Lay happy playing for hometown team

Courtesy CSHLhockey.com

After the big offensive season Andrew Lay had last season in his senior year at Flint Powers Catholic High School, it was just a matter of time before he was tapped by a team at the next level.

It just so happens that the Flint Jr. Generals, whose home rink is mere minutes from Lay’ s Swartz Creek home, came calling and signed the local talent this past summer.

“It is a lot of fun to play for your hometown team,” said the 18-year-old Lay. “I mean, I live at home and I see people at the rink all the time that I have seen my whole life. It is just a comfortable place to play and makes it a lot easier.”

Flint’s leading scorer to this point of the season, Lay said getting on the score sheet has never been unfamiliar territory to him.

“I would say that every year I try to put up big numbers,” Lay said. “Last year at Flint Powers, I led our team with 74 points in 30 games, so what I am doing now with this season isn’t something new to me. I know I am able to put points up on the board.”

Being a go-to player in the offensive zone isn’t the only part of Lay’ s game. Having a sense of humility, Lay also admitted he does have flaws in his makeup that he’ d like to work on.

“I think the strongest part to my game is what I am able to do in the offensive zone,” said Lay. “I seem to be able to set up plays to my teammates. My weakness to my game I would have to say would be my defense, which I have worked on a lot this year and am trying to get better at.”

With Flint sitting on just four wins heading into this weekend’s CSHL Showcase, playing four games in four days may be a good thing for the Jr. Generals.

“I believe that we have a team that can turn things around with a weekend like we have before us,” Lay said. “I know that it has been tough getting to know all of these new guys for our team and it is difficult to play with new guys and get that chemistry that you need to have. That is going to take us some time to get used to, but I believe that we have a team that is willing to work harder every week and improve our game and get better as a team every week.

“I thought that we would have gotten off to a better start to the season. We looked really good before the season started, but when it came down to the games, we just couldn’t seem to capitalize and get a win. With this whole team being new and with only a couple of veterans returning, it was hard for us to get to know each other and just click. I think that over the last couple of weeks that has gotten better and we are playing better hockey as a team.”

Playing to the old adage that team success breeds individual success, Lay has every ambition to keep playing the next few years.

“My goals for the season are to keep putting up the numbers that I am right now and I would like to see our team move up the standings because I know we are capable of doing that,” said Lay. “It is just taking us some time and the wins will come. I would like to move up and play in the NAHL this season – I think that would be great. Next year, I know that I would like to be playing in the NAHL and I would like to play college hockey anywhere.

“Right now, I really don’ t have a school in mind. I guess that I am still looking.”

Jacks radio show set for next Monday

Muskegon hockey’s past and present will come together on Monday, Oct. 25, at Racquets Downtown Grill.

Ron Stephenson, who racked up 83 points during two seasons with the Muskegon Zephyrs from 1960-62, and current Lumberjacks defenseman Alexx Privitera will be guests on the team’s weekly radio show, “Breaking Out the Lumberjacks.” Held at Racquets, 470 W. Western Ave., in downtown Muskegon, the show airs on 97.5 FM The Champ from 6-7 p.m. Each week’s show is re-broadcast from 9-10 a.m. the following Saturday morning.

After his playing days in Muskegon, Stephenson was the color commentator alongside John Weideman, former Muskegon Fury broadcaster and current radio play-by-play commentator for the Chicago Blackhawks. Through five games, Privitera leads all United States Hockey League defensemen in both points (six) and assists (five). The 17-year-old from Old Tappan, N.J., will attend Boston University after his time in Muskegon.

As always, the show will be hosted by the voice of the Jacks, Christopher Heimerman, and will feature an appearance by Lumberjacks head coach Kevin Patrick. There will be giveaways and the floor will be opened for fans to ask questions of all the guests.

The Jacks (1-3-1) return home this Saturday, Oct. 23, to host the Indiana Ice (2-3-0), and will look to avenge their 4-1 season-opening loss to the Ice at the L.C. Walker Arena on Saturday, Oct. 2. The doors open at 6:15 p.m. and the puck drops at 7:15. The theme of the night will be Big Lebowski night.

'Privy' started on wheels, excels on ice

By Christopher Heimerman

Like the blade of a hockey skate, the skills of Alexx Privitera have been carefully sharpened over the years. Interestingly enough, some of his tools were refined thanks to an inline roller skate.

The 17-year-old from Old Tappan, N.J., leads the Muskegon Lumberjacks in points and assists this, the Jacks’ inaugural season in the United States Hockey League. In fact, he leads all of the USHL’s blueliners in both of those categories. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound offensive defenseman has been honing his game on both ends of the ice since he started playing ice hockey at age 4.

But Privitera has his grandmother to thank for setting the wheels in motion – literally. Barbara Nudelman took her grandson to the park when he was just 2 for his first roller skate, which yielded mixed results.

“It’s my first memory, and I’ll never forget that she took me for my first skate - well, at least I attempted to skate around,” Privitera said, laughing.

Privy, as he’s affectionately called by his friends and teammates, immediately fell in love with roller hockey. Over the years, he’s made appearances at the North American Roller Hockey Championships (NARCh), roller hockey’s premier national competition. Two of the years he participated, his team won the gold medal in its division, while the other years, the teams scored a silver medal and a fourth-place finish.

There are glaring differences between roller and ice hockey. Outside the obvious, the play is four skaters on four, and there is no icing, offsides or hitting. Privitera says roller hockey features many more one-on-one and two-on-one situations, as the fewer number of skaters opens up the playing surface – much like in ice hockey’s overtime or when both teams are waiting for a player to hop out of the penalty box. It’s those you-against-me scenarios that developed Privitera’s creativity, vision, sense of space and hands.

“When you’ve got a guy coming at you when you’re behind the net as a defenseman, it’s you and him,” Privitera said. “You’ve got to beat him one way or another and you can’t really use your body.”

“His puck poise, his ability to handle the puck and make plays and see the ice – you can definitely see it translated from what he learned in roller hockey,” Lumberjacks head coach Kevin Patrick said.

