Outlaws Pummel Aviators

First period and here we go again, the Outlaws scored first and fast again. Brooklyn started Peter Dundovich  #31G in the nets tonight to see if we could shut the bad guys (Outlaws) down.

Sorry to say that this plan didn't stop New Jersey is having it's way with Brooklyn. Seems as if though the NJ Outlaws have Brooklyn's number and was calling it all night long.

At the end of the first period it was NJ Outlaws 2 and the helpless and hapless Brooklyn Aviators 0. Second period, just like the first I wish. A shooting gallery sign should have been hung over the Aviators net. Peter Dundovich #31G was yanked from his net and St. Pierre #38G was to be sacrificed in the losing attempt to stop the Outlaws from stealing a win from Brooklyn.

By the end of the second period they were treating St. Pierre #38G for symptoms of being shell shocked by all the rubber that the Outlaws were shooting at him and past him too. Are you ready for this, how about Outlaws 6 and the crashing Aviators a big fat ZERO! 

Third period, I think that the NJ Outlaws were running out of ammunition and only shot the drying Aviators two more times. Some of the Jersey fans were yelling mercy and falling out of their half seats laughing at this slaughter. I saw some of the NJ fans leaving early and laughing their heads off as they were leaving Capital One Shooting Galley in Wayne, NJ.

The game became as we call it in Brooklyn a laugher, but this happens to all teams and Brooklyn will get past this with no problem at all.  Sorry to say that I didn't bring a crying towel with me this game, I could have used it for sure.  

At the end of the third period the final was NJ Outlaws 8 and the Brooklyn Aviators still a big fat ZERO!  Shots on goal Outlaws 50 and the Aviators 34. Power plays were 2 for Brooklyn and 7 for NJ. 

With only 29 seconds of play left as RW #17 John Mori  for the Outlaws scored and attempted to jump over St. Pierre #38G who was on the ice. St. Pierre caught a skate in his mask and was knocked cold for a while. Took a while for St. Pierre to come around but was able to skate off the ice under his own power.

The attached two photos show what happened, lucky for me I was at  that end still shooting while this happened. In the second shot the puck is still heading to the rear of the net and you see St. Pierre #38G grabbing his head and RW#17 Mori hitting the ice to the side of the net.

Article by Clifford F. Zeman

N.J. Outlaws ambush Brooklyn Aviators 6-3 in Jersey!

When the first period started I blinked and was still trying to figure out the seats (more later on this subject) in this arena and it was 1-0 NJ. Only 41 seconds went by and it seems as if the Outlaws were mugging St. Pierre in his own net. The Aviator fans were shocked and wondering if this was a sign for what was to follow? Well it was.

The Outlaws were passing fast and clean and it seemed as if the Aviators were still stuffed with Christmas turkey and seemed a bit slower than New Jersey. Jordan Burn’em Bernier #18 tallied for the Aviators with 5:33 left in the first period. By the end of the first period it was 2-1 Outlaws

Second period just like the first. I was just retuning from the Outlaws brand new sports bar, which of course I was checking out for the article when the fog horn blasted a goal for the N.J. Outlaws. This time it only took New jersey 38 seconds (3-1) to shoot the puck past St. Pierre #38 and into  Brooklyn’s net.

At this point I was afraid to blink that I would miss another Jersey score. Again the Outlaws ‘s passing was clean and crisp and Brooklyn seemed tired and a bit slower. Brooklyn had some good chances to score but the Outlaws goalie Dan McWhinney #31 G  made some great saves for NJ. 

McWhinney injured his left arm in the second and seemed to be in real pain, however he shook if off and played one hell of a game. Jordan Bernier #18 appears to have injured his right ankle and had to be helped off the ice. Bernier didn’t return for the rest of the game. At the end of two it was 4-1 Outlaws.

Third period had a bit of light for the Brooklyn Aviators in Casey Mignone #27 RW. Casey has just returned to service after a 14 day IR listing  (Dec. 10)due to a puck in his face which required several stitches and had to wait for the swelling to go down. Casey scored twice in the third and it looked as if we were watching a comeback for Brooklyn. 27 seconds after Mignone scored Outlaws Brett Liscomb #81 RW shot the puck past St. Pierre #38 G again and found the net for Jersey.

This Brooklyn comeback was not to be as the  Outlaws found the back of the net two more times, one of which was an empty net goal. Final of the match was N.J. Outlaws 6 and Brooklyn Aviators 3.

Now back to the arena and the seats, you have to be kidding me. The Capital one Ice Vault has two rinks and the Outlaws should play their games in the other rink. You will see why, the seats are great if you have half a butt or only if kindergarten kids were attending these games, these seats stink! These seats weren’t designed for the adult butt and that is the only problem with this beautiful arena.

This is one very cold arena and you better dress warm and make sure you take a pair of gloves too. It has a very nice café which overlooks both rinks and the Brand New sports bar upstairs is great.

