effort on community and charity projects last year, when he was with the Penguins.

 

Tyler Bozak put the Leafs on the board first, converting a nifty passing play from Cody Franson and Dave Bolland. Shots on goal were hard to come by for the Leafs, as the Wild play a very tight defensive game. Mason Raymond, an addition to the Leafs from the Canucks prior to the season, snuck to the front of the Wild net backwards, wheeled around, and found the mesh. It was the seventh shot by the Leafs, at the 12:23 mark in the second period. At that point, Coach Yeo decided to replace his starting goalie, rookie Darcy Kuemper, with Josh Harding. 

 

 James Reimer was beaten once in the game. “I wasn’t that happy with my game. It’s a little tougher to get into a rhythm with ten days off. But it’s important to come to the rink and work hard, to try to battle out there. You have to make those key saves in a game, whether or not you face 3 shots or 30 shots. I didn’t feel as sharp as I could have. But I was mentally focused. So it’s nothing to be alarmed about. And yes, I really felt sorry for Kuemper. He’s a good goalie, he’ll bounce back.”

 

After the game, Cooke told me he is very comfortable with the Wild. “This is a great young team. We are learning to play sixty minutes.”

 

Since that game, which the Leafs won 4-1 with an empty net goal, the Wild have picked up nine points in nine games. The Leafs have 12 points in nine games, and will be joined by former Belleville Bull David Clarkson for their next game. Clarkson served a ten game suspension for an illegal hit. Joffrey Lupul leads the Leafs with ten points. Raymond, Phil Kessel, and Nazem Kadri have eight points each.

 

Only seventy more games until the playoffs!

 

James Hurst

Sportslices.blogspot.com

 

 

 

This and That in Junior Hockey

 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. This, of course, applies to all of you who live north of the border between Canada and the United States. The American Thanksgiving comes much later in the year. Canadians are in the process of harvesting all of the goodies from the gardens, and fields, and orchards before the frosts and snows of winter.

 

I caught two fine hockey games last weekend. The Wellington Dukes continue to roll along, and, across the NorrisWhitney Bridge, the Belleville Bulls pulled out a squeaker Saturday night. They edged the Guelph Storm 6-5. The real corker from this result is that the Bulls’ netminder, Charlie Graham, was the first star of the game. Almost unheard of, considering that he was scored on five times.

 

I neglected to mention that he faced 72 shots in the game. No overtime. No shootout. Just a constant barrage throughout the game. Normally, goalies face an average of thirty shots per game. Belleville took 29 shots at the Guelphgoalie to skate away with the victory. That totals more than 100 shots in regulation, a lot of rubber for the ‘tenders to face. The Storm crept back into the game late in the third period, but could not seal the deal.

 

You sometimes hear the word “rebuilding” with reference to Junior hockey. Personally, I believe that coaches and general managers must rebuild yearly. There are many factors that influence the success of junior teams, none more critical than age. Simply put, the players will move on just when they become really good, because of their age. And the best players move on before the time limit expires!

 

The job facing all personnel involved in junior hockey is to get the best players possible from the minor ranks, and keep them as long as you can. European players can also be an asset; however, it is difficult to get the best Europeans in the draft.

 

The Bulls recently added Remi Elie to the lineup. He was impressive Saturday night, and will be an asset this year. He is 18 years old, and has been drafted by the Dallas Stars. The Bulls have two other players on their current roster who have been drafted into the NHL. Jordan Subban and Brendan Gaunce were both chosen by the VancouverCanucks.

 

They are both veterans on the squad. I use that term rather loosely, as a veteran in the OHL might even be nineteen years old! The team does rely on these older players for leadership, because of their experience in the league. They have gone through the homesickness, the days at school without all of the assignments completed, all of the experiences growing up away from home. That, of course, would be magnified for the European players.

 

The Bulls have won twice in ten games. They lost once in overtime, and once in a shootout. They now face a period of long stretches of inactivity. They do not play until next Friday night when they travel to Erie, and move on to play on the road against Niagara on Saturday. The following weekend will be spent on the road as well in the annual northern swing: Sault Saint Marie on Friday, Sudburyon Saturday, and North Bayon Sunday.

 

Their next home game will be Wednesday, October 30^th at the Yardmen Arena. Wear a mask. A Hallowe’en mask, not a goalie mask!

 

On Friday night, the Bulls will face the latest Player of the Week for the OHL, Connor Brown, a draft pick of the TorontoMaple Leafs. He is the Otters’ captain, and has 20 points in nine games so far this season. 

 

The best way to experience Junior Hockey action is at the rink! See you there!

 

James Hurst

 

October 14, 2013-10-14

Sportslices.blogspot.com