What’s pleased Patrick is the way Privitera doesn’t cheat on the defensive side of the puck in order to be effective on offense.

“Alexx has done a really good job, not just in the scoresheet, but in his defensive game,” Patrick said. “He’s willing to block shots, compete and do the hard things defensively.”

Privitera’s willingness to sacrifice the body to block shots for the Jacks is a tool he didn’t sharpen in roller hockey. Wearing substantially less padding, players don’t dare lay down to obstruct shooting lanes. And on offense, redirections are hardly the preferred method of scoring.

“If you’re in front of the net, you’re getting right out of the way when a guy winds up,” said Privitera. “That puck moves, man.”

While Privitera, who will play college hockey at Boston University, developed several facets of his game playing roller hockey, he developed the bulk of his skill on the ice. He cites last season in Ann Arbor, his first in the USHL as a member of Team USA’s Under-17 developmental squad, as the place where he became a premier shot blocker. And, while he admittedly misses roller hockey, he’s got a one-sport mind these days.

“Roller hockey played a big role, but I’m not going to play again – that’s just being realistic,” Privitera said. “It definitely contributed to my vision and my hands and helped shape me as the kind of ice hockey player I am today.”

Rink will be pink in Muskegon on Oct. 30

On Saturday, Oct. 30, the Muskegon Lumberjacks won’t just go to battle with the Waterloo Black Hawks at the L.C. Walker Arena, they’ll also be facing off against breast cancer.

In an effort to raise breast cancer awareness, the Lumberjacks will hold their Pink the Rink Night. The doors open at 6:15 p.m. and the puck drops at 7:15 p.m. The Jacks will be dressed in pink jerseys and socks and a pink ribbon will be painted on the ice surface

Shawn Stephenson, a cancer survivor and daughter of Muskegon hockey icon Ron Stephenson, will drop the ceremonial first puck. After the game, the team will hold a live auction for the pink jerseys.

Groups of 10 or more can purchase loaded tickets for $15 per member of the group, which will get them an adult ticket to the game and a commemorative pink T-shirt. The deadline for groups to get loaded tickets is Thursday, Oct. 28. Shirts can be purchased individually for $5. All proceeds from the auction, loaded tickets and shirt sales will benefit the Johnson Family Center for Cancer Care.

Warriors' Szuma verbals to Wolverines

The Michigan Warriors have announced that defenseman Michael Szuma has committed to the University of Michigan for the 2011-12 season.

Szuma, a 19-year-old from Novi, has a goal and two assists through 12 games this season.

"I'm very excited for Mike that he's been given such a great opportunity to attend the University of Michigan," said Warriors head coach Moe Mantha. "To live a dream of playing hockey and, at the same time, get a great education is great for him and his family."

Szuma is the first player in Warriors history to commit to a Division I school.

Photo courtesy NAHL

Lumberjacks to host Ghoulwill Night

The Muskegon Lumberjacks and Goodwill Industries have joined forces to conjure up Ghoulwill Night on Friday, Oct. 29.

That night, the Jacks will face the Des Moines Buccaneers, with the puck dropping at 7:15 p.m., and the doors opening at 6. From the time the doors open until 8 p.m., Goodwill volunteers will be at the arena to collect donations of gently used clothing and other saleable household items. Donors will receive a $4 ticket voucher good toward the November 27 Lumberjacks game, also against Des Moines.

“The Muskegon Lumberjacks are dedicated to giving back to the community," Lumberjacks owner and CEO Josh Mervis said. "We support Goodwill’s mission of helping people in West Michigan find and keep good jobs."

“We depend on the generous donations from the community to support our mission of helping people find jobs,” Goodwill retail director James Cherney said. “We are grateful to the Muskegon Lumberjacks for partnering with us by hosting this event.”

The Oct. 29 game is also the night the crowd at the L.C. Walker Arena will decide the winner of the WZZM, ABC 13-hosted “Goodwill Halloween Costume Challenge.” Fans will text their choice of best costume from the three finalists displayed on the video board.

Wear your Halloween costume and enjoy pre-game trick-or-treating at the concession locations. It will also be “Nerd Night,” complete with nerd trivia and games. Come dressed as one and join the fun.

“It’s going to be a really fun night,” said Lumberjacks arena marketing coordinator Alicia Roberts. “So be sure to bring your Goodwill donations, dress in your Halloween or nerd costume, and get ready to decide the winner of Goodwill’s costume contest.”

Woods, Walsh on 'Jacks radio tonight

Stories from the road and sentiments on the Muskegon Lumberjacks’ first win in the United States Hockey League will be on tap during the team’s weekly radio show tonight.

“Breaking Out the Lumberjacks” takes place every Monday from 6-7 p.m. at Racquets Downtown Grill, 446 W. Western Ave and is broadcast on 97.5 FM The Champ. The show re-airs every Saturday morning from 9-10 a.m.

Tonight’s guests will be Lumberjacks forward Brendan Woods, defenseman Travis Walsh and equipment manager Jason Smits.

Woods scored two goals and had a +3 plus/minus rating in the Jacks’ 6-0 win over Sioux City on Friday night, Muskegon’s first win in the USHL. Walsh, who played for Sioux City last season, had an assist in the game and a +2 plus/minus rating. Smits joined the staff at the outset of the season.

As always, the show will feature giveaways and the floor will be opened for fans to ask questions of all the guests.

Saginaw to host Gears throwback night

The Saginaw Spirit will be hosting Saginaw Gears Throwback Night at its Saturday, October 23 home game against the visiting Belleville Bulls.

The Spirit team will hit the ice wearing special commemorative orange and teal Gears jerseys which will be auctioned off post-game for charity. The Spirit will also recognize several Gears alumni and will be raising a tribute banner pre-game.

The Saginaw Gears were the region's premiere hockey team from 1972-1983, a member of the now-defunct International Hockey League and primary tenant of The Dow Event Center (formally known as the Saginaw Civic Center). The team reached the IHL playoffs nine consecutive seasons and the Turner Cup championship five times, winning the Turner Cup in 1977 and 1981.