Tonight we meet again and let’s hope that there is a new sheriff in town by the name of the Aviators. I hope that tonight is a different story and this time the outlaws get ambushed!

Article by Clifford F. Zeman
Like us on FACEBOOK

AKW@1000: Frustration, Privateers win 8-3

 

Tuesday night was a one sided fight filled game which saw the Privateers walk out with a convincing 7-2 win. Five fights some big hits and that was only the first of two games in as many nights. Tuesday night

A couple black eyes floating around on the ice as the teams came out for warm ups but everyone's out there for both sides. The players are flying in the first. A cross ice feed to Pelkey but Anthony gets his stick on it with a beautiful desperation save.


Privateers goal on a shot that may very well have hit the post and bounced out. Irrelevant because it's now 1-0. However there was no denying their second goal as Geonetti comes out of the box gets behind the defence and the puck take an ugly bounce over Van Hoofs stick leaving Plouffe one on one. A head fake to left froze Plouffe and Geonetti bangs it home on the his right. 2-0 Privateers

Paul Shantz was ejected for dragging a Privateer player around by the jersey. Two more get past Plouffe and the frustration is boiling over. With a rookie backup the team is reluctant to make a change.



The second gets off to a equally poor start as the Warriors let another one get by Plouffe 6-0. Six goals when the Warriors gave Plouffe the hook. Rookie Jake Lazore getting his first taste of action gets caught on a soft goal a minute into his first test but played well to close out the period. 

An ugly elbow to the face of Martin Beaulne gets called a high stick. Beaulne is bleeding with a possible broken nose. There is blood all over the ice as Beaulne gets led to the dressing room and the referee say two minutes. If you don't see the play be honest but the guys blood is all over the ice that should be an automatic 4 minutes at least. 


Third period and Akwesasne seems to have settled down finally. Applying pressure pays off as Martin Beaulne scores to make it 7-2. Some good scoring chances for the Warriors. A lot of neutral zone play as the clock winds down. Barring a miracle this ones over.


A big hit by Desormeaux on Jeff Winchester left the Privateers captain lying on the ice trying get his composure back. Winchester passed the puck up ice. He took a hit to make a play but he did see Simon was coming at him but he still fell awkwardly into the boards. He looked shaken up but he'll be fine.

A late goal by the Privateers ended things just like the night before 8-3 final. Another one sided hockey game as the Warriors carry on without key players and it shows up loud and clear on the scoreboards. These games are tough to watch and right now the Privateers have the Warriors number.

To summarise these games the Privateers have been having a field day with Plouffe in nets and the change to bring Lazore seemed to help even the game out a bit as Akwesasne didn't play with much confidence prior to his entry into the game. He let some ugly rebounds go but did well to get good angles and made some stops that have been going in a lot lately. For the rest of the team... Lets get it together! Your paid to practise you play for your love of the game. We'll be back.

Privateers Defeat The Warriors In A One Sided Game

         Videos by Kippap

Alexandria Bay - A wild start to the period. Three fights in five seconds. If they read my last blog they should know I wanted them to spread it out! Both teams dressed enforcers and both teams had them out their to start the first period.

                          *From what I hear it was a thumb to the eye that ended this one.

Akwesasne was forced to go without Dan Tessier, Mathieu Raby, Pat Deraspe, Nicolas Corbiel and it showed as they failed to keep up with the hard working Privateers outside of the fight column ofcoarse.

Some physical play. Back and forth action when a deflection and some ugly bounces lead to Privateers first goal. 1-0 and the physical player got bigger. Simon Desormeaux stepped into Adam Mcallister with a late hit picking up a penalty. Another fight Geonetti vs Forget to end the period.

#4

Beginning of the second the momentum was favoring Akwesasne as Pierre Dagenais netted his 31st goal in 20 games. But the ice quickly tilted back and it didn't take long for Privateers to answer with a beautifully set up three on one break. 2-1 Privateers.

1000 Islands wasn't done there quickly making it 3-1 and then 4-1 in quick succession. The Privateers kept up the pressure and a frustrated Akwesasne team skated off for the intermission looking for answers.

#5

A very uneventful third. Privateers lit the lamp to make it 5-1. Delisle with a goal but too little to late. Privateers twice more and that pretty much wraps it up.

Shout out Simon Desormeaux, Jean-Rene Forget and Mike Stacey. They each played a solid game in their respective roles. The score line didn't show it but these guys made a good impression.

Scrap the three game tryout contracts we need guys willing to shoot and get pucks to the net... Forget is in the right places. Desormeaux played very well. Squeezing guys out into the boards and making hits. Stacey is another tough guy who helps even the team up in the arms race that is enforcers in the FHL.

