What I'm Thankful For

Last year the Greenville Road Warriors were in the midst of a four-game road trip through Wheeling, West Virginia and Kalamazoo, Michigan over the Thanksgiving holiday. It was a fantastic trip as the Road Warriors won all four games as part of a streak that helped propel them to the top of the South Division standings. The one downside, though, was that it was the first Thanksgiving that I had to spend away from my family. They did get to attend the game in Wheeling the day before Thanksgiving and we visited briefly after the game before boarding the bus to Kalamazoo. It was tough to say goodbye, but there was definitely some comfort knowing they were listening back in Pittsburgh the next time I was on the air.

This year, the ECHL schedule makers were a little more generous and with a week off between games, I loaded up my car (4-month old puppy included) and drove nearly 700 miles through fog and rain to spend Thanksgiving in Grafton, Illinois with my parents and brother and sister. It is only the second time all year that my whole family was able to get together, and will probably be the last time we're all together until the summer. Since I arrived here on Monday night I've been thinking a lot about Thanksgivings as a kid at my Grandma's house - tossing the football in the back yard with my cousins and brother, eating mashed potatoes off of the beaters of the mixer, and always taking a post-dinner nap on the couch while the adults cleaned the dishes. Traditions and memories like that, I think, are things that people are universally thankful for at this time of the year. I'm certainly one of them. With that in mind, I wanted to give you a list of what I'm thankful for hockey-wise. It'll be a little different than the standard "I'm thankful for friends, family, turkey, etc." lists that you see.

I'm Thankful For:

• Being blessed with the opportunity to work in pro hockey. I'll never take for granted that I get paid to watch and talk about hockey for a living.
• Working with a head coach like Dean Stork. A coach that is as honest and forthcoming with information as him is a breath of fresh air compared to most coaches who guard information as if they were standing in front of Buckingham Palace.
• The Road Warriors fans who spend their money to support the team. Without all of  you, I wouldn't be able to do what I do. Not sure if there are enough ways to say thank you for that.
• Nic Riopel being back in a Road Warriors uniform. I think he is good enough to be a regular in the AHL, but after failing to secure a roster spot there he is back in Greenville. With an 8-1-0 record so far it's without doubt that Riopel is the MVP of the Road Warriors and, in my opinion, the MVP of the ECHL at this point.
• Jyri Niemi's slap shot. Watching this kid shoot a puck is just fun. When he's out on the power play keep an eye on #2 and the bombs he can unleash with a one-timer. Heck, even show up early to catch warmups to watch Niemie turn it loose. You won't be disappointed.
• Jeff Prough and Justin Bowers on a line together. Bowers is one of the top playmakers in the ECHL and Prough is a perennial 30-goal scorer. With those two working on Greenville's top line and top power play unit I think you can expect a lot more fireworks out of that pair.
• The chance to watch Jason Wilson develop his game. Wilson has the potential, because of his size and skating ability, to be an elite power forward. To me, he is a throwback type of player who can contribute regularly on offense and also intimidate the opponent with physical play or by dropping the gloves. I think he'll become a fast fan favorite in Greenville.
• Tour bus-style buses. On long road trips it's so nice to have the buses with bunks for everyone to sleep in, electrical outlets for the iPads/iPhones/other gadgets, and a satellite TV. Twelve hour trips don't seem nearly as long on those buses.
• Hugely thankful for the bus drivers who do such a great job hauling long hours through the night to get us to our destinations safely. Those guys don't get nearly enough credit for the work they do.
• All of the off-ice officials who volunteer their time to work the thousands of ECHL games every season. They are the guys who work as goal judges, time keepers, penalty box attendants, and statisticians in the press box. Without them, the games simply don't get played.
• A captain and popular player like T.J. Reynolds who understands his role as a leader of the team from an off-ice capacity. He is always willing to help with community appearances and media appearances and players like him make my job infinitely easier.
• ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna. He has been at the helm for a few very turbulent years for the league. After losing two teams mid-season and having the league's last remaining original team be forced to relocate he has added four teams to the league in proven sports markets that should make the ECHL as strong as it has ever been.

I'm hopeful, and confident, that there will be much more for Road Warriors fans to be thankful for come springtime, but there's still much to be determined as we're only just closing in on the quarter pole of the season. Regardless of what takes place this season, though, don't forget to enjoy the journey and be thankful that we're able to come along for the ride.

I want to wish all of you a happy, safe, and blessed Thanksgiving with your families. I can't wait to see you again at the BI-LO Center on December 8 when the Road Warriors return home to take on Gwinnett.