Had a chance to stop by practice this morning and it was a long one. Long enough that they resurfaced the ice and kept going. With Martinson visiting his family in Illinois practice was run by Matvichuk & Ludwig who really put the boys through the paces. My guess is some tee times were blown because of the length of practice.
- Adam Pineault was not skating so I assume he will not accompany the team to Rapid City when they leave tomorrow.
- Brian McMillin left the ice during a skating drill with what looked like a strain or sprain of the hip or back. There was no contact involved as he was merely starting and stopping and you could tell right away he was in a lot of discomfort. Wally was right there to help him to the locker room. Hope it is nothing so serious it will keep him off the road trip.
- Had a nice chat with the team nutritionist who was going to talk to the team about hydration and the importance of getting ample fluids in your body way before you start exerting energy. She had some interesting research data that showed without proper hydration before and during the game, performance can decrease by over 20% by the third period.
- It is not too early to start thinking about preparing for the playoffs. While it will be some time before we know who our opponent is we are pretty much assured of home ice for the first round of the playoffs. The most likely date for the first playoff game is Friday, March 29th. Nothing is set in stone yet but it is a good bet we will play Friday the 29th and Saturday the 30th at the AEC.
- Each coach is different but the week of the 25th will be spent on a combination of preparation for the first round of the playoffs by practice and looking at video that has been broken down for the team we are playing, activities to bring the team even closer together such as dinners, social outings, playoff slogans, etc. and maybe even some marketing.
- Saw Alex Penner watching practice so he is still in town hoping to hook up with another team.
- Congrats to Samantha Cuppen, Director, Group Sales & Services for winning a coveted seat on the private jet Other Side Landscaping is taking to the Rapid City game this weekend. Samantha won the seat by being the top sales person for the month.
- From what I heard second hand Mike Berube's knee suregery went well yesterday and he will be out a minimum of four weeks to recuperate.
- The two games against the Brahmas scheduled for the Ft. Worth Convention Center on March 15 & 16 have been switched and will now be played at Nytex Sports Centre.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The Inside Story Of A CHL Referee
I found this article written by Ted Warren from http://thehockeywriters.com/ about one of the CHL full time officials and thought you might enjoy it if you haven't already seen it. It reminds me of what Steve Martinson said early in the season and Dwight Mullins had expressed in prior years. Some of the young referees are like the players in the CHL as they are young, working hard and have a dream of making it to the NHL. I would much rather have these young guys who will make plenty of mistakes just like our young players but who really care about what they are doing and want to learn than older refs who don't care. Maybe the next time we see Peter referee an Americans game we will look at him in a different light. I find it amazing that a 25 year old has 13 years of officiating experience and was a referee in the USHL & NAHL at 15.
CHL Referee Peter Tarnaris Up Close
Photo Credit: (Peter Tarnaris)
You love them and you love to hate them: the on-ice officials.
Let’s face the facts, you can’t watch a
game without them. The play would have no structure or flow. A game
played without officials has the ingredients to be a real barnburner.
Controlling some of the would-be barnburners in the Central Hockey League
is 25-year-old referee Peter Tarnaris. Tarnaris donned his officiating
sweater when he was only 12-years-old. “I could be paid to be a part of
the game and practice my skating.” Tarnaris said of signing on as an
official.
Peter advanced quickly through the
grassroots levels and graduated to Tier One Junior Hockey at the
delicate age of 15. When asked who helped early on in his career Peter
replied, “A very experienced and passionate official, Joseph Prescott or
‘Pops’ as he is known in the hockey world.” ‘Pops’ helped Peter
progress and pointed him in the direction of junior hockey and the USA
Hockey Officiating Development Program which breeds hockey officials and
helps them prepare for the next level.
At fifteen, Tarnaris was one step closer to the NHL by calling games in the United States Hockey League and the North American Hockey League,
the top two junior leagues sanctioned by USA Hockey. When you’re 15 you
feel like the world is on your shoulders, but when Peter was 15 he had a
game riding on his whistle. Imagine whistling a bigger, older, uglier
athlete for a penalty while thinking, “When will my peach fuzz start
looking like some of these players’ facial hair?” as Tarnaris did.
Fast-forward ten years and Tarnaris is
on full-time duty with the Central Hockey League whose level of play is
equivalent to that of the ECHL. The 25-year-old was summoned to
full-time status via CHL Director of Officiating Bryan Lewis. Being a
full time hockey official requires an abundance of travel. “In the
business of hockey, travel is obviously a big part of the job,” stated
Tarnaris. Peter, a Chicago native, is currently based in Dallas, Texas
for the season and will visit every CHL city.
“Family is very important to me and being away is one of the biggest
sacrifices we all make to be a part of this great game,” he said. On
the flip side, Peter notes that he gets home every so often to visit his
loved ones.
Photo Credit: (Peter Tarnaris)
If the travel isn’t demanding enough on
the body, the game is. Your favorite player can sprint from one end of
the ice to the other and can signal for a line change to rest. Referees
and linesman don’t have that option until the clock hits zero. That’s
why Tarnaris mentioned that “off days call for a gym visit. Like
players, officials must follow a routine based on their body’s needs.”
Just like other athletes, officials need
to eat right. “Nutrition must remain a focal point for us during the
season. Since we don’t have the luxury of home-cooked meals, we must
make health conscious decisions at the restaurant,” declared Peter. He
went on to mention that he packs healthy snacks that match his arduous
travel schedule.
It’s well known that hockey players are
creatures of habit on game days and so are the officials. The young
referee shared his typical game day routine. “I enjoy being an early
riser and getting a hearty breakfast. We as officials in the CHL
tend to meet with each other for lunch and talk about the game at hand
that evening.” Just like players, officials like to retire to their
quarters and relax before the game. “I usually just stay in my hotel
room and occupy the hour with phoning my family, reading hockey related
articles or thumbing through a book,” said Peter.
