Merry Christmas Road Warrior nation! It's Radio Ray checking in with you from snowy Pennsylvania. That's because I've successfully made the nine-hour trek north to spend time with friends and family for the Christmas holiday. I hope if you are traveling this year that you arrive wherever you are going safely and get to enjoy your time with loved ones. For those of us in the hockey industry the days we get off around Christmas are treasured. Especially this season with the Road Warriors having seven days off between games. Many, if not all, of the players and staff got time to travel home and see their families unlike some other teams in the ECHL. Gwinnett and Florida are playing tonight and tomorrow night so I would be very surprised if any of those players will be afforded the chance to travel home. It has also been a very busy first few months for the Road Warriors so a week to get away from the rink and relax is not a bad thing. The players, though, will have to take care to stay active during the break because even a few days off can wipe out much of the hard work they do to train for and maintain their high level of fitness.
The true importance, though, of Christmas is sharing time with the ones we love. What makes it even better is that we get to exchange gifts and enjoy some great food and drink. To me, there's no better way to relax! Growing up I always loved coming up with wish lists for Santa and then waiting all month to see which wishes would come true. I might be a little bit late with this one, I am a procrastinator after all, but here is my wish list for this Christmas. If you can help fill any of these wishes leave a comment down below!
1. For all of my family traveling to Pittsburgh from the midwest and New England all arrive safely.
2. Snow, at least an inches worth, in Greenville this winter.
3. Books to add to my collection. Reading is my favorite way to pass time on long road trips.
4. More teams in the Western Conference in the ECHL. They do the best they can w/a tough situation, but it's silly to have seven out of eight teams from the conference make the playoffs.
5. Tickets and a ride to the Winter Classic between Pittsburgh and Washington at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Jan. 1.
6. For the Road Warriors to one day play an outdoor game in the ECHL.
7. A bike. I gave up my bicycle after I finished college, but with all the great riding in and around Greenville I definitely want a bike again.
8. A well-attended ECHL All-Star Game. The league made a bold move in changing the format of the All-Star Game to have host Bakersfield play the ECHL All-Stars. I like gutsy, bold moves like that and I hope the great fans in Bakersfield respond to it.
9. A new case for my guitar. Taking it on the road is a great way to kill down time at the hotel. I'm nervous that if I keep transporting it in the soft case I have right now that it'll get damaged.
10. For Brandon Saad to get drafted and turn into a good NHL player. He's a forward with Saginaw in the Ontario Hockey League and has 36 points in 31 games. He is originally from Gibsonia, PA and attended Pine Richland High School where my dad went. I saw his team play a state championship game in Johnstown at the War Memorial Arena when he was a freshman and I think it'd be great to see another Pittsburgh kid (Ryan Malone, R.J. Umberger, John Zeiler) stick in the NHL.
11. For T.J. Reynolds to grow his mustache back. T.J.'s size and reputation are intimidating enough but the 'stache put him over the top.
12. At least one sell out at a Road Warriors game this season. We had the biggest crowd of the season on Dec. 17 at just under 4,600 and the place was rocking. It would be incredible to hear how loud it would be with 7,100.
13. The continued health of the Road Warriors' players. The team is building something special this season and has been relatively lucky in dodging major injuries. Knock on wood and hope that continues.
14. Cullen Eddy and Sean Berkstresser to never knock on my hotel room door. You all saw what happened to Blake Parlett's and Connor Shields' hotel room when I gave them control of the video diary two weeks ago. At least I know if there's a late-night knock at my door to use the peephole first.
15. Many more years of Road Warriors hockey in Greenville. The first two-and-a-half months of this season have been exciting and memorable for me, especially because of the great fans that the Road Warriors have. We need to build our family up and make sure that hockey thrives here in the Upstate.
It may be a pretty long Christmas list, but I've been a good boy this year so I think Santa should pull through for me. I'm going to print it off, put it in an envelope and mail it to the North Pole so it gets there before Saturday.
In the meantime I hope you and your families have a blessed and safe Christmas. Once you've unwrapped all the presents and have eaten all the Christmas cookies come out and see us on December 27 at the BI-LO Center against South Carolina.
Radio Ray
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
VIDEO DIARY DAY 3
So I figured by now you're all probably tired of hearing my voice and seeing my face. With that in mind I gave over control of the Video Diary to Cullen Eddy and Sean Berkstresser for the day. After agreeing to do the diary they both asked what I wanted them to shoot. I told them, straight up, "Film whatever you want." This is what they came up with...
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
ROAD DIARY DAY 2
I am amped for the start of this series between the Road Warriors and Everblades! How could you not be? Two great offensive clubs duking it out over three games for the top spot in the South Division and the entire league. My only wish is that the series was being played at the BI-LO Center instead of Germain Arena. I guess even during Christmas season you can't get everything you want. Nevertheless on to the videos!
Hope you enjoy the second day of the video diary. I'm working on a new wrinkle for Day 3 so stay tuned to see if it works out. One final thought for today...LISTEN TO THE BROADCAST OF TONIGHT'S GAME!! It's going to be a good one.
Hope you enjoy the second day of the video diary. I'm working on a new wrinkle for Day 3 so stay tuned to see if it works out. One final thought for today...LISTEN TO THE BROADCAST OF TONIGHT'S GAME!! It's going to be a good one.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
ROAD DIARY DAY 1
Hey Road Warriors Nation! It's Radio Ray here and I've got a treat for you. During the team's road trip to Florida I'm doing a daily video diary. I'll be updating at the end of each day with a new entry so here are the videos from Day 1.
I'll have video from game day up tomorrow night!
I'll have video from game day up tomorrow night!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Reflections On a Rivalry Past
Hello Road Warriors nation! Radio Ray here checking in from WesBanco Arena, home of the Wheeling Nailers. After a nine-hour, or so, bus ride we have arrived safely in what they call the "Friendly City" of Wheeling, West Virginia. I'm not exactly sure how long we were on the bus because we left at 11:00 p.m. last night and I slept pretty much the entire time. When we stopped for breakfast I was in such a fog (hint: I'm not a morning person) that I was barely able to stumble out of the bus and make it across the street to Panera for breakfast. The ham, egg, and cheese sandwich and green tea did wonders for waking me up, though.
Now that I'm finally awake I'm excited to be here in Wheeling. Not that the town is a booming metropolis with tons to do; far from it, actually. It's because this is my old stomping grounds. Having been with the Johnstown Chiefs for three seasons before coming to Greenville, I spent a lot of time in Wheeling and at WesBanco. It seemed like the Chiefs played down here 20 times every season with the drive only being two and a half hours. It was a fun rivalry because the teams didn't like each other at all, the fans despised the other teams, and the towns were very similar. Even if both clubs were having a tough season, the games between Wheeling and Johnstown were always important for bragging rights.