To everyone complaining about fighting. Suck it up, nobody likes a whiner. They aren't challenging you to a fight so don't feel threatened. These guys are out there to protect star players and nobody was forced to fight, they did it because they wanted to! and to ensure they are ready for when some idiot tries to take out your goalie or your top line centerman etc. GET OVER IT

Shout out to security at the game for breaking up two PRIVATEER fans fighting one another in the third.

Akwesasne @ Privateers: THE NUMBERS

Privateers lead the season series 4 games to 3 coming into tonight's match up

Tonight the 1000 Island Privateers host the Akwesasne Warriors at the Bonnie Castle Recreation Center in what will be another heated match up between the rivals.


Who to watch
Akwesasne:
League leading sniper Pierre Dagenais has 53 points(30 goals, 23 assists) in 19 games

Playmaker Sylvain Deschatelets who is seventh in league scoring with 8 goals and 29 assists(37 points) in 18 games

Nicolas Corbeil with 26 points (13 goals 13 assists) in 15 games


1000 Islands:
Paul Kelly who has 41 points(14 goals 27 assists) in 22 games

Justin Levac with 38 points (20 goals 18 assists) in 20 games

Mike Richard 35 points(11 goals 24 assists) in 20 games


Akwesasne has potted 96 goals while 1000 Islands has 119 and leads the league in goals for.

With a handful of offencise players it always seems to be a rough night in nets.

Between the pipes:
David Plouffe (6-7, 4.66 GAA, .889 save percentage)
against
Matt Anthony (13-4-1, 3.42 GAA, .896 save percentage)

Improving The FHL Part Two: Marketing isn't boring

Don't forget to like us on facebook You Call That Hockey?

Here is part one for those who missed it: Improving The FHL Part One 

                                          Nice work NJO

I honestly believe the organisations need to step up their marketing. The league as a whole needs to reach out to the fans. I feel not enough is being done. This league could grow immensely if guided in the right direction. We need more people in the seats!

My personal take is that expansion should not occur again for at least a couple seasons. Rivalries need to be marketed heavily. We need to start seeing full buildings. Danbury should be very happy with what they are doing there. The rest of this league should be watching closely. 

Danbury is a gritty hard nosed team. They put on a show win or lose. I remember games last season when Danbury came to Akwesasne. People weren't talking about Whalers vs Warriors. People were talking about who would step up to take on Cory Fulton? The guy had 25 fights last season. Danbury fans love it.

The Whalers organization recognized what their fans wanted and built a reputation as arguably the most hated team for their bench clearing brawls and fight first play later attitude.

Fighting is a hot topic. There are those who are fine with it and those who are against. Regardless of which end your on the numbers do not lie and on ice fights(not in the crowd!) Are big draws. More people come for the fights than stay away because of it.

Marketing a rivalry like the Privateers and Warriors have would be big! And relatively easy. The hits are hard the fights are entertaining and there's usually a bunch of goals. The (relatively)close proximity of the teams makes a local rivalry almost automatic and that's exactly what we have here.

Marketing the teams aggressively using rivalries is the oldest trick in the book and one of the best. I can't speak of the Danbury/New Jersey/Brooklyn rivalry as I am not entirely familiar with it but those three teams should have an automatic edge when playing one another.

My solution: Market the hell out of existing teams. Learn what fills the building through trial and error. Abolish the automatic suspension for fights in the final 2 minutes(that late game excitement may just draw more people back). Use video and imagery to visually entice people into getting excited for the next game and fire them up for the current game. Excentuate things like hits and fights in marketing (it's a part of the game apparently?)

Privateers defeat Dashers 3-1

With Matt Kinsella starting in the net for the Privateers, the first period ended 2-0 in favor of 1000 Islands with Danville out shooting them 9-8.  Tippin getting the first goal at 2:15 (Smulders, Richard) and the second from Winchester (Kelly, Richard) with 4:43 left. 

Both Teams spending much of their time against the boards fighting for the puck. Matt made some good saves but not a whole lot of action in front of him.  

The second period appeared to be as slow moving as the first.  Only a couple of hits and a few penalties .  Danville with a two on none couldn't score and the Privateers were not getting the puck in the net either. Both teams having several opportunities on the Power Play no goals were scored. The Privateers out shot the Dashers 10-6. 

The third period saw both teams returning to the ice in aggressive mode.  With the Ref`s appearing to be watching the Dashers and Privateers game instead of officiating, the two teams were becoming frustrated. With words falling on deaf ears, Body contact being viewed threw a looking glass and off side confusion, the cheers went up when the Ref was knocked down.  Fans and players alike I`m sure were grinning ear to ear.

Danville finally got a goal on a Power Play to make it 2-1. Pushing and shoving was the extent to the Physical Part of the Game with Kelly (McAllister) getting the Final Goal to end the game with a 3-1 Victory and an even 7-7 shots on net in the third. A Great Effort from Danville and although they couldn't find the net they were a very different Team to watch then the start of the year. 

