Finally back and getting back into our normal routine after a week off for Christmas and we're 2 and 0 without even having to play a game yet! Some issues kept Detroit from coming to play us this past weekend and we were able to come away with two wins due to forfeit, bringing us back to the .500 mark. We've been told everything is fine now and the league will continue without a hitch for the rest of the season.
Last week was nice to be able to get away from the rink and now think about hockey. We play hockey because love it, but it's good to get a break every now and then especially with all the happenings going on lately. During our break we made a trade with Evansville and acquired Dan Kohanchuk for Jesse Farley, Aaron Naphan, and Paul Hannah. Danny's a good player and a welcome addition to the team, a good Canadian boy. Naph, Paulie, and Jesse will be missed around here but the move is allowing them to get more playing time and hopefully further their careers as well.
Now that we're back it's all business as we prepare for Evansville and Chi-Town this week on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Then we go back to Chi-Town Saturday and Sunday, a nice 4 games in 6 nights will be tough after a break, but also will be good to get our timing back. It will also be good to finally see a team other than Detroit, playing the last 5 games in a row was getting old. But it was good also as it is brewing up as a bit of a rivalry, not just on the ice but in the stands and on the message boards as well.
Speaking of the message boards it's always nice to check in and read up on what the fans have to say. Some of it is good, some bad and some just out of this world. I respect it though I like reading what our fans are saying. It's always a good conversation piece amongst the boys to see who the people like and dislike. We love our supporters and we also love the people bash us because either way they are the ones paying to watch us play and paying our salaries.
Over break I was featured in an article on ProHockeyNews.com written by Don Money. It takes you through a bit of my background and highlights my blog. If you have time and haven't already read it here is the link, http://www.prohockeynews.com/hockey/publish/aaha/Hutcheon_living_the_dream_in_blog.shtml go ahead and check it out. Also for you first timers who read the article already and this may be your first time on the blog I'd like to say thank you for checking it out and welcome to the blog.
Until next time, Happy Holidays.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Detroit Series
AAHA Player of the MonthBest Body in the League
Ugliest Player on the Team
As you know we play Detroit 8 times this month and it's getting a little ridiculous. It feels like the movie Groundhog Day right now; we played them twice this past weekend, twice the weekend before that and we played them today. And we have to play them this Saturday at home and again the following Saturday at home. Today we played in Detroit at 11am, it was supposed to be school day for Detroit local schools except someone might have forgotten to tell the schools. No kids showed up. Nothing surprises me anymore. Back when I started this blog I wrote that I know I haven't seen it all....with everything I'm seeing this season that statement could not be more true.
So we loaded up the vans this morning at 6:15am for our departure from "The Rink" in B.C. and were on the way to face our beloved rivals. We're just sick of playing each other and it's starting to show on the ice. Emotions are beginning to run high and you can tell there is a true rivalry brewing. We came out flat in the first period and were down 3-0 by the end of the first. Missing Mark and Nigel hurts us, but we also lost Brett Riley and Kyryll Katrich after the first period and that left us really short on the bench.
Charles Harvey played really well for us today scoring 4 goals, netting a natural hat trick in the 2nd period. Our power play is starting to slowly show signs of improvement, but we haven't been a complete team all season. Whether it's injuries or sickness or not playing a complete 60 minutes, we haven't shown our full potential yet. And when we do pull it all together we're going to be a great team. Young guys are starting to realize their roles on the team and playing more of a pro style game. I think after Christmas you'll see a big turn around from our team.
This Friday will be our team Xmas shindig, I think the boys are headed out to Richland Lanes for bowling and some fun. I'm sure there will be plenty of stories to tell from that night, like who wears the ugliest Christmas sweater and whatnot. While we're on the ugly note, it has been determined that the ugliest player on the team award goes to Nigel Hawryliw. The panel of judges was madeup of girls around the area and other girls who know Nigel, including my girl and some of her friends. Nigel made the mistake of sending out some headshots to the ladies and things were not ruled in his favor.
More updates to come this weekend.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Weekend from Hell
After taking 3 of 4 points from Detroit last weekend we were on a nice little roll finally. This past weekend was another tough one with 3 games in 3 nights, 2 of which were on the road and playing Detroit twice again. Friday night we made the trek to play the Evansville Ice Men, who play 1 mile away from the middle of no where. 7 hours in a 15 passenger van doesn't make for the most comfortable travel, but welcome to single A hockey. We got to Evansville early to eat dinner and decided on a Chili's, anyone who has been with twenty hockey players for an extended period of time knows there are always pranks going on. At Chili's we had our first shoe check of the year, little guy Brett Riley was able to squeeze his 5'7" frame underneath the table and load up 1st year guy Kevin Demers' shoe full of ketchup. The ensuing clinks off the glasses came and the audible worried groans turned into laughter when Demers realized he was the sucker of this one.
We had heard all week that Evansville was loading up on new guys to play us, but when we got there not much had changed other than the fact that they traded their best defenseman to Chi-Town. We were all over them for the whole and cruised to an 8-1 win and we were back in the vans to make the long journey home. We had to play at 1pm at home against the Dragons on Saturday afternoon. 17 guys split between 2 vans and hockey equipment doesn't make for comfortable sleeping arrangements. We tried to sleep but I think most guys only managed 3 hours of sleep at most. We got home at about 7:30am I slept until 10:30 and was back in the dressing room around 11:15 for the 1 o'clock start. Playing hockey sleep deprived is not an easy task and our play proved it. We hung around with Detroit for a little while, but we lost both Nigel Hawryliw and Mark Allen indefinately to concussions in the 2nd period. It unravelled in the 3rd and we lost 6-2. The only good thing about Saturday was that our work day was done at 4pm and we had plenty of time to rest before going to Detroit on Sunday night to finish out our long weekend.
There was talk on the message boards about "Bounty" night in Detroit, that some fans were placing bounties on some of our players heads. Guys like Brett Aimone, Demers, Mason Cossette and Wes Baughman were targeted. In my opinion, there is no room for these kinds of shenanigans in hockey. It gives the sport a bad name and there is no need for it. That's all I'll say on that subject. Anyways, well rested and ready to go we came out flying and gave it to Detroit all night in their home barn. Even without Mark and Nigel we were able to put up 8 goals for the second time this weekend and come away with an 8-5 win. Newcomer Charles Harvey stepped up to the plate with a 3 point night and both Brett Riley and myself had 4 point nights to lead the team to a big win and hand the Dragons their first loss at home.
We're now slowly climbing the standings and are in the right direction. We play again in Detroit this Wednesday and then play them at home on Saturday before getting a few days off for Christmas.
We had heard all week that Evansville was loading up on new guys to play us, but when we got there not much had changed other than the fact that they traded their best defenseman to Chi-Town. We were all over them for the whole and cruised to an 8-1 win and we were back in the vans to make the long journey home. We had to play at 1pm at home against the Dragons on Saturday afternoon. 17 guys split between 2 vans and hockey equipment doesn't make for comfortable sleeping arrangements. We tried to sleep but I think most guys only managed 3 hours of sleep at most. We got home at about 7:30am I slept until 10:30 and was back in the dressing room around 11:15 for the 1 o'clock start. Playing hockey sleep deprived is not an easy task and our play proved it. We hung around with Detroit for a little while, but we lost both Nigel Hawryliw and Mark Allen indefinately to concussions in the 2nd period. It unravelled in the 3rd and we lost 6-2. The only good thing about Saturday was that our work day was done at 4pm and we had plenty of time to rest before going to Detroit on Sunday night to finish out our long weekend.
There was talk on the message boards about "Bounty" night in Detroit, that some fans were placing bounties on some of our players heads. Guys like Brett Aimone, Demers, Mason Cossette and Wes Baughman were targeted. In my opinion, there is no room for these kinds of shenanigans in hockey. It gives the sport a bad name and there is no need for it. That's all I'll say on that subject. Anyways, well rested and ready to go we came out flying and gave it to Detroit all night in their home barn. Even without Mark and Nigel we were able to put up 8 goals for the second time this weekend and come away with an 8-5 win. Newcomer Charles Harvey stepped up to the plate with a 3 point night and both Brett Riley and myself had 4 point nights to lead the team to a big win and hand the Dragons their first loss at home.