One of my favorite memories from this rivalry was in my first season when the Chiefs had a game in Wheeling in either late November or early December. Road Warriors assistant coach Jason Spence was a renowned tough guy for the Chiefs during his playing days, much like T.J. Reynolds is for the Road Warriors now. Opposing players respected Spence and there weren't many challengers who wanted to drop the mitts with him. Well this night the Nailers had former Pittsburgh Penguins enforcer Francois Leroux in the line up. Leroux was a formidable fighter for the Pens in the early to mid 1990's and here's a video of him taking down Tony Twist who was a really good NHL fighter:
Now, I don't have video proof of Spence's tilt against Leroux so you'll have to take it on my word. After an initial tussle that resulted in matching roughing minors for the pair, Spence and Leroux dropped the gloves almost immediately after exiting the penalty box. It was an evenly matched bout until Spence landed a big right followed by a few uppercuts that earned him the KO. I used to love watching Leroux when I was a kid and to see one of the guys on the team I covered just clean his clock was a very cool experience. I've also made sure over the years to stay on Spence's good side. Just saying...
Another great memory was calling the first head coaching victory for Road Warriors owner/president/general manager Neil Smith. With the Chiefs struggling to win games last year Smith took over coaching duties in early January. The team lost its first two games with Neil behind the bench but showed improved effort and play. It was an important game for the Nailers with a chance to move up the North Division standings so they televised the game on a local station in Wheeling. A big crowd was on hand at WesBanco, too. The Chiefs grabbed the early lead on a power play goal but Wheeling kept battling and eventually took a 3-2 lead with an early second period power play score. Johnstown wouldn't back down and picked up a power play score with 13:11 gone by in the second and set the stage for a dramatic third period. The Chiefs had to survive three shorthanded situations in the third including a tripping minor to current Road Warrior Connor Shields with 1:58 left to play. In overtime Wheeling's T.J. Fox took a double minor for high-sticking 17 seconds in and the Chiefs won the game 17 seconds later on a power play goal. For Johnstown the win didn't matter for much in the standings, but it was admirable the way the team battled for its new coach, and for itself period, to pick up an edge-of-your-seat win over a bitter rival.
Those are just two stories from my three seasons with the Chiefs. Just imagine how much else there is to tell from that rivalry with 173 games played between the clubs from 1992-93 (Wheeling's first year in the league) through 2009-10. That doesn't even include the few years when the Wheeling organization was playing in Winston-Salem, North Carolina as the Thunderbirds. In the first year of the ECHL the Chiefs and Thunderbirds played an epic seven-game series for the first Riley Cup, a series that the T-Birds won in front of almost 4,200 fans at the Cambria County War Memorial in Game 7.
It's fun to look back and be nostalgic, but it's also fun to look ahead into the Road Warriors' future. With a brand new team there is an opportunity for everyone who follows and supports the club to see the stories and the rivalries be built from the ground up. Imagine looking back in five or ten years on all the epic battles with the Stingrays, Gladiators, Everblades, or whoever else might come along. Then we'll all have our own stories to share and laugh about. But until then it's tie to just enjoy the great hockey we've been seeing out of the Road Warriors this season. This is certainly an important road trip the team is on this week and will need, in my opinion, at least three wins to make it a successful trip. Wheeling and Kalamazoo will be tough to beat in their own buildings and it certainly won't be easy.
Two last items before I wrap up today's post. I saw this video for the first time today and it's too cool to not share with you all:
Secondly I want to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving. If you're traveling to visit family I hope you arrive without any troubles on your travels and I hope you get to enjoy your time with your loved ones. It was looking like this would be my first Thanksgiving without seeing any of my family, but I'm lucky enough that my parents, brother, and sister are all coming in to Pittsburgh from St. Louis, Andover, Mass., and Hershey, PA. respectively. They're meeting up with my aunt, uncle, and two cousins to come to Wheeling for tomorrow's game and I'll get to visit with them for a bit before it's time to get to work.
So join me then for the Road Warriors and Nailers. Faceoff is at 7:05 with the Road Warriors pregame show starting at 6:50. Click the "Listen Live" link at www.greenvilleroadwarriors.com for the free internet radio broadcast or go to www.b2livetv.com to access the internet TV feed. The best way, though, to enjoy the game is to head to Bailey's on Lauren's Road for Road Warriors away game watch parties. I'll talk to you all then, and again, Happy Thanksgiving!
Now that I'm finally awake I'm excited to be here in Wheeling. Not that the town is a booming metropolis with tons to do; far from it, actually. It's because this is my old stomping grounds. Having been with the Johnstown Chiefs for three seasons before coming to Greenville, I spent a lot of time in Wheeling and at WesBanco. It seemed like the Chiefs played down here 20 times every season with the drive only being two and a half hours. It was a fun rivalry because the teams didn't like each other at all, the fans despised the other teams, and the towns were very similar. Even if both clubs were having a tough season, the games between Wheeling and Johnstown were always important for bragging rights.
One of my favorite memories from this rivalry was in my first season when the Chiefs had a game in Wheeling in either late November or early December. Road Warriors assistant coach Jason Spence was a renowned tough guy for the Chiefs during his playing days, much like T.J. Reynolds is for the Road Warriors now. Opposing players respected Spence and there weren't many challengers who wanted to drop the mitts with him. Well this night the Nailers had former Pittsburgh Penguins enforcer Francois Leroux in the line up. Leroux was a formidable fighter for the Pens in the early to mid 1990's and here's a video of him taking down Tony Twist who was a really good NHL fighter:
Now, I don't have video proof of Spence's tilt against Leroux so you'll have to take it on my word. After an initial tussle that resulted in matching roughing minors for the pair, Spence and Leroux dropped the gloves almost immediately after exiting the penalty box. It was an evenly matched bout until Spence landed a big right followed by a few uppercuts that earned him the KO. I used to love watching Leroux when I was a kid and to see one of the guys on the team I covered just clean his clock was a very cool experience. I've also made sure over the years to stay on Spence's good side. Just saying...
Another great memory was calling the first head coaching victory for Road Warriors owner/president/general manager Neil Smith. With the Chiefs struggling to win games last year Smith took over coaching duties in early January. The team lost its first two games with Neil behind the bench but showed improved effort and play. It was an important game for the Nailers with a chance to move up the North Division standings so they televised the game on a local station in Wheeling. A big crowd was on hand at WesBanco, too. The Chiefs grabbed the early lead on a power play goal but Wheeling kept battling and eventually took a 3-2 lead with an early second period power play score. Johnstown wouldn't back down and picked up a power play score with 13:11 gone by in the second and set the stage for a dramatic third period. The Chiefs had to survive three shorthanded situations in the third including a tripping minor to current Road Warrior Connor Shields with 1:58 left to play. In overtime Wheeling's T.J. Fox took a double minor for high-sticking 17 seconds in and the Chiefs won the game 17 seconds later on a power play goal. For Johnstown the win didn't matter for much in the standings, but it was admirable the way the team battled for its new coach, and for itself period, to pick up an edge-of-your-seat win over a bitter rival.
Those are just two stories from my three seasons with the Chiefs. Just imagine how much else there is to tell from that rivalry with 173 games played between the clubs from 1992-93 (Wheeling's first year in the league) through 2009-10. That doesn't even include the few years when the Wheeling organization was playing in Winston-Salem, North Carolina as the Thunderbirds. In the first year of the ECHL the Chiefs and Thunderbirds played an epic seven-game series for the first Riley Cup, a series that the T-Birds won in front of almost 4,200 fans at the Cambria County War Memorial in Game 7.