The Privateers return home after winning both games in the series. 5-2 and 3-1 respectively. I want to wish all the Privateers players, management, volunteers and fans a Happy Holiday and safe travels. 

Article by Karen Brown

Aviators Torpedo Bluefins 6-5

Oh man what a game, best game I've seen so far this season at Hanger #5 in Brooklyn. First period it looked as if Cape Cod brought in a different team from the night before.

These guys had rockets on their skates and were using St. Pierre #38 as target practise. I think for a while that St. Pierre #38  was shell shocked, this was his ninth straight start and it looked as though it was finally catching up to him. 

The end of the first period it was 3-2 Aviators with scoring by Bernier #18, Jesse Felten #20 and Owsiak # 11. Let me tell you that there was no grass under the skates of the BlueFins at all.

I have to take off my Santa hat for Billy Tibbett's #23 of the Bluefins, he still has his moves and he sets up his teammates quite a bit. Tibbett's #23 who is no kid anymore seems to be the spark plug for the Cape Cod BlueFins. 
Second period was just as good as the first was, Both teams were still flying like they were in the first. Hitting was crisp and clean which I must commend both teams for showing their skills. There was a small disagreement between Ronayne #3 for the A's and Lun #10 for the BlueFins, both received penalties for their efforts. Seems as if Mr. Lun was on the short end of the stick and seen holding ice packs on his face, we wish him well.

Our goalie St. Pierre #38 was pulled from service and Peter Dundivich #31 took his turn between the orange pipes. At the end of two the score was 5-4 in favor of the BlueFins. Schott #10 just acquired from Danbury scored for Aviators to bring us with in one goal of a tie. 

Third period was another great hockey game of skating and skills for all concerned. There was no scoring till 10:02 of the third when Baumgartner #18 found the back of the net and tied the game at 5 all. The Hanger went wild and the fans just loved it.

There were close calls around the goal for both sides but none found the net. Can you say three on three in OT? Overtime period, short  and sweet. Owsiak #11 found the back of the net only 39 seconds into the OT period.

Seems like a bit of sweet revenge from when the BlueFins did the same to us, how sweet it is! 
I would like to wish everyone a very, very Merry Christmas and a healthy New  year in 2012 from Brooklyn, New York. Home of the Brooklyn Aviators. 

And below is a link, Carmine Vetrano the voice of the Aviators with the call on the overtime game winner.

http://www.podsnack.com/playlists/52a7b5377de0f99adfe6a40ca1557293

Article by Clifford Zeman

Leafs Defeat The Sabres

                                                      Recalled for last nights game

The Toronto Maple Leafs picked up a well earned with in a hard fought exciting matchup. Big hits and solid play kept the building on it's feet as the Torontos "goal"den boy Nazem Kadri gets called up and nets the game winning goal in his return to the NHL.

The former 7th overrall pick in NHL Draft has struggled to keep a place with the big club. It's been said that Kadri's next call up would be his last and if last night was any indication Naz has made this claim look like a good one. He showed great speed throughout the game and looked as though he finally belongs in NHL. A great shot top shelf on Miller and he has the game winner.

Toronto got into penalty trouble. 4 penalties in the second period but they bounced back after allowing a power play goal and continued to battle and you can't ask for anything more from a team than to not give up.

James Reimer seems like he is returning to the form that made everyone so excited about the young goaltender. He stopped 40 of 42 shots and looked solid throughout making all the necessary saves to lead him team back into the win column.

If the team can beat the Islanders tonight Toronto will head into Christmas with a 18-13-4 record. Despite that many people still believe Wilson should be fired. Brian Burke is a family guy. A high moral guy so if he were even thinking about it just a little bit you would be waiting until the New Year but I highly doubt Wilson gets fired. Contract extension? Now that I highly doubt also.



Leaf fans click like in the top right for leaf game recaps and other hockey related articles.

Warrior Fans To Visit Privateer Fans & Maybe A Hockey Game?

                      Not the fight from the hockey game in case your wondering


Decembers 27th and 28th the Akwesasne Warriors invade Alexandria Bay. Last time this happened punches were thrown insults were hurled and it was all happening in the crowd!

Last time the two played this great scrap happened. But it was not the on ice fight that had the blood pumping. It was the post game fighting in the crowd.


Days after the fight people were still buzzing. Word had spread. When this statement was issued on the 1000 Island Privateers fan page.


"The Akwasasne Warriors and 1000 Islands Privateers issued a joint statement:


In an ongoing effort to ensure the growing fan base is kept safe and respected at all times we are looking to introduce new protocols at the Bonnie Castle Arena. Building safety issues and various other regulatory issues need to be addressed in the best interest of everyone attending FHL hockey games. We remain committed in our mission to provide family friendly entertainment. The caliber of hockey coupled with the interest of this type of hockey has catapulted us to near capacity crowds in this young season.

