seattlethunderbirds.com - Blog http://seattlethunderbirds.com/ Infinity Site Manager en-us 11/16/2009 12:56 PM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=62 Monday, November 16 I see a lot of you fans are asking, "Who are these guys?" after the T-Birds swept all three games this weekend and ran their overall winning streak to four.  I think the simplest answer is that they are a young team that is just now learning how to play together.  The stretch of 12 of 13 games on the road seemed daunting when it began in late October but in reality it may have been the best thing that could happen to this club.  Just remember how many new and young faces the T-Birds have on this year's team.  It takes time to gel with that many new skaters and spending a month on the road allows them to bond and develop some chemistry.    Secondly the team has played these last four games at nearly 100 percent health.  Only Brenden Silvester is currently sidelined with an injury. Remember too, that they are still a young team and they still are going to have growing pains as they progress from here.     Two of the oddest thing I've seen in this game in recent vintage occurred Saturday night in Everett.  First of course was the "own goal" scored into his own net by Silvertips goalie Kent Simpson.  What made it even stranger is that it was the second time in the past three seasons that an opposing player has helped the T-Birds out by putting a puck into their own goal.  Remember Tri-City defenseman Tyler Schmidt in the playoffs of 2007 snapping one past his own goalie, Cary Price, at KeyArena?   The second oddity of that game in Everett was the fact that not one of the three stars announced in the building earned a point in the game; not a goal, not even an assist.  Tips defenseman Radko Gudas was the third star, primarily for one big, highlight making hip check.  T-Birds goalie Calvin Pickard was the second star with a 29 save shutout; scoring was the only thing he didn't do. Meanwhile, Pickard's teammate Prab Rai was the first star. Rai, while dangerous nearly every time he touched the puck, also did not have either a goal or an assist.   Rai's game that night is an example that you don't have to score to be the best player on the ice.  I also think Rai was given a star because there was some confusion over which T-Bird player should be credited with that "own goal".  It was initially awarded to Rai because he was the closest Seattle player to the puck when it went in.  But the WHL rule book clearly states it's the last Seattle player to touch the puck who gets credit for the goal and in this case it was Brendan Rouse.  Rouse also added two assists in the Everett game and probably deserved a star for his performance.     Some nights there just aren't enough stars to go around.  And sometimes players go about their business so quietly but efficiently they sometimes get overlooked by the media doing the voting. They don't, however, get overlooked by the coaching staff and that is the case with Rouse.  All he's done since coming to the T-Birds in the Jacob DeSerres trade is compete.  He wins face offs and he sets up his teammates who are now starting to bury the puck.  Seattle outscored their opponents 20-3 the last four games and Rouse contributed with one goal and five assists and was a plus-5. I heard from many who thought the 'Birds should have been able to extract more compensation from Brandon in this trade but I don't know what more you can ask with the way Rouse is playing.  You have at a minimum three years of Rouse and he's only going to get better.  More importantly, he's developed great chemistry with his line mates, Sena Acolatse and Colin Jacobs. Just another tremendous acquisition by GM Russ Farwell.   I got to eavesdrop on the Vancouver Giants radio postgame show Sunday at the Pacific Coliseum.  It was interesting to hear Giants coach Don Hay say he couldn't remember the last time a visiting team came to town and left with such a one-sided win and all three stars.  And not to harp on this topic too much but when is the last time a goalie put together back-to-back shutouts and wasn't the first star in either game?  When your teammates step up their game in front of you and make your job easier, that can happen.     If the T-Birds are to increase the winning streak to five games, they will have to do it like they've done the first four; on the road.  Seattle travels to Kennewick Tuesday to take on the Tri-City Americans for the third time this season.  The first two games were at the ShoWare Center and Seattle earned a split, winning 1-0 and falling, 5-4 in a shootout.  With winning come increased expectations, so we'll see how the team handles its new found success against the top team in the U.S. Division.   11/13/2009 11:03 AM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=61 Friday, November 13 The Team left Kent Thursday morning at approximately 9 am.  Just in time too as Disney on Ice is taking over the ShoWare Center for the weekend.  After six hours on the bus the team arrived in Kamloops.  While there is plenty of snow up in the mountains of British Columbia, nothing yet on the ground here in Kamloops.  It was a gorgeous drive with nothing but sunshine and spectacular fall colors.    The team held practice at the Memorial Arena. This was the home of the Blazers before the Interior Savings Centre was built.  Memorial Coliseum in Kamloops T-Birds G.M. Russ Farwell recounted a few games between the two teams in this old barn.  The benches are side by side with nothing but a four foot walk way separating them; no walls, nothing but maybe one security guy. That must have made for some pretty interesting situations.  Russ Farwell stands between the benches at Memorial Coliseum  Another unique aspect is the approximately 16 inch drop from bench level to ice level.  Like they say, the first step is a doozy. The drop from the bench to the ice at Memorial Coliseum   Meanwhile, Tom Selleck has left the building.  T-Birds defenseman Jeremy Schappert has really trimmed down the moustache.  Defenseman Jeremy Schappert has shaved his mustache 11/10/2009 10:27 AM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=60 Tuesday, November 10 I thought it was a terrific weekend of hockey by the Thunderbirds.  Three points in three games may not sound like much considering they had a chance to win all three games, but when you've struggled to earn points in the first two months of the season you need to take small steps forward before you take a big leap. It appears the team has found some consistency.  Have they turned the corner in that regard?  If they can be as competitive as they were this weekend in their upcoming games, then quite possibly, yes.  And right now it's really about finding consistency in the offense because they've been a fairly good defensive team most of the season. Seven goals in their last two road games helps.    Four road games in five nights is really going to task this team and that's what is coming up this weekend, although they've earned four points in their last three road games.  More a result of their schedule and the number of away games they've been playing but the T-Birds have been playing some of their best hockey lately away from home, earning at least one road point in five of their last eight road games.   It was an emotional weekend for me.  I lost my father last Wednesday.  I will always honor his memory, especially knowing what he went through the last three years, battling cancer.  Back in the spring of 2006 the doctors gave him six months to live.  I think he stuck around another three years just to prove the doctors wrong.   