It's fun to look back and be nostalgic, but it's also fun to look ahead into the Road Warriors' future. With a brand new team there is an opportunity for everyone who follows and supports the club to see the stories and the rivalries be built from the ground up. Imagine looking back in five or ten years on all the epic battles with the Stingrays, Gladiators, Everblades, or whoever else might come along. Then we'll all have our own stories to share and laugh about. But until then it's tie to just enjoy the great hockey we've been seeing out of the Road Warriors this season. This is certainly an important road trip the team is on this week and will need, in my opinion, at least three wins to make it a successful trip. Wheeling and Kalamazoo will be tough to beat in their own buildings and it certainly won't be easy.
Two last items before I wrap up today's post. I saw this video for the first time today and it's too cool to not share with you all:
Secondly I want to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving. If you're traveling to visit family I hope you arrive without any troubles on your travels and I hope you get to enjoy your time with your loved ones. It was looking like this would be my first Thanksgiving without seeing any of my family, but I'm lucky enough that my parents, brother, and sister are all coming in to Pittsburgh from St. Louis, Andover, Mass., and Hershey, PA. respectively. They're meeting up with my aunt, uncle, and two cousins to come to Wheeling for tomorrow's game and I'll get to visit with them for a bit before it's time to get to work.
So join me then for the Road Warriors and Nailers. Faceoff is at 7:05 with the Road Warriors pregame show starting at 6:50. Click the "Listen Live" link at www.greenvilleroadwarriors.com for the free internet radio broadcast or go to www.b2livetv.com to access the internet TV feed. The best way, though, to enjoy the game is to head to Bailey's on Lauren's Road for Road Warriors away game watch parties. I'll talk to you all then, and again, Happy Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Catching Up
Hey Road Warriors nation! It's Radio Ray checking in here on Sunday night, and I owe you all an apology. It has been nearly a month since my last entry and that's too long. It was not my intention when I started this blog to check in sporadically, but to use it as a regular medium to keep you informed and up-to-date on what is going on with your team. The truth of the matter is that starting up the season with six consecutive home games, and 12 of the team's first 15 games at home, has been more taxing on my time than I thought it would be. Take for example the last four days. As we prepared for the three-in-three against Florida there was much to do to get ready for the games. With coordinating interview requests from the media, helping to execute a school appearance, having multiple meetings on many different items, preparing all the game-day materials, and working the games, I was spending upwards of 14 hours at the BI-LO Center offices each day. Even on non-game days you can find me on the third floor for about 10 hours a day on average. It's no reason, though, to neglect the blog so now that I'm better settled into the routine I'll be posting more regularly. On with the entry:
THOUGHTS ON THE WEEKEND:
This was the best weekend that the Road Warriors have had in the early stages of this season. And that's not solely because the team won three straight over a divisional opponent. This was the best weekend for the Road Warriors because of progress. On Thursday we saw some disturbing trends from early in the season continue. Greenville built up a substantial lead with good play over the first two periods only to see its opponent battle back and nearly sent the game to overtime. On Friday the lead was built up big again with good play through the first two periods and most of the third. But the Warriors backed off, maybe lost focus, late in the third and allowed Florida to battle back to within three. A little bit better on Friday but still not all the way there. Finally on Saturday we saw Greenville put together a full 60-minute performance. A shorthanded goal in the first followed by a pair of second period goals and then solid defence and goaltending in the third to seal the win. I think this young team grew together a good deal over these three games and really learned how to put a full game together.
Nic Riopel is the real deal. The rookie goalie out of Beloiel, Quebec earned his first pro shutout in the win yesterday and is tied for the league lead with six wins. If Nic keeps playing this way and Dov Grumet-Morris finds his groove Greenville will undoubtedly have the best goaltending duo in the ECHL.
Scoring is a team effort. Greenville has more active players averaging a point per game or better than any other team in the ECHL. Six players are at that threshold which is very impressive. Look at the goal scoring leaders on the team for proof of how deep the talent is. The leading goal scorer, Brendan Connolly, centers the "third line" and in second is Julien Brouillette who is a defenceman. And I put third line in quotation marks because some teams could probably use the Road Warriors' third line as their top unit. If the balance stays consistent on this team it will be very dangerous all season.
Hockey fans in Greenville are great. I have been impressed by the energy and enthusiasm at the BI-LO Center so far this season. It's easy to tall that hockey fans in the Upstate are glad to have a hockey team back and that they're very into this Road Warriors team. It's a lot of fun to be in the building with a loud, energetic crowd that enjoys cheering for its home team. I've got to give props to the folks up in The War Room, too. You guys have some great chants and cheers, and I love that you ask how much time is left in the period each period around the 1:00 mark. I'm really looking forward to enjoying the rest of the season with all of you.
The win streak. Yes the Road Warriors have won six in a row on home ice and lead the league with seven home wins on the season. However, I urge you all to talk about it as little as possible. I've seen the broadcaster jinx happen too many times before so let's all do our part to help the streak continue by not talking about it. It's the same reason you don't say the word shutout until it actually happens.
Looking back the only thing I would change about this weekend, if I could, would be the second half of the Penn State - Ohio State football game. It was exciting with PSU leading 14-3 at halftime but things went south quickly. Oh well, I guess you can't always have everything you want. With that being the case, I'll gladly take three straight Road Warriors wins any day,
I'm going to get gone and watch the second half of the Steelers - Patriots game here and hope my hometown team (the black and gold) can come back and pull out a win. Check back later this week for a recap of Tuesday's game against the South Carolina Stingrays and a preview of this weekend's games against Wheeling and Gwinnett.
Radio Ray out.
THOUGHTS ON THE WEEKEND:
This was the best weekend that the Road Warriors have had in the early stages of this season. And that's not solely because the team won three straight over a divisional opponent. This was the best weekend for the Road Warriors because of progress. On Thursday we saw some disturbing trends from early in the season continue. Greenville built up a substantial lead with good play over the first two periods only to see its opponent battle back and nearly sent the game to overtime. On Friday the lead was built up big again with good play through the first two periods and most of the third. But the Warriors backed off, maybe lost focus, late in the third and allowed Florida to battle back to within three. A little bit better on Friday but still not all the way there. Finally on Saturday we saw Greenville put together a full 60-minute performance. A shorthanded goal in the first followed by a pair of second period goals and then solid defence and goaltending in the third to seal the win. I think this young team grew together a good deal over these three games and really learned how to put a full game together.
Nic Riopel is the real deal. The rookie goalie out of Beloiel, Quebec earned his first pro shutout in the win yesterday and is tied for the league lead with six wins. If Nic keeps playing this way and Dov Grumet-Morris finds his groove Greenville will undoubtedly have the best goaltending duo in the ECHL.
Scoring is a team effort. Greenville has more active players averaging a point per game or better than any other team in the ECHL. Six players are at that threshold which is very impressive. Look at the goal scoring leaders on the team for proof of how deep the talent is. The leading goal scorer, Brendan Connolly, centers the "third line" and in second is Julien Brouillette who is a defenceman. And I put third line in quotation marks because some teams could probably use the Road Warriors' third line as their top unit. If the balance stays consistent on this team it will be very dangerous all season.