Again, pre-game routines are a huge part
of an athlete’s life when they reach their team’s dressing room. Zebras
are no exception. Tarnaris spoke about his routine saying, “I
frequently get a fresh pot of coffee brewing and change into my under
garments and read over the stat-packs that we are provided.”
Similar to hockey players, Peter and his
crew engage in four square, two touch, or wall ball to warm up. Peter’s
other routines are skipping rope and riding a stationary bike.
Just before the game, the Chicago native
repeats to himself, “Nobody wonders where you have traveled in from
that day, or what’s your day’s been like, the officiating crew’s utmost
concentration and professionalism is needed for the next 2.5 hours.”
When it comes time to drop the puck for the start of the game Tarnaris
thinks simply, “Don’t fall.”
An on-ice official’s job is dangerous,
physically demanding, and stressful at times which is why every now and
again you must be able to laugh and joke around. Peter shared one of his
lighter moments on the ice, “I was skating at an arena that
accidentally left too much water on the ice. A player came up to me and
asked if I knew where he could find some fishing line and some bait to
tie to his stick.” Tarnaris responded, “I’d join you, but with my
fishing skills I’d better use the goal net.”
Photo Credit: (Peter Tarnaris)
With all the miles officials put on
their bodies during a season, many need a chance to reinvigorate
themselves from time to time during the season. When Tarnaris has some
downtime, he likes to cook, play catch, join in competitive ping-pong,
or pull the occasional prank as his escape from the grind of the season.
As far as off-season hobbies, Peter listed golf, barbeques with friends and family, and bike riding as some of his favorites.
Like any hockey player, the 25-year-old
has ambitions to work in the National Hockey League. Peter is one step
closer having attended a summer officials camp for the American Hockey League, a
league that directly feeds players and officials into the NHL. Some
American Hockey League officials work in the AHL under an NHL contract.
As a rostered AHL official, Tarnaris is within striking distance of a
full-time officiating contract in the league which would move him one
step closer to his goal.
The next time you have the urge to yell
at a referee, remember what Tarnaris repeats to himself before each
game: “Nobody wonders where you have traveled in from that day, or what
your day has been like, the officiating crew’s utmost concentration and
professionalism is needed for the next 2.5 hours.”
They give their all every game.
Follow author Ted Warren on Twitter- @bauerhockeydude
Monday, March 4, 2013
An Open Letter To Hockey Fans - The Response
I am sure many of you read the "An Open Letter To Hockey Fans" that I posted on February 14th. You can check the archives if you haven't seen it. It was a letter written by Shanna Wray, the wife of Rapid City Rush captain, Scott Wray. As I said at the time Shanna was talking about some issues that I agreed with in that we as fans are always looking at the next ECHL player, European player or amateur player to come in and save the day. We never seem to be happy with the squad we currently have.
I am not doing Shanna's post justice as she covered many aspects of what she was going through and feeling. She took lots of criticism for what she had to say even though the majority of comments were supportive. As a fellow blogger I know what it is like to have someone take your words and make is sound like you are whining, complaining, ungrateful. etc.
Below is the post Shanna put up today. You can see it is called "A response" (against my better judgement). As a fellow blogger I know these kind of posts don't change peoples minds. Supporters will agree and the doubters will still be doubters so my advise would have been to let it go even though I might do the same thing in the same situation. I know Shanna is a good mother, hockey wife and I might say blogger as well.
Since I posted the original letter I felt it was only fair to post the response. And check out Shanna's blog at: http://shannaleighwray.wordpress.com as whether you are a mom or a hockey fan you will enjoy it.
When I say that I was sad, that’s regardless of the fact that it was immediately clear that I had way more positive feedback than negative. The cheerleaders in my corner were comprised of loyal fans (YES, a good bunch of them from the Booster Club), anyone with a nice balance of hockey knowledge and common sense and people who actually live this hockey lifestyle. Even people who (gasp!) don’t really know hockey at all, who just appreciated my rant-y and stabby approach to writing. The neigh-sayers, on the other hand, seemed to be more along the lines of the “quick-to-judge-didn’t-read-the-post-entirely-or-at-all types”. The ones that can’t see the forest for the trees and Who are offended by something that was simply a post written by a wife, who was sad and angry about a situation that directly affects her/her husband/her family, posted on her personal blog, that kind of went viral. So a day to be sad and feel sick and judged. But then I moved on. And I felt good about myself again. Until yesterday.
In the dashboard of your blog, there’s a page where you can see every single click, link, referrer of your blog. You can see which sites mentioned you, commented on your post, etc. I’ve said it before, I don’t read the message boards and forums that go along with hockey, so when I saw this particular link, I assumed it was a fellow blogger (hockey-related) and clicked on it, hunkered down in front of my mac, coffee in hand, excited at the prospect of possibly reading another hockey blog. And then I realized as I scanned the screen, this was not a blog at all. This was yet another (lovely) forum where I was being ripped to pieces. If it had stopped at my post,like, “silly, silly girl, doesn’t she know that this all comes with the territory?” all condescending and crap, I’d have probably been okay. It didn’t though, as it went on to talk about how ridiculous I was that I would NOT post on the forums, that I was a coward and I was spoiled. That I lacked the common sense to think about the consequences of what I was publishing before I published it. That I was whining and complaining about my life. That my husband is one of the few lucky ones to get paid to play a child’s game. That I haven’t the slightest clue as to what the word “sacrifice” means. That by referring to Mr. Sometimes league as “SEMI-Pro” I was being degrading, rude, insulting and uneducated. That I needed to just get a thicker skin, deal with the scrutiny that comes with his job, get over the criticism of him and his teammates and deal with it. I’ve never really had my character picked apart like that, I was unprepared for what I was going to feel. It was like watching a car wreck. I felt sick and disgusted and kind of blindsided but I couldn’t stop reading. I read all the way to the end. Every. Single. Comment. It was awful.