I want to thank all the fans who offered condolences.  It was greatly appreciated. Thanks to my broadcast partner, Bruce McDonald and his mom Char, for going above and beyond and I certainly want to thank the Thunderbirds organization. Assistant General Manager Colin Campbell gave me the option of taking the weekend off so I could spend it with my family.  Since my dad's funeral wasn't until this Monday, I decided to go ahead and do the three broadcasts.  One, because the games were a momentary diversion as well as therapeutic and, two, because my dad instilled in me a strong work ethic and he'd probably not want to be the reason I took time off. My dad's passion for sports is why I have a passion for sports and why I get to do something I love to do; broadcast T-Birds games on the radio.     The team is headed for Kamloops.  In fact, they will leave early Thursday for Friday night's game at the Interior Savings Centre. 11/02/2009 2:53 PM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=59 Monday, November 2 The T-Birds arrived back at the ShoWare Center at about 4:30am this morning. I think every trip out east should end with a game in Cranbrook.  That way the final leg of the trip is not so long.  Certainly not like two years ago when the team finished their swing through the Eastern Division with a game in Prince Albert. That was one long bus ride back.   Playing six games in eight days made this one of the quickest trips to the prairies that I can remember. Certainly not a lot of down time.  I'm just knocking on wood I survived without getting touched up by the flu. There are 14 players though who can't say the same thing.  What a miserable trip it had to be especially for Steve Chaffin, Prab Rai and Scott Ramsay who seemed to be hit hardest by the bug, although team trainer Phil Varney called Ramsay one of the jolliest sick people he's ever come across.     Under the conditions, the team was dealing with earning a point Sunday night against Kootenay as a positive way to finish up and earned the club its fourth point on the swing.   If not for the flu you have to wonder how much better the T-Birds might have fared.  In the game they were the healthiest for, the first game in Calgary, they gave the Hitmen all they could handle before losing, 2-1.  They probably should have earned the win rather than settle for the shootout loss in Red Deer but it got them their first road point of the season. The flu reared its ugly head in the 7-1 loss to Edmonton, but the team bounced back with a gritty 4-3 win at Lethbridge. I'm not sure even a healthy Thunderbirds team could have altered the results in Medicine Hat. The Tigers were really focused and intent on winning that game. Then road weary and flu ridden the team pushed the Ice as for as long as they could before dropping the game, 1-0, in overtime.  It was a winnable game, especially when you have three 5-on-3 power play chances, but again under the circumstances you're happy with the point.     And I'll close out the coverage of the Central Division swing with this; still no update on the whereabouts of Turner Stevenson's phone lost inside the bus on last season's trip. 11/01/2009 1:40 PM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=58 Sunday, November 1 - Noon Not too eventful of a night on the drive from Medicine Hat to Cranbrook, unless you count the very large elk we encountered just east of Fernie, B.C.  If bus slaloming through elk was an event at the upcoming Vancouver Winter Olympics then T-Birds bus driver Eli Johnson would be a shoo in for the gold medal.   Three large bull elk had wandered onto the highway in the darkness of the early morning.  Now we're talking a two-lane highway not your four-lane interstate so there's not much room to maneuver a bus when you're traveling at about 65 mph.  But like Phil Mahre skiing down a mountain side, Eli swooshed back and forth through the large beasts, safely negotiating the hazards. The last one was close as the elk threw a head fake on Eli, changing direction and heading back the other way across the road.  As Rob Sumner said, with thousand of acres of wilderness why do these animals hang out along the side of the road? Apparently the grass is greener on the other side.   T-Birds GM Russ Farwell, who was 40 minutes ahead of the bus in his car, apparently had a similar elk experience.    Not much to comment on in regards to the loss in Medicine Hat. 11-2 pretty much tells the story.  The one shining moment though was Connor Sanvido registering his first WHL goal.  Considering he wasn't with the team when the trip began and was only here because players were sidelined by the flu, that's a pretty accomplishment for the young 16-year-old.    The other listed player who joined the team on the trip to fill in for the ill players, defenseman Zach Walker, appears to be okay after taking a nasty hit along the boards.  Zach won't play tonight in Cranbrook, in fact he's already headed back to Saskatchewan.    Chance Lund should be back in the lineup tonight and there is a chance Steve Chaffin could return as well but it doesn't appear that Sena Acolatse or Prab Rai will play. The good news is that no other players appear to have come down with flu symptoms.  10/31/2009 2:55 PM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=57 Saturday, October 31 – 11am Well deserved and well earned win by the T-Birds in Lethbridge last night.  Still, no time to celebrate as they are back in Medicine Hat for tonight's battle with the Tigers.  Medicine Hat has been on the losing end of their last three games but like Seattle was missing some key cogs from their lineup.  They've got some of those players back for tonight's game.  Last night in Red Deer the Tigers lost to the Rebels, 4-2, but dominated the third period, outshooting Red Deer 17-2.  By the accounts in the local paper they are targeting this game tonight as the one to get them back in the win column.   Even with seven regular players out of the lineup last night (and some of the same players will miss tonight's game as well) the T-Birds continue to be solid on the penalty kill. More impressive were the two power-play goals scored.  Those second period goal were the difference in the game.    T-Birds celebrate after defeating the Hurricanes The unsung hero of last night's game was Brad Haber. Haber has seen little ice time recently but came through last night with an assist and the game winning goal.  He saw time as both a forward and back on defense against the Hurricanes and was solid on every shift.  He's shown he can be a very versatile player.   Good work done by Connor Sanvido and Zach Walker as they gave the T-birds solid shifts. They remain with the team through the rest of the road trip.   Jon Parker was the first star in the building and well he should have been with a goal and two assists, but it is the goal he didn't score that will have him kicking himself.  He made some of the slickest moves I've seen from a T-Bird since Brooks Laich as he cut through the Lethbridge defense and deked the goalie out of his skates only to miss the wide open net.  Oh what a highlight goal that could have been.   One of the strangest displays at any arena in the WHL has to be the Running Man at the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge.  It's a mannequin in full hockey gear, including skates, running on a working treadmill.  The legs are actually moving on the tread!  It's located at the open end of the arena, behind the goal the T-Birds shot at twice.  I'm not sure what they are advertising; a sports equipment store?  A gym?  A mannequin factory? An Arnold Schwarzenegger movie?   