New Points of Emphasis:

1. Alcohol Sales
The practice of selling alcohol into the third period of the game will now cease. All alcohol sales will stop after the second period. Anyone found possessing alcohol inside or outside the facility after the second period can and will be punished under the laws of NYS.

2. Interaction of highly charged fans from both teams will be addressed to ensure the safety of all spectators at the game. Predetermined fan sections for both teams will be assigned and clearly marked so that there will be no interaction between opposing teams fans at any time during the play of the game. An exit strategy will also be carried out by section so orderly exit from sections can happen. This will be done to ensure the safety of the spectators and staff alike.

3. A joint security team comprised of both Privateers and security staff from Akwesasne will ensure that the safety of the spectators and respect is at the forefront of everyones actions."




I am happy to say they realized that alcohol is in fact the issue as I pointed out in my blog entry "Saturday Night In Alexandria Bay Gone Sour" I am curious to know if fans can buy 6 beers in the second in preparations for the third no longer selling it... Do they come to the game already drunk and brawl in the first period? 


There are still many questions being raised and few answers. How do you separate fans who are peaceful and prefer to mingle with the other teams supporters? Will they be forced into sections as well?  How do you implement an exit strategy? Will we all have to hold hands and form an orderly chain out of the building? I really hope they can pull this off without offending or making anyone look bad.


Security and alcohol was at fault in the first brawl. A lack of reaction and waiting for punches to be thrown by intoxicated fans before breaking up the crowds. It will be interesting to see if they can pull this off without a hitch because the bad blood is already established and people usually forgive but I can guarantee anyone involved will not forget.


I am excited for the games and I look forward to seeing everyone there. Do not allow one very ugly incident to ruin the game for you, me and everyone else. As they say... Life goes on.


Cheers to the die hard fans of the FHL! Lets tap beers(before the third period) and not fists next time. Save the parties for the post game victory celebrations!


Hit Like on the right side of this page to be kept up to date with hockey in general with a focus on the FHL

Aviators defeat Bluefins 6-3

Well hockey fans, it seems as if the BlueFins were hooked tonight in Brooklyn by the Aviators, Final score 6-3.  The A’s put on a nice show tonight in hanger #5. The game was fast paced and the hitting was pretty clean all night long. No fights to talk about so I would say it was a very good game. 

Former Warrior and new member of the Aviators Peter Drikos scored the first goal of the game. The game was tied up at the end of the first period when Cape Cod found the back of the net with only 46 seconds left in the first period.

Second period we saw the A’s score two more times on power plays. We have some new players on our team and one of them by the name of Brendan Baumgartner (#44 C) sank the puck and also rookie "Burn’em" Bernier (#18  LW) found the back of the net which was protected by Chris Testa (#1 G) of the BlueFins. 

As a funny side note let me tell you about this strange happening at the Hanger. Our new Captain Jarrett Rush #4 threw his gloves to the ice and his target Billy Tibbetts #23 turned away and skated off with the puck despite the officials blowing their whistles, Tibbets was awarded a penalty for his actions.  First time that I have ever saw this on ice.

Third period the following scored for the Aviators: Trentoswki #17 D, Atsoff #12 C and Felten #20 C. The crowd was a small one on this night but "Section 9" which I am proud to say that I am a part of was making up for the lack of fans by making noise galore. We have 6-8 crazy fans who bring their love of the game to life each time the Aviators take the ice.  With air horns and stamping feet we rock the place. Some have their game worn jerseys, flying cap, goggles and scarf’s to cheer on their Brooklyn Aviators.

Let’s see if the Aviators can take Friday night’s game and get a nice winning streak before their Christmas break. We are in the pack of teams who are racing to get to the playoffs in March. I see that Danbury knocked off the NJ Outlaws, guess that the Aviators 21 game winning streak is safe till next year, Dream on Outlaws,  Thank you Whalers…

Article by Clifford F. Zeman

Click like on the right for more FHL related articles

Nap Time With The Cornwall Colts

The first period started out at a slow pace and set the tone for the remainder. A lot of neutral zone clogging as Cornwall failed to get out of it's own zone repeatedly. Eight shots for Brockville and six for Cornwall after 20 minutes.

A couple chances but none of which really challenged either goaltender. A 30 second spurt of fast low impact hits turned up the intensity late in the period. Three penalties called with Cornwall getting the only powerplay but they spent most of the powerplay fishing the puck out of their own end.

Kyle Baun. Grandson of former long time Maple Leaf Bobby Baun was taken into the boards headfirst in neutral zone in the first couple minutes of the second to which he stood up and wrapped his arm around the head of the opposing player and pulled him down to the ice. Inexcusable at higher levels of hockey. Baun took it into his own hands. Not the most effective way to stand up for yourself but atleast he did something unlike his team mates.