Hockey fans in Greenville are great. I have been impressed by the energy and enthusiasm at the BI-LO Center so far this season. It's easy to tall that hockey fans in the Upstate are glad to have a hockey team back and that they're very into this Road Warriors team. It's a lot of fun to be in the building with a loud, energetic crowd that enjoys cheering for its home team. I've got to give props to the folks up in The War Room, too. You guys have some great chants and cheers, and I love that you ask how much time is left in the period each period around the 1:00 mark. I'm really looking forward to enjoying the rest of the season with all of you.
The win streak. Yes the Road Warriors have won six in a row on home ice and lead the league with seven home wins on the season. However, I urge you all to talk about it as little as possible. I've seen the broadcaster jinx happen too many times before so let's all do our part to help the streak continue by not talking about it. It's the same reason you don't say the word shutout until it actually happens.
Looking back the only thing I would change about this weekend, if I could, would be the second half of the Penn State - Ohio State football game. It was exciting with PSU leading 14-3 at halftime but things went south quickly. Oh well, I guess you can't always have everything you want. With that being the case, I'll gladly take three straight Road Warriors wins any day,
I'm going to get gone and watch the second half of the Steelers - Patriots game here and hope my hometown team (the black and gold) can come back and pull out a win. Check back later this week for a recap of Tuesday's game against the South Carolina Stingrays and a preview of this weekend's games against Wheeling and Gwinnett.
Radio Ray out.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Catching Up After a Crazy Week and a Half
Good evening Road Warrior Nation. What a beautiful time of year it is here in South Carolina. The fall has always been my favorite season but in Greenville it's only gotten better. Sunny and in the 70s just about every day and perfect sleeping weather at night is certainly one way to get used to living in a new part of the country. For those of you who are new to this space I haven't lived outside of the state of Pennsylvania until May of this year when I moved to the Upstate. What makes it even better is that hockey season is literally right on top of us. Only two more days, now, until opening night at the BI-LO Center. I'll have more on that in just a bit.
Things have been far from quiet on the Road Warriors front, though, as final preparations are being made for Thursday. Part of the reason that it's been a while since I've checked in is that training camp took up an insane amount of my time. It's not just the players who work hard during camp, but the staff gets put through the ringer quite a bit too. Especially since it's the first go-around for many of us with the Road Warriors. There were many meetings and late nights at the office as we prepared for the preseason game against South Carolina at the BI-LO Center last Tuesday. And what a game it turned out to be as the Road Warriors closed out preseason action. A thrilling 3-2 overtime win, two fights, and a crowd that was as enthusiastic as many regular season crowds are. All I can say is kudos to you Road Warriors fans for bringing such great emotion to the game that night. I can't wait to see how crazy you all go on Thursday. With the win Greenville finished the preseason 1-2-0. Everyone knows the games mean nothing in the preseason but I think the games gave us some nice insight into this season's team.
The first two games were played in Florida against the Everblades on October 8 and 9. These games were the toughest for Greenville because they came just three and four days, respectively, after training camp had opened. Coach Stork said some of the players didn't even know each others' names out on the ice because they'd been together for so few days. Not to mention they had to bus 12 hours to get to Estero. The Road Warriors ultimately lost each game, 6-5 and 4-2. From watching the games, though, here's what I came away with:
As fun as the preseason game was, though, it was only a small preview of what's in store for opening night. But I'm not going to let you on to what we've got planned. To find out, you're going to have to come and see it for yourself in person. What I will offer, though, is a preview of the match up between the Road Warriors and Everblades.
Greenville Roster: (0-0-0)
Florida Roster: (1-1-0)
Upon first look I see to factors that favor the Everblades: 1) They have played two regular season games already. 2) There are eight players on the team who played together on Florida last season. The major factor I see working in the Road Warriors' favor is that the game is at home. A huge crowd should really energize the young Road Warriors' team and help it to a fast start. Florida will also have to travel 12 hours to arrive in Greenville, and also has never played in the building before. The Road Warriors now have quite a few hours of practice, and one game, under their collective belt at the BI-LO Center and are learning the ins and outs of the rink.
The coaching match up in this game is also intriguing to me. Both Greenville's Dean Stork and Florida's Greg Poss will be making their ECHL coaching debuts. Stork became a bench boss this summer after serving as Chuck Weber's assistant for the previous four seasons with the Cincinnati Cyclones. Poss, meanwhile, has been a head coach before, although in Germany and never in a North American pro league. Stork helped Cincinnati to Kelly Cup championships in two of the last three seasons, and Poss led Mannheim to a German Elite League title in 2007. The styles of games they coach are quite opposite as Stork likes to employ a defensively centered concept, while Road Warriors fans can expect Poss' Everblades to be more freewheeling. With both teams looking to gel and find their identity early in the season I think the defensive style could have an advantage.
One ever-present factor in the ECHL that can affect a game before it even begins is the transaction wire. And we're certainly seeing that with the Road Warriors. Late last week Greenville traded for a very skilled winger, Anton Kharin, who had signed on with the Kalamazoo Wings for this season. Prior to a season-ending knee injury last October Kharin had been tearing up the ECHL with his mix of speed and skill. In seven games Kharin managed two goals (one game winner), seven assists, and three multi-point efforts. He has the potential to be a huge spark to Greenville's offense. On the flip side, the Road Warriors have lost what appeared to be their number-one goalie heading into the season. Dov Grumet-Morris was signed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) by the Hartford Wolf Pack today. The contract is good for 25 games, but Grumet-Morris can be released from it at any time. Right now it's anyone's guess how long he could be up in the AHL, and that means rookie Nic Riopel will be the man in net for Greenville. That shouldn't worry anyone, though, as Riopel was the top goalie, and player of the year, in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League two seasons ago and helped his team win the QMJHL title last season. Expect local goalie David Erickson to serve as the emergency back up in Grumet-Morris' absence.
Everyone have all of that? Good. I won't say anything else except get to the BI-LO Center Box Office to pick up your tickets for the home opener and join us for what's going to be a heck of a party on Thursday night!
Things have been far from quiet on the Road Warriors front, though, as final preparations are being made for Thursday. Part of the reason that it's been a while since I've checked in is that training camp took up an insane amount of my time. It's not just the players who work hard during camp, but the staff gets put through the ringer quite a bit too. Especially since it's the first go-around for many of us with the Road Warriors. There were many meetings and late nights at the office as we prepared for the preseason game against South Carolina at the BI-LO Center last Tuesday. And what a game it turned out to be as the Road Warriors closed out preseason action. A thrilling 3-2 overtime win, two fights, and a crowd that was as enthusiastic as many regular season crowds are. All I can say is kudos to you Road Warriors fans for bringing such great emotion to the game that night. I can't wait to see how crazy you all go on Thursday. With the win Greenville finished the preseason 1-2-0. Everyone knows the games mean nothing in the preseason but I think the games gave us some nice insight into this season's team.