I thought long and hard about what I would respond with, or if I would respond at all. It’s been my experience (and that of my sweet, amazing girlfriend who has dealt with her fair share of criticism when it comes to her husband, and yes, she cautioned me NOT to respond) that you can try to justify your feelings with these people, but it will get you nowhere. You can argue back and forth with them but you will never win, they can’t seem to be able to see past the end of their noses. They thrive on ignorance and misinformation. Hiding behind handles and anonymity or screen names. They could be ripping you apart online one minute and then see you on the concourse of the civic center and smile and shout “Hey, Mrs. Wray!”. SO, I wavered, back and forth, on whether or not I would write a response. Obviously, you can see that the devil on my shoulder won out in that little exchange. But I’m not doing this for them, I’m doing this for me. Because it will make me feel better and that’s what my blog is all about. I’m going to address a few issues and then be done with it. The Negative Nancies can do with that, whatever they want. I’ll be done with it once it’s out. And I’ll move on. For good. SO, Buckle-up! This one is a one-way trip. I’m not even going to look in the rear-view mirror.
For starters, Mr. Sometimes (and any other hockey player in this league, the American League, the East Coast League and on) would never be offended by my reference to their leagues as “Semi-Pro”. When he fills out any kind of paperwork that asks about his employment, this is exactly what he writes “Semi Profession Hockey Player”. So, if I’m ignorant, offensive and uneducated for writing that, I guess he is too. Someone should let him know to quit it, for fear of insulting anyone not playing in the NHL.
You may have read my blog and found me to be a spoiled hockey wife, griping about all the attention that my husband isn’t getting, begging for people to like him, whining about pay (even though that wasn’t even mentioned in my blog and neither was tearing down any of his former teammates). That is not the case. He is the Captain of this team, has been for 3 straight seasons. He does his job well, he is a phenomenal Captain to his squad. They respect him and he has quite the following here in town. So it’s not about whining about popularity. Let me put it this way, so maybe it’ll sink in (but don’t worry, I’m not going to hold my breath). You are at your husband’s/wife’s work gathering, get together, dinner party (or whatever it is that non-hockey people do) and you overhear several people talking about the promotion coming up or so-and-so is moving up the ranks quickly and you know what? your spouse just isn’t quite cutting it right now, productivity is down, and they think someone else would do a better job. Would this upset you? Would this make you sad and/or angry? Try listening to it for 6 or 7 mos out of the year, season after season. It grates on your nerves a little bit. It starts to get under your skin. Believe me, after 13 years in the stands, I have become a professional tongue biter (maybe, SEMI-professional… considering I let an opinion slip) but that particular day, I had had enough. I was not trashing any one player who is no longer here (there are lots of players who aren’t here either by choice or by circumstance) so, while it’s so easy to say that I was pointing a finger at ONE player is just an assumption made. Just because you assume it, doesn’t make it true. And because you assumed, we’re, both of us, now asses.
I talk about sacrifices that we’ve made. Of course, on a grand scale, most would find these to be trivial and minuscule. Probably stupid even. But, something not taken into account, they are sacrifices to us. They are directly proportionate to our life. I am not, nor would I ever compare my self to the military wives or doctors wives or what have you. My sacrifices might seem small to you, but they are not so small to us. I don’t judge you on your ideals and perceptions, so why belittle mine? I am not asking for a pity party or recognition for all that I do on my own as a mother or two. There are lots of women (and men) who parent mostly on their own because of their spouse’s employment. I’m not looking for accolades or a friggin’ hero biscuit. I was simply stating a fact.
Jobs, no matter what, are harder and harder to come by. I know there are lots of people (hockey and non-hockey) that don’t have jobs. I recognize how lucky we are that my husband has a job- and I DID, INFACT say this, But in all your accusations of “if he’s not happy, he should just get another job” try to see it this way. Our life is contingent on his performance on the ice. Just as your life is contingent on your job. If Mr. Sometimes doesn’t play well, produce, perform, we don’t have a house, food, clothes. If you don’t perform to your employer’s expectations, neither do you. The difference is this; He can not go and stand in the unemployment line. He can not sit at the table, perusing the classifieds over coffee. He can not just apply for jobs at will. If he does not perform, we pack up our house, we pull our kids from the school they’ve been in for 4 years now and leave Rapid. But it doesn’t stop there. We leave the country. Our ENTIRE life here depends on his job. So, you see, while your speculation on “why complain when, at least, he’s got a job?” seems pretty valid (and it’s been recognized now, feel better?) you can see why a wife would get twitchy about people who hint at wanting him replaced. If you want to assume that all he has to worry about is lacing up his skates and working for a couple of hours on the weekend and not getting hurt, go ahead and keep your head in the clouds. You ASSUME that, aside from a loss (and this was one of the most disturbing comments because that’s the worst thing that can happen aside from getting hurt) there can’t possibly be any stress in what these guys do? So, injury might be stressful, but temporary. How about the guys who, by the time they’re in their mid-20′s, have bodies that are riddled with arthritis and hobble around like old men for days after a game or, worse even, have career-enders? Or how about a hit thrown wrong that results in a broken neck or paralysis? Or how about the staggering statistics of Post-Concussion Syndrom and how many of those cases can be linked to ALS in the future? Or Dementia and Alzheimers? But, I forgot, there’s no stress. I’m not saying his job is more stressful than anyone else’s. Again, it’s all relative. We all make choices about our careers and there are always going to be risks that come along with those choices. I don’t downplay yours because I don’t live it. Why is it so easy to downplay his?