A couple Cornwall chances one which should have been a goal but midway through the period both teams continue to play very conservative. A couple players jawing at each other but referees break it up and the period ends scoreless. I'm beginning to wonder if they will offer refunds. The fans didn't come here to watch two teams play defense all night trying to win a 1-0 game.

Third period begins. More back and forth neutral zone dominated play. Halfway through the third and Cornwall has a player streaking up the right side on a semi breakaway he fires it to the opposite side of the net and beats the pad to make it 1-0 Cornwall. Nothing of substance happened after this and the Colts walk away with a 1-0 victory.

Aviators Give Rush The "C"

Let's give Clifford Zeman a warm welcome to You Call That Hockey?

Brooklyn - Last night #4 Jarrett Rush was named Captain of the Brooklyn Aviators.  Rush has played for the Brooklyn Aviators since the FHL has come into existence. He has been a steady force in their defense while taking on a more pro active nature with his defensive play compared to last year.

He is using his size 6’5” 225 lbs. more often and effectively and has been known to drop his gloves on a few occasions. Last season he played the gentleman role on the ice and was being pushed around a bit, but not this year. He doesn’t look for trouble but he doesn’t run away from it when it comes looking for him. He protects his goalie and does a great job when the Aviators have to kill a penalty and as a bonus he can also put up point.

In his first season 2010-2011 with the then New York Aviators Rush played in 47 games and had a total of 17 points. Jarrett was also named to the First Team of the FHL.

As captain, Rush will assume the job as the leader on and off the ice. He will be helping the new players to get to know the Aviators system of play. He will be the representative for the Aviators on and off the ice.

I have known Jarrett from the very beginning of his play with the Aviators and can truly say that  he is a real gentlemen and a pleasure to know. He always has time for the kids and for signing autographs and having pictures taken with the fans.

I believe this won’t be just a one way street for Jarrett, the Aviators will benefit from their choice as Captain. Can’t wait to see the big C on his jersey tonight as they have a two game stand against their rivals the Cape Cod Bluefins.

Article by Clifford Zeman

click like... ---> on the right over there

Concussion Control: Part 2 Fighting

                                          

In part one it was head shots and my observation that players simply are not doing enough to protect themselves. Now we look at one of the most discussed issues in hockey. Fighting.

                                                                 Downey vs Boulerice

For as long as hockey has been played big hits have been a part of it and with big hits comes injuries and the all important intimidation factor. Hitters like Scott Stevens were feared by many for their ability to lay career shortening hits.

With the realisation that star players had targets painted on them came the birth of a new player. A new breed of toughness and those men are called "Enforcers" There job is to protect the skill guys and allow them to focus on scoring.

These guys are tough as nails. Many of them admittedly feel very nervous before games knowing they are likely going to fight,There are those who look forward to it and then there are some who do it because it's their best chance to be able to play the game they love and not because they want to.

In the last couple years the NHL and alumni ranks have been hit hard by some tragic deaths to well known enforcers.

Wade Belak who I had the pleasure of meeting as a kid during his days in Cornwall with the Aces (Hershey Bears now). He was honestly one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. A Funny guy. Liked to have fun. Admitted after his career he would have trouble sleeping the night before if he knew he was going to have to fight.

Other players included Derek Boogard, Bob Probert and Rick Rypien. All well respected men all dying within a short 2 year span which led to the outpouring of frustration as Probert's brain showed signs of a degenerative brain disease that was later revealed to be found in Boogard's brain as well.

Doctor's want fighting out. Players want fighting in. "Heavyweights" in the NHL are on the decline and are finding themselves benched or demoted more often than ever before as the NHL transitions to a more speed and finesse game.

Beagle vs Asham

Aaron Asham and the controversial "Go to sleep" KO celebration shows that despite the time passed since the unfortunate deaths, the complaints on fighting are not going away. Beagle the other fighter in this video suffered a concussion. Whether his concussion was from the punches or hitting the ice is up for debate.

Can fighting be banned? In my opinion no absolutely not. Guys like the concussed Sidney Crosby need protection or the game will fail to grow. Wayne Gretzky proved this. Gretzky was nearly untouchable but that's because his supporting cast was built so that anyone who dared touch him would be punished. That intimidation factor is critical to the protection of star players.

It's not the ideal job but someone has to do it and as long as hockey exists their will always be people ready and willing to drop the mitts to keep their jobs to protect their friends to protect themselves.

Shout out to Paul Shantz! Guy is tough as nails. Go Warriors

Improving the FHL Part 1

This blog is solely based on my own opinion and in no way does it represent the Akwesasne Warriors organisation.

While some of what I'm about to suggest in the upcoming series may not seem feasible, I will present the ideas anyway as I do not have access to a lot of the information to thoroughly review them so I simply observe what I can and make judgement that way.

There are seven teams. Eight if you count Delaware which I am reluctant about doing. Danville is struggling like a skydiver without a parachute though.