What ever it is, that has to be one of the fittest mannequins around because he's been running for years. The Lethbridge Running Man   Definitely no rest for the weary.  After tonight's game in Medicine Hat the Thunderbirds bus five hours west to Cranbrook, B.C., for Sunday evening's game against the Kootenay Ice.  Estimated time of arrival in Cranbrook is between 3 and 4 am. 10/30/2009 10:13 AM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=56 Friday, October 30 – 11am Glorious sunny day in Medicine Hat.  Well, it is sunny.  The team has already had breakfast and loaded the bus for the approximately two hour bus ride to Lethbridge.  Now they'll hang out at the hotel and rest until the pregame meal at 2pm this afternoon.  No morning skate.   Nothing official yet but it looks like six players are definitely out of the lineup for tonight's game against the Hurricanes and three others are question marks while two players may or may not be feeling the onset of flu symptoms.  I'm hearing rumor that reinforcements may be coming in the form of a listed player or two who was at camp the team this summer.  So, it's still possible the team will have the required number of skaters for tonight's game.    GM Russ Farwell stayed behind in Red Deer yesterday to attend the Western Canada Under-16 Tournament that includes Brandon Troock and Justin Hickman. Both were T-Birds draft choices in the 2009 Bantam draft.      The big news in Medicine Hat was the unveiling yesterday of plans for their new arena.  The current facility, called, believe it or not The Arena, is a well maintained facility but it is over 40 years old and on the small side.  Besides, they need a new building to hang their plethora of banners, a collection that continues to grow.  They are running out of banner space in the rafters of the current arena. Medicine Hat banners In the summer Medicine Hat is also the home of a Class A baseball team.  The Medicine Hat Blue Jays are, of course, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays and many big leaguers have made a stop in the Hat on their way to the big club.  That would include catcher Pat Borders, who also spent time in the Seattle Mariners organization at the end of his career. Medicine Hat Blue Jays stadium   This is one of the few times I've been to Medicine Hat and the river that runs right beside the rink is not frozen over.  Usually the ice is so thick it looks like there are ice bergs in the river.    River next to Medicine Hat Arena that is currently not frozen     10/29/2009 10:12 AM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=55 Thursday, October 29 – 11am The Thunderbirds are starting to lose players to the flu.  Two players, Charles Wells and Scott Ramsay, were left behind in Red Deer last night and did not make the trip to Edmonton.  Then, early in the game, Steve Chaffin was felled by the bug.  He left the contest and was driven back to the hotel in Red Deer by general manager Russ Farwell.  After the game four other players complained of flu like symptoms. Even one member of the staff wasn't feeling well.   Team trainer Phil Varney and the coaching staff have been doing what they can to minimize the damage by putting ill players in rooms together and keeping them away from the healthy part of the team but you get the feeling they are fighting a losing battle.  There was talk of disinfecting the bus before the ride today down to Medicine Hat but the damage may have already been done. It's tough to stop the spread of the flu when you're traveling in the small confines of the bus for nine days. There is the possibility that more players might become ill.  They are just hoping some of those already sick recover before the three games this weekend.  Initially it appears to be the seasonal flu and not the H1N1 strain (swine flu) but the situation is being monitored.    While you don't like to make excuses there was no question the flu affected the play of the team last night on the ice in Edmonton.  We've all had the flu before.  Now, try to imagine playing a competitive hockey game under those conditions; with your body aching, a headache, cough and fever.  Even in the early stages, when you are not sure if you have the flu yet you feel a little dizzy.  But the T-birds got no sympathy from an Edmonton team that just went through the same thing and is just now turning back to healthy status.    It will be interesting to see how many players are able to make the morning skate here in Red Deer.  Later today the team will bus down to Medicine Hat where they will headquarter for the next two games. 10/28/2009 9:01 AM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=54 Wednesday, October 28 – 10am More frustration last night in Red Deer.  Two years ago the Rebels scored a late goal here to win, 3-2, and now last night a late goal sends the game to overtime and eventually a shootout and once again the Rebels prevail.  The T-Birds and third periods just aren’t going together well so far this season.  You just can't get outshot 20-6 when you are holding a one goal lead.  The issue isn't blocking shots or puck possession; it's getting the puck out of the defensive zone cleanly.  There were too many turnovers as the 'Birds tried to bring the puck into the neutral zone.   The scoreboard after the game against Red Deer And you want to talk about a game of inches how about the T-Birds overtime power play.  Prab Rai sends one off the right post and the puck ends up behind Rebel goalie Kraymer Barnstable.  Now, 9 out of 10 times that puck hits the goalie in the back or on the skate and deflects back into the net.  Well this was that 10th time where it hits the post and ricochets back in between Barnstable’s pads from behind and he's able to cover it!  Barnstable was good when he had to be but Calvin Pickard was nothing short of phenomenal in making 40 saves.  A quick video review of the last penalty called late in the third period does show that Stefan Warg did hook Coetzee behind the Seattle goal.  The Rebels tied the game on the ensuing power play.  It's really too bad because Warg was having a monster game up to that point.  Of course Warg wasn't the only one to commit a penalty.  Once again there were too many of those whistled against the T-Birds.  Once again it was one penalty too many as for the fourth straight game the opposition scored on their last power play chance.  Look, the 'Birds penalty kill is very good but even the best PK’s are going to give up a power-play goal here and there if they are spending too much time killing penalties.  Once again last night there were far too many unnecessary, preventable penalties taken.    Today the T-Birds have an abbreviated day because of travel to Edmonton for tonight's game against the Oil Kings.  After their breakfast they will head to the rink here in Red Deer to load the gear on the bus.  There will be no morning skate. That's probably a good thing as the flu bug could be beginning to make its way through the team.  Knock on wood they can get through the rest of this road trip with enough healthy bodies.  Instead of the morning skate, the team will return to the hotel and get a little more rest, eat a 2 pm pregame meal then hop on the bus for the ride north.  The team returns to Red Deer after the game. 10/27/2009 11:59 AM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=53 Tuesday, October 27 - 12:30pm The T-Birds had a rare full game day practice this morning.  Usually when the team is on these protracted road trips, travel between venues precludes getting in a full morning practice but since the T-Birds are based here in Red Deer for three days they took advantage of the opportunity.   