The first two games were played in Florida against the Everblades on October 8 and 9. These games were the toughest for Greenville because they came just three and four days, respectively, after training camp had opened. Coach Stork said some of the players didn't even know each others' names out on the ice because they'd been together for so few days. Not to mention they had to bus 12 hours to get to Estero. The Road Warriors ultimately lost each game, 6-5 and 4-2. From watching the games, though, here's what I came away with:
- Matt Schepke is a solid offensive player. Schepke played only the first game in Florida and came away with a pair of goals. His second one impressed me most as he blasted home a slap shot from just inside the blue line. With a shot like that he might afford Stork the luxury of getting creative and using a forward at the point on the power play.
- Sound systems are in place. While allowing 10 goals in two games won't support my theory here, I think the Road Warriors showed that they can be a good defensive club. If you dig a bit deeper you find that Greenville out-shot Florida by an average of 36 to 27 shots over the two games. From what I saw many of Florida's goals came off of turnovers and/or pin point plays and shots. If the Road Warriors consistently keep opponents' shots low and limit turnovers they will be a very good defensive club.
- The Road Warriors are tenacious. Greenville impressed me with its ability to not pack it in during the two Florida games, especially on Saturday. When the 'Blades jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second I figured the Road Warriors would pack it in and play conservatively the rest of the way out. Instead they scored late in the second to claw within three, and proceeded to out-shoot Florida 17-4 in the third while adding another goal. Fairly impressive given the circumstances.
As fun as the preseason game was, though, it was only a small preview of what's in store for opening night. But I'm not going to let you on to what we've got planned. To find out, you're going to have to come and see it for yourself in person. What I will offer, though, is a preview of the match up between the Road Warriors and Everblades.
Greenville Roster: (0-0-0)
Florida Roster: (1-1-0)
Upon first look I see to factors that favor the Everblades: 1) They have played two regular season games already. 2) There are eight players on the team who played together on Florida last season. The major factor I see working in the Road Warriors' favor is that the game is at home. A huge crowd should really energize the young Road Warriors' team and help it to a fast start. Florida will also have to travel 12 hours to arrive in Greenville, and also has never played in the building before. The Road Warriors now have quite a few hours of practice, and one game, under their collective belt at the BI-LO Center and are learning the ins and outs of the rink.
The coaching match up in this game is also intriguing to me. Both Greenville's Dean Stork and Florida's Greg Poss will be making their ECHL coaching debuts. Stork became a bench boss this summer after serving as Chuck Weber's assistant for the previous four seasons with the Cincinnati Cyclones. Poss, meanwhile, has been a head coach before, although in Germany and never in a North American pro league. Stork helped Cincinnati to Kelly Cup championships in two of the last three seasons, and Poss led Mannheim to a German Elite League title in 2007. The styles of games they coach are quite opposite as Stork likes to employ a defensively centered concept, while Road Warriors fans can expect Poss' Everblades to be more freewheeling. With both teams looking to gel and find their identity early in the season I think the defensive style could have an advantage.
One ever-present factor in the ECHL that can affect a game before it even begins is the transaction wire. And we're certainly seeing that with the Road Warriors. Late last week Greenville traded for a very skilled winger, Anton Kharin, who had signed on with the Kalamazoo Wings for this season. Prior to a season-ending knee injury last October Kharin had been tearing up the ECHL with his mix of speed and skill. In seven games Kharin managed two goals (one game winner), seven assists, and three multi-point efforts. He has the potential to be a huge spark to Greenville's offense. On the flip side, the Road Warriors have lost what appeared to be their number-one goalie heading into the season. Dov Grumet-Morris was signed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) by the Hartford Wolf Pack today. The contract is good for 25 games, but Grumet-Morris can be released from it at any time. Right now it's anyone's guess how long he could be up in the AHL, and that means rookie Nic Riopel will be the man in net for Greenville. That shouldn't worry anyone, though, as Riopel was the top goalie, and player of the year, in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League two seasons ago and helped his team win the QMJHL title last season. Expect local goalie David Erickson to serve as the emergency back up in Grumet-Morris' absence.
Everyone have all of that? Good. I won't say anything else except get to the BI-LO Center Box Office to pick up your tickets for the home opener and join us for what's going to be a heck of a party on Thursday night!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Hockey Season!
As I write this we are exactly two weeks away from the puck dropping on the first season of Greenville Road Warriors hockey. While it's an exciting time for us who follow and cover the team, it's an extremely busy time for the players and coaching staff. Training camp officially opened yesterday with 23 Road Warriors taking to the ice. It was the first time that Head Coach Dean Stork and Assistant Coach Jason Spence were able to work with their team on the ice and prepare it for the season. As if they weren't crunched for time enough with the home opener two weeks away, they have two preseason games this weekend in Estero, Florida against the Everblades. For the players, they have to shake off all of the traveling they had to do to arrive in Greenville, adjust to new surroundings and teammates, and learn Coach Stork's new systems. They are faced with that while trying to play well enough to earn a spot on the team. For as much as I used to dream about being a pro athlete, I'm certainly glad I don't have to go through that process.
Enough of all that, though, let's take a look at what went down yesterday at the first day of camp. Due to the number of players in town there was only one group of players that skated one morning session. Originally there were to be two groups and two sessions. Here's how the forwards were grouped on lines:
Green - Matt Schepke, Connor Shields, Justin Bowers
Red - Andrew Carroll, Brendan Connolly, Mark Voakes
Gray - Tyler Ruegsegger, Sean Berkstresser, Igor Gongalsky
Yellow - David Strathman, Peter MacDougall, Neil Graham
Strathman's natural position is defense but he will be filling in as a forward until more bodies arrive in Greenville to fill out the roster. The defensemen wore white and that group was comprised of:
Brad Cole, Wes Cunningham, Patrick Cusack, Thomas Dignard, T.J. Reynolds, Dan Ringwald, and Steve Ward.
Dov Grumet-Morris, Nic Riopel, and David Erickson handled the goaltending duties. Grumet-Morris wore the all black pads, Riopel sported the Flyer-themed black, orange, and whites, while Erickson had the blue and silver gear on. Erickson is a local from Greer, SC who is in camp on a tryout agreement.
I had a chance to talk with Coach Stork last evening about the first practice and he was overall pleased with the way it went. There wasn't a ton of player evaluation done yesterday, though. That practice's, as well as today's, primary goal was to begin teaching everyone Dean's systems. The real evaluation will go down Friday and Saturday during the games against Florida. I'll be particularly interested to find out how the defensemen perform. There are already eight defensemen in training camp and with the arrival of Sam Klassen, Trevor Glass, and Blake Parlett (all defensemen) from Hartford the decision on who to keep has become more complicated.
For those who were wondering, I did not make the trip with the team to Florida so if you want to catch a broadcast of the game it will have to be the Everblades' broadcast. You can access that by clicking the B2 Networks link on the 'Blades' home page. You can also go to www.echl.com to track the game's scoring/statistics.