I'll start with some truths about Danville
The two closest FHL cities are:

Alexandria Bay, NY(1000 Island Privateers)
TO: Danville, IL
Total Est. Time: 13 hrs 27 mins
Total Est. Distance: 823.23 mi

Wayne, NJ(New Jersey Outlaws)
TO: Danville, IL
Total Est. Time: 13 hrs 13 mins
Total Est. Distance: 808.82 mi

They are averaging 382 fans per night which is lower than the league average.

They have one win which came in a shoot out against...... The Warriors I am ashamed to say.

A .042 winning percentage. The leagues rush for expansion has left other teams forced to spend on travel to play a team that is in a league of it's own... In this case it's really not a good thing to be in a league of your own and I am sorry to Dasher fans and the league but anyone who doesn't see this is lying to themselves. Unfortunately there is no first overrall pick for finishing last.

My solution: I feel the league should cut ties with the Danville franchise. Other teams in the league would be thankful. The players of other teams would be thankful with less travel. With their embarrassing record and bleak team outlook going forward the Danville players would be thankful despite not collecting a paycheck.
The amount of money spent on travel will be lessened and can only benefit every single team EAST of Danville(That's all of them for those without a map handy).

**********
 Stay tuned for part 2

From Russia With Love: Nail Yakupov

In honor of the fact the blog has just gotten it's first views in Russia I am happy to post my review on top Russian prospect Nail Yakupov.

In 26 games played so far with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League, Yakupov has been deadly posting 21 goals and 32 assists for 53 points . Last season Nail was on fire also(65 games: 49 goals 52 assists for 101 points)

2010/2011
The most telling number of all is +-. Last season Nail was -2 despite putting up 101 points so it's fair to say his game was incomplete. A solid scorer... lethal even. But scoring 100+ points only to allow more while on the ice than you produce certainly raised questions last season as teams looked ahead to the 2012 draft class.

2011/2012
A different player entirely. Maturation is in full flight with Nail and his all out attack has not been hamped by his impressive defensive play and increased responsibilities. This season Yakupov is once again lighting the lamp but he's doing it while being a +21! No other player on the team is above +9.

His size is his biggest downfall but Martin St Louis will argue otherwise. At 18 years old Nail is a special kid and I don't see anyone near his caliber just yet. It's still a long season and other top prospects have time to catch up but Nail is far and away the best player in this draft.

The future is bright for Russian hockey if players of Yakupov's calibre continue to come. Now if only Nail could show fellow Russians Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin how to score again the Capitals would be fixed.

Leafs show fans some love

The Toronto Maple Leafs held a fan appeciation night tonight. I love seeing fans getting the recognition they deserve, especially Toronto fans who are among the best fans on earth and support the team through thick and thin.
Without players pro sports would not exist and without fans pro sports could not function properly so it's nice to see players really put on their good guy hats, suck it up and just entertain the fans by signing their merchandise and in the case of Toronto tonight putting on a show with scrimmages and various fan entertainment.
The ticket prices for leaf games are crazy but Toronto remains a very classy organization regardless. Players being welcoming and willing to be there so everyone has a good time is a great way to gather support. It draws in fans and allows them to feel a connection to the players they watch on a game by game basis. I applaud this approach and the fans appreciate it.

Concussion Control: Part 1 Hits

This is a video i recently found on YouTube. There are three parts so if your interested be my guest. I am amazed at how many hits to the head dominate this video. At one point Joe Bowen who now does commentary for the Toronto Maple Leafs says "If you put your head down your gonna get hit" He said this while laughing excitedly.

With everything that has gone on lately in the NHL like concussions, knee on knee slew footing etc. I found this video and my jaw dropped. The video is 22 years old. 1989! I wanted to do a blog on concussions as it relates to the game but after seeing this video no longer am I so touchy on the subject.

There are more career shortening hits in this video than I care to count. With the current status of the game being questioned. Speed, hitting and lack of respect for fellow players is at the forefront of the debate. Looking back on the past paints a more grim picture however. Everyone who is adamant something needs to change need only to look at the type of hits that occured 22 years ago in this video series to see that maybe the players actually do respect one another compared to the intent to injure style of hits from the old days.

Here is a recent hit by Rene Bourque of Calgary on Chicago's Brent Seabrook. This is very much the usual these days when it comes to illegal hits. It's either elbow or shoulder to the head or hitting from behind. I agree their is a clear need to better protect the head but the recent trend of "cheapshots" is that players simply are not aware of where they are and solely focus on the puck/play.

The evidence is here in this blog and the video above(Letang/Burmistrov). The truth is players these days are going skating toward the boards, Focused on the play and not their safety. I see atleast 20 players in every single hockey game I watch who gets control of the puck and looks to see who is coming and where his opposition is before he makes the play. Guys are always told to finish their checks and hitting a player who fails to take notice of your presence should not rest on the hitter. The question should be how HOCKEY SMART the player being hit is.