I can't remember, outside of playoffs, the last time the team had four coaches on the ice for a road practice, but with the exception of Jim McTaggart, the entire T-Birds coaching staff is here.  That includes goaltending coach Paul Fricker who actually drove his car all the way out from Vancouver.  Normally Paul would catch a flight from Vancouver to Calgary then jump on the bus for the swing through Alberta, but this gives him a chance to be on hand for every game, including the Sunday game in Cranbrook against the Kootenay Ice.  In addition Paul was able to stop in Kelowna on the way to Calgary and watch T-Birds 16-year-old listed goalie Conner Barrie play. Barrie's team won the game by the way, 11-1, as he made 20 saves. Paul Fricker and Calvin Pickard talk at practice Tuesday morning   Seattle may have run into a good luck charm as they disembarked the bus this morning outside the arena. They were greeted by a couple of basset hounds. Basset Hound for good luck? Are there any superstitions among the rookies on the T-Birds club?  Certainly not with rookie Tyler Alos who wears number 13.  Mitch Elliot?  Maybe since he seems a little concerned that while staying at a hotel called the Black Knight Inn he is in room 606, on the sixth floor and the last four numbers of the hotel's main phone number are 6666.  Maybe he should switch rooms with Steve Chaffin. Mitch Elliot at practcie in Red Deer   The always meticulous T-Birds equipment manager Jason Berger almost ended up in kangaroo court.  On the drive from the hotel to the rink for practice this morning he realized he had forgotten the locker room key back in his hotel room, which almost forced the bus to make a u-turn back to the hotel.  Instead he grabbed a cell phone and called the Red Deer Rebels equipment manager who was on scene and had a key.  So instead of a five-minute major Berger is only assessed a two minute minor.  Alos offered Berger some comfort telling him "Hey, we all have one bad shift". T-Birds coaches conversing on the ice at the Enmax Centrium   Red Deer's Landon Ferraro was on the ice with his coaches before the T-Birds practice.  Ferraro has missed time with a knee injury. He even went back to Detroit to have it checked.  He seemed to be skating okay but my guess is he won't be on the ice tonight for the game.    It's bit colder today in Red Deer with overcast skies and some light rain (a little snow mixed in too).      10/26/2009 2:13 PM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=52 Monday, October 26 – 3pm The team has arrived in Red Deer where they will spend the next three nights.  The team had breakfast at the hotel in Calgary then bused over to the Saddledome, loaded gear and hit the road at about 9 a.m. for the 90-minute ride north to the Enmax Centrium.  The team then practiced for an hour before treking over to the hotel. The players are on their own for lunch but have a team meal slated for 7pm this evening. Coach Sumner talks to the team during practice in Red Deer   I thought the T-Birds opened the road trip with a solid effort against the Calgary Hitmen despite the 2-1 loss.  Calvin Pickard was on top of his game and really couldn't be faulted for either goal.  In their past two games the 'Birds have played what most consider too be two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference in Brandon and Calgary. They held their own only to succumb to the very skilled top lines of each of those teams.  I'd say, after watching both the Wheat Kings and Hitmen that Calgary is the better club because of their depth.  Before the season began I thought the Eastern Conference might have the stronger teams but, based on a limited sample of games, I think the WHL is wide open this year and teams like Portland and Tri-City will have something to say about it when all is said and done.  January's trade deadline could be one of the most important in the Dub in quite a few years as it just may be midseason trades that separate teams in the second half. 10/25/2009 9:32 AM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=51   Sunday, October 25 – 10am We woke up this morning to a beautiful sunny day in Calgary.  Now, the sunshine through my hotel window may hide the fact it is a bit on the cold side outside but at least there is no snow.    On a normal game day, the team would have a team breakfast, followed by a morning skate and then a team pregame meal.  But since this is no ordinary game day because of the early start there is no time for a morning skate and the breakfast and pregame meal have been combined.  It just may be the first ever brunch in team history.    One other change; normally when we arrive in town the first order of business is to go to the arena, in this case the Pengrowth Saddledome, and drop off the gear.  Since there was an NHL game in the Saddledome Saturday between the Flames and Oilers, this wasn't possible.  Instead we went directly to our hotel yesterday upon arrival.  Assistant Coach Turner Stevenson took the guys for a run around downtown as soon as they got off the bus and then it was lunch on their own at the team's expense.  Back at the hotel yesterday afternoon and evening I'm sure most of the players settled in to watch Hockey Night in Canada, including the aforementioned Battle of Alberta between Calgary and Edmonton.  Normally the team would gather with the coaching staff for a 9 p.m. meeting but with the hockey game on the meeting was scheduled for the first intermission.  Once the NHL game was over the team jumped on the bus and headed to the rink to hang their gear.    I sat in on the post-brunch meeting this morning.  The focus of the meeting was re-emphasizing the penalty kill because today's opponent, Calgary, is the top power play team in the league and is coming off a game in which they went 5-for-6 with the man advantage.  Assistant Coach John Becanic stressed to the guys the importance of blocking shots, something the team has done well but fell off a bit in the last game against Brandon. T-Birds players watching video of penalty kill   The T-Birds have actually outshot their last two opponents and head coach Rob Sumner talked to the guys about the next step; going to the net hard and getting to second chance opportunities around the crease.  The feeling seems to be the team is doing a better job of putting pucks on net and now it's all about winning the battles for those greasy goals.  Coach Sumner addresses the team during pre-game meal before Hitmen game 10/24/2009 3:22 PM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=50 Monday, October 24 - 1pm The team arrived in Calgary at 1 pm. Kent time.  There is a light dusting of snow in the foothills around Calgary but it is cool and partly sunny.  There were two stops on the way to Calgary.  The first was in the middle of the night in Sandpoint, Idaho as we picked up our regular bus driver, Eli Johnson.  Then, early this morning the team made a stop in Fernie B.C. for breakfast before heading over the Crows Nest Pass where the snow was a bit heavier but not impassable.    Snow in the foothills of Calgary upon the team's arrival 10/19/2009 10:21 AM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=49 Monday, October 19, 2009 A mixed bag weekend for the T-Birds as they split a pair of games.  I thought the team was okay for their effort on the road in Everett Friday.  Again, I wasn't overly concerned with the number of shots given up because the great majority were coming from the perimeter but there were just too few shots taken by the T- Birds at the other end.  I'd guess Calvin Pickard would like to have another chance on Everett's second goal, the eventual game winner, as he had the puck on his pads but couldn't control the rebound.  