At the risk of tooting my own horn, I am anything BUT a coward. I wrote everything I put on that post (and any other post that I write) with truth and an open heart. I wrote as a wife and friend who was sad and angry for a husband and his players. I posted the link to my blog on Facebook and Twitter, like I always do and someone then shared it on Message Boards and Forums a plenty. It was not an anonymous post. I didn’t hide behind a handle or a screen name, I signed off with my name (all 3, in fact, “Shanna Leigh Wray”) and didn’t bat an eye. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Everyone is allowed to say what they think and how they feel, right? But it seems that rule only stands true when it’s what someone might want to hear. That’s quite a shame.
I am thankful for ALL of the fans (even the ones with crummy attitudes who wouldn’t know real hockey if the puck hit them in the face). I’m a smart girl. I know your tickets help generate the funds that provide Mr. Sometimes with his paycheck. This might have not been apparent with my last post, but so much of that was taken (REALLY, SO FAR) out of context. Asking that you support the team that you have does not translate to “You’re all stupid and suck and the worst fans and I don’t appreciate you, because we’re here and I want you to feel sorry for us and like us or I might cry and throw a fit” or even “The guys who aren’t here aren’t here and they’re awful people and awful hockey players and how dare you even want them back?”. There is always the want for your team to be better. I know what the effect a fresh body in the dressing room and on the bench can have on the dynamics between the players on and off the ice. Believe me, no one knows this better than the ones who are directly related, their lives invested, in and to the players that you all support (either whole-heartedly or fair-weatherly). Sometimes, though, it’s just really hard to have to listen to negative comments, degrading remarks and such, when it pertains to the ones you love. No one wants to hear that. And while I know it comes with whatever weird celebrity status these guys have here in town, it doesn’t make it any easier to have to listen to. A wife is perfectly entitled to the way she feels and she’s damn sure allowed to blog about it if she wants.
-Whether she’s married to Scott Wray, the town’s leading surgeon, the D.A or Tony, friggin, Romo.
**Yes, Someone actually wondered if Tony Romo’s wife feels the same when he’s being ripped to shreds by news reporters. I’d bet any wife (or husband) worth her (or his) salt would feel terrible when hearing people negatively criticize their spouse. I’d worry that there was something wrong if she/he didn’t. Just because they aren’t heard saying it or they don’t write about it on a blog, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen.
I am not doing Shanna's post justice as she covered many aspects of what she was going through and feeling. She took lots of criticism for what she had to say even though the majority of comments were supportive. As a fellow blogger I know what it is like to have someone take your words and make is sound like you are whining, complaining, ungrateful. etc.
Below is the post Shanna put up today. You can see it is called "A response" (against my better judgement). As a fellow blogger I know these kind of posts don't change peoples minds. Supporters will agree and the doubters will still be doubters so my advise would have been to let it go even though I might do the same thing in the same situation. I know Shanna is a good mother, hockey wife and I might say blogger as well.
Since I posted the original letter I felt it was only fair to post the response. And check out Shanna's blog at: http://shannaleighwray.wordpress.com as whether you are a mom or a hockey fan you will enjoy it.
A Response (against my better judgement)
7:03 am, on a Sunday morning, found me sitting with my coffee in front of the computer, checking the stats page on my blog , curious to see what kind of action my (not so interesting) wordpress site has seen in the last couple of weeks. If you follow me, you might have noticed I had quite an exciting couple of days in February. I wrote a very rant-y, post about Mr. Sometimes’ job (again!) and BOY did I get some hand-slapping, tsk’ing and down right nasty responses from it. By chance, and some really, really great sharing of said post going on, my little piece of the blogosphere found itself on Message Boards and Forums throughout the leagues. My “Open Letter” found its way onto so many peoples screens that I wasn’t prepared for the reaction it got. I barely had time to react before the barrage of comments, both negative and positive found its way into my inbox. The positive comments had me absolutely buzzing inside. But, the negative ones kind of took over. I felt really crappy for a day. And then I got over it. People aren’t always going to like what you have to say. I think we learn this early on in life, but even so, I felt kind of sick, kind of angry and a lot sad.When I say that I was sad, that’s regardless of the fact that it was immediately clear that I had way more positive feedback than negative. The cheerleaders in my corner were comprised of loyal fans (YES, a good bunch of them from the Booster Club), anyone with a nice balance of hockey knowledge and common sense and people who actually live this hockey lifestyle. Even people who (gasp!) don’t really know hockey at all, who just appreciated my rant-y and stabby approach to writing. The neigh-sayers, on the other hand, seemed to be more along the lines of the “quick-to-judge-didn’t-read-the-post-entirely-or-at-all types”. The ones that can’t see the forest for the trees and Who are offended by something that was simply a post written by a wife, who was sad and angry about a situation that directly affects her/her husband/her family, posted on her personal blog, that kind of went viral. So a day to be sad and feel sick and judged. But then I moved on. And I felt good about myself again. Until yesterday.