We're now slowly climbing the standings and are in the right direction. We play again in Detroit this Wednesday and then play them at home on Saturday before getting a few days off for Christmas.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Huge Weekend
Heading into the month of December we were 2-4-0 on the season, not exactly where we envisioned ourselves when training camp broke almost a month ago. This month we play the 1st place Detroit Dragons 8 times and that series started this weekend with 2 games at home. Our team has really been coming together lately and we are starting to show signs that we will emerge as a championship contender in this league. The young guys are starting to learn how to play the pro style effectively and that is huge for us considering we have 14 1st year professionals. I've played on teams with 5 or 6 but 14 is a huge number.
Friday night we beat the Dragons 9-2 in a game where it seemed like we could do no wrong. Three seconds into the game Mason Cossette, a 21 year old from Texas, fought Jason Simon of the Dragons. Simon has years of pro experience, he is a tough guy and plays that role to a T, he also has played in the NHL when he was younger. Mason has been out of the line up since our opening night loss in Detroit and was itching to get back into a game for 3 weeks now. Mason won the fight pretty convincingly and broke Simon's nose in the process, 12 seconds after the fight we scored. Talk about good early momentum. We popped home 3 more goals in the opening stanza and were up 4-0. Our momentum carried into the 2nd and we scored 3 more goals making it 7-0 after 2 before Detroit scored 30 seconds into the 3rd period. Our first line of Mike Podelnyk, Nigel Hawrilyiw and Mark Allen were absolutely dominant. My line of Steve Koich, Brett Riley and myself factored in for 3 goals also. It was the best game we played all season by far.
Last night we went back to the rink to find out that Detroit had brought in a new goalie and only had 12 skaters to dress. I don't know if we thought it would be another landslide or what but we broke down in our defensive zone and our forecheck wasn't pretty either, but we managed to walk out of the building with an 8-7 overtime loss. Taking 3 out of 4 possible points on the weekend and making a statement to the league that we will be there in the end.
Earlier tonight I was watching a video with Nigel about the Muskegon Fury's league championship run in 2004. We saw how hard those guys battled through the playoffs to win the United Hockey League and what they went thru. The sacrifices, the injuries, the bad days, the good days. The peaks and valleys, as their head coach put it in the locker room after they won it all. It made us realize why we play hockey, being hundreds of miles away from home, missing your family, your girlfriend, your buddies that you grew up with. It is all worth it to win that coveted championship at the end of the long journey. It's why we play the game. When it comes down to it we are a team of brothers, 18 guys, who 2 months ago didn't know each other have now come together to form a team. We go to battle every night together and in the end we all want to be there together raising the trophy as league champions.
Friday night we beat the Dragons 9-2 in a game where it seemed like we could do no wrong. Three seconds into the game Mason Cossette, a 21 year old from Texas, fought Jason Simon of the Dragons. Simon has years of pro experience, he is a tough guy and plays that role to a T, he also has played in the NHL when he was younger. Mason has been out of the line up since our opening night loss in Detroit and was itching to get back into a game for 3 weeks now. Mason won the fight pretty convincingly and broke Simon's nose in the process, 12 seconds after the fight we scored. Talk about good early momentum. We popped home 3 more goals in the opening stanza and were up 4-0. Our momentum carried into the 2nd and we scored 3 more goals making it 7-0 after 2 before Detroit scored 30 seconds into the 3rd period. Our first line of Mike Podelnyk, Nigel Hawrilyiw and Mark Allen were absolutely dominant. My line of Steve Koich, Brett Riley and myself factored in for 3 goals also. It was the best game we played all season by far.
Last night we went back to the rink to find out that Detroit had brought in a new goalie and only had 12 skaters to dress. I don't know if we thought it would be another landslide or what but we broke down in our defensive zone and our forecheck wasn't pretty either, but we managed to walk out of the building with an 8-7 overtime loss. Taking 3 out of 4 possible points on the weekend and making a statement to the league that we will be there in the end.
Earlier tonight I was watching a video with Nigel about the Muskegon Fury's league championship run in 2004. We saw how hard those guys battled through the playoffs to win the United Hockey League and what they went thru. The sacrifices, the injuries, the bad days, the good days. The peaks and valleys, as their head coach put it in the locker room after they won it all. It made us realize why we play hockey, being hundreds of miles away from home, missing your family, your girlfriend, your buddies that you grew up with. It is all worth it to win that coveted championship at the end of the long journey. It's why we play the game. When it comes down to it we are a team of brothers, 18 guys, who 2 months ago didn't know each other have now come together to form a team. We go to battle every night together and in the end we all want to be there together raising the trophy as league champions.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Too Long
It's been a while since I sat down to write the blog, mostly because I'm either at the rink, sleeping, or with the boys. A lot has happened the past two weeks, a brief recap would include opening the season 1-4-0, being named assistant captain, parties with the fellas, roadtrips to Detroit and Evansville, scoring the first ever professional goal in the "Cereal City", and an injury bug that has bitten 9 players on our 18 man roster. So where should I begin? Bad news first, opening up with only one win is a pain in the ass that none of us were expecting, but we are improving and having 9 guys hurt hasn't helped. But now the good news, it was an honor to be named an assistant captain of this years team and pretty cool to score the first professional goal at home last Friday (I scored 2 in that game for anyone who missed the boxscore.)
The past couple weeks we've been able to settle into a nice routine of morning practices with an afternoon nap and the freedom to do anything at night. Between the two houses there is usually always something to do on any night, whether it's going into Kalamazoo, playing NHL 09 on xbox 360 at the other house, or watching Aimone and Nigel cuddle with each other while watching the WWE. Bottom line is this is a fun team to be on and everyone has been getting along. We've watched some first year guys jump in the lake to get out of raking and house duties on more than one occasion and had a guy get caught his game broken up by 3 girls in the same night. Trust me the entertainment is good enough to be a hit reality tv show.
Now we just need to steal a page from the Boston Bruins and start winning some games and things will be perfect.
I'll try to keep a better running tab of the days events more often on here. Feel free to post or ask questions.
The past couple weeks we've been able to settle into a nice routine of morning practices with an afternoon nap and the freedom to do anything at night. Between the two houses there is usually always something to do on any night, whether it's going into Kalamazoo, playing NHL 09 on xbox 360 at the other house, or watching Aimone and Nigel cuddle with each other while watching the WWE. Bottom line is this is a fun team to be on and everyone has been getting along. We've watched some first year guys jump in the lake to get out of raking and house duties on more than one occasion and had a guy get caught his game broken up by 3 girls in the same night. Trust me the entertainment is good enough to be a hit reality tv show.
Now we just need to steal a page from the Boston Bruins and start winning some games and things will be perfect.
I'll try to keep a better running tab of the days events more often on here. Feel free to post or ask questions.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Season Opener
Tomorrow night we open up our regular season on the road against Detroit at 7:30pm. It's been a good week out here in Battle Creek, on Monday we moved into our new house right on the lake. It's a great 3 bedroom house with 2 floors and plenty of space, for the time being we have 7 guys staying here 2 of the guys will move into another new house hopefully next week. It was nice to be able to move my clothes out of the car and into my own room. No more living in a cramped hotel room and not being able to fully unpack. A couple of guys on the team are building the locker room and making improvements so it will be done for our home opener next weekend.
Everything is really coming together out here and our accomodations are very good for a single A team. We've hung out as a team away from the rink a couple times and have taken the time to get to know each other as a team. It's funny a little more than a week ago we had 38 players trying out for this team and now we're down to 19. There were so many guys here that I didn't know everyone in the dressing room. Now that we have our team I've gotten to know everything and I think we have a very strong team.
We'll see how this weekend goes and hopefully we will come out on top in both nights.
Everything is really coming together out here and our accomodations are very good for a single A team. We've hung out as a team away from the rink a couple times and have taken the time to get to know each other as a team. It's funny a little more than a week ago we had 38 players trying out for this team and now we're down to 19. There were so many guys here that I didn't know everyone in the dressing room. Now that we have our team I've gotten to know everything and I think we have a very strong team.
We'll see how this weekend goes and hopefully we will come out on top in both nights.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Training Camp Wrap Up
That's a wrap, as it is said in Hollywood. Sorry for not writing the past couple days, but they have been wild ones. We finally ended camp tonight with an 8-3 loss in Detroit, going 0-4 in the preseason. Thank god they don't count yet. The 8-3 score is a bit of a misconception, we came out flat and were down 4-0 just 4 minutes into the game, 6-1 after 1. Maybe it was being on the road, maybe the 4 games in 4 nights wore some guys down. For me it was my 3rd game in as many nights, we lost to Chi-Town and Detroit at home Friday and Saturday. I played D on Friday and Saturday, but tonight I was up front centering the first line. We ended up scoring 2 of our 3 goals and played really well together so hopefully we'll stay together to start the season.