Also I'm going to have to see the video review of the hit that knocked down Jonathan Parker and indirectly led to Everett's third goal late in the contest. It looked like Everett's Radko Gudas may have led with the forearm or elbow but no penalty was called.  The league, of course, has the ability to review the incident on video under supplemental discipline and if there was an elbow or forearm to the head they can hand down a suspension.     Saturday night at ShoWare Center the Thunderbirds hosted the Prince George Cougars.  It was one of those games on the schedule you look at and think this is a good opportunity for a win.  Then you get to the rink and find out the Cougars are minus seven players including top prospect Brett Connolly, along with their best defenseman Dallas Jackson, and you actually get worried because now all the pressure is on the T-Birds.  I mean, PG is supposed to lose in that situation, right?  So then, how does this young Seattle team respond to an opponent everyone expects them to beat?  Very well, thank you.  They went out and took care of business.  I don't think the game was as close as the final score although you have to respect the Prince George effort. Especially that of goalie James Priestner who made enough saves to keep his team in the game.  The T-Birds ended the night with a season high 40 shots on goal and Priestner did well to keep 36 of them out of the back of his net.  How banged up were the Cougars? Well, they left five players back in Prince George to nurse injuries then lost two more to injury or illness the night before in Vancouver.  When PG broadcaster Ron St. Clair stopped by my radio booth to inform me of their scratches, I swear he was wearing a white lab coat with a stethoscope and instead of a roster sheet he had a hospital chart.     It was a nice natural hat trick by Charles Wells. It appears he's fully back from the severe knee injury he suffered two seasons ago.  Yes, he was technically healthy once he got back in the lineup last season but the type of knee injury he suffered is one that really takes about a season and a half to come back from.   And Wellsy, he of the one word answers in the past, thanks for the well thought out, complete sentence answers in the post game interview.  It must be the mustache!  Meanwhile the early returns on the performances of newcomers Mikhail Sentyurin and Brendan Rouse are positive.  Sentyurin, in just a short week of practice showed an ability to play both ends of the ice, a willingness to put the puck on net and displayed a bit of an edge to his game as well.  Rouse meanwhile, had no practice time with his new teammates but was solid Saturday against Prince George and did a tremendous job of winning offensive zone face offs.  Rouse seemed genuinely happy to be here, knowing he'll get more ice time than he was getting in Brandon and he's much closer to his Langley, BC, home.   Rouse of course came to the 'Birds via trade.  He was acquired from Brandon in the deal that sent goalie Jacob DeSerres to the Wheat Kings.  What a great situation for Jake.  He needed to be traded so he could get more playing time than he was getting here behind Calvin Pickard and he ends up with the one team guaranteed a spot in the Memorial Cup.  I'm guessing he'll be in goal for the Wheaties when they make their appearance Friday at the ShoWare Center. But it's possible he could start for Brandon in Kennewick Wednesday against Tri-City and that might alter the situation. It would be nice though to see him get one final start at the ShoWare Center, even if it is in the uniform of the opposition.     I was asked by one long time, loyal T-Birds fan (thanks for the question Mike) if I felt the T-Birds got enough in the trade that sent DeSerres east.  It is hard to evaluate trades until the WHL playing careers of all players involved are over but my initial reaction would be, yes, they did.   My guess is General Manager Russ Farwell did his best to get as much in return for DeSerres as possible but in the end you are still dealing a back up goaltender (even though he would start for many other teams in this league) who is only going to participate in 35-50 percent of your games for an every game player. DeSerres is going to be with Brandon for, at most, two seasons, but realistically probably just one.  Both he and Brandon's other goalie, Andrew Hayes, are 19-year-olds so only one of them will be back next season and Jake is a drafted player who could sign and be playing pro next year.  Rouse meanwhile is two years younger and could potentially be with the T-Birds for four seasons and dress in over 250 games for Seattle.  Just compare two of the most recent trades Farwell has made; a back up goalie (DeSerres) nets one everyday player while the trade of an everyday player, Jeremy Boyer, gets you a 15-year-old list player and a future third round bantam pick from Saskatoon.  In my estimation that seems about right and that's why I believe the T-Birds got enough back in the DeSerres deal.  Did they try and get more?  I'm sure they did.  In fact I’d be shocked if Russ didn't ask for two players or a player and a draft pick but in the end this is a very good trade for both sides.   Of course after Friday's game the T-Birds leave for six straight on the road against the Central Division beginning with a matinee affair Sunday in Calgary. As I did last year I'll try to update the blog each day of the trip, complete with pictures, as the team navigates through Alberta...just don't expect any updates on assistant coach Turner Stevenson's entombed phone, though I got to believe a year later, it's still trapped inside the wall of the bus. 10/14/2009 1:17 PM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=48 Wednesday, October 14 The T-Birds completed three games in four nights with last night's loss to Prince Albert and earned just one of a possible six points over that span.  They certainly had their opportunities to make more hay out of the three games but plenty of small mistakes and a few glaringly large ones left them with a 0-2-0-1 record. Seattle will play a pair of games this weekend; one on the road and one at home, then will be off until another home game Friday, October 23rd.   After that they begin a stretch in which they will play 12 of 13 games on the road, including their six-game trip through the Central Division.     Seattle was offensively challenged for six of their first seven games.  With the exception of a four-goal effort Opening Night in their win over Everett, the T-Birds struggled to score as they potted the puck just six times in their next six games. Then the offense breaks out with eight goals in their past two games but, as is the case when things aren't going your way, they allowed 10 goals against and absorbed a pair of losses. I don't agree with every penalty called by the refs (I know, big shock there!) but it was the obvious penalties, and not necessarily the dubious ones, that have done in the 'Birds lately.  Taking a retaliation penalty when you already have a player in the box is a sure recipe for disaster.     I think the four power-play goals allowed to Tri-City Sunday was an aberration. The Thunderbirds really are a good penalty killing team and their PK is fun to watch, I just don't want to watch it that much.  I also think they have a good power play but they just haven't had many opportunities to display it.  The penalty disparity is something the coaches are trying to address but it is the players who have to clean things up.    