I know with yesterday's practice taking place at 10:00 a.m. many of you weren't able to make it down and see the team in person. No need to fret! With the team's trusty Flip Cam (what a great little invention by the way) I was able to capture some footage to share with Road Warriors Nation. Check it out:
Enough of all that, though, let's take a look at what went down yesterday at the first day of camp. Due to the number of players in town there was only one group of players that skated one morning session. Originally there were to be two groups and two sessions. Here's how the forwards were grouped on lines:
Green - Matt Schepke, Connor Shields, Justin Bowers
Red - Andrew Carroll, Brendan Connolly, Mark Voakes
Gray - Tyler Ruegsegger, Sean Berkstresser, Igor Gongalsky
Yellow - David Strathman, Peter MacDougall, Neil Graham
Strathman's natural position is defense but he will be filling in as a forward until more bodies arrive in Greenville to fill out the roster. The defensemen wore white and that group was comprised of:
Brad Cole, Wes Cunningham, Patrick Cusack, Thomas Dignard, T.J. Reynolds, Dan Ringwald, and Steve Ward.
Dov Grumet-Morris, Nic Riopel, and David Erickson handled the goaltending duties. Grumet-Morris wore the all black pads, Riopel sported the Flyer-themed black, orange, and whites, while Erickson had the blue and silver gear on. Erickson is a local from Greer, SC who is in camp on a tryout agreement.
I had a chance to talk with Coach Stork last evening about the first practice and he was overall pleased with the way it went. There wasn't a ton of player evaluation done yesterday, though. That practice's, as well as today's, primary goal was to begin teaching everyone Dean's systems. The real evaluation will go down Friday and Saturday during the games against Florida. I'll be particularly interested to find out how the defensemen perform. There are already eight defensemen in training camp and with the arrival of Sam Klassen, Trevor Glass, and Blake Parlett (all defensemen) from Hartford the decision on who to keep has become more complicated.
For those who were wondering, I did not make the trip with the team to Florida so if you want to catch a broadcast of the game it will have to be the Everblades' broadcast. You can access that by clicking the B2 Networks link on the 'Blades' home page. You can also go to www.echl.com to track the game's scoring/statistics.
I know with yesterday's practice taking place at 10:00 a.m. many of you weren't able to make it down and see the team in person. No need to fret! With the team's trusty Flip Cam (what a great little invention by the way) I was able to capture some footage to share with Road Warriors Nation. Check it out:
There are a few more videos that you can view by checking out our YouTube channel. I'm working on putting up video from Coach Stork's and T.J. Reynolds' media scrums but those are huge files and are taking a while to upload. Check back tomorrow for that update.
Only five more days until the Road Warriors take to the BI-LO Center ice against South Carolina in preseason action. Tickets are just $6 for that game so get them while you can and join us for a great night. I'll be back on Sunday with thoughts and recaps from the games at Florida this weekend.
***UPDATE***
Here's T.J. Reynolds' media scrum from Oct. 6. I was a little ways away from the front and the mic on the flip cam didn't capture great sound. You'll probably have to turn the volume on the computer up a bit.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Coach's Corner and a Road Hog
It's been a crazy day in Road Warriors land today. We proudly welcomed a new member to the family with the unveiling of our new Road Hog mascot. We even got a family portrait taken!
This will be my fourth season in the ECHL (my opinion might be a bit biased) and this is by far the coolest mascot I have seen in this league. The only problem is we don't have a name for him yet. The Road Warriors are having a contest to find his name, and you can find the entry form by going to our home page.
The mascot unveiling was the big event for the first part of the day, but I also want to share with you some cool information from later in the day. Like I mentioned in yesterday's post Coach Dean Stork returned to Greenville this morning after spending a few days attending the Hartford Wolfpack's and Adirondack Phantoms' training camps. More than a handful of Road Warriors are skating in those camps and Dean was kind enough to share with me his thoughts on what he saw.
On goalie Dov Grumet-Morris:
He said that Dov looked solid in helping Hartford pick up a 3-0 exhibition win over Albany last night. Alabama-Huntsville alum Cameron Talbot started and turned aside 10 Devils shots in the first period. Dean knows Dov well from the two seasons the Harvard product played in Cincinnati where Stork was an assistant coach. He likes Grumet-Morris' wealth of experience, and leadership abilities that go along with that experience. The netminder has won two professional championships (one in the CHL and one with Cincy in the ECHL) and Coach Stork believes he will be a very strong asset to the Road Warriors.
On the forwards:
The positives that Dean highlighted were that the forwards are a skilled bunch with good quickness and hands. This is most likely going to be a youthful, and talented, group to start the season. There might be an adjustment curve to not only new teammates, but also to the pro game. With some of the more veteran presence in goal (Grumet-Morris) and in the d-corps (T.J. Reynolds) will there be a forward that steps to the forefront to provide leadership? Someone I think worth keeping an eye on is Andrew Carroll. He led Charlotte with 30 goals last season and piled up 94 penalty minutes. If he can bring that same grit and scoring to the Road Warriors it will be a huge plus. I've also heard good things about Brendan Connolly impressing the folks in Hartford with his speed. I saw him play a few times with Elmira while I was in Johnstown and he is a burner. Also watch out for Mark Voakes. He was dinged up a bit last season, but notched 50 points as a senior in 08-09 with his Canadian University team. I think he's got the potential to be a point-per-game guy at this level.
On the defense:
This group is really going to help the Road Warriors shine this season. T.J. Reynolds, to me, is the leader of this group (and maybe the whole team). He's just a hard-nosed veteran who opposing forwards will hate playing against. I wouldn't be surprised to see him take some of the younger d-men under his wing and show them the ropes a little bit. The Warriors also seem to be set with a couple of top-notch power play quarterbacks in Julien Brouillette and Wes Cunningham. Both finished top-10 (Brouillette 10th and Cunningham 6th) among ECHL defensemen in scoring. They also know how to win. Brouillette (and Checkers teammate Reynolds) helped Charlotte finish as the top regular season team in the American Conference in 09-10 while Cunningham made two straight playoff appearances with the Elmira Jackals and won an OHL Championship with Plymouth in 2007. Coach Stork believes that the Road Warriors could have the most talented and deepest pool of defensemen in the league this season. And we're not even sure yet what players we'll receive fro the affiliates.
Tomorrow is a big day folks. We'll be announcing our training camp roster along with the other players that have been signed to contracts for this season. A vast majority of the players signed by the Road Warriors are still skating in AHL camps so we won't know for certain who all will be in attendance for the start of camp until after this weekend. Stay tuned, though, because developments will be coming quickly throughout the next few days, and I'll do my best to keep you all informed.
Only 21 days until the home opener!
This will be my fourth season in the ECHL (my opinion might be a bit biased) and this is by far the coolest mascot I have seen in this league. The only problem is we don't have a name for him yet. The Road Warriors are having a contest to find his name, and you can find the entry form by going to our home page.
The mascot unveiling was the big event for the first part of the day, but I also want to share with you some cool information from later in the day. Like I mentioned in yesterday's post Coach Dean Stork returned to Greenville this morning after spending a few days attending the Hartford Wolfpack's and Adirondack Phantoms' training camps. More than a handful of Road Warriors are skating in those camps and Dean was kind enough to share with me his thoughts on what he saw.