We had a great crowd of over 400 on Friday and just over 300 Saturday at home, not bad for a small barn. Training camp is tough because you're trying to get to know all the guys, but you know some are going to be released. It sucks to see them go, but it is a business. I won't lie, it is very nice knowing that it is over and now we know the hard work starts. Everyday our coach gets calls from guys looking for a place to play and we have to prove we don't need them.
Looking at the possible roster we should be very strong this season. Even though we started out 0-4, we have a ton of upside in the dressing room. A lot of first year pro players who need to learn the pro game and once they do will be very dangerous. We should be deep defensively and extremely solid up front. Once we start practicing as a team and get used to one another we'll be on our way.
It's late and I'm heading to bed. Until next time have fun out there.
We had a great crowd of over 400 on Friday and just over 300 Saturday at home, not bad for a small barn. Training camp is tough because you're trying to get to know all the guys, but you know some are going to be released. It sucks to see them go, but it is a business. I won't lie, it is very nice knowing that it is over and now we know the hard work starts. Everyday our coach gets calls from guys looking for a place to play and we have to prove we don't need them.
Looking at the possible roster we should be very strong this season. Even though we started out 0-4, we have a ton of upside in the dressing room. A lot of first year pro players who need to learn the pro game and once they do will be very dangerous. We should be deep defensively and extremely solid up front. Once we start practicing as a team and get used to one another we'll be on our way.
It's late and I'm heading to bed. Until next time have fun out there.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Training Camp Updates
Long couple of days out here in training camp, but I have a nice day off today as most of the rookies are playing against the Chi-Town Shooters in Dyer, Indiana. After the skate Monday morning, we had a scrimmage Team Blue vs. Team Black that was dominated by Blue, which didn't sit well with me considering I'm on the black squad. The beginning of the game there was a lot of adrenaline and guys running around with jitters and not really playing hockey. I think the second half slowed down a bit with guys starting to stand out a little bit. There was a light crowd on hand to check out the first day, as well as some media people from the Battle Creek Enquirer. We were on our own for dinner on Monday so after a little rest time at the hotel, myself and Aimone went out to Old Country Buffet for a meal.
We were back on the ice yesterday morning, again with the two teams divided up with Blue on the ice at 9 and Black on at 10. We did most of the same flow drills, break outs and regroups ended by a shootout for the goalies and to see who we can count on in a shootout this season. We had lunch delivered to us at the rink again by Fazoli's, this time it was sandwiches. And it was back on the ice at 1:30 again for another 2 hour scrimmage. This time the boys in black got the "W" as Team Blue was missing team captain Mark Allen, due to a slight groin pull. Yesterday was a tough one for me, in the scrimmage my back started tightening up and having some spasms. I hit the hot tub right when I got home last night and hit the hay early and luckily I'm feeling a little better today.
As mentioned before most of the rookies are playing Chi-Town today, in the very first BC Revolution game. Last night at dinner you could see the nervous looks on guys faces before their first ever pro hockey game. I remember my first one a couple years ago against Oklahoma City Blazers in a packed house in OK City. It's a nervous, but fun time as a young guy being able to realize a dream.
As for me today, I'll be enjoying an off day and lounging for most of it. I'll head out in a little bit to try to sell some tickets for tomorrow's preseason home opener. But other than that I'll just be taking it easy. So feel free to email or comment with any questions you may have.
We were back on the ice yesterday morning, again with the two teams divided up with Blue on the ice at 9 and Black on at 10. We did most of the same flow drills, break outs and regroups ended by a shootout for the goalies and to see who we can count on in a shootout this season. We had lunch delivered to us at the rink again by Fazoli's, this time it was sandwiches. And it was back on the ice at 1:30 again for another 2 hour scrimmage. This time the boys in black got the "W" as Team Blue was missing team captain Mark Allen, due to a slight groin pull. Yesterday was a tough one for me, in the scrimmage my back started tightening up and having some spasms. I hit the hot tub right when I got home last night and hit the hay early and luckily I'm feeling a little better today.
As mentioned before most of the rookies are playing Chi-Town today, in the very first BC Revolution game. Last night at dinner you could see the nervous looks on guys faces before their first ever pro hockey game. I remember my first one a couple years ago against Oklahoma City Blazers in a packed house in OK City. It's a nervous, but fun time as a young guy being able to realize a dream.
As for me today, I'll be enjoying an off day and lounging for most of it. I'll head out in a little bit to try to sell some tickets for tomorrow's preseason home opener. But other than that I'll just be taking it easy. So feel free to email or comment with any questions you may have.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Day 1
Hello from my hotel room in Battle Creek, just got back from our first on ice session and have a quick minute to get an update on here before our scrimmage. The team has been split up into 2 teams for now, half went on at 9am the second group went on at 10am. It was pretty basic for a first day practice, a lot of movement and flow drills trying to get the legs under us. We had a good meal delivered to us from Fazoli's, an Italian restaurant, for lunch at the rink.
All 37 guys in camp will be on the ice at 1:30 for a intra-squad scrimmage. If you're in the area come check it out. I'm roomed up with Brett Aimone, who I played with in Valley Forge last season. It's good to have someone you know in camp and better to room with them, you're just more comfortable around. Last night we went to a Meijer, which is like Wal-Mart back home, and then jumped on the bike and into the hot tub to make sure we had our legs under us today.
Time to head back over to our new digs at "The Rink" for the scrimmage. Check back later tonight I'll try to have more updates.
All 37 guys in camp will be on the ice at 1:30 for a intra-squad scrimmage. If you're in the area come check it out. I'm roomed up with Brett Aimone, who I played with in Valley Forge last season. It's good to have someone you know in camp and better to room with them, you're just more comfortable around. Last night we went to a Meijer, which is like Wal-Mart back home, and then jumped on the bike and into the hot tub to make sure we had our legs under us today.
Time to head back over to our new digs at "The Rink" for the scrimmage. Check back later tonight I'll try to have more updates.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
It's Here
First off I want to thank everyone on the message boards and people who have sent me emails for wishing me good luck and get well wishes. I try to respond to them as much as possible so if I have forgotten you, I apologize. So I'm finally close to being 100% and will be ready to go by opening night.
Bottom line is the season officially starts tomorrow out in Battle Creek, we have a meeting at 5pm to open up camp. I don't know what to expect to be honest with you, I'm very excited to start playing again and I'm anxious to see how the body responds. Hopefully everything will check out alright and I won't have any problems. The long journey starts later tonight, it will take about 14 hours to get from Boston to Battle Creek. I don't know how far I'll get tonight driving, I'm hoping to get a good 8 or 9 hours of the trip behind me.
A lot of times in this world I take things for granted, complain about long bus trips or playing in the low minors. It takes a lot to deal with the adversity we as players go thru, but our lives are still pretty good; we get paid to play a game, our housing is paid for, we get meal deals around the city and we get equipment for free. All in all it's a pretty good deal. I'm a country music fan so every song tells a story, some are happy and fun but others tell stories of struggle. Driving home the other night I saw a man living out of his car next to a laundrymat. I read a story in a magazine about a guy in a car wreck who crushed his pelvis, his heart was moved to the right side of his chest, both lungs collapsed, lost 60% of his blood, died 8 times on the operating table and lost 100 pounds...Three years later after learning how to walk and blink again he finished the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Those are problems, that's having a rough life. It put everything back into perspective for me, whether this is my last season before I move onto the rest of my life or just a stepping stone to the next couple of seasons I might as well have fun doing it. Some people aren't so lucky.
Stay tuned over the next couple days I will have daily updates from training camp.
Bottom line is the season officially starts tomorrow out in Battle Creek, we have a meeting at 5pm to open up camp. I don't know what to expect to be honest with you, I'm very excited to start playing again and I'm anxious to see how the body responds. Hopefully everything will check out alright and I won't have any problems. The long journey starts later tonight, it will take about 14 hours to get from Boston to Battle Creek. I don't know how far I'll get tonight driving, I'm hoping to get a good 8 or 9 hours of the trip behind me.
