Thursday, September 30, 2010

Hockey is in the air!

The countdown has begun! Actually, several countdowns have begun. We're 11 days away from the start of training camp, 15 days from our first preseason game, and 22 days from our regular-season home opener. But the important thing to note is that another hockey season is upon us. The ice is down (it still needs a few layers to be game-ready, but it's skate-ready now), there is gear hanging in the locker room and soon the air in the Civic Center will echo with the familiar sounds of blades slashing through ice, sticks slapping against pucks and pucks clanking off posts or swishing into the net (or crashing off boards and glass). I can feel it already, an electricity in the air and a chill on my skin. With just over a week before training camp starts I'm finishing up preparations for the season. Our equipment has been coming in and I've been checking it in and putting it away to get it organized and ready to issue to the players.

I haven't been doing it all by myself, though, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of my game-day helpers for all they do for the team (on Game and non-Game days). On Game Day, there are a thousand little details that need to be attended to in order to make sure that everything runs smoothly. This runs the gamut from setting up the benches, referees room, and visitors room before the game to putting everything away after the game...and everything in between.

Starting at the top, there's Philip "Flip" Weaver. Flip's been here since Day One of the Cottonmouths franchise, and his help has been invaluable, especially in familiarizing myself with everybody when I first came here. On Game Day, I know I can count on him to make sure all the little tasks get done while I'm on the ice. He rides herd over the rest of the staff and keeps them sharp. If I need something done and don't have time to do it myself, I tell Flip and it gets done. End of Story.

After Flip, Matt DePuydt has been another regular on the staff, and his work ethic and attention to detail are unrivaled. He has been a great help to me in keeping the equipment room organized. One thing about me...I love having things organized, but hate organizing them. Shooter loves organizing things. I have to reel him in sometimes when he wants to throw some things out, but he does a great job back there.

Barney Slayton...how do I describe him? Barney is whatever we need him to be on any given day. He has been a game-day helper, a youth hockey coach, a (championship-winning) mens-league goalie, occasional comic relief and, most famously, an EBUG (Emergency Back-Up Goalie) for the Snakes. I really think he'd drive the Zamboni at night if we let him. At one time or another, he's had his hand in just about every aspect of the operation of the team. His positive attitude and even-keel demeanor are infectious. He never lets anything get him down, and always has a way of shining a light on any situation. He's like a miniature Buddha, covered with hair (inside joke).

Tyler McCrea and Bubba Jowers are the Beavis and Butthead of the locker room staff. They work hard, and they'll do whatever we ask of them, but sometimes I just have to shake my head at their antics. They will latch onto the most ridiculous things to amuse themselves, and sometimes I worry about those two. But they do a good job, and they take it well when the boys hack on them, all in good fun. They've been coming down the last couple of weeks to help me sort out some stuff in the equipment room, and they helped us out with our equipment sale at the CHA registration event. We had another good sale and it was due in large part to their help. Thanks, boys.

Last, but not least, we have Ryan Knight. Ryan's kind of quiet, so I don't really know him well. I haven't spoken to him much, and he hasn't spoken to me much. But he shows up every game and does his job, and I really appreciate all his help.

I take pride in how smoothly our locker room and equipment room run on Game Days, but in truth I couldn't do it without the help of all of these guys. Every Game Day I appreciate what they do for the team. Thanks, guys!

On a quick note, there were a couple of notable names in the SPHL news recently. Former Knoxville pest (and blogger) Mike Craigen was named the new Head Coach of the IceBears. In other news, the IceBears signed former Snake Lorne Misita and former Fireantz forward Emery Olausson. These are a couple of good pickups for them. It'll be interesting to see what impact those two have on the Bears this season.

T-Minus 20 days, 20 hours and counting. Go Snakes!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Condolences

The Columbus Hockey community lost one of its sons over the weekend. William "Will" Robinson was killed in a single-vehicle accident Friday night. While I didn't know him well-and by that I mean I knew him casually from seeing him at the Civic Center-I still feel saddened by the loss. The hockey community is very small and tight-knit...we hockey people stick together and share in the ups and downs of each others lives. His death has had a profound effect on many of my friends. Two of my game-night helpers played on the high school team on which he was a goaltender and a couple of my other helpers had worked with him at one time or another through the youth and high school programs.

Will's death comes on the heels of last weekend's passing of Heath Jackson. Heath was a local DJ, musician, youth minister...and probably about a hundred other things, depending on who you ask. Mainly, he was a friend to all who knew him. He was murdered in his home when he apparently surprised a burglar, capping off a spree of 4 murders in 5 days in Columbus. I didn't know Heath, but I knew of him. As with Will, Heath was well known to many of my friends so I feel sympathy for the pain of their loss.

While both of these deaths occurred under different circumstances, they both illustrate the importance of enjoying each moment with friends and family. Every day is a precious gift from God, and you never know which one will be your last. While some may think it's a cliche, I think it's truer now than ever. I plan to savor every moment spent with family and friends.
But then...that's just me.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Coyotes Training Camp Diary (2003), The Final Chapter

Here's the exciting conclusion of my diary from the Coyotes Training Camp in 2003.


Thursday, September 11, 2003:

Today started later than usual. The players spent the morning taking their physicals and getting pictures taken and filling out paperwork. There wasn't much to do around the locker room this morning because most of the players already had their equipment. So we got set up for an afternoon session (which was once again broken up into 2 groups). The guys came, skated and left. It was a pretty long day for them, so most of them had no desire to hang around afterwards. Besides, they know tomorrow's going to be another long day, and a tough one. It's the first official day of camp, with each of the groups taking a separate session in the morning and then facing each other in an intra-squad scrimmage in the afternoon.