This T-Birds club is currently the second youngest squad in the WHL and the young players aren't just occupying a roster spot; they are being asked to make significant contributions. As a result you can expect rookie mistakes and growing pains.  But the ice time is going to pay off, heck it already is paying off.  This past week three of those rookies; Tyler Alos, Mitch Elliot and Tanner Muth all earned their first WHL point.  Another of those rookies, Colin Jacobs, is already one of the teams top point producers. Yet another rookie, Mikhail Sentyurin, is on the verge of making his debut after a long wait on paperwork.     My first season with the T-birds was the 2001-02 campaign and the team suffered through a 21-40-6-5 year with a relatively young group (not as young as this one).  I remember sitting through a 7-1 loss in Lethbridge but thinking the club had some good young pieces for the future.  The youngest players on that team such as Nate Thompson, Tyler Metcalfe, Zach Fitzgerald and Ryan Gibbons took their lumps but they upset Portland in the first round of the playoffs before bowing out in Round Two to the eventual league champion Kootenay Ice. Then, the next season they took on larger roles and helped the T-birds to a 44-22-3-3 record and first place in the U.S. Division (second in the Western Conference).  In the 2004-05 season, as those players matured into 19 and 20 year olds, and along with another group of maturing younger players in Aaron Gagnon, Scott Jackson and Chris Durand, they again captured the U.S. Division banner, finishing 43-24-2-1 (second in the conference).  I think this year's core group of first and second year players is more talented than that group and is being asked to do more at a younger age than that group was in 2001-02.     Two players really caught my eye the last two games.  One was Sena Acolatse, who was both the immovable object and the irresistible force.  I've seen and heard some comments that Sena is not a forward and should be moved back to defense, to which I reply by quoting World War II general Anthony McAuliffe who, when asked to surrender at the battle of Bastogne, simply said...Nuts!  Acolatse was a beast out on the ice against both Tri-City and Prince Albert and is proving his value as a forward with each shift.  The other player who caught my eye was Chance Lund. Lund is a second year guy who is starting to dominate with his size.  I'd still like to see him deliver a few more solid hits but he's starting to remind me of Ian McKenzie.  The Acolatse-Lund-Alos line has become the spark igniting the T-Birds offense.     Also, how about some props for Brad Haber.  With a couple of forwards injured and Sentyurin not yet available, defenseman Haber moved up to center the fourth line, won some key face offs and was rewarded with a really nice goal that started the T-Birds valiant comeback effort against the Raiders Tuesday night.      More props to T-birds defenseman Jeremy Schappert.  If you get the chance check out his Tom Selleck/Magnum P-I 'stache.  Or even better, how about Sena's Billy Dee Williams/Lando Calrissian moustache!   Finally, 2-for-Tuesday was a great success.  To get that size crowd on a rainy Tuesday night against a team from the Eastern Division was tremendous.  What was even better was the crowd didn't bail after the T-Birds fell behind 5-1.  Either the hot dogs at the ShoWare Center are really good when they're priced at two buck a pop or you T-Bird fans are pretty darn loyal!  Either way, I tip my hat.  And no, as well as 2-for-Tuesday went over with the fans, the Thunderbirds have no plans to expand the promotion to 5-for-Friday or 7-for-Saturday.  Just keep your eye on the T-Birds website for the next 2-for-Tuesday. 10/04/2009 10:02 AM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=47 Tuesday, October 6 Computer issues delayed me from getting this blog out sooner. In other words, my computer crashed.   And this was the communal computer shared by my wife and I so there was lots of information and important items on the computer. Easy enough to recover and transfer to a new computer, but still a hassle. Of course 15-20 years ago all I would have done was change the spool on the typewriter. My how things have changed. On a personal note, we’ve always had PCs so we thought we’d try a Mac this time. Maybe it’s because I’m so used to a Windows based PC but I hated the Mac and within 5 minutes I decided to take it back and get a new PC.   I had heard such good things about Macs too but I was utterly disappointed. It was strange, after playing five games in 10 days, to only have one game on the schedule last weekend but what a game it was. Was it one for the record books? No one knows for sure if Calvin Pickard’s 57-save shutout win is a record. Different articles and websites have wondered. You would think in this day and age of computers (PC or Mac) there would be a readily available, definitive answer.    Now the other question is was it really a 57-save performance? Easy enough to look at the game tape and count them up but whether it was 47, 57 or 67 it was a remarkable effort. He made an incredible toe save to steal one potential goal and belly-flopped on another.   More importantly he always seemed to be in the right position and he was very aggressive in cutting down shooting angles. Still, there were probably a few Tri-City players checking their sticks after that game. I counted at least three times when an Ams player misfired or fanned on an open net.    Not lost on coach Rob Sumner though is the fact the team allowed far too many shots. That was a problem in the preseason, but other than opening night, the team had done a decent job of keeping the shots against at a manageable level in some of the early games. In my estimation, the real problem early this season has been the low number of shots the T-Birds have generated for themselves. Last Friday it became an issue on both sides of the shot counter; giving up too many and not getting enough. I thought the team took a step forward in the loss down in Portland, when at least through the first two periods; they focused on winning more puck battles that led to more shots or limited the opponent’s chances on net.   A big part of the problem against the Americans was not getting the puck out after winning a battle for the puck in the defensive zone. Certainly give the Ams credit because they did a wonderful job of holding the blue line but a good number of those 57 shots came after the T-Birds won a puck battle or got to a loose puck in their own end but then turned the puck back over before clearing the zone. It’s not necessarily back to the drawing board but it’s just a reminder you have to give the same effort each game.    Pickard meanwhile gave credit to his teammates for their part in the shutout win, noting that many shot attempts by Tri-City were blocked. I’ve been watching that aspect more closely ever since I heard assistant coach John Becanic mention how well rookie defenseman Tanner Muth is in that regard. Sure enough, in the past few games Muth has blocked well over a dozen shot attempts.    Speaking of defenseman, that was a nice return to the lineup for Steve Chaffin. Chaffin played opening night against Everett and was set to play the following night against Portland but was injured in warm ups and missed four games. He came back and got a huge assist on the only goal against Tri-City and also cleared at least one puck from the T-Birds crease after one of Pickard’s saves.    Let’s put it another way; with Chaffin out of the lineup the ‘Birds are 0-4. With Chaffin in the lineup the T-birds are 2-0.   So much for the lull in the action as Seattle now plays five times in eight days beginning this Saturday in Spokane against Kyle Beach and the Chiefs.  