A lot of times in this world I take things for granted, complain about long bus trips or playing in the low minors. It takes a lot to deal with the adversity we as players go thru, but our lives are still pretty good; we get paid to play a game, our housing is paid for, we get meal deals around the city and we get equipment for free. All in all it's a pretty good deal. I'm a country music fan so every song tells a story, some are happy and fun but others tell stories of struggle. Driving home the other night I saw a man living out of his car next to a laundrymat. I read a story in a magazine about a guy in a car wreck who crushed his pelvis, his heart was moved to the right side of his chest, both lungs collapsed, lost 60% of his blood, died 8 times on the operating table and lost 100 pounds...Three years later after learning how to walk and blink again he finished the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Those are problems, that's having a rough life. It put everything back into perspective for me, whether this is my last season before I move onto the rest of my life or just a stepping stone to the next couple of seasons I might as well have fun doing it. Some people aren't so lucky.
Stay tuned over the next couple days I will have daily updates from training camp.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Hockey Ladder
Growing up I played for the same organization for the better part of 6 years, we had the same same coaches and the same core group of guys for every year. In the winter we were known as the '84 Merrimack Valley Cardinals, we played in the best amateur league in New England at the time against the top talent from all over, at least two guys from every team went on to play Division 1 and some have gone on to play pro. In the summer we were known as the '84 New England Generals and traveled all over the East playing in AAA tourneys. We played against guys like Marc Andre Fleury, Rick Nash, Eric Stall, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and numerous other guys who went on to the NHL.
Our head coach always talked about the "Hockey Ladder" saying that when we started in mites there was a large base of players and each year we moved up the ladder more and more players fell off. He said by the time one or two if any of us reached the top of the ladder no one else in the locker room would be playing hockey anymore. It wasn't an insult to anyone, it was simply the truth. Pee-wees and Bantams saw guys fall off, then midgets and high school came and more and more guys quit. Finally in juniors you looked around the rosters and only saw 3 or 4 of your former teammates. Now from looking at that old rosters of the core guys, not the fill in guys for a tournament here and there, there are only two guys still playing. Myself and my good buddy Paul D'Agostino, who after two years in Division 1 Hockey East decided to turn pro and is now playing university hockey up in Canada. Looking around the league and the players I only see maybe 5 or 10 guys still playing hockey at a pro or collegiate level.
It was something that we never really thought of as kids, that someday everyone would jump off that ladder and leave only a few guys left. It's crazy to think Dags and myself are the two guys still playing at high levels. I remember the knee hockey and street hockey games between the two of us always dreaming of playing pro hockey. And we may not be in the NHL, but we still have received paychecks for playing a kids game. To think of all the guys who were better than us at 12 and again at 15 who aren't playing anywhere now brings back alot of memories and makes us feel like we actually accomplished something. Whether this is our last season or we play another 5 years, I know we'll walk away happy knowing we went as far as we could and were lucky enough to play professional hockey (the dream of every kid).
Our head coach always talked about the "Hockey Ladder" saying that when we started in mites there was a large base of players and each year we moved up the ladder more and more players fell off. He said by the time one or two if any of us reached the top of the ladder no one else in the locker room would be playing hockey anymore. It wasn't an insult to anyone, it was simply the truth. Pee-wees and Bantams saw guys fall off, then midgets and high school came and more and more guys quit. Finally in juniors you looked around the rosters and only saw 3 or 4 of your former teammates. Now from looking at that old rosters of the core guys, not the fill in guys for a tournament here and there, there are only two guys still playing. Myself and my good buddy Paul D'Agostino, who after two years in Division 1 Hockey East decided to turn pro and is now playing university hockey up in Canada. Looking around the league and the players I only see maybe 5 or 10 guys still playing hockey at a pro or collegiate level.
It was something that we never really thought of as kids, that someday everyone would jump off that ladder and leave only a few guys left. It's crazy to think Dags and myself are the two guys still playing at high levels. I remember the knee hockey and street hockey games between the two of us always dreaming of playing pro hockey. And we may not be in the NHL, but we still have received paychecks for playing a kids game. To think of all the guys who were better than us at 12 and again at 15 who aren't playing anywhere now brings back alot of memories and makes us feel like we actually accomplished something. Whether this is our last season or we play another 5 years, I know we'll walk away happy knowing we went as far as we could and were lucky enough to play professional hockey (the dream of every kid).
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Season is Almost Here
Waking up this morning around 7:30am, I could feel the chill in the room for the first time this fall. Walking outside I was smacked in the face with cold rain drops, it was the type of morning that makes everyone want to stay in bed forever. The first time that cold, damp air hits you; you realize that the nice sunny days of the hot summer are behind us and the hockey season is here. Waking up in Boston, the titletown of America, sports fans expect teams to win. The Red Sox aren't in the World Series, the Patriots are struggling without Tom Brady and I'm not much of an NBA follower so I don't really care that the Celtics won it all last year. So the attention for me has turned to the Bruins, they're full of young talent and should go deep into the playoffs. They lost the last two nights in a row in shootouts against the Penguins and the Sabres. I could have gone to their home opener against Pittsburgh two nights ago but the tickets were offered too late. Nothing is better than going into Boston for a Bruins or Sox game, both teams play right in the city and the crowd around the arena and ballpark on game nights is electric.
In other news, the U-18 midget team is finally back on the right track. We won the both games we played this past weekend against two very solid teams. Saturday night we beat the District 10 Bulldogs, who won our league and went to nationals last season, 6-3. On Sunday we defeated the Cape Cod Whalers 3-1, the Whale won our league and went to nationals two seasons ago. Hopefully things will continue on the up and up this weekend and we should crawl back up the national rankings this week.
All things considered everything is going pretty good. I'm still searching for a new car, but have some leads. With Battle Creek starting up in about 2 weeks the excitement is building. It's fun to get back into the swing of things, I can't believe I'm being looked at as a "veteran" now. Seems like just the other day I went to my first pro camp as the wide eyed rookie who didn't know what to expect. I went to camp thinking I had it all under control, but it took a couple of years to learn what pro hockey was all about. There's a mental preparation that comes with the game that you have to see to understand. Being able to bring it everyday at a high level is tough, but something you learn from the vets, it's just nice to think I'm finally one of the vets now.
In other news, the U-18 midget team is finally back on the right track. We won the both games we played this past weekend against two very solid teams. Saturday night we beat the District 10 Bulldogs, who won our league and went to nationals last season, 6-3. On Sunday we defeated the Cape Cod Whalers 3-1, the Whale won our league and went to nationals two seasons ago. Hopefully things will continue on the up and up this weekend and we should crawl back up the national rankings this week.
All things considered everything is going pretty good. I'm still searching for a new car, but have some leads. With Battle Creek starting up in about 2 weeks the excitement is building. It's fun to get back into the swing of things, I can't believe I'm being looked at as a "veteran" now. Seems like just the other day I went to my first pro camp as the wide eyed rookie who didn't know what to expect. I went to camp thinking I had it all under control, but it took a couple of years to learn what pro hockey was all about. There's a mental preparation that comes with the game that you have to see to understand. Being able to bring it everyday at a high level is tough, but something you learn from the vets, it's just nice to think I'm finally one of the vets now.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Future
After a couple weeks of searching around and talking to some teams, I have found myself a new home for the upcoming season. Again. It's funny to think that before a season even starts this is my third team of the year. The Battle Creek Revolution of the All American Hockey Association is my newest adventure. I'm really hoping that this is the real deal and everything works out with the Revolution, their coach Matt Wiedenhoeft is extremely upbeat and optimistic about the season. I actually should thank Brendan Tedstone for putting Matt in touch with me after everything fell apart with the Copper City Chiefs, Teddy gave me a very good recommendation and got the ball rolling as far as negotiations between myself and Battle Creek.
According to wikipedia.org, Battle Creek, Michigan is known as the "cereal city" due to the fact that the Kellogg world headquarters were founded there back in 1906. It looks like a decent size city located in southern Michigan. From what I've heard and what it looks like on the message boards, the people around the area cannot wait for the team to come to town and get everything underway. After everything that I've been thru the past couple weeks I'm just happy to find a new home for my career. And November 3rd cannot come soon enough to put everything behind me and get the season going.