In the dashboard of your blog, there’s a page where you can see every single click, link, referrer of your blog. You can see which sites mentioned you, commented on your post, etc. I’ve said it before, I don’t read the message boards and forums that go along with hockey, so when I saw this particular link, I assumed it was a fellow blogger (hockey-related) and clicked on it, hunkered down in front of my mac, coffee in hand, excited at the prospect of possibly reading another hockey blog. And then I realized as I scanned the screen, this was not a blog at all. This was yet another (lovely) forum where I was being ripped to pieces. If it had stopped at my post,like, “silly, silly girl, doesn’t she know that this all comes with the territory?” all condescending and crap, I’d have probably been okay. It didn’t though, as it went on to talk about how ridiculous I was that I would NOT post on the forums, that I was a coward and I was spoiled. That I lacked the common sense to think about the consequences of what I was publishing before I published it. That I was whining and complaining about my life. That my husband is one of the few lucky ones to get paid to play a child’s game. That I haven’t the slightest clue as to what the word “sacrifice” means. That by referring to Mr. Sometimes league as “SEMI-Pro” I was being degrading, rude, insulting and uneducated. That I needed to just get a thicker skin, deal with the scrutiny that comes with his job, get over the criticism of him and his teammates and deal with it. I’ve never really had my character picked apart like that, I was unprepared for what I was going to feel. It was like watching a car wreck. I felt sick and disgusted and kind of blindsided but I couldn’t stop reading. I read all the way to the end. Every. Single. Comment. It was awful.
I thought long and hard about what I would respond with, or if I would respond at all. It’s been my experience (and that of my sweet, amazing girlfriend who has dealt with her fair share of criticism when it comes to her husband, and yes, she cautioned me NOT to respond) that you can try to justify your feelings with these people, but it will get you nowhere. You can argue back and forth with them but you will never win, they can’t seem to be able to see past the end of their noses. They thrive on ignorance and misinformation. Hiding behind handles and anonymity or screen names. They could be ripping you apart online one minute and then see you on the concourse of the civic center and smile and shout “Hey, Mrs. Wray!”. SO, I wavered, back and forth, on whether or not I would write a response. Obviously, you can see that the devil on my shoulder won out in that little exchange. But I’m not doing this for them, I’m doing this for me. Because it will make me feel better and that’s what my blog is all about. I’m going to address a few issues and then be done with it. The Negative Nancies can do with that, whatever they want. I’ll be done with it once it’s out. And I’ll move on. For good. SO, Buckle-up! This one is a one-way trip. I’m not even going to look in the rear-view mirror.
For starters, Mr. Sometimes (and any other hockey player in this league, the American League, the East Coast League and on) would never be offended by my reference to their leagues as “Semi-Pro”. When he fills out any kind of paperwork that asks about his employment, this is exactly what he writes “Semi Profession Hockey Player”. So, if I’m ignorant, offensive and uneducated for writing that, I guess he is too. Someone should let him know to quit it, for fear of insulting anyone not playing in the NHL.
You may have read my blog and found me to be a spoiled hockey wife, griping about all the attention that my husband isn’t getting, begging for people to like him, whining about pay (even though that wasn’t even mentioned in my blog and neither was tearing down any of his former teammates). That is not the case. He is the Captain of this team, has been for 3 straight seasons. He does his job well, he is a phenomenal Captain to his squad. They respect him and he has quite the following here in town. So it’s not about whining about popularity. Let me put it this way, so maybe it’ll sink in (but don’t worry, I’m not going to hold my breath). You are at your husband’s/wife’s work gathering, get together, dinner party (or whatever it is that non-hockey people do) and you overhear several people talking about the promotion coming up or so-and-so is moving up the ranks quickly and you know what? your spouse just isn’t quite cutting it right now, productivity is down, and they think someone else would do a better job. Would this upset you? Would this make you sad and/or angry? Try listening to it for 6 or 7 mos out of the year, season after season. It grates on your nerves a little bit. It starts to get under your skin. Believe me, after 13 years in the stands, I have become a professional tongue biter (maybe, SEMI-professional… considering I let an opinion slip) but that particular day, I had had enough. I was not trashing any one player who is no longer here (there are lots of players who aren’t here either by choice or by circumstance) so, while it’s so easy to say that I was pointing a finger at ONE player is just an assumption made. Just because you assume it, doesn’t make it true. And because you assumed, we’re, both of us, now asses.
I talk about sacrifices that we’ve made. Of course, on a grand scale, most would find these to be trivial and minuscule. Probably stupid even. But, something not taken into account, they are sacrifices to us. They are directly proportionate to our life. I am not, nor would I ever compare my self to the military wives or doctors wives or what have you. My sacrifices might seem small to you, but they are not so small to us. I don’t judge you on your ideals and perceptions, so why belittle mine? I am not asking for a pity party or recognition for all that I do on my own as a mother or two. There are lots of women (and men) who parent mostly on their own because of their spouse’s employment. I’m not looking for accolades or a friggin’ hero biscuit. I was simply stating a fact.
Jobs, no matter what, are harder and harder to come by. I know there are lots of people (hockey and non-hockey) that don’t have jobs. I recognize how lucky we are that my husband has a job- and I DID, INFACT say this, But in all your accusations of “if he’s not happy, he should just get another job” try to see it this way. Our life is contingent on his performance on the ice. Just as your life is contingent on your job. If Mr. Sometimes doesn’t play well, produce, perform, we don’t have a house, food, clothes. If you don’t perform to your employer’s expectations, neither do you. The difference is this; He can not go and stand in the unemployment line. He can not sit at the table, perusing the classifieds over coffee. He can not just apply for jobs at will. If he does not perform, we pack up our house, we pull our kids from the school they’ve been in for 4 years now and leave Rapid. But it doesn’t stop there. We leave the country. Our ENTIRE life here depends on his job. So, you see, while your speculation on “why complain when, at least, he’s got a job?” seems pretty valid (and it’s been recognized now, feel better?) you can see why a wife would get twitchy about people who hint at wanting him replaced. If you want to assume that all he has to worry about is lacing up his skates and working for a couple of hours on the weekend and not getting hurt, go ahead and keep your head in the clouds. You ASSUME that, aside from a loss (and this was one of the most disturbing comments because that’s the worst thing that can happen aside from getting hurt) there can’t possibly be any stress in what these guys do? So, injury might be stressful, but temporary. How about the guys who, by the time they’re in their mid-20′s, have bodies that are riddled with arthritis and hobble around like old men for days after a game or, worse even, have career-enders? Or how about a hit thrown wrong that results in a broken neck or paralysis? Or how about the staggering statistics of Post-Concussion Syndrom and how many of those cases can be linked to ALS in the future? Or Dementia and Alzheimers? But, I forgot, there’s no stress. I’m not saying his job is more stressful than anyone else’s. Again, it’s all relative. We all make choices about our careers and there are always going to be risks that come along with those choices. I don’t downplay yours because I don’t live it. Why is it so easy to downplay his?