I saw Marty McSorley in camp today. That's right..."The" Marty McSorley. He's the Head Coach of the Coyotes' AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, and he's here to help out the Coyotes staff and familiarize himself with some of the players he's going to end up with. I jokingly asked him if his stick was legal (he was called for an illegal stick in the pivotal second game of the Stanley Cup finals in 1993 against the Montreal Canadiens, and the Kings ended up losing the series). Luckily, he has a very good sense of humor (he's a BIG man). I had met him once before when he was playing for the Kings. He's one of those guys that make you want to pull up a chair and just listen to all his stories. He's awesome! He could go on for days, and I'd gladly listen to every story. Talking to him was the highlight of this experience so far (no offense, Doaner).



Friday, September 12, 2003:

Today was sheer mayhem. I can't believe how many people were at the arena when I arrived. Sportscasters and reporters from every media outlet in the state were here to report on the first day of training camp. It seems odd that there is this much interest in hockey in a place where I can see cacti across the street from the practice arena. Not that it's a bad thing; it just strikes me as odd. I got right to work setting up the benches, then checked in with Stan and see what he needed help with. We passed out the jerseys in the locker room, hanging one in each player's stall. Next, we passed out the laundry in the changing room. Then we retired to the laundry room to fold some towels. Everything else was pretty much done before we left yesterday, so all that was left were little details this morning.

The first group came in, dressed and took the ice. The coaches were out there already and they wasted no time getting started. As soon as the last guy hit the ice, they began the warm-up skate. They only had an hour and a half, so they got right to it. It was a very intense session, with lots of skating and lots of passing and shooting.

While they were on the ice, the second group arrived and started getting ready to take the ice. The first session lasted from 8:30-10am, and the second session was scheduled to run from 10:30am-12pm. Then the scrimmage was scheduled for 4-5pm. It didn't leave a lot of time in between for the players to rest, and even less for the staff to finish with one session and get ready for the next. Days like this are as hard on the staff as they are on the players.

The big talk after the first session was all about the "Silli, Willy, and Nasher" line; Mike Sillinger, Landon Wilson, and Tyson Nash. It makes me wish Nash's first name was Bill. "Silli, Willy, and Billy" has such a nice ring to it. But Nasher is happy with his first name and seems unwilling to change it for the sake of having a catchy name for his line. In any case, those three were grouped together as a line and clicked right away. They're all on the small side (Wilson's the biggest, not as big as the 6'2" and 215 lbs. the program says, but he's pretty slightly built), but very quick. They buzzed around the ice like a swarm of bumblebees and wreaked just as much havoc. They could be a lot of fun to watch this season.

Shane Doan started off the second session with a bang. Even on the first day, Doaner plays the game his way. He absolutely crushed some poor rookie who got caught skating with his head down. He kind of felt bad afterwards, but that's the way the game is played. Better to find it out now than during the regular season when an opponent catches him. A guy wearing a different crest on his jersey may not be so nice. Doan seems to be settling into his leadership role nicely. He's kind of a quiet leader, preferring to set a good example for the younger guys to follow instead of yelling at them. But make no mistake; when Shane Doan speaks, people listen.

The goaltending could be pretty good for the 'Yotes this season. They have a bunch of guys in camp, some of them pretty young, but all of them talented. Jean-Marc Pelletier is a pretty solid prospect who will probably start the season with the Coyotes AHL affiliate in Springfield. Zac Bierk split time last season between Springfield and Phoenix. Sean Burke is the veteran among them, with Brian Boucher having a fair amount of experience also. I talked to Boucher for a few minutes this morning. Scorps Assistant Coach Travis Van Tighem asked me to say hello for him (Teegs and Bouch played together with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League, winning a Calder Cup championship in 1998). All in all, they have tons of potential.

The intra-squad game was a lot of fun to watch. They knew it would be fairly short so they held nothing back. It was a very quick-paced scrimmage, with lots of action. There were a few good hits, some crisp passing, and some good saves. There were also a few very nice goals. They look pretty sharp for the first day. This could be a good year for them. There's a lot of buzz about the Coyotes this year because of the new arena. It's currently being built out in Glendale, but they'll move into it mid-season. Everybody's excited about it, except for the people in the East Valley. They'll have a loooooong trek to get to the new arena, but I think it's worth the trip. I can't wait to see some games out there.

The stands were packed for the scrimmage, and there were photographers and cameramen all over the place. After the scrimmage, the locker room was crawling with reporters. I cleared off the benches and put the cooler and water bottles away. We started the jerseys in the wash, then waited for the locker room to clear out a bit before we finished cleaning up. It took a long time, but we finally got all the laundry done and the room cleaned up and ready to go for the next day. I went over to the training room and said my goodbyes to Gord and Jukka. I took one last look around the locker room, then said goodbye to Tony and Jason and one final thank you to Stan.

In addition to being an outstanding Equipment Manager, Stan's a great guy. He gladly let me come down and see how the NHL guys do things and gain some very valuable experience. He never once talked down to me or treated me like a lesser Equipment Manager because I work in the CHL. He freely offered to help me in any way he could, and I thank him for that. For that matter, the whole staff and team and everybody that I came in contact with were very cool. The Coyotes rock!