The Spirit are set to welcome several Gears alumni for the event, including Dennis Desrosiers, Paul Evans, Mel Hewitt, Warren Holmes, Jim Johnston, Gordy Malinowski, Jean-Marie Nicol, D’Arcy Ryan, Ted Tucker and Dave Westner.

Trunick leading Jets from goal crease

Eric Trunick was acquired a month ago from Cleveland to come in and push the other two Metro Jets’ goaltenders for playing time.

One month later and Trunick is firmly entrenched as Metro’s No. 1 goalie and has his team on a three-game winning streak, along with being in goal for all four of Metro’s wins this season. Trunick, however, isn’t about to hog all the credit for the last three wins. Instead, he’d rather talk about the overall team effort.

“I think the biggest key is that our team plays a whole 60 minutes focused on what we need to do,” said Trunick, a Commerce Township native who turns 18 on Nov. 15. “We are not trying to take dumb penalties and we are cutting down on the amount of penalties we take, which also helps.

”I feel I have played a pretty good role in the last few wins, but so have plenty of other guys on the team. I think the team is very comfortable with me in the net, so that’s a plus. If we want to keep the wins coming, I’m going to have to step up my role even more when it comes to playing the better teams in the league.”

The goaltending position comes with enough pressure on its own, but in Trunick’s case, tending net for a team that hasn’t had a great deal of success the past few years brings an all-new set of pressures.

”On a game-to-game basis, there is a lot of pressure playing for this team,” said Trunick, who leads the CSHL with 261 saves, is seventh with a .913 save percentage and ninth with a 3.48 goals-against average. “Everybody knows right now that we’re not the team to come in and run over everybody, which means when we come to the rink to play, we’re going to war. There is a lot of extra pressure to the goalie especially on a team like this where every game matters.”

That said, pressure is something Trunick can deal with in leaning on teammates and coaches.

”The chemistry here is great,” said Trunick. “Everyone is getting along well. Even when a new kid arrives, no one is shy to intruduce themselves and make them feel a part of the team. We really have a great thing going here, from the staff to the players.”

When asked what his strengths and weaknesses are, Trunick didn’t hesitate to give the honest truth.

“A good strength I have is that I don’t let a lot of things bother me during a game, whether it’s a goal, trash talking or whatever. I have a wall that blocks everything out to play my game. A weakness I have is that sometimes I don’t stay focused on the puck for the whole 60 minutes, which can sometimes bite me in the butt because the other team could put one in and make it look like I was sleeping.”

Trunick played a bit last season for the Motor City Chiefs (now Michigan Mountain Cats) and played one game for the Jr. Lumberjacks this season before arriving in Waterford. With his third CSHL team in a year, Trunick wants to stay with the Jets for the long haul.

”I do hope Metro is the last team I play for in this league,” said the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Trunick. “I have learned and gained a lot from this league which I’m grateful for, but I think it’s time that I need to step up to the next level. I just hope I leave Metro on a good note with a winning season.

”My goals this season are to really get my numbers up so people have something to look back on and see what I can do. A tender to the NAHL would be nice, but as long as I make an NAHL team or anything else where the hockey is free and highly competitive, I’ll be happy.”

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

The Jets completed a two-game sweep of the Quad City Jr. Flames with a 5-4 win at Lakeland Arena Sunday afternoon and have now won three straight games.

Metro had topped Quad City 4-3 in overtime Saturday night.

Both games, the Jets gave up third period leads, but came back to win each contest.

Sunday afternoon, the Jets (4-5-0-0) used five different goal scorers and 40 saves from Trunick for the win.

Newly-signed Cameron Bazin’s (Troy) power-play goal at 13:54 of the third period snapped a 4-4 tie and the Jets held on the rest of the way.

Justin Bennett (Brighton) scored 87 seconds into the game for the Jets and then Brett Grech (Hartland) scored four seconds into a power play at 3:25. Quad City’s Kyle Vesling made it a 2-1 game at the 7:16 mark, but Tommy Kilgore (Pinckney) restored the two-goal lead with the only goal of the second period at 18:57.

In the third period, Matt Stirling (Dexter) made it 4-1 with a goal on the man-advantage at 6:10 and all seemed to be going in the Jets’ favor.

However, Cole Findlay (6:47), Jared Fielden (8:55) and Kody Rodriguez (10:13) all scored for the Jr. Flames in a 3:16 span to bring Quad City all the way back.

That set the stage for Bazin’s goal and a second straight Metro win in dramatic fashion.

Matt Truninger finished with 16 saves through 40 minutes for Quad City before Mike Meadows played the third period and took the loss making six saves on eight shots.

Grech provided the heroics Saturday night with a goal just 31 seconds into overtime to win it after the Jets blew a two-goal lead in the third period.

Metro led 1-0 after one period on a goal by Grech 1:24 into the game.

Mike Moroso (Macomb) and Stirling replied in the second period after Quad City captain Jerry Rank had tied the game six minutes into the period.

Anthony Buchal (10:42) and Drake Fisher (12:50) tallied in the third period to knot the game at 3-all, setting up Grech’s goal early in the extra session.

Trunick played well with a 43-save outing in goal, while at the other end, Tanner Jones and Meadows combined for 26 saves. Jones started and was replaced by Meadows for the third period.

Kilgore had two assists for the Jets, including the primary helper on Grech’s game-winner.

The Jets play just one game this weekend, on Saturday night at home against the Battle Creek Jr. Revolution, a team still searching for its first win this season. Game time at Lakeland is 7:50 p.m.

JET STREAKS

Metro released goaltender Allan Dowler this week and signed goaltender Matt Braun (Ramsey, N.J.). Braun won an NJSIAA/Devils Public B state championship last season with Ramsey High School, making 40 saves and posting a shutout in the title game …Kilgore, Stirling and Moroso all have five goals to lead the Jets in that category … Prior to their overtime win last Saturday night, the last time Metro won in the extra session was on Nov. 7, 2009, when Josh Magnan’s (Waterford) goal 2:05 into overtime beat Grand Rapids, 4-3.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Forward Nick Kenney, a former Jets’ forward whose 66 points led the team in 2006-2007 and was also sixth in CSHL scoring, is entering his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Last year, Kenney, a Wixom native, had three goals and three assists in 23 games for the Pointers.