I was thinking the other day and was trying to figure out how many places and how many miles I've put under my belt in my 3 years of pro hockey to date. From my old home in Dunstable, MA to Danbury, CT (Danbury Trashers) in '05. Then a trip from Dunstable, MA to Broomfield, CO (Rocky Mountain Rage) to Knoxville, TN (Knoxville Ice Bears) back to Dunstable in '06. Then numerous trips from Dunstable to Danbury to play in the NEHL in '06/'07 and from Danbury to Findlay, OH . Then from Reading, MA to Amarillo, TX (Amarillo Gorillas) back to Reading, by way of a bus, to kickstart the '07/'08 season. Reading to Knoxville again this time for the regular season, Knoxville to Jacksonville, FL back to Knox then back to Reading all within a week timeframe. And to cap off the '07/'08 season from Reading down to Oaks, PA (Valley Forge Freedom). I did the math on mapquest and came up with the number of 13,123 miles in just 3 years of pro hockey.
It's been a heck of a trip so far and to be honest I'm excited about putting more miles underneath me this season. Hopefully with a few call ups and more miles added to a new car that I will be getting this week.
According to wikipedia.org, Battle Creek, Michigan is known as the "cereal city" due to the fact that the Kellogg world headquarters were founded there back in 1906. It looks like a decent size city located in southern Michigan. From what I've heard and what it looks like on the message boards, the people around the area cannot wait for the team to come to town and get everything underway. After everything that I've been thru the past couple weeks I'm just happy to find a new home for my career. And November 3rd cannot come soon enough to put everything behind me and get the season going.
I was thinking the other day and was trying to figure out how many places and how many miles I've put under my belt in my 3 years of pro hockey to date. From my old home in Dunstable, MA to Danbury, CT (Danbury Trashers) in '05. Then a trip from Dunstable, MA to Broomfield, CO (Rocky Mountain Rage) to Knoxville, TN (Knoxville Ice Bears) back to Dunstable in '06. Then numerous trips from Dunstable to Danbury to play in the NEHL in '06/'07 and from Danbury to Findlay, OH . Then from Reading, MA to Amarillo, TX (Amarillo Gorillas) back to Reading, by way of a bus, to kickstart the '07/'08 season. Reading to Knoxville again this time for the regular season, Knoxville to Jacksonville, FL back to Knox then back to Reading all within a week timeframe. And to cap off the '07/'08 season from Reading down to Oaks, PA (Valley Forge Freedom). I did the math on mapquest and came up with the number of 13,123 miles in just 3 years of pro hockey.
It's been a heck of a trip so far and to be honest I'm excited about putting more miles underneath me this season. Hopefully with a few call ups and more miles added to a new car that I will be getting this week.
Monday, October 13, 2008
What Drives You?
Everyday people strive to become better at what they do, whatever it is people want to be better at it. The people at the highest level of their profession got there somehow and it wasn't thru hoping to get there or wishing they were better than the competition. Thinking about this at the gym last week while riding the bike I looked around at everyone who works out at the Bally's in Woburn that I frequent. These people are everyday common people, construction workers to doctors; lawyers to probation officers. What drives them? Is it the next big promotion at work that drives them to get up every morning? Or maybe they want a shiny new car or build a new house. I'm pretty sure almost everyone in this country wants something bigger or better than what they already have. It's how we're conditioned to think, we're lucky enough to have the things we have, but we always want more.
I can't say that I've never settled for something, because I know that I have and I regret the few things that I settled for when I was younger. The list is long and I can't help but think that people 20,30 and 40 years older than me have lists a mile long, some people have made adjustments and that is why they keep pushing thru where they're at in their lives and driving towards the next big thing. But I'm still wondering what drives people. I know what drives me, my dream is what drives me. My dream to keep playing professional hockey.
I can't say that I've never settled for something, because I know that I have and I regret the few things that I settled for when I was younger. The list is long and I can't help but think that people 20,30 and 40 years older than me have lists a mile long, some people have made adjustments and that is why they keep pushing thru where they're at in their lives and driving towards the next big thing. But I'm still wondering what drives people. I know what drives me, my dream is what drives me. My dream to keep playing professional hockey.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Injuries, Rehab and Teamless....
What's up everyone? It's been a hectic 8 days for me, but first I want to send out a thank you again on behalf of myself and Joe Lyle to all of you who have wished us a speedy recovery. I've made giant strides since the accident physically, even though I am still without a car (which is driving me CRAZY). Since last Monday I have seen my chiropractor six times and I think he might be a magician, he has restored full range of motion in my neck and about 90% of it in my lower back. We haven't taken new x-rays yet, I assume we'll take those later this week or early next week to see how my spine is doing in the re-alignment process. Last Friday I was given the O.K. to start working out and skating again at about 50% and to be honest with you I jumped all over the chance. Most of the time when October comes, as a player you're so sick of the gym that you have to drag your butt into the facility, but for me I knew last Tuesday how lucky I was to just be walking and wanted to start rehabbing right away. Unfortunately I had to let nature and Dr. Leahy take its course on my injuries, so as soon as I got the green light Friday morning I headed right to the gym and was on the ice later that night.
It was weird being so hesitant on the ice and in the gym, all summer I was going 100% everyday and now just lifting half the weight I was 10 days ago is a bit of a struggle. I was hesitant because I'm a little scared to re-injure anything and be stuck on the shelf even longer. But as long as I am going at the pace I was told to go at everything should be ok. Luckily I went to see Dr. Leahy over at Everett Chiropractic right after the accident and didn't build up any scar tissue in my back, which would have taken twice as long to recover from. I am nowhere near 100% yet but everyday I feel better and am making strides to a full recovery.
As for Joe, he just started seeing a chiropractor back home in Rutland, VT and is looking at a 4-6 week recovery time frame. We talk just about everyday and thank god he is feeling better everyday also. His spot in Brooklyn with the Aces is secure and he was told by their head coach to take the time he needs to recover and everything will be all set for him when he is ready. He says it everytime we're on the phone how lucky we are to even be able to walk let alone get to play professional hockey again.
As for the hockey part, everyone has heard the news about the Copper City Chiefs folding and all that good stuff surrounding the EPHL. The recent news leaves me teamless in October for the first time in my career. I have talked to a couple teams around different leagues and I am currently weighing my options to see what would be the best fit for me as a player. I really don't know which way I am leaning yet and hopefully I will have everything figured out in the next couple days so I can let all of you know where I will be starting the season.
In other news, I have spent the past two falls coaching a midget team made up of the best prep school players in the area, the Neponset Valley River Rats U18 team. We play in the Mass Tier 1 Select League and every year compete for a spot at the National Championships. This year we have a very strong team and have a very good chance to win the state championship and head to Nationals in April. We have numerous kids already committed to colleges like BC, Michigan, BU and others being looked at by big name schools. Currently we are 9-3-1 overall and 5-0-1 in our league. As of last Friday we were ranked 6th in the country, but our boys went 0-1-1 this weekend so that will hurt our ranking. It's great to coach young kids with so much talent and it wouldn't be totally unexpected if we have 3 or 4 guys drafted in the upcoming NHL draft.
Again thanks for all the support and keep checking back for more updates later in the week.
For anyone in the Mass area if you ever need a good chiropractor I strongly suggest going over the Everett Chiropractic and Dr. Brian Leahy. He is simply put unreal and knows exactly what to do. Here is their website www.wewatchyourback.com
It was weird being so hesitant on the ice and in the gym, all summer I was going 100% everyday and now just lifting half the weight I was 10 days ago is a bit of a struggle. I was hesitant because I'm a little scared to re-injure anything and be stuck on the shelf even longer. But as long as I am going at the pace I was told to go at everything should be ok. Luckily I went to see Dr. Leahy over at Everett Chiropractic right after the accident and didn't build up any scar tissue in my back, which would have taken twice as long to recover from. I am nowhere near 100% yet but everyday I feel better and am making strides to a full recovery.
As for Joe, he just started seeing a chiropractor back home in Rutland, VT and is looking at a 4-6 week recovery time frame. We talk just about everyday and thank god he is feeling better everyday also. His spot in Brooklyn with the Aces is secure and he was told by their head coach to take the time he needs to recover and everything will be all set for him when he is ready. He says it everytime we're on the phone how lucky we are to even be able to walk let alone get to play professional hockey again.
As for the hockey part, everyone has heard the news about the Copper City Chiefs folding and all that good stuff surrounding the EPHL. The recent news leaves me teamless in October for the first time in my career. I have talked to a couple teams around different leagues and I am currently weighing my options to see what would be the best fit for me as a player. I really don't know which way I am leaning yet and hopefully I will have everything figured out in the next couple days so I can let all of you know where I will be starting the season.