In short. There are those who protect themselves. Never get injured outside of the odd groin strain and that's because they think of themself first and then the team. When reality is playing a safer game of hockey is thinking about the team (subliminally). It might not be as flashy but there are a lot of players who produce while protecting themself.

Part 2 coming up tomorrow. Fighting in hockey. Make sure you hit "like" on the right.

The Boss Has Arrived!

I am very pleased to announce that head coach of the Akwesasne Warriors Steve Thomas will be adding a periodic blog entry to You Call That Hockey? If you have questions you can leave them on the facebook page or comment on the blog.

Steve has taken over the head coaching job this season. This summer he was an assistant coach for the St Regis Braves who went on to Presidents cup glory in the prestigious lacrosse tournament which brings great pride to anyone local and familiar with the accomplishment.

Now he is the bench boss of the defending champions the Akwesasne Warriors and he is looking to add another league title to his resume but this time he looks to do it on the ice.

I would like to take this time to thank Steve Thomas for agreeing to be a special contributor to the blog. I was very pleased when he approved and gave the idea the go ahead nod. Look for a Q & A including your questions in the coming days
Once again if you have questions post them somewhere. The Facebook page. Message me privately. Comment on the blog it's your call.

Kings sink Leafs in the shootout 3-2 final

Dustin Brown struck the Leafs down tonight. He got the game tying goal one that looked like an offside(I'm not a linesman unfortunately and then scored the only goal of the shootout as the Kings captain had a good night. A good showing was needed for Brown who has struggled along with the rest of the Kings as rumours are swirling that the reeling Kings needed a spark and the captain may be available.


For Toronto the road to mediocrity continues after a hot start. Reimer was frozen by the stick work of Brown in the shootout and failed to make a move for the puck as Toronto watched another point slip away. The issues in Toronto are a funny thing to disect. A top five powerplay with a 30th ranked penalty kill.


Scott Gordon has the power play clicking at an impressive rate while his fellow assistant who runs the penalty kill Greg Cronin is struggling to get his unit going at all and seeing the reaction of Brian Burke during the Vancouver game clearly shows frustration is mounting. Ron Wilson is the constant in all of this however. Any talk of extensions is ridiculous. He had a great start but the team is falling apart and the top lines success can only protect him for so long(we hope).

A Saturday night in Alexandria Bay gone sour

It was a Saturday night in Alexandria Bay, Ny. I witnessed a good hockey game. My team lost. That's reality and I am in touch with it but the Privateers and the Warriors are so well matched the games can go either way every night and I love it! So I go to every game between the two to show support for the teams the players and the league.

When the Privateers visit Akwesasne or Massena where we sometimes play, There is a hockey game. There is cheering from Akwesasne fans. There is cheering from the ladies who follow the Privateers when they come to town.

When the Akwesasne fans visit the Bonnie Castle in Alex Bay there is a hockey game and what seems to be a heavily intoxicated crowd who insult visiting fans. I've heard our fans being told to shut up for cheering our team on, having rival fans getting in the face of our fans and an all around lack of respect shown. Yes our fans are just as much a part of the issue for not walking away.

Do you see the difference as this blog post has continued? It went from fun and respectful to a volatile situation in which fans are threatening, insulting  and as of Saturday nights game assaulting one another. I love hockey. This is not part of it. Every fan in every building whether they are wearing Akwesasne Warriors merchandise or 1000 Island Privateers or hell even a Delaware Federals jersey with the number 18 on it(Cape Cod fans got that one) deserves to be treated with respect and allowed the same freedoms as anyone regardless of who or how loud you cheer for them. 

This is a video of a fight at the Bell Centre in November between fans. This is not what anyone came to see that night and should not have. An example of what not to do. It looks bad for the league and everyone involved if these things continue to happen.

I'm not saying everyone needs to be perfect these things happen from time to time but when minors become a part of a fight that includes adults cooler heads need to prevail. If that isn't possible which last night showed was the case, steps need to be taken to improve the environment in which the games are viewed. Security must end altercations before they begin by

1. Stepping in sooner and asserting themselves better because alcohol is fun but also a problem in the crowd at these games and securities job is to protect players and people equally.

2. Escorting individuals(without bias) to alternate sections of the building.

3. Removing people from the building if all other options fail(without bias)

We all want to have a good time. I personally stopped two fights from occuring that night. I am a Warriors fan. I held back my fellow Akwesasne fan as well as Privateer fans. It is something I hope I won't have to do again because I just wanted to enjoy a hockey game the same way the Privateer gals do when they come to our games.

I like the passion of the fans in this league but we ALL need to be responsible and I hope for the sake of both franchises we can resolve the bitterness and learn to walk away because  a hockey game is just that A GAME so let the guys put on a show and enjoy.

Go Warriors!

*****

If you have ideas on how to ease the situation feel free to chime in. Please keep it clean and respectful regardless of who your team or what your agenda is.