From 2007-2009, Kenney played in the NAHL for the Mahoning Valley Phantoms.

Photo by Andy Grossman/Detailed Images

Dr. Murphy to care for Fighting Falcons

The Port Huron Fighting Falcons, through a partnership with Orthopedic Associates, are happy to receive the services of Dr. Todd Murphy throughout their inaugural season in the North American Hockey League.

Dr. Murphy will act as "Dr. of the Game" at many 2010-11 Fighting Falcons home games, caring for players from each participating team as needed. A 2003 graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine, Dr. Murphy has previously worked as team physician for the NFL’s Denver Broncos, and MLB’s Colorado Rockies.

Dr. Murphy completed a fellowship in Sports Medicine at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic before joining Orthopedic Associates in 2009.

“We are thrilled to be able to work with such a talented doctor,” said Fighting Falcons director of administration Julie Cranskshaw. “This is an extremely tough sport and it is extremely important that our kids receive the treatment and care that they need to stay healthy and successful.”

Jets' captain Corder leads by example

Mike Corder epitomized his role as team captain last season so much that when he decided to come back and play his final season of junior hockey with the Metro Jets, the team brass had no problems giving him the ‘C’ for the second straight year.

After all, after a shoulder injury shelved Corder last year, he didn’t sit back and sulk.

It was last October and Corder dropped the gloves with Dubuque captain Ryan Bachman. When the fight was over, Corder sat up on the ice in obvious pain.

“Bachman got the better of me during that fight and I was out for four weeks in a sling,” said Corder, a 20-year-old native of Warren. “I showed up to practices, the coaches gave me a whistle and I stood behind the bench. I have to say it was a change of scenery that I did not like too much. Instead of having surgery and sitting out six months, I went to physical therapy and came back as soon as the shoulder felt strong enough. It never hurts during practice or a game, or I can't feel it, but it hurts before and after.”

Even when last season ended, Corder thought his competitive hockey career was history.

“After last season, I was unclear as to what I really wanted to do – either play hockey or go to college full-time,” explained Corder. “The more I thought about it, the more my mind was set on going to school. I didn't go to any camps all summer; I had literally hung up my skates. Next thing I knew, the exhibition season was starting. (Jets head) coach (Jason) Cirone called me and got me to come out and play an exhibition game against Flint (which the Jets won, 4-3, with six seconds left) and I got a good feeling about the team and the coaching staff.”

As for wearing the ‘C,’ Corder said he feels humbled by the honor, but it’s not something he sought out to get at the beginning of last year.

“I am just the kind of guy who shows up and punches the clock night in and night out,” Corder said. “I'm not the most vocal, but my philosophy is to lead by example. I know my role as a player and I do my job at 110 percent. I expect my team to meet the standard that I set.”

Showing his team player attributes, Corder said even though Metro has just two wins heading into this weekend, it’s not panic time. In fact, it’s the perfect time to show why he’s the Jets’ captain.

“The season has started off a little slower than we hoped for, but we are showing our potential 10 minutes here, five minutes there,” said Corder. “We all just need to buy in 100 percent to what Coach is trying to teach us and simplify the game. It will take a few games for the young guys to get up to speed and understand the game at this level, but it will happen. I feel some pressure, but it is only the pressure that I put on myself to play at the level I expect for myself. I see that as the best way to lead my team.”

Now with renewed enthusiasm to play hockey as long as he can, Corder also has the mentality that this season may be his swan song. His maturity in dealing with that situation certainly shows another side of Corder’s leadership qualities.

“This is my last year of juniors and I am also prepared that it may be my last season of highly competitive hockey with checking, national championships, stuff like that,” Corder said. “If the right opportunity arose I would be right there to jump on it. Life without hockey isn't life at all, so I am just going to focus on playing as well as I can this season because all I can control is what I do.

“There is no reason to worry about next year yet, there is still work to be done this season. Getting noticed and playing college hockey would be great, preferably Division I, but even if it is Division III, I love hockey and if I can play longer, hey, the longer the better.”


LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

The Jets lost at home and won on the road last weekend to push their season record to 2-5-0-0.

Andrew Lay's four goals led the Flint Jr. Generals past the Jets, 6-4, Saturday night at Lakeland Arena.

Caleb O'Brien and Alexander Truran added the other goals for Flint, while goalie Dominic Orlando finished with 18 saves for the win in goal.

The Jets got goals from four different skaters – Tommy Burns (Pinckney), Mike Denston (White Lake), Mike Moroso (Macomb) and Matt Stirling (Dexter) – and a 33-save outing from goaltender Allan Dowler.

Metro faced a 2-1 deficit midway through the second period Sunday afternoon, but scored the next four goals and held on for a 5-3 win over the Michigan Mountain Cats at Canfield Arena.

After a scoreless first period, Tommy Kilgore (Pinckney) staked the Jets to a 1-0 lead with his first of two goals just 20 seconds into the second period. Spencer Scahill scored the next two for the Mountain Cats, both on the power play (at 3:32 and 10:29), to give Michigan the lead until Burns scored a goal with the man-advantage at 12:51 to send the Jets into the second intermission tied at 2-all.

In the third period, Stirling tallied at 5:13 and then Dan Hudson (Gregory) and Kilgore scored 22 seconds apart at 14:05 and 14:27 to complete the comeback.

Aaron Teal scored a late goal for Michigan at 18:11.

For the Jets, Eric Trunick (Commerce Township) earned the win in goal with a 21-save performance. Trunick has been in goal for both of Metro's wins this season.

Brett Grech (Hartland) added two assists for the Jets.

Schuyler Ferguson took the loss for the Mountain Cats, but did make 27 saves in the game.