In other news, I have spent the past two falls coaching a midget team made up of the best prep school players in the area, the Neponset Valley River Rats U18 team. We play in the Mass Tier 1 Select League and every year compete for a spot at the National Championships. This year we have a very strong team and have a very good chance to win the state championship and head to Nationals in April. We have numerous kids already committed to colleges like BC, Michigan, BU and others being looked at by big name schools. Currently we are 9-3-1 overall and 5-0-1 in our league. As of last Friday we were ranked 6th in the country, but our boys went 0-1-1 this weekend so that will hurt our ranking. It's great to coach young kids with so much talent and it wouldn't be totally unexpected if we have 3 or 4 guys drafted in the upcoming NHL draft.
Again thanks for all the support and keep checking back for more updates later in the week.
For anyone in the Mass area if you ever need a good chiropractor I strongly suggest going over the Everett Chiropractic and Dr. Brian Leahy. He is simply put unreal and knows exactly what to do. Here is their website www.wewatchyourback.com
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Pictures of my car added
The pictures are at the very bottom of this page go ahead and check them out
Accident Update
Hey everyone...I read the comments left on my blog and also some of the message boards around the web and want to thank everyone for their well wishes over the past couple of days. The past couple of days have been foggy and hectic from what I remember. Filing insurance claims and seeing doctors sucks that's for sure but at least I got some answers on my injuries and Joe's as well. The next 3 weeks are going to painful for both of us as we try to recover in time for training camp, as I mentioned before he will be playing for Brooklyn this season. I saw a chiropractor yesterday, he took some x-rays of my back and put me through a battery of tests and the x-rays showed alot of damage was done to my neck and lower back. My neck no longer has a flex in it, which you're supposed to have, instead the vertebrae are just in a straight line. The same can be said for the vertebrae in my lower back, no more flex just a straight line. On top of that the spine at the lower back and top of my neck has shifted over to the right and is completely out of alignment, so that needs to be fixed also. If that wasn't bad enough I have some torn muscles in my abs and lower back area. All of that to go along with a mild concussion, which makes putting together simple sentences a task sometimes. Joe is in a little better condition, but has some disc problems in his lower back that he will need to be re-examined for in a couple of days when the inflammation has gone down.
I got some treatment yesterday from my chiropractor and again this morning to start the re-alignment process. It's going to be a long, painful process to correct everything. Luckily, he is one of the best in New England and deals with alot of hockey players in the area so he knows what he is doing and can fix me quickly (we hope). The damage to my neck and back are so bad that he has me seeing him 6 days a week for the next 3 weeks to try to adjust everything just to get me back to somewhere around 75% for training camp. All the work on my neck and back is being done to correct it in time for camp and we're just hoping and praying the concussion will be healed in time for me to pass our physicals the first day of camp.
My dad took me over to get all of my personal belongings out of what used to be my car this morning. The stuff I was worried most about was my hockey equipment that had been smashed up in the trunk. My helmet is completely mangled, there's some damage to my shinpads and skates as well. But getting a chance to see the car in daylight was nothing short of horrifying. The front seat back are broke and the metal in the seats are twisted, the trunk is literally in the back seat, the gas pump is detached from the car, the muffler is in pieces, the rear bumper is smashed and mangled underneath the car. And that's just the back side of the car. The front grill was pushed in about 8 inches, the bumper is cracked, the hood is folded up like you fold a blanket. It's scary to look at, I took some pictures on my phone and will try to upload them onto the computer so you guys can see what it looks like now.
Walking away from the towing yard I was overcome with emotions and thoughts and I know my old man was too. I just couldn't believe I walked away from this accident. I mean to see metal crushed up the way my car is crushed makes me wonder how in the world I'm sitting here typing to all of you and not laying in a hospital bed. My chiropractor said someone who wasn't built with the back and neck muscles I have built up in the gym would have broken their neck and possibly their back. Those are words that are scary to hear when you're 24 and have the world in front of you.
I will keep all of you updated over the next few days and weeks as to what is going on with my recovery and Joe's as well. Feel free to email me and ask questions...
And again thank you for all the well wishes
I got some treatment yesterday from my chiropractor and again this morning to start the re-alignment process. It's going to be a long, painful process to correct everything. Luckily, he is one of the best in New England and deals with alot of hockey players in the area so he knows what he is doing and can fix me quickly (we hope). The damage to my neck and back are so bad that he has me seeing him 6 days a week for the next 3 weeks to try to adjust everything just to get me back to somewhere around 75% for training camp. All the work on my neck and back is being done to correct it in time for camp and we're just hoping and praying the concussion will be healed in time for me to pass our physicals the first day of camp.
My dad took me over to get all of my personal belongings out of what used to be my car this morning. The stuff I was worried most about was my hockey equipment that had been smashed up in the trunk. My helmet is completely mangled, there's some damage to my shinpads and skates as well. But getting a chance to see the car in daylight was nothing short of horrifying. The front seat back are broke and the metal in the seats are twisted, the trunk is literally in the back seat, the gas pump is detached from the car, the muffler is in pieces, the rear bumper is smashed and mangled underneath the car. And that's just the back side of the car. The front grill was pushed in about 8 inches, the bumper is cracked, the hood is folded up like you fold a blanket. It's scary to look at, I took some pictures on my phone and will try to upload them onto the computer so you guys can see what it looks like now.
Walking away from the towing yard I was overcome with emotions and thoughts and I know my old man was too. I just couldn't believe I walked away from this accident. I mean to see metal crushed up the way my car is crushed makes me wonder how in the world I'm sitting here typing to all of you and not laying in a hospital bed. My chiropractor said someone who wasn't built with the back and neck muscles I have built up in the gym would have broken their neck and possibly their back. Those are words that are scary to hear when you're 24 and have the world in front of you.
I will keep all of you updated over the next few days and weeks as to what is going on with my recovery and Joe's as well. Feel free to email me and ask questions...
And again thank you for all the well wishes
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Happy Birthday???
So I went into Boston last night with Joe Lyle, my roommate from last season and my buddy Scott McDougall along with some other people to celebrate my 24th. Everything was great we had an awesome time and it was good to let loose and have some fun with everything being so hectic lately. On the drive home I had the scariest experience of my life without a doubt. Driving home with Joe in my passenger seat and Scott a few cars behind us we were in the middle lane, it was raining pretty hard so I was in one of the slow lanes. Out of nowhere I see a car about 200 feet ahead of us in the middle of the road facing the wrong way. I tried to swerve out of the way, avoided 2 cars pulled my E brake but couldn't avoid a 3rd car, hit him then within a split second saw headlights coming flying at us. I yelled to Joe to get ready for another hit and BAM! A lady hammers us from behind. At that point I looked around, my head was foggy from hitting the roof of my car, adrenaline flowing but still very woozy from the accident. Joe was able to help me get out of my car and over the the side of the road and I find a 5 car mess that turned a 4 lane highway into 1. When all of the sudden we hear more screaming tires and more crashes, 4 more cars joined the pile up and Scott was one of them.
Within minutes one of Greatr Boston's busiest highways was closed, traffic backed up for miles with ambulances, police cars and fire engines all over. After a few minutes of not knowing what to do I was strapped to a backboard and taken away in an ambulance with Joe right next to me. Scott was lucky to walk away with alot less damage to his car. My car looks like an accordian, the front end is all smashed up and my trunk is in the backseat. We were rushed into the hospital and taken right away, they were running tests on my head, back and kidneys they weren't sure if there was any internal damage and wanted to make sure. It was the scariest night of my life. The doctor in the ER said me and Lyle shouldn't have been able to walk away from a wreck like that, but because we play hockey and are in good shape our cores were able to absorb most of the blow.
So here I am three weeks before training camp with a very badly injured back and concussion symptoms. An entire summer of hard work and sacrifice was almost completely lost in a matter of seconds. Now I'm just hoping I'll be able to skate when camp opens. I'll be doing everything I can to get back to full health and be ready to storm into Danbury opening night on November 1.
Within minutes one of Greatr Boston's busiest highways was closed, traffic backed up for miles with ambulances, police cars and fire engines all over. After a few minutes of not knowing what to do I was strapped to a backboard and taken away in an ambulance with Joe right next to me. Scott was lucky to walk away with alot less damage to his car. My car looks like an accordian, the front end is all smashed up and my trunk is in the backseat. We were rushed into the hospital and taken right away, they were running tests on my head, back and kidneys they weren't sure if there was any internal damage and wanted to make sure. It was the scariest night of my life. The doctor in the ER said me and Lyle shouldn't have been able to walk away from a wreck like that, but because we play hockey and are in good shape our cores were able to absorb most of the blow.