On goalie Dov Grumet-Morris:
He said that Dov looked solid in helping Hartford pick up a 3-0 exhibition win over Albany last night. Alabama-Huntsville alum Cameron Talbot started and turned aside 10 Devils shots in the first period. Dean knows Dov well from the two seasons the Harvard product played in Cincinnati where Stork was an assistant coach. He likes Grumet-Morris' wealth of experience, and leadership abilities that go along with that experience. The netminder has won two professional championships (one in the CHL and one with Cincy in the ECHL) and Coach Stork believes he will be a very strong asset to the Road Warriors.
On the forwards:
The positives that Dean highlighted were that the forwards are a skilled bunch with good quickness and hands. This is most likely going to be a youthful, and talented, group to start the season. There might be an adjustment curve to not only new teammates, but also to the pro game. With some of the more veteran presence in goal (Grumet-Morris) and in the d-corps (T.J. Reynolds) will there be a forward that steps to the forefront to provide leadership? Someone I think worth keeping an eye on is Andrew Carroll. He led Charlotte with 30 goals last season and piled up 94 penalty minutes. If he can bring that same grit and scoring to the Road Warriors it will be a huge plus. I've also heard good things about Brendan Connolly impressing the folks in Hartford with his speed. I saw him play a few times with Elmira while I was in Johnstown and he is a burner. Also watch out for Mark Voakes. He was dinged up a bit last season, but notched 50 points as a senior in 08-09 with his Canadian University team. I think he's got the potential to be a point-per-game guy at this level.
On the defense:
This group is really going to help the Road Warriors shine this season. T.J. Reynolds, to me, is the leader of this group (and maybe the whole team). He's just a hard-nosed veteran who opposing forwards will hate playing against. I wouldn't be surprised to see him take some of the younger d-men under his wing and show them the ropes a little bit. The Warriors also seem to be set with a couple of top-notch power play quarterbacks in Julien Brouillette and Wes Cunningham. Both finished top-10 (Brouillette 10th and Cunningham 6th) among ECHL defensemen in scoring. They also know how to win. Brouillette (and Checkers teammate Reynolds) helped Charlotte finish as the top regular season team in the American Conference in 09-10 while Cunningham made two straight playoff appearances with the Elmira Jackals and won an OHL Championship with Plymouth in 2007. Coach Stork believes that the Road Warriors could have the most talented and deepest pool of defensemen in the league this season. And we're not even sure yet what players we'll receive fro the affiliates.
Tomorrow is a big day folks. We'll be announcing our training camp roster along with the other players that have been signed to contracts for this season. A vast majority of the players signed by the Road Warriors are still skating in AHL camps so we won't know for certain who all will be in attendance for the start of camp until after this weekend. Stay tuned, though, because developments will be coming quickly throughout the next few days, and I'll do my best to keep you all informed.
Only 21 days until the home opener!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
There's A Chill In The Air
How's it Road Warriors fans!? I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve because there is a chill in the air, and I don't mean the 65-70 degree weather we've been having lately (actually I do love that too since it reminds me of the weather back home). The chill is coming from within the BI-LO Center because the refrigeration system has been turned on and they are starting to make the ice! Check out the pictures I took:
I spoke to Nikki Malpass, who is in charge of event services at the BI-LO Center, earlier this week and they are expecting to have the ice ready to skate on by Friday. Nikki, Chris Williams, Dwight Rust, Ken Luis are working their butts off to get the ice in and ready for the Warriors. If you know them or see them around the rink this season be sure to thank them for all of their hard work.
If you're unfamiliar with how ice is built at an arena it's a pretty cool process. Before any water or paint is put down the refrigeration system must be turned on at the arena. Once the system is on it works to bring the temp down and eventually freeze the concrete floor that the ice is built upon. After the concrete has cooled down enough a thin layer of water is sprayed down. Here at the BI-LO Center they used a machine that looked like something you'd use to irrigate farm crops. It looked like two short field goal uprights with wheels attached to the bottom and three spouts pointing down from what would be the crossbar. They wheeled the contraption over the floor to get a nice, even spray.
From there the white paint is put down with a sprayer. With the white painted on the rink is now ready for all of the lines and logos. This is the most tedious part of building the rink. All of the lines for the faceoff circles, the goalies' creases, goal lines, blue lines, and the center red line are painted in by hand. The ice logos, however, aren't. They are created by a graphics company and are actually made of very fine mesh. The logos will be aligned on the ice in the proper position and then tacked down at the corners with a sprayer. When everything is finally in the proper position the hose is brought out and they flood the rink and build the ice up to about 3/4 of an inch. It seems hard to believe, but that is all the thicker the ice gets.
With the ice down, all that remains is putting the glass and protective netting up as well as applying the sponsors' logos to the dasher boards. Getting the dasher ads on is pretty much just like putting really big stickers on the wall. It certainly is a lot of work to get the rink ready, and not much time remains before the home opener against Florida on October 21.
Speaking of the home opener, I'm sure many of you are wondering how the roster is shaping up as we draw ever closer to the 21st. Well fear not because the training camp rosters will be revealed this Friday. The ECHL will make a league-wide announcement of the training camp rosters at 1:00 p.m. ET on the first with the teams making their own announcements after that. You'll be able to see the full camp roster at www.greenvilleroadwarriors.com. To help fill in the gap, I'm going to have a post tomorrow featuring a conversation with Coach Dean Stork. Coach Stork has spent the last few days in Hartford and Glenns Falls taking in some of the Wolfpack's and Phantoms' training camps. A bunch of our players were taking part in those camps so it will be interesting to get his thoughts on what he observed.
Until then keep thinking cool thoughts because the start of the season will be here before we know it!
 |
| Testing out the scoreboard and setting up the display. |
 |
| Early in the morning, putting down some water. |
 | ||||
| Around lunchtime. The layer of white paint going down. |
If you're unfamiliar with how ice is built at an arena it's a pretty cool process. Before any water or paint is put down the refrigeration system must be turned on at the arena. Once the system is on it works to bring the temp down and eventually freeze the concrete floor that the ice is built upon. After the concrete has cooled down enough a thin layer of water is sprayed down. Here at the BI-LO Center they used a machine that looked like something you'd use to irrigate farm crops. It looked like two short field goal uprights with wheels attached to the bottom and three spouts pointing down from what would be the crossbar. They wheeled the contraption over the floor to get a nice, even spray.
From there the white paint is put down with a sprayer. With the white painted on the rink is now ready for all of the lines and logos. This is the most tedious part of building the rink. All of the lines for the faceoff circles, the goalies' creases, goal lines, blue lines, and the center red line are painted in by hand. The ice logos, however, aren't. They are created by a graphics company and are actually made of very fine mesh. The logos will be aligned on the ice in the proper position and then tacked down at the corners with a sprayer. When everything is finally in the proper position the hose is brought out and they flood the rink and build the ice up to about 3/4 of an inch. It seems hard to believe, but that is all the thicker the ice gets.
With the ice down, all that remains is putting the glass and protective netting up as well as applying the sponsors' logos to the dasher boards. Getting the dasher ads on is pretty much just like putting really big stickers on the wall. It certainly is a lot of work to get the rink ready, and not much time remains before the home opener against Florida on October 21.