The Jets host the Quad City Jr. Flames this weekend for a two-game series at Lakeland Arena. Game time Saturday night is 7:50 p.m. with a 1:20 p.m. puck drop set for Sunday afternoon.


JET STREAKS

Moroso and Kilgore share the team lead in goals with four apiece … Rookie defenseman Ian Costello (Lansing) made his season debut last weekend after being out the first month with a severely lacerated arm and shoulder … The Jets added goalie Alfonse Kolis (Howell) and forward Cameron Bazin (Troy) this week. Goalie Mitchel Leist (White Lake) was released.


WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Goalie Colin Greeley, who played in Waterford during the 2008-2009 season as a 16-year-old, is now with the Leamington Flyers of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

Greeley, a Howell native drafted by the Saginaw Spirit in the fourth round of the 2008 Ontario Hockey League draft, also attended the United States Hockey League Combine this past summer.

In Leamington, Greeley currently has a 4-3-0 record with a 2.82 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.

Photo by Andy Grossman/Detailed Images

VIDEO: L.C. Walker Arena renovations

Noel-Bernier right at home with Jacks

By Christopher Heimerman

As Dave Noel-Bernier sits in his office adjacent to the Muskegon Lumberjacks’ new workout facility, he couldn’t feel more at home.

“I love this town and I love the United States Hockey League,” the former Muskegon Fury skater and current Lumberjacks assistant coach said. “I’m a small town guy, so this is perfect. It’s a decent-sized city, but it’s got everything – the lakes, the dunes and the trails. I’m an outdoorsy kind of guy.”

But what really puts him at ease is peering through his office window and seeing how hard his players are working.

“They just keep working,” Noel-Bernier said. “All I’ve got to do is look out this little window and I see what a group of hard-working guys we’ve got.”

Noel-Bernier, along with Jacks head coach Kevin Patrick, has put the unique terrain Muskegon offers to use in order to put the Jacks through a training camp unlike any they’d previously faced.

The players arrived at the end of August and spent the first week strictly training off the ice, conquering such activities as pounding out reps in the weight room and running the dunes along the lakeshore.

But the demanding regimen came with an underlying promise.

“It was established from the first day that we’d be able to do anything as long as we do it as a team,” said Jacks captain John Parker.

Parker, who is committed to play hockey at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, vividly remembers one of the team’s first tasks – scaling the massive dunes in under 12 seconds.

“When everyone finished that, it was a really big accomplishment for the team,” Parker said. “Then we knew – as a team – we can do anything.”

Right winger Matt Berry, who will play college hockey at Michigan State University, admits that he needed to acclimate to the weight-training expectations.

“It takes a while to get used to; I started off not doing much and I’d get really sore during the weeks,” Berry said. “You start to see the results and your weights go up – you get happy about it. It gives you motivation to keep going and keep working hard.”

Noel-Bernier, 34, is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning coach who has developed his program very scientifically.

“Everything we do in here, it’s stuff that I’ve done,” Noel-Bernier said. “I know what’s good and what’s bad. Coach Patrick and I believe in our program and know what it can do for them. Not only now, but in the future.”

Noel-Bernier played two seasons with the Muskegon Fury and was a member of the team that hoisted the Colonial Cup in 2004. When the Lumberjacks opened their inaugural season in the USHL at the L.C. Walker Arena on Saturday, Oct. 2, his heart swelled with pride as he watched his old skating grounds fill up.

The winger also played four seasons in the European professional ranks. After retiring, he returned to his alma mater, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he served as the director of hockey operations and the strength and conditioning coach.

After urging his college pupils to push themselves to their limits, he’s been blown away by the Jacks’ resolve.

“I think they’ve done a phenomenal job,” Noel-Bernier said. “They love to be pushed. They don’t complain. They just do what they’re told to do.”

And, being with the team nearly every day – whether it be on the ice, on a bus or otherwise - the staff has quickly learned just how much to tell them.

“You’ve got to know how far to push them before you stop and give them rest,” Noel-Bernier said. “You’ve got to find that balance.

“We’re taking that training camp and building on it. We’re not where we want to be still, but we’re getting closer every week.”

- Christopher Heimerman is the Muskegon Lumberjacks’ broadcaster and communications director. He can be reached at cheimerman@muskegonlumberjacks.com.

Fighting Falcons introduce mascot

The Port Huron Fighting Falcons unveiled the team’s mascot “Shootsy” at the first home game in franchise history last Friday.

Throughout opening weekend, Shootsy was a huge hit with fans of all ages at McMorran Arena as large crowds welcomed the Fighting Falcons to town. Shootsy kept fans entertained all weekend, and was especially popular with younger fans.

The mascot was sponsored by Casey’s Pizza and Subs of downtown Port Huron. Casey’s Pizza is owned and operated by Casey Harris, who spent three seasons with the Port Huron Beacons from 2002-2005. His restaurant features a wide array of interesting hockey memorabilia.

“We were thrilled to work with Casey to bring in a mascot for our team,” said Julie Crankshaw, Fighting Falcons director of administration. “Throughout the years fans in Port Huron have always enjoyed interacting with mascots at the games, and even though many teams in this league don’t have one, we thought bringing in a mascot is a great way to keep fans entertained and interacting with the team.”

Shootsy will make his next appearance when the Fighting Falcons take on the Traverse City North Stars this Friday and Saturday at McMorran Arena. Each game will start at 7:11 p.m.

PINK OUT game coming to Saginaw

The Saginaw Spirit have partnered with the St. Mary’s of Michigan Seton Cancer Institute to present the fourth annual PINK OUT Breast Cancer Awareness game on Saturday, October 9.

The Spirit take on the Guelph Storm at 7:11 p.m., at The Dow Event Center of Saginaw.

The Spirit will be recognizing several breast cancer survivors in a special pre-game center ice ceremony and the Spirit team will hit the ice wearing special PINK OUT jerseys that will be auctioned off following the game. The proceeds from the jersey auction will be donated to the cause. There is also a pink pon-pom giveaway, courtesy of the St. Mary’s of Michigan Seton Cancer Institute.