So here I am three weeks before training camp with a very badly injured back and concussion symptoms. An entire summer of hard work and sacrifice was almost completely lost in a matter of seconds. Now I'm just hoping I'll be able to skate when camp opens. I'll be doing everything I can to get back to full health and be ready to storm into Danbury opening night on November 1.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
The Big News Continued
So I took some heat on a message board that I frequent about being traded to Copper City. In no way did I mean for it to sound that I didn't want to be a part of Danbury, if I didn't want to be there I wouldn't have gone to the EPHL press release back in March and I wouldn't have driven down in June for the pick a seat party and I certainly would never have signed there. To be completely honest I was extremely excited about going back to Danbury, my first pro camp was with the Trashers back in '05 but a bad knee kept me from passing physicals. I played 4 or 5 games there 2 seasons ago in the NEHL and I love the arena and the fans and everything else, with New York City less than an hour away it's a great place to play. However, professional hockey is a business and trades happen so it really doesn't matter how much I was looking forward to playing in Danbury this season because the trade happened and there's nothing I can do about it.
I know section 102 is going to give it to me good on opening night November 1st and that's alright I expected it anyway. But 102 is what makes Danbury what it is, it's a fun place to play and I can't wait to get back there.
I know section 102 is going to give it to me good on opening night November 1st and that's alright I expected it anyway. But 102 is what makes Danbury what it is, it's a fun place to play and I can't wait to get back there.
Friday, September 26, 2008
The Big News
Ok so it's taken more than a day like I had originally expected, but the press release hasn't been released yet so I don't know if I should spill the beans yet or not. Last week there was a trade between Danbury and Copper City that sent Brett Riley from the Hatters to the Chiefs for future considerations. What wasn't released was the fact that I was part of that deal as well. There were some issues at the time of the press release that didn't have everything ironed out between myself and the Chiefs, but now I can proudly say I am under contract and very eager to start the season in Rome, NY.
Going to Rome should hopefully be a good move for me as a player and I think I can continue my path to success and move up the hockey ladder. At this point in my career at the single A level it's all about developing and to develop I just need to play. I don't care where or for who, as long as I'm on the ice and playing I'm happy. I don't know a thing about Rome, NY except that it is near Syracuse, which makes it nice to know I won't be in the middle of no where.
The season is right around the corner and I've never been busier. The past couple days I have been doing some side work with my roommate from this past season in Valley Forge, Joe Lyle. As partners in crime we've been taking on the maintenance world for a family owned restaurant chain called Bickford's. It's good work and it's fun working with Joe, who will be playing in Brooklyn this season for the Aces. Most of the time the past couple days we don't have a clue what we're supposed to be doing but much like in the MAHL we've gotten by. Yesterday we became impromptu plumbers fixing a leak, while Wednesday we became mechanics trying to fix one of the company box trucks. But now that I think about it we weren't very good mechanics since we were pushing the box truck on the highway with the company van, but we got the truck back to the restaurant it needed to be at.
It's funny looking around at some of the rosters this season there will be plenty of familiar faces from last season in Valley. Lyle and a couple guys will be in Brooklyn, my old linemate Bill Haas will be in Danbury, I think 2 or 3 guys will be in Jersey and my other roommate will be in Exeter. It's always fun to play against guys you have a bond with, where not only points in the standings are on the line but pride is as well.
With a little over 3 weeks to go I'm counting down the days to October 22 and I'm excited to get going. Stay tuned!
Going to Rome should hopefully be a good move for me as a player and I think I can continue my path to success and move up the hockey ladder. At this point in my career at the single A level it's all about developing and to develop I just need to play. I don't care where or for who, as long as I'm on the ice and playing I'm happy. I don't know a thing about Rome, NY except that it is near Syracuse, which makes it nice to know I won't be in the middle of no where.
The season is right around the corner and I've never been busier. The past couple days I have been doing some side work with my roommate from this past season in Valley Forge, Joe Lyle. As partners in crime we've been taking on the maintenance world for a family owned restaurant chain called Bickford's. It's good work and it's fun working with Joe, who will be playing in Brooklyn this season for the Aces. Most of the time the past couple days we don't have a clue what we're supposed to be doing but much like in the MAHL we've gotten by. Yesterday we became impromptu plumbers fixing a leak, while Wednesday we became mechanics trying to fix one of the company box trucks. But now that I think about it we weren't very good mechanics since we were pushing the box truck on the highway with the company van, but we got the truck back to the restaurant it needed to be at.
It's funny looking around at some of the rosters this season there will be plenty of familiar faces from last season in Valley. Lyle and a couple guys will be in Brooklyn, my old linemate Bill Haas will be in Danbury, I think 2 or 3 guys will be in Jersey and my other roommate will be in Exeter. It's always fun to play against guys you have a bond with, where not only points in the standings are on the line but pride is as well.
With a little over 3 weeks to go I'm counting down the days to October 22 and I'm excited to get going. Stay tuned!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Getting Back at It
The NHL season is finally underway with training camps around the league opening this past weekend, which means the offseason is finally coming to a close. It's been a long summer this year and it feels great to know the season is right around the corner. Knowing that the season is approaching fast I knew it was time to get back on the ice and start working on my skills and conditioning again for the next 3 or 4 weeks until training camp opens.
This past summer from the middle of June to the end of August I was on the ice twice a day Monday thru Thursday plus working out and it has been the best offseason of my career. I was getting paid to shoot pucks on high end college goalies every morning then working out in the afternoon and going back to the rink every Monday and Wednesday to shoot on the areas top pro goalies and top division 1 tenders. It wasn't only shooting pucks, the goalie coaches myself and the other shooters were working for usually incorporated drills for us as well most days, especially against the pro guys.
When those skates ended I wanted to take some time off to just relax and enjoy the end of the summer. I took about 3 weeks off the ice where I didn't do any skill work or anything too heavy, focused on endurance in the gym and on the track and got my legs back underneath me. It felt great to be away from the rink for a little bit and take in the nice August weather. But I knew sooner or later the mini-vacation would end and I'd have to get back on the ice and back to work.
This morning I got back at it on the ice in Nashua, NH with 2 of my buddies, one has 5 years experience in the AHL and the other has played in the ECHL and is going to his first AHL camp this coming Sunday. There were supposed to be a lot more local pro guys there but for some reason it ended up being just us 3 wheeling around the empty arena working on passing, edge control and the dreaded conditioning. We skated for a little more than hour and it felt great to shake the rust off and get out there with the guys.
For the next few weeks that's what I'll be doing with my life every morning and I will have updates from the skates as more guys start showing up and the skates get more intense. Also stay tuned either later tonight or tomorrow for some BIG news!
This past summer from the middle of June to the end of August I was on the ice twice a day Monday thru Thursday plus working out and it has been the best offseason of my career. I was getting paid to shoot pucks on high end college goalies every morning then working out in the afternoon and going back to the rink every Monday and Wednesday to shoot on the areas top pro goalies and top division 1 tenders. It wasn't only shooting pucks, the goalie coaches myself and the other shooters were working for usually incorporated drills for us as well most days, especially against the pro guys.
When those skates ended I wanted to take some time off to just relax and enjoy the end of the summer. I took about 3 weeks off the ice where I didn't do any skill work or anything too heavy, focused on endurance in the gym and on the track and got my legs back underneath me. It felt great to be away from the rink for a little bit and take in the nice August weather. But I knew sooner or later the mini-vacation would end and I'd have to get back on the ice and back to work.
This morning I got back at it on the ice in Nashua, NH with 2 of my buddies, one has 5 years experience in the AHL and the other has played in the ECHL and is going to his first AHL camp this coming Sunday. There were supposed to be a lot more local pro guys there but for some reason it ended up being just us 3 wheeling around the empty arena working on passing, edge control and the dreaded conditioning. We skated for a little more than hour and it felt great to shake the rust off and get out there with the guys.
For the next few weeks that's what I'll be doing with my life every morning and I will have updates from the skates as more guys start showing up and the skates get more intense. Also stay tuned either later tonight or tomorrow for some BIG news!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Tales from the Road
Hey guys along with bringing into the minds of pro hockey players I figured a lot of people wonder what it's like to be on the road for half of the season. Sometimes in nice sleeper buses where 4 rookies get crammed in the far back lounge area because the vets took up all the beds or maybe sleeping on a coach bus all night because the team didn't make reservations at a hotel for an away game that we traveled overnight to. Either way when you're on the road it's those bus trips that really pull a team together from watching movies to playing all types of card games, some I've never even heard of. You can win someones entire weekly paycheck or lose your own very quickly in a some poker games, I've watched a 6'5" fighter cram his way into the overhead carry on compartment and spent New Year's Eve on a bus coming home from Jamestown, NY with 14 other guys.