At the risk of tooting my own horn, I am anything BUT a coward. I wrote everything I put on that post (and any other post that I write) with truth and an open heart. I wrote as a wife and friend who was sad and angry for a husband and his players. I posted the link to my blog on Facebook and Twitter, like I always do and someone then shared it on Message Boards and Forums a plenty. It was not an anonymous post. I didn’t hide behind a handle or a screen name, I signed off with my name (all 3, in fact, “Shanna Leigh Wray”) and didn’t bat an eye. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Everyone is allowed to say what they think and how they feel, right? But it seems that rule only stands true when it’s what someone might want to hear. That’s quite a shame.
I am thankful for ALL of the fans (even the ones with crummy attitudes who wouldn’t know real hockey if the puck hit them in the face). I’m a smart girl. I know your tickets help generate the funds that provide Mr. Sometimes with his paycheck. This might have not been apparent with my last post, but so much of that was taken (REALLY, SO FAR) out of context. Asking that you support the team that you have does not translate to “You’re all stupid and suck and the worst fans and I don’t appreciate you, because we’re here and I want you to feel sorry for us and like us or I might cry and throw a fit” or even “The guys who aren’t here aren’t here and they’re awful people and awful hockey players and how dare you even want them back?”. There is always the want for your team to be better. I know what the effect a fresh body in the dressing room and on the bench can have on the dynamics between the players on and off the ice. Believe me, no one knows this better than the ones who are directly related, their lives invested, in and to the players that you all support (either whole-heartedly or fair-weatherly). Sometimes, though, it’s just really hard to have to listen to negative comments, degrading remarks and such, when it pertains to the ones you love. No one wants to hear that. And while I know it comes with whatever weird celebrity status these guys have here in town, it doesn’t make it any easier to have to listen to. A wife is perfectly entitled to the way she feels and she’s damn sure allowed to blog about it if she wants.
-Whether she’s married to Scott Wray, the town’s leading surgeon, the D.A or Tony, friggin, Romo.
**Yes, Someone actually wondered if Tony Romo’s wife feels the same when he’s being ripped to shreds by news reporters. I’d bet any wife (or husband) worth her (or his) salt would feel terrible when hearing people negatively criticize their spouse. I’d worry that there was something wrong if she/he didn’t. Just because they aren’t heard saying it or they don’t write about it on a blog, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen.
Secrets Of The Allen Americans Blog
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| First Blog Post - 10/8/12 |
We hit a milestone yesterday as we surpassed 20,000 page views for the blog. I wanted to devote a post to thanking all of you for not only visiting the blog but giving me all the words of encouragement. It has been an amazing journey from early October to today. The picture above was the very first post after the announcement of the blog which attracted a grand total of seven page views the first day. I had just returned from a trip to Africa and had taken many pictures similar to the one above. After struggling for several days with how to set up a blog, upload pictures, etc. I was ready to go and this picture was the best I could do with the caption, "After A Lazy Summer The Lions Are Ready For Hockey."
I have learned a lot in the last five months but the biggest lesson for me is the realization that we are all one big family in the CHL. Because the CHL is an under covered stepchild to the other double AA league, the ECHL, we all have a certain "we want respect" in common. Notice I didn't say one big "happy" family as with any big family there are those you like better than others and everyone doesn't always get along, but we are all part of the CHL family. Whether you are a player, wife or girlfriend of a player, family of a player, fan, front office employee, or media we are all in this together. We love our teams and our players. One of the best things about the blog for me personally has been getting to know players, fans, bloggers, and family from other teams around the league. This just reinforces for me how we are all united and we should support one another.
One of the biggest surprises for me has been the geographical dispersion of those that follow the Allen Americans through this blog. I get management information including country of origin of those coming to the blog and as you might imagine the majority of the visitors come from the US which represents 80% of our viewers. Canada is another 12% of total page views but we have regular viewers from many countries. Here are the top ten countries outside the United States in total number of page views:
1. Canada
2. Germany
3. United Kingdom
4. Russia
5. France
6. Ukraine
7. Sweden
8. Poland
9. Netherlands
10. Czech Republic
I've also learned a lot in the last five months about what is of most interest to you, the blog readers. Without a doubt the most popular posts are those that are personal interest stories whether it is a player or in one instance the wife of a player. They take the most time to complete (16 hours) but are also the most enjoyable to do. The top posts of all time are:
1. Adam Pineault - Player Profile
2. Wendy McMillin - Hockey Wife - Hockey Star
3. Soldiers Of Little Fortune - Life in the CHL
4. Jamie Schaafsma - Player Profile
5. Darryl Bootland - Player Profile
6. Keeping Up With Kerbashain - Player Profile
7. Percussion Concussion - The Drummers Story
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| Tommy Daniels |
It would be impossible to do this blog without the help from lots of people. I first and foremost want to thank Tommy Daniels who has been a mentor, adviser, counselor and coach as this rookie (me) with a big interest in the Americans but little technology and writing skill has had to learn by doing and making plenty of mistakes. If it wasn't for Tommy this blog would not exist. I can always turn to Tommy for help whether it is an idea for a story, information, helping line up players for interviews, and yes to tell me when it might be better to not say something publicly. Tommy has also graciously helped me get the word out about the blog through Twitter and with many interviews during his live game radio broadcasts on KLAK 97.5.