Fans can also check out the pre-game action when the Hockey Angles hit the ice at 4:30 p.m. as part of the evening’s fundraising efforts.

Warriors add Walkon, drop Ladd, Davis

The Michigan Warriors made a trade with the New Mexico Mustangs Thursday and acquired former Belle Tire forward Andrew Walkon for future considerations.

In other moves, the Warriors released Fenton native Trevor Ladd and fellow forward Eli Davis, a Macomb native (both pictured above).

NAHL teams had until midnight Thursday to get their rosters down to the 23-player limit.

More from MLive.com HERE.

CSHL Showcase set for Burton Oct. 22-25

The Central States Hockey League and the Michigan Mountain Cats are pleased to announce the schedule for the 2010-11 CSHL Showcase.

The showcase will be held October 22-25 at the Ice Mountain Arena Complex in Burton.

The four-day showcase will feature the 12 teams from the CSHL in one facility. The purpose is to allow collegiate scouts, and scouts from Tier I juniors and Tier II juniors to gather in one location to view the hundreds of players from the CSHL.

Ice Mountain Arena Complex
5371 Avalanche Drive
Burton, MI 48509

Friday - 10/22
10:00 Metro vs Mountain Cats
10:30 Toledo vs Battle Creek
1:00 Cleveland vs Chicago
1:30 Queen City vs Peoria
4:00 Pittsburgh vs Quad City
4:30 St. Louis vs Flint

Saturday - 10/23
10:00 Peoria vs Metro
10:30 Chicago vs Flint
1:00 Battle Creek vs Pittsburgh
1:30 St. Louis vs Cleveland
4:00 Quad City vs Toledo
4:30 Mountain Cats vs Queen City

Sunday - 10/24
9:00 Pittsburgh vs Quad City
9:30 St. Louis vs Flint
12:00 Cleveland vs Chicago
3:30 Queen City vs Peoria
4:00 Metro vs Mountain Cats
6:00 Toledo vs Battle Creek

Monday - 10/25
9:30 St. Louis vs Cleveland
10:00 Quad City vs Toledo
12:30 Peoria vs Metro
1:00 Chicago vs Flint
3:30 Battle Creek vs Pittsburgh
4:00 Mountain Cats vs Queen City

Saginaw to host former Red Wings

The Saginaw Spirit is proud to start off their ninth season with a home opening weekend celebration for the team’s first two home games – Thursday, September 30, and Saturday, October 2.

The Spirit will be premiering their new Hall of Fame series, which will feature appearances from hockey legends throughout the season. Stanley Cup champions Ted Lindsay and Jim Devellano will be appearing Thursday night and another Stanley Cup champion, Igor Larionov, will be at Saturday’s game.

More details HERE.

Metro coach reflects on pro career

Jason Cirone is one of several Central States Hockey League head coaches that has professional hockey on his resume.

He’s also the only coach with more than 1,000 pro games to his credit, including three games in the National Hockey League.

In looking back on his career that spanned from 1991-2008, Cirone couldn’t help but realize that all the games and all the traveling were all a blur.

“It all went by so quick,” said Cirone, now the Metro Jets’ bench boss. “I literally went all over the world to so many places that I never would have gone, and I owe all those experiences to hockey. I mean, I went on vacation to Egypt and Africa and also went to Moscow, Latvia, Poland, all over Europe. Going all those places was so amazing. Just amazing.”

In looking at Cirone’s career stats, he played overseas for pro teams in Italy and Germany, in Canada and in the United States as far east as Rochester, N.Y., as far west as San Diego and Long Beach, Calif., and all throughout the Midwest.

Cirone played in the International Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League, West Coast Hockey League and the Central Hockey League. During his second-to-last season in 2006-2007 with the CHL’s Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, he was a player-assistant coach. That primed him for an assistant’s job the past two years with the Motor City franchise in the North American Hockey League and ultimately, in Waterford with the Jets,

Cirone’s crowning achievement, though, came during the 1991-1992 season when he earned two different recalls to the Winnipeg Jets (now Phoenix Coyotes) of the NHL. Winnipeg had drafted Cirone in the third round (46th overall) in the 1989 NHL draft.

“Playing hockey and getting to the NHL was all I ever thought about growing up,” Cirone said. “My father and mother supported me so much and I was your typical Canadian kid skating in the backyard rink. I’d get up at five in the morning and skate, then go to school, come home and skate until dinner. I’d be at the dinner table with my skates on and then I’d go back out until it got dark.”

His first call-up to the NHL happened while he was playing in Quebec for the Moncton Hawks in the American Hockey League. Cirone drove to the old Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, took the warmup with the Jets, but didn’t dress for the game against the Maple Leafs.

“When I got the call, you would think I would have been more like, ‘I finally made it to the NHL,’” said Cirone. “But it was nothing like that. I thought more about if I was ready and that I hoped I wouldn’t embarrass myself. Once I got to Toronto, I was star-gazing, for sure.”

He was sent back to Moncton after the game, but didn’t stay there long.

“We were in Fredericton (N.B.) and had got in around two or three in the morning,” remembered Cirone. “I was told I had a 7 a.m. flight to Chicago. I didn’t sleep that night.”

And while he didn’t record a point in his brief NHL career, Cirone did record 338 pro goals and more than 700 assists. Those totals also include six seasons in Italy, a country where he holds a passport, and he also played for the Italian national team in the 2006 Olympics on its home turf in Torino.

“To play for Italy, you have to play in the country for two calendar years and I did that,” explained Cirone. “Besides the hockey, it was a great experience being over there. My daughter speaks and writes Italian extremely well and my wife actually has a job now as an Italian translator. It’s more my dad’s country, but I was still very proud to play for Italy.”

The last few years of his career were what he expected, but not necessarily what he wanted to face.

“Guys were faster and younger and I was older and facing physical problems,” admitted Cirone. “It was a lifestyle change when I retired and my son still asks each summer when I’m going to start training. I’m very happy with what I accomplished and am excited to see where this season takes us.”