09/28/2009 12:11 PM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=46 Monday, September 28 The Thunderbirds career of Jeremy Boyer is officially over as he has been dealt to the Saskatoon Blades for 15-year-old center Stefan Burzan and the Blades third round pick in next spring’s Bantam Draft.    Boyer, as you may know, opted not to report to training camp last month and instead asked to be traded. He was a 2005 Bantam Draft choice of the T-Birds (2nd rd) out of Saskatoon.  In his three year Thunderbirds career Boyer skated in 199 games registering 92 pts (38g and 54a). He added five assists in 20 playoff games.   The Thunderbirds were definitely expecting Boyer back for this season but at the last minute he chose not to report. I have no insight as to why he made the decision and can only speculate that he would rather play close to home. Prior to that last minute change of heart though, Boyer appeared to have every intention of being a T-Bird in 2009-10. In an interview with the T-Birds website in late July Boyer had this to say about being a team leader and goals for the T-Birds and himself;   “Put the stepping stones out for the younger guys and be the guy around the room that makes the right decisions on and off the ice every single time we’re together and be very business like about wanting to win and doing everything I can to win. I want to do the best of my ability to play the right way every game and be on board with our team game to give us the best shot at winning. I want every guy in our locker room on board to give us the best shot at winning a championship.”   The end result is that Boyer is now a Saskatoon Blade and the T-Birds add two more building blocks for the future. In this case I’d say that general manager Russ Farwell made lemonade out of a lemon of a situation. Only time will tell how the player and draft choice pan out for Seattle but more often than not when players at this level demand a trade you end up getting less in value or nothing at all. In the end, the T-Birds get two players, and the potential of a combined 10 years of service, for the price of one player who, at the maximum, has less than two years left in the WHL. Certainly you are trading a player in Boyer who has had some success at this level for two unknowns, but most deals are all about the promise and potential anyway.   One final thought on this; I would say Boyer was treated more than fairly by the T-Birds in regards to his trade demand. The T-Birds took their time, as is their prerogative, to do their homework and get the best deal possible but in the end Boyer winds up with his hometown team.   Now a couple of thoughts on this past weekend: There’s no sugarcoating the fact the T-Birds did not play a full 60-minutes in either the loss to Chilliwack or Portland but their compete level was much better in the Portland game and a step in the right direction.   Secondly, and it’s a small comfort, but statistics do lie. Jacob DeSerres was the best I’ve seen him in that Portland game and his 5.50 GAA after two starts does not do him justice.      Finally, I’m dealing with a new pair of glasses. Is it just me or is buying glasses like buying clothes. You know how the clothes always look better on you in the department store mirror than they do when you bring them home (“What was I thinking buying this shirt!)? This is my third eye glass prescription and each time at my eye doctor’s office I could see great with the glasses in that funky machine. But when I pick up my glasses at the optometrists it’s all a blur again.    The reason I bring this up is that I only really need my glasses for reading. During a game that’s things like stat sheets, commercial copy and rosters…things notorious for small print. So a lot of 92s are looking like 93s and the abbreviation for the month of January is looking a lot like the abbreviation for the month of June. So here I am thinking we have seven 1993 born rookies on the team when in reality we have just five. That’s still a lot though and indeed there are seven rookies on the club and at some point hopefully in the near future, there will be an eighth rookie. Toss in the four second year players and nearly half your roster is age 17 or under.  This is definitely a team that will get better as the season progresses and these players learn to play at this level.   09/21/2009 10:36 AM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=45 Monday, September 21 Opening weekend is now in the books. It was a little different to start the year with three games in three nights; maybe not too strange though, since often in the past the team has begun with a two-games-in-two-nights road trip to Prince George.   The results were a mixed bag. Definitely a high point to win opening night against Everett in a down to the wire finish that entertained the crowd. Yes, it was certainly a bit of a downer to see the team fall off the wagon a bit Saturday in the loss to Portland. Make no mistake though, that is a vastly improved Winterhawks club. That’s not just a club that will most likely make the playoffs but they have the chance to make some noise once they get there.    The effort was much better Sunday despite the 4-2 loss in Vancouver. A few of those Giants goals found there way to the back of the T-Birds net by way of multiple deflections off sticks and skates, but that’s the way the puck bounces sometimes. Still, it was a decent effort for a first road game, and the third game in as many nights as well. And yes, it’s early but as much as Portland has improved, I’d say Vancouver has dropped off that much from the previous few seasons. But that’s the cyclical nature of junior hockey. Still, with Don Hay behind the bench, the Giants will be competitive every night and once James Wright and Evander Kane (if?) return from NHL camps, the team’s stock will improve.     Hard to get too up or too down after just three games of a long 72-game schedule but the T-Birds youth was evident in all three games but the coaches seemed less concerned with the young players and more concerned with some of the veterans. Personally, I think when you are integrating that many new younger players it takes time for the older players to mesh with them. In the past it’s usually been one or two rookies getting much if any regular playing time. This season you are looking at the potential of five to six rookies logging lots of minutes.    Speaking of the youngsters, the one I was most impressed with this weekend was Tyler Alos. I know Colin Jacobs finished the weekend with four points (2g, 2a) but I’m doing all the things I’m not supposed to by taking him for granted and assuming we’ll get that out of Jacobs every weekend. The thing I was really impressed with about Alos was his energy. Play that way every game and he’ll continue to get ice time.      I can also see the forest through the trees. I can see the potential of a promising future with these young players. I can envision a very good T-Birds club in a few seasons built around Pickard, Jacobs, Lockhart, Alos, Elliot, Lund, Fleming and Doty just to name a few. But I’m also a fan of the now; the 2009-10 season, and I’ve watched players like Rai, Schappert and Nielsen develop the past couple of seasons and now we see them in leadership roles and it’s going to be enjoyable watching them handle more responsibility both on and off the ice. I believe this is one T-Bird team whose personality will change greatly, maybe more than any other Seattle team over the past decade, from now until March.     