Trips can get long and boring and sometimes leave you questioning your sanity as you sleep on the floor of a coach bus on the way home from Tulsa, OK all the way back to Denver, CO. But when it comes down to it every guy on the bus would rather be crammed up in an uncomfortable seat for anywhere from 5 to 18 hours instead of sitting behind a computer at a 9-5 job. This past season I rode on 3 team buses, logging miles from Amarillo, TX to Oklahoma City, OK and from Knoxville, TN to Jacksonville, FL and countless miles across Pennsylvania with the Valley Forge Freedom from Oaks, PA to Jamestown, NY to Indiana, PA down to Pittsburgh and out to Wooster, OH all the way back to Oaks, PA. I lived in a 2 bedroom small apartment in Amarillo and a 3 bedroom luxury apartment in Knoxville, to finish in a very nice 3 bedroom place in Valley Forge with up to 7 or 8 roommates at times because of roster moves and guys coming and going all on the same day.
I'd love to be able to sit here and say I've seen it all but I can guarantee you that I'll see more things this season when the season starts in Danbury. It's just the way it goes, as soon as you say you can't possibly imagine anything crazier happening , something does. You haven't lived life until you've been sleeping in the back of a bus only to wake up to see Teddy's ass right in your face, and the only reason you wake up is because you hear his devilish laugh. Yes learning how to live on a bus can be tough but at the same time you look back and realize that it is the time of your life. We're getting paid to play pranks on each other, play cards and watch movies on long bus trips home from a huge shootout game winner in a barn with only 200 people in the stands because it was a Sunday afternoon in the middle of Pittsburgh and the Steelers were playing at home.
Ya I can honestly say nothing beats what I'm doing for a living right now. Check back soon to find out how I made a comfortable bed on the floor near the bathroom on our bus in Valley Forge.
Trips can get long and boring and sometimes leave you questioning your sanity as you sleep on the floor of a coach bus on the way home from Tulsa, OK all the way back to Denver, CO. But when it comes down to it every guy on the bus would rather be crammed up in an uncomfortable seat for anywhere from 5 to 18 hours instead of sitting behind a computer at a 9-5 job. This past season I rode on 3 team buses, logging miles from Amarillo, TX to Oklahoma City, OK and from Knoxville, TN to Jacksonville, FL and countless miles across Pennsylvania with the Valley Forge Freedom from Oaks, PA to Jamestown, NY to Indiana, PA down to Pittsburgh and out to Wooster, OH all the way back to Oaks, PA. I lived in a 2 bedroom small apartment in Amarillo and a 3 bedroom luxury apartment in Knoxville, to finish in a very nice 3 bedroom place in Valley Forge with up to 7 or 8 roommates at times because of roster moves and guys coming and going all on the same day.
I'd love to be able to sit here and say I've seen it all but I can guarantee you that I'll see more things this season when the season starts in Danbury. It's just the way it goes, as soon as you say you can't possibly imagine anything crazier happening , something does. You haven't lived life until you've been sleeping in the back of a bus only to wake up to see Teddy's ass right in your face, and the only reason you wake up is because you hear his devilish laugh. Yes learning how to live on a bus can be tough but at the same time you look back and realize that it is the time of your life. We're getting paid to play pranks on each other, play cards and watch movies on long bus trips home from a huge shootout game winner in a barn with only 200 people in the stands because it was a Sunday afternoon in the middle of Pittsburgh and the Steelers were playing at home.
Ya I can honestly say nothing beats what I'm doing for a living right now. Check back soon to find out how I made a comfortable bed on the floor near the bathroom on our bus in Valley Forge.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Thoughts From A Player
A lot of times during the summer when I visit buddies I grew up with in my hometown Billerica, MA the guys ask me why I'm still playing; why am I still "living the dream". What's funny to me is I never have a straight answer for them without laughing first. The sport of hockey is instilled in me and like you hear from many people, it's part of me. I honestly can't remember my life without hockey in it so for me it isn't even a question to keep playing or not. The longer I've played the game the more sacrifices I've had to make to be successful and there have been some tough decisions made. What has really helped me is that at a very young age I learned that it wasn't going to be all smooth sailing throughout my hockey career.
It's easy for a kid at 15 years old to quit hockey when he gets cut from a team that he really wanted to make, maybe all his friends are on the team and he doesn't want to be looked at as the kid who is stuck on the B team. I failed a couple times in high school I wasn't a regular varsity contributor until my junior year and it was a really hard pill to swallow, but with the support of my parents Shawn and Michelle I pushed through it and learned about adversity.
I think those early lessons of failure in this game are what keeps me so motivated these days, just knowing that with some extra work anything is possible. But that extra work entails what is referred to as the "IT" factor. A ton of guys have it and most of them use it and the guys who use it are usually the most successful. So I guess looking back to the question I am so often asked about why I'm still playing is because I have fun working hard for small pay, knowing that someone, somewhere might see me and I'll get my chance to shine at a higher level. Guys in the low minors (the EPHL, SPHL, CHL and ECHL) all play the game because they love to play and never know when they might get their big break.
It's easy for a kid at 15 years old to quit hockey when he gets cut from a team that he really wanted to make, maybe all his friends are on the team and he doesn't want to be looked at as the kid who is stuck on the B team. I failed a couple times in high school I wasn't a regular varsity contributor until my junior year and it was a really hard pill to swallow, but with the support of my parents Shawn and Michelle I pushed through it and learned about adversity.
I think those early lessons of failure in this game are what keeps me so motivated these days, just knowing that with some extra work anything is possible. But that extra work entails what is referred to as the "IT" factor. A ton of guys have it and most of them use it and the guys who use it are usually the most successful. So I guess looking back to the question I am so often asked about why I'm still playing is because I have fun working hard for small pay, knowing that someone, somewhere might see me and I'll get my chance to shine at a higher level. Guys in the low minors (the EPHL, SPHL, CHL and ECHL) all play the game because they love to play and never know when they might get their big break.
Who I Am
So anyone who is reading this is probably wondering just who the hell I am and why I'm blogging about minor league hockey. For starters my name is Jon Hutcheon and in case you haven't guessed by now I play professional hockey in the minors. I grew up in Massachusetts and hockey has always been a part of my life, so it was only a natural progression for me as a player to play high school then junior A then a bit in college and finally try my luck in the world of professional hockey. The point of this blog isn't to brag about what I'm doing or where I'm playing, it's simply to inform the many people out there who want to know what goes on behind the scenes and in the minds of young players trying to go as far as they can in the greatest game on earth.
A few months back I signed with the Danbury Mad Hatters of the new single A Eastern Professional Hockey League. At 23 years old it's not exactly where I expected myself at this point in my professional career, but nothing ever goes exactly as planned and besides it wouldn't be much fun if everyone's fairy tale came true. A couple injuries and a numbers crunch have kept me on the outside looking in at the Central Hockey League, but I'm confident that this season I'll prove myself as a strong AA player.
So now that you know where I play I'll let you know some more details. Like I said I'm 23 years old (I turn 24 on September 27th, so I expect some birthday wishes in a few weeks) and I live in Reading, MA. Over the summer it's business as usual with a couple skates and day and workout session mixed in between and of course a lot of partying with the hockey buddies who come home for the summer.
Feel free to email me any questions and I look forward to keeping everyone updated as the season draws near and get underway!
A few months back I signed with the Danbury Mad Hatters of the new single A Eastern Professional Hockey League. At 23 years old it's not exactly where I expected myself at this point in my professional career, but nothing ever goes exactly as planned and besides it wouldn't be much fun if everyone's fairy tale came true. A couple injuries and a numbers crunch have kept me on the outside looking in at the Central Hockey League, but I'm confident that this season I'll prove myself as a strong AA player.
So now that you know where I play I'll let you know some more details. Like I said I'm 23 years old (I turn 24 on September 27th, so I expect some birthday wishes in a few weeks) and I live in Reading, MA. Over the summer it's business as usual with a couple skates and day and workout session mixed in between and of course a lot of partying with the hockey buddies who come home for the summer.
Feel free to email me any questions and I look forward to keeping everyone updated as the season draws near and get underway!
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