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

The Jets traveled to Cincinnati last weekend and came away with a split of their two-game series with the Queen City Steam.

Saturday night, newly-acquired goalie Eric Trunick (Commerce Township) made 41 saves in a 4-2 loss as Cameron Carolus tallied all four goals for Queen City.

Trunick was obtained from Cleveland last Friday for a future draft choice.

Matt Stirling (Dexter) and Dan Hudson (Gregory) scored for Metro.

“We finished the second strong and came out in the third and took the game to them,” Metro assistant coach Peter Flynn said. “We controlled the third, but then ran into penalty problems.”

Sunday afternoon, Trunick stopped 50 shots in a 7-4 win for the Jets, their first ‘W’ of the year.

“It’s good to get the first and good to see the guys put together a full game,” said Cirone. “They definitely earned the win and have finally seemed to have bought into what we’re trying to do here. We didn’t have one good line today; we had four good lines that were all over the ice.”

Mike Moroso (Macomb) and Tommy Kilgore (Pinckney) each scored twice, while Brian O’Loughlin, Tommy Burns (Pinckney) and Justin Bennett (Brighton) scored the others.

Brett Grech (Hartland) added three assists, Burns tacked on two helpers, and Bennett and Kilgore also added assists to have multi-point games.

This weekend, the Jets play just one game in heading to Canfield Arena in Dearborn tonight to play the Michigan Mountain Cats tonight at 7:50 p.m.

The Mountain Cats have won two of their first three games in their first season in the CSHL and also feature four former Jets players in forwards Erik Bachynsky, Paul Elezaj (Leonard) and Brad Tunesi (Sterling Heights) and defenseman Tyler Schofield (Clio).

JET STREAKS

In addition to Trunick, the Jets also added defenseman Andrew Shalawylo over the weekend. Shalawylo, an 18-year-old defenseman from Clinton Township, played for the Grosse Pointe Wild Midget AA team last season.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Former Metro forward Sean Hogan (1996-1997) was hired over the summer as a volunteer assistant coach with Western Michigan University.

Hogan coached the Yellowstone Quake of the Northern Pacific Hockey League last year and for four years before that guided the Oakland University ACHA squad, winning two national titles over that span. He also won a national title as an assistant coach with OU prior to assuming the head coaching reins.

Photo by Deanna Bradford

Perani Arena gets $1 million facelift

Firland Management, which assumed operations at the Perani Arena and Event Center early this year, today announced the completion of numerous projects undertaken as part of nearly $1 million in facility renovations.

Investments in the fan experience include updated food service equipment, refreshed concession counters, enhanced ice surface lighting, new concourse lighting, fresh paint and other aesthetic improvements in addition to nearly $500,000 in improvements to the arena’s roof.

“We will continue to invest as we work to restore Perani Arena and Event Center to a point of pride for the Flint community,” said Firland Management CEO Jim Cain, who oversees operations at the facility. “We promised improvements and we’re already delivering them in the aesthetics and functionality of the Arena. We’re confident the people of Flint and the surrounding area will like what they see.”

Perani Arena will host the opening game of the inaugural season of Michigan Warriors NAHL hockey in Flint on Friday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.

Concession and food service improvements are highlighted by new countertops, new display menu boards and new food and beverage equipment, as well as new point of sale stations. Roof work began recently and is expected to continue through October.

Additionally, today marks the launch of a newly redesigned website for Perani Arena and Events Center. Located here, the new site will feature information about the facility and about upcoming sports, entertainment and community events.

“Flint deserves a first class entertainment venue,” Cain said. “We’re investing in Perani Arena and in the Flint community to make this a destination for all kinds of events, from hockey games to high school graduations and from trade shows to consumer expos.”

Sgarbossa gets deal with San Jose

The San Jose Sharks have signed Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Sgarbossa to an entry level contact.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Sgarbossa is set to return to Saginaw this week in time for the team’s season opener in Kitchener on Friday.

“As an organization we are very happy for Michael as he worked very hard this summer,” stated Saginaw assistant GM Jim Paliafito. “Michael is a very talented young man and the San Jose Sharks see what we saw in him when we traded for him last fall. I expect this to be the beginning of many current Spirit players signing and being drafted by the NHL in the coming seasons.”

“Michael’s signing is a great indication of not only his skill level and dedication, but also of our league’s success in developing players for the next level”, stated Spirit president and partner Craig Goslin. “We are very proud of Michael and of his success at the Sharks’ training camp.”

From the San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the team has signed unrestricted free agent forward Michael Sgarbossa to an entry-level contract. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Sgarbossa, 18, appeared in two of San Jose’s three games during the YoungStars Tournament in Penticton, B.C. from Sept. 12-16 and recorded three goals and one assist, including a hat trick on Sept. 15 vs. Edmonton. His four points were second overall in the tournament.

“We have been watching Michael for a while now and he showed a glimpse of what we feel he is capable of at the YoungStars Tournament,” said Wilson. “We really like the teaching he has received from Saginaw general manager and head coach Todd Watson and we hope to continue his development.”

Sgarbossa was a member of Team Canada’s silver medal-winning squad at the 2010 U-18 World Junior Championships, where he posted two points (one goal, one assist) and four penalty minutes in six games.

The Campbellville, Ont., native split time last season between the Barrie Colts and the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League. In 67 games, Sgarbossa recorded 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) and 63 penalty minutes.

In six postseason games with Saginaw, Sgarbossa tallied two assists.

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Whalers acquire local product Aleardi

The Plymouth Whalers announced the acquisition of 18-year-old center Alex Aleardi (Farmington Hills) from the Belleville Bulls in exchange for a pair future second-round draft choices – one in 2012 and one in 2013.

Aleardi is a graduate of the Compuware youth program who was originally selected by the Kitchener Rangers in the third round (43rd overall) in the 2008 Ontario Hockey League draft. After playing in 2008-09 for the Rangers, Aleardi came to Belleville last season in a trade for Matt Tipoff and a first round Import Draft selection.