I also want to thank Erik Adams and Bill McDonald for educating me about all aspects of hockey from player personnel, contracts, life on the road, strategy, and scores of other questions I am constantly asking them. Their willingness to share their expertise is both noticed and appreciated.
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| Chip Crail |
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| Kimberly Sauer |
I want to thank Chip Crail who you can find at chlphotos.com and Kimberly Sauer who you can find at SceneByKimberly.com for graciously letting me use their photos in my blog. The have both gone above and beyond the call of duty to help me out. You will always see attribution to them on their pictures and the are always excellent pictures. There are many other pictures I get from social media, email, etc. which are the best available but poor quality. These are not from Chip or Kimberly.
I want to end this post how I started it by once again thanking all of you that take the time to read the blog. It takes a lot more time than I ever imagined but I get great satisfaction by seeing that more more hockey fans think it is worthwhile to continue to come to the blog. I want to thank those of you that send me comments which range from words of encouragement, to issues you would like me to look into, to differences of opinion, to ideas for future stories. Mary Betz, skmanning, Doug H, Bruce Hadley, Naulty, Erik Govea, Foo & Turtle & Kenneth Flint I give special thanks to you for taking the time to share feedback with me. Let's hope we can get the next 20,000 page views before the season is over.
If you are on Twitter please follow me at
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Martinson Post Game Comments & Player Milestones
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| Darryl Bootland Notches 200th Professional Assist - Photo by SceneByKimberly.com |
Here are some of Coach Martinson's comments after the game:
- He started out the press conference by bringing up Alex Penner and he wanted everyone to know that he thought Penner had done a great job for the team and his presence was missed in a game like tonight as the Mavericks would not challenge us with Penner in the line up but they did tonight. "I always tell my tough guys when a guy goes down you can only hit him once, you can't hit him again. You do no good sitting in the stands under suspension." He is a real nice guy who went overboard on that play, he is great on the bench, always encouraging his teammates even if he isn't playing a lot, he is great in the locker room, when we were struggling he was always a positive voice. The whole thing is unfortunate.
- The first two periods were ugly with very few shots on goal. We played well defensively in general but were soft on both of the goals allowed as we gave them too much time behind the net.
- Berube will be out three or four weeks so we will be looking to bring in a defenseman. Nothing certain at this point but we are working on it. We are looking at ECHL guys and also amateurs.
- We have lost a lot of toughness recently with Grantham, Penner, and now Berube out of the line up. I prefer to win with toughness this time of year. But the important thing is to win so we will have to win with less toughness.
- Pineault should return to the line up next week.
- The lack of a tough guy (aka fighter) was evident tonight as the last two times we played Missouri Penner challenged their tough guys and the game was calm. Tonight Bootland hit their top scorer on the first shift and it was like hitting a bees nest. Since we have nobody in the line up that can beat the Missouri tough guy in a fight and with the injuries we have I can't afford to get anyone else hurt. Right now our toughest guys are some of our best players and I don't want them to fight and get hurt.
- When asked about Penner being at the game the past two nights Martinson said he is looking for another spot but he can't go to the SPHL or ECHL as they honor CHL suspensions. There have been a couple of inquiries from AHL teams. Penner would like to find a place to play for the reat of the season and not just head home.
- One of the European players we have lined up is a 6' 4" 225 pound forward who is a top line player who is tough as nails. If his team looses in the first round of the playoffs he could be here in two weeks.
- Our defense has been better recently because we are getting on the opponents players better, we are not chasing as much in the defensive zone. One of the things we have told the players and stressed is we would rather have the players pressure and get beat than lay off and allow them to find someone. We have a good skating defense and we should be able to take away time and space in our zone. We have always had skill in the back line but we haven't always shown it.
- Coach Martinson is headed to Chicago this morning to see his family as it has been a month since he has seen them. He will join the team later in the week in Rapid City. Hockey will still be the focus as both of his children are still playing in the Chicago Area Youth Hockey Blackhawks Cup tournament.
OTHER ITEMS:
- Congratulations to Darryl Bootland on getting the 200th assist of his pro career. The first one was 2002 with the Toledo Strom of the ECHL. And don't forget included in those 200 assists is one as a member of the Detroit Red Wings and one as a New York Islander. And a big congratulations to Booter & Sarah on the birth of their baby girl this morning at 11:05. A healthy 8 lbs. 11 oz. bundle of joy.
- Congrats also to Mike Montgomery who played his 100 pro game last night. It was just two years ago this week that Mike started the run to the NCAA hockey championship as the captain of the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Bulldogs. Check out Mike and the answers to his favorites from his UMD days.
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| Mike Montgomery NCAA Champion 2011 |
Opponent: North Dakota
Opponent Arena: Ralph Engelstad Arena (North Dakota)
Road Trip: St. Paul, Minn. (for the WCHA Final Five)
Professional Athlete: Evan Oberg
Professional Team: Minnesota Vikings
College Course: Beethoven to the Beatles
Pastime: Taking part in the fishing opener
Prized Possession: My Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar
Book (Author): Aaron Crandall’s yet-to-be-released autobiography
Television Show: Dexter and Family Guy
Actor/Actress: Vince Vaughn
Movie: Kung Fu Panda and Gladiator
Singer/Group: Eric Clapton, Kings of Leon, Led Zeppelin, and The Black Keys
Food: Anything homemade
Restaurant: Chipotle
Video Game: Mario Party 8
Vacation Spot: Shell Lake, Wis.