Interesting factoid of the week: Seattle opened up the ShoWare Center last January 3rd with a 4-3 win over Everett with Brendan Silvester scoring the first goal. The T-Birds built a 4-0 lead in that game and then held on as the ‘Tips rallied in the third period to close within a goal.   Three nights ago the T-Birds opened the new season at ShoWare Center with a 4-3 win over Everett with Brendan Silvester scoring the first goal. The T-Birds built a 4-0 lead in that game and then held on as the ‘Tips rallied in the third period to close within a goal. The more things change, the more they stay the same. 08/05/2009 10:26 AM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=44 Wednesday, August 5 The T-Birds announced some big news yesterday. After a lot of speculating, on blogs and message boards, the T-Birds announced the addition of John Becanic to the team’s coaching staff. The Thunderbirds got a lot of mileage out of one simple, early August press release didn’t they? In these parts it’s hard to get publicity for the club this time of year, what with the Mariners going full bore, training camp having just opened for the Seahawks and Husky football just around the corner, but the T-Birds managed to get significant coverage on NWCN (not to mention all the internet activity) during the dog days of summer when hockey is the furthest from most minds in this part of the world.  I find it absolutely impossible to look at this move in anything but a positive light. Was it the “blockbuster” announcement many were expecting after reading the promotional press release? I guess not, but it was sure fun to read all the rumors and innuendo. Let’s look at what this news really is though. The T-Birds have just added someone with a wealth of hockey knowledge to their staff; included in that are the last six years as a head coach or assistant coach right here in the WHL. Yes, in his two years as head coach of the Everett Silvertips Becanic only put together a .500 record but remember just two seasons ago he had the ‘Tips nine games over .500. at 39-30-0-3 Let’s be honest, the Silvertips of the past two years were not their most talented clubs; certainly nothing like the teams of the three seasons previous to his head coaching tenure. Last season they were a very young club, and also dealt with injuries and a major trade of talent, but Becanic still got them into the playoffs.   Every coach, after a losing season, will agree they deserve some of the blame and I’m sure Becanic would say the same of himself when it comes to the 2008-09 season with Everett, but let’s not dismiss the rest of his coaching track record, both as a ’Tips assistant and as head coach at previous stops.    Remember too, the T-Birds have hired him to be an assistant, not the head coach. Becanic is not replacing anyone. He’s being added to the coaching staff of Rob Sumner, Turner Stevenson, Jim McTaggart and Paul Fricker. As I walked by coach Sumner’s office early Wednesday he and Becanic were already busy at work…between swapping hockey stories, of course. This is a move that says this organization wants to win because to win you have to hire good hockey people and that’s what the organization did by bringing Becanic on board.    Finally, it’s only speculation on my part but this move may also be another effect of the team now playing in the ShoWare Center. Could they have afforded such a move if they were still at KeyArena? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s just so much easier to make these kinds of hires when you have a favorable lease and an operating budget that is a positive rather than a negative.   05/01/2009 9:44 AM http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/blog/index.html?entry_id=43 Friday, May 1 I don’t know the difference between a toot and a tweet but I enjoyed following the Thunderbirds draft on Twitter yesterday. (Editors Note: For more info on T-Birds Twitter go to http://www.seattlethunderbirds.com/fanzone/tbirdstwitter ) And with the annual WHL Bantam draft now complete, in the midst of the 12 picks made by the organization’s brain trust, there are some future T-Birds. How many of those will ever don a Thunderbirds jersey is not known yet. We’ll see most of them at training camp and one or two might get a few games at some point next season but most likely we won’t feel the full effects of this draft until the 2011-12 season. Still though, like every other WHL team once the draft is completed, the ‘Birds are excited for what could be.    Russ Farwell and staff went fairly heavy with forwards in this draft (7 of 13 picks) which tells me they are happy with the defensemen on the team roster right now and those currently in the system who could make the club this fall, such as last spring’s second round bantam pick, Tanner Muth.  Meanwhile the top two picks seem to share at least one common trait, good size but with room to grow.    Those picks; Brandon Troock of Edmonton, Alberta, and Justin Hickman from Kelowna, British Columbia, who both just turned 15 in March, average 6’ ½” and 170 lbs.   Remember last year’s bantam draft was nearly the opposite of the one just completed and was weighted toward drafting more defenseman (4 of 9 picks were d-men). Of course there is still plenty of off-season left and trades are still a possibility, not to mention the T-Birds will add one player in the Import Draft and that could be a defenseman as well. The Thunderbirds did pretty well in that regard a year ago when the selected Stefan Warg from Sweden.   Of course the T-Birds may have had their eye on a defenseman in the earlier rounds of this draft but, picking middle of the pack, may have lost out to a team selecting ahead of them. I’m sure like any draft, be it the WHL or the NFL, the staff targets a number of players in each round and takes the one left that’s highest on their board.   The T-Birds also drafted two players both with the surname “D’Amico” which raises the odds of a player named “D’Amico” playing for the team in the next 3-4 years. It doesn’t appear at first glance the two are related. Eighth round selection Jared D’Amico is a goalie from Chestermere, Alberta, while 11th round choice Patrick D’Amico is a right winger from Winnipeg, Manitoba.    Six of the T-Birds draft choices hail from Alberta, four from B.C., one comes from Manitoba and Saskatchewan was blanked. And after taking two players from Texas in the 2008 Bantam Draft (Colin Jacobs, Trey Keenan), Colorado was the “state du jour” this time around as the names of two players from the Rocky Mountain state were called by the T-Birds Thursday in Edmonton. Seattle selected defenseman John Dora from Erie, Colorado, in the 7th round then finished the draft process by opting for goalie Dan Kowalski in round 13.   If Kowalski ever makes it on to the T-Birds roster he’ll immediately become my wife’s favorite player. Not that she’s familiar with Kowalski but he hails from my wife’s hometown of Centennial, which is a suburb of Denver. Until recently it was unincorporated and considered part of Littleton, home of the WHL’s Bowman brothers (Drayson and Colin) but they apparently have a good hockey program there and if Kowalski came through the same program as the Bowman’s did then the T-Birds may have found a gem. One other note on the two players from Colorado; they played for a team called the Thunderbirds.    Now, as a broadcaster the one player I’m looking forward to making this club in a few years is third round pick Jetlan Houcher, or as I’m already calling him, “The Jet”.   I’m trying to figure ways to get Boeing involved in a sponsorship if he ever gets to Kent. Come on, how can you not like The Jet taking off, flying down the wing and crash landing in the crease with the puck in the back of the opponents net?