Aleardi enjoyed his best offensive season in the OHL last year split between Kitchener and Belleville, scoring 16 goals with 25 assists for 41 points in 64 games. In all, Aleardi has scored 21 goals with 31 assists for 52 points and 128 penalty minutes in 129 career games.

He scored five goals in a preseason game on September 12 for Belleville in a 5-4 victory over Kingston and was the league-leader in preseason play with seven goals in six games.

“We are very familiar with Alex,” Plymouth coach-GM Mike Vellucci said. “We’ve already seen him play here at Compuware Arena. It’s great to be able to bring him back home.”

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Trenton's Malecki inks with Spitfires

The Windsor Spitfires announced today that the team has signed goaltender Josh Malecki to an OHL contract and education package.

Malecki, a 17-year-old native of Trenton, was drafted by the Spitfires in the 11th round (214th overall) during the 2009 OHL Priority Selection. He attended Windsor's player development camp this summer and was also invited to participate in the team's main camp which started earlier this month. His stellar play during both camps kept him in Windsor for the team's 2010 exhibition season.

Malecki posted impressive numbers with Windsor in four of the team's exhibition games and helped the team earn a 3-0-1 record in his four games played while posting a 2.98 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.

"Josh put his neck on the line in joining our club for camp without a contract and played extremely exceptionally well for us in our team's development camp, training camp and also in our recent exhibition games," Windsor GM Warren Rychel said. "He earned his roster spot and deserves this opportunity and I am very proud of the effort he has put forth. Josh will provide our team with depth and also solidify us at the goaltender position."

Malecki will be splitting time with Windsor and the Detroit Compuware Major Midgets this season.

McIlrath leaves post as Thunder coach

When the Alpena Thunder take the ice again this season, it will have a new coach behind the bench.

Todd McIlrath has left his position as head coach of the Thunder to make another attempt at playing professional hockey.

Thunder general manager Joseph Kolodziej said that the team's new coach will be announced Monday.

"I think that Todd's departure was a timely departure for him and for the team. I'm looking forward to working with our new coach and moving forward with our season," Kolodziej said Friday.

More from the Alpena News HERE.

Cirone 'fortunate' to be coaching Jets

When Jason Cirone played his final junior hockey game for the Windsor Spitfires back in 1991, he sat in his locker room stall after the game and wondered what was next.

Fast-forward to the spring of 2008 and Cirone was again sitting in the locker room wondering what was next. His Italian national team had just been eliminated from the World Championships by France and for the first time in his career, Cirone wasn’t upset about a season coming to a close.

“That’s when I knew it was time,” said Cirone, now the Metro Jets’ head coach. “Nobody had ever said anything about retiring, but as I sat there in Quebec City, I had a sense of accomplishment. I had been asked to play another year in Flint (with the since-folded Generals of the International Hockey League), but my family had given enough of themselves to me that it was time to give back. When I told my wife, Kristen, that it was over, we argued back and forth and even now, my son asks me every summer when I’m going to start training.

“It’s been quite a lifestyle change since I retired, but it’s better for all of us. In hockey, you tend to be selfish a lot, but at the end of the day, your family is always there to give you endless love. For hockey, as I got older, it was harder to keep up and the physical strains were getting to be too much. I can honestly say that I have no regrets.”

When Cirone was about 10 years into his pro career, he set himself a goal that may have seemed farfetched at the time, but came to fruition at the 2008 World Championships. And it didn’t involve playing in the NHL, even though he did play three games for the Winnipeg Jets in 1991-1992.

“I always said that I wanted to play my last game close to home and I wanted that to be in Canada,” said Cirone. “I was fortunate in that both happened at the same time.”

Now behind the bench as a rookie head coach, the 39-year-old Toronto native has brought his no-nonsense style of coaching to the team and hopes to turn around Metro’s fortunes. Cirone started coaching the season after he retired and has brought valuable experience to Lakeland Arena.

“I was actually running a gym and the Motor City Machine (now Metal Jackets) had a coaching change in the middle of the season and the assistant there, Sean Clark (also a former Metro assistant coach), gave me a call and asked if I wanted to be his new assistant,” explained Cirone. “Then when the team changed ownership last year and brought in David Cole, I was fortunate enough to be retained for that following season. I wouldn’t have had the chances I’ve had if certain people wouldn’t have given me the chance – guys like Sean and (Metro owner-GM) Butch (Wolfe) here. I’ve just been very fortunate. Hockey has done so much for me that now, it’s time for me to give back to hockey.”

Giving back to hockey is one thing, but giving back to his family is just as important. Married for 16 years to Kristen (they eloped to Las Vegas in March 1994 while Cirone was finishing up the season with the IHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones), the couple has a 12-year-old daughter, Brooke, and a 10-year-old son, Mason.

“I give a lot of credit to my family, especially Kristen, for dealing with me being on the road playing so much,” Cirone said. “She’s a good woman and a great mom.

“Like I said, it’s time for me to give back.”

Watch for Part 2 of this extensive look at Jason Cirone in next week’s release.

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

The Jets opened their 22nd season in the CSHL last weekend with two losses.

Saturday night at home, the Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks topped the Jets, 1-0, in a very tight game.

Allan Dowler stopped 24 shots between the pipes for Metro and the Jets also held Cleveland scoreless in four power play chances.

Then Sunday afternoon, the Jets suffered a 7-2 setback on the road to the Toledo Cherokee.

Metro captain Mike Corder and Dan Hudson scored late third period goals for the Jets, while Dowler and Mitchel Leist combined for 38 saves in goal.

“There’s a lesson to be learned in every game,” said Cirone. “Saturday night, we worked hard, but didn’t win. I can’t say I was satisfied we lost, but we did play Cleveland hard. Sunday was just the opposite.”

This weekend, the Jets travel to suburban Cincinnati to play a pair against the Queen City Steam, a team that split their opening weekend with the Chicago Hitmen. Zach Olson had a three-point weekend for Queen City with a goal and two assists, while Matt Leon and Oliver McNeill each played a game