Web Site: Ultimate-Guitar.com
PERSONALLY SPEAKING
Why I Chose UMD: The lake, city and location
First Played Competitive Hockey: Around age 7
Hockey Strength/Weakness: My skating/My consistency
Game Day Ritual: I take a nap
Most Memorable Hockey Moment: Getting the call from the UMD coaches asking me to play here.
Best Player I’ve Ever Played Against: Sidney Crosby
Pet Peeve: Flight delays
My First Job: Construction/demolition (age 15)
Person I’d Most Like to Meet (Dead or Alive): My ancestors
Biggest Fear: Finding scratch in Jake Hendrickson’s red Dodge Dakota
What Most People Don’t Know About Me: I hate ketchup and ranch dressing
Advice to an Aspiring Young Athlete: It’s just a game.
If I Could Change One Thing About Myself: I’d grow a mustache like Drew Olson
Why I Wear No. 24: No particular reason, it just happened to be available.
Influences on My Athletic Career: My family
Sport I’d Like to Try But Never Have: Fly fishing
Something I Never Leave Home Without: Somewhere to go
Post-UMD Plans: Start a rock band that changes the world (plan B)
What I'll Miss Most About Playing for the Bulldogs: My teammates, the atmosphere at games and the city.
- Congrats are also in order for Jim McKenzie who played in his 300 pro game last night. He has lots in common with Montgomery as they are both Minnesota natives and both won NCAA hockey championships. Jim won his in 2007 as a member of the Michigan State Spartans (MSU) and had points in both games of the Frozen Four. He had a goal in the semi finals win over Maine 4-2 and an assist in the finals which was 3-1 over Boston College. Check out the picture and info from the MSU web site about Jim.
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| Jim McKenzie NCAA Champion - 2007 |
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Get Your Happy Meal/Americans Dish Here
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| Aaron Dell with one of his 27 saves on the way to a 4-0 shutout on McDonald's Jersey Night photo courtesy chlphotos.com |
No press conference after the game last night so here are some of my musings:
- In his rookie season with just 34 games played Aaron Dell is already the career leader for the Americans with three shutouts. He leads the CHL in GAA with 2.18 and save percentage at .924 which would both be all time records for the Americans if he continues that pace.
- Some bad news on the injury front as Mike Berube left the game with a lower body injury that looked like it will keep him out of the line up for a while. Saw him dressed in street clothes after the second period and he was limping noticeably.
- Adam Pineault did not play in the game and it makes you wonder if he tried to come back to early from the groin and rib injuries he was dealing with. It was originally announced he would not return until last night but he was in the line up on Tuesday. My vote would be to go slow, be cautious, and have Adam at 100% come playoff time.
- Garrett Clarke leads the team in penalty minutes with 168 which puts him in second place all time for penalty minutes in a season. For you trivia buffs the all time single season record is held by Brandon Straub who had 185 minutes in the 2009-2010 season.
- Mr. Under The Radar (Anthony Maiani) proved it again last night as his two goal performance and great all around play couldn't get him one of the three stars. COME ON, MAN!!
- The three stars of the game were #1 Dell, #2 Deitsch, & #3 Lukin who all had great games.
- In addition to a goal last night Brian McMillin had only his fourth penalty of the season. If there was such a thing as the Lady Byng Trophy (given in the NHL to the player who exhibits outstanding sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability) in the CHL Brian would be a worthy candidate.
- Separated by just one point, the Americans regained the top spot on the Sher-Wood Coaches Poll taking it away from the Wichita Thunder. The Americans were the #1 team on the first five polls this season before the Thunder took the top spot in the last two polls. Allen finished with 84 points on the most recent poll, while Wichita garnered 83 points. The poll is released on or near the beginning and middle of each month throughout the regular season. Each first place vote receives 10 points, second place votes earn 9 points, etc.
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| Jason Deitsch notches 500th point - photo by SceneByKimberly.com |
- I know there was a lot of chatter around social media yesterday concerning the McDonald's themed jerseys the team wore last night and some of it was unfavorable. My thoughts are this is a great fund raiser for the Ronald McDonald house, it is done all over the place in minor league hockey, and judging by what the jerseys went for at the auction after the game it was a huge success. I heard Darryl Bootland say he has even played on a McDonald's sponsored night with the special jerseys and the entire sheet of ice dyed yellow.
- I stayed for a little of the jersey auction and didn't keep close tabs so I could have the numbers a little off but most of them went from $400 - $800 dollars. The highest amount I heard was for the jersey worn by Jim McKenzie (blood and all). Darryl Bootland, who took the microphone from Tommy Daniels and auctioned his own jersey also got top dollar as did the jersey worn by Aaron Dell. A great cause for a great sponsor of the Allen Americans.
- I thought we had another disappointing crowd (3927) for a Friday night game against what many people feel is the best team in the league and no conflicts with the Stars & Mavericks. I sure hope we can get more people to the AEC when the playoffs start.
- Hope to see everyone at the game tonight and please let me know if there is any story you would like me to cover. I'm currently working on a player profile with Drew Daniels, a story on the team bus and a story about this blog as we pass our 20,000th page view sometime today.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Americans Release Penner
Allen, Texas
– The Allen Americans of the Central Hockey League announced today that
forward Alex Penner has been released by the team following his
suspension by the league.
Alex Penner played in 20 games for the Allen Americans scoring one goal and four points while racking up 88 penalty minutes.
The
CHL announced on Thursday that forward Alex Penner was suspended for
the remainder of the season and post-season for actions in the Allen
Americans game on February 23rd at Fort Worth.
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