Speaking of the home opener, I'm sure many of you are wondering how the roster is shaping up as we draw ever closer to the 21st. Well fear not because the training camp rosters will be revealed this Friday. The ECHL will make a league-wide announcement of the training camp rosters at 1:00 p.m. ET on the first with the teams making their own announcements after that. You'll be able to see the full camp roster at www.greenvilleroadwarriors.com. To help fill in the gap, I'm going to have a post tomorrow featuring a conversation with Coach Dean Stork. Coach Stork has spent the last few days in Hartford and Glenns Falls taking in some of the Wolfpack's and Phantoms' training camps. A bunch of our players were taking part in those camps so it will be interesting to get his thoughts on what he observed.
Until then keep thinking cool thoughts because the start of the season will be here before we know it!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
AHL Camps Are Open
Happy Saturday Road Warriors fans. Hopefully you're all enjoying some college football this afternoon. I'm a bit nervous at the moment as my Nittany Lions trail Temple 13-6 in the second quarter. PSU hasn't lost to Temple in centuries so I'm hoping they turn things around soon.
Time to end the pity party and get to what's really important and that is we're getting ever-closer to our training camp opening. With October drawing near our affiliate in Hartford has officially opened training camp, and many of this year's Adirondack Phantoms are getting work in Flyers camp in Vorhees, New Jersey. The Road Warriors will be making an official announcement on training camp in the near future, but until then I wanted to share a few links with you in order to keep up to speed with our affiliates.
This site is a great resource for info on the Wolfpack, and this is the site for the Phantoms' beat writer. Of course you should check out the home pages for the Wolfpack and Phantoms, as well.
There are a few announced Road Warriors players who have landed in Hartford's camp and they are: Dov Grumet-Morris (G), Brendan Connolly (F), and Mark Voakes (F). With Chad Johnson's expected arrival from the Rangers in the near future it will be interesting to watch how Hartford's goaltending battle plays out. Johnson is pegged as the starter to begin this season which leaves Grumet-Morris to battle it out with Cameron Talbot and Jordan Parise for the back up spot. Certainly a lot of intrigue there, and that's without even touching on Adirondack's goalie situation.
This is a fun time of the year for hockey fans with all the speculation of how the team's season-opening roster will shape up. I hope you'll all follow along closely, both here and at our affiliates' pages, as the pieces to the Road Warriors puzzle begin to fall into place.
Time to end the pity party and get to what's really important and that is we're getting ever-closer to our training camp opening. With October drawing near our affiliate in Hartford has officially opened training camp, and many of this year's Adirondack Phantoms are getting work in Flyers camp in Vorhees, New Jersey. The Road Warriors will be making an official announcement on training camp in the near future, but until then I wanted to share a few links with you in order to keep up to speed with our affiliates.
This site is a great resource for info on the Wolfpack, and this is the site for the Phantoms' beat writer. Of course you should check out the home pages for the Wolfpack and Phantoms, as well.
There are a few announced Road Warriors players who have landed in Hartford's camp and they are: Dov Grumet-Morris (G), Brendan Connolly (F), and Mark Voakes (F). With Chad Johnson's expected arrival from the Rangers in the near future it will be interesting to watch how Hartford's goaltending battle plays out. Johnson is pegged as the starter to begin this season which leaves Grumet-Morris to battle it out with Cameron Talbot and Jordan Parise for the back up spot. Certainly a lot of intrigue there, and that's without even touching on Adirondack's goalie situation.
This is a fun time of the year for hockey fans with all the speculation of how the team's season-opening roster will shape up. I hope you'll all follow along closely, both here and at our affiliates' pages, as the pieces to the Road Warriors puzzle begin to fall into place.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
And So It Begins...
HELLO HOCKEY FANS!!!
Welcome one and all to the official blog of your Greenville Road Warriors. This is Radio Ray checking in with my inaugural post. Preparations are in full swing for the Road Warriors first season in the ECHL, and I can't tell you all how mind boggling it is that the summer is already gone and we're less than one month away from the start of hockey season. It feels like all of the days since I first arrived in Greenville on May 1 have gone by in the blink of an eye, and now we're just about two weeks away from the players beginning to arrive for training camp. October 21 is going to be here before any of us know it and we'll be off and running, or skating as it were.
(You might want to get used to the corny puns. I'm full of them.)
So now that you've found the blog here in its little corner of cyberspace you may be asking yourself, "Self, what can I expect to find in Radio Ray's blog?" That is an excellent question. What you will find here throughout the season is unparalleled access to your Road Warriors. As the team's broadcaster I have the privilege of traveling with the team throughout the season; I'll be on every bus trip (long or short), taking in practices, and talking with the coaches and players on a daily basis. With that kind of access I'll be able to bring you things like monthly player features, Hockey 101, game previews and recaps, affiliate reports, exclusive videos and photos, and much more. Just think of it as a superstore for Road Warriors information.
In the coming weeks I'll be providing you all with updates on goings-on in our NHL and AHL affiliates' training camps, helping you get to know some of the players we've already signed, and giving you some behind the scenes looks at the BI-LO Center as it gets ready for hockey season. ***SPOILER ALERT*** The ice is supposed to be going down next week, so that's one of the things to get excited for.
Now it is a long season and in the interest of keeping things fresh, I won't be the only person writing in this space. There are a ton of people within this organization who have interesting things to write about and you can expect guest appearance from Coach Stork, Road Warriors players, team President and General Manager Neal Smith, among others.
So stay tuned because there's great things on the horizon for this blog. You certainly won't want to miss it! Until next time, though, take care.
Welcome one and all to the official blog of your Greenville Road Warriors. This is Radio Ray checking in with my inaugural post. Preparations are in full swing for the Road Warriors first season in the ECHL, and I can't tell you all how mind boggling it is that the summer is already gone and we're less than one month away from the start of hockey season. It feels like all of the days since I first arrived in Greenville on May 1 have gone by in the blink of an eye, and now we're just about two weeks away from the players beginning to arrive for training camp. October 21 is going to be here before any of us know it and we'll be off and running, or skating as it were.
(You might want to get used to the corny puns. I'm full of them.)
So now that you've found the blog here in its little corner of cyberspace you may be asking yourself, "Self, what can I expect to find in Radio Ray's blog?" That is an excellent question. What you will find here throughout the season is unparalleled access to your Road Warriors. As the team's broadcaster I have the privilege of traveling with the team throughout the season; I'll be on every bus trip (long or short), taking in practices, and talking with the coaches and players on a daily basis. With that kind of access I'll be able to bring you things like monthly player features, Hockey 101, game previews and recaps, affiliate reports, exclusive videos and photos, and much more. Just think of it as a superstore for Road Warriors information.
In the coming weeks I'll be providing you all with updates on goings-on in our NHL and AHL affiliates' training camps, helping you get to know some of the players we've already signed, and giving you some behind the scenes looks at the BI-LO Center as it gets ready for hockey season. ***SPOILER ALERT*** The ice is supposed to be going down next week, so that's one of the things to get excited for.
Now it is a long season and in the interest of keeping things fresh, I won't be the only person writing in this space. There are a ton of people within this organization who have interesting things to write about and you can expect guest appearance from Coach Stork, Road Warriors players, team President and General Manager Neal Smith, among others.
So stay tuned because there's great things on the horizon for this blog. You certainly won't want to miss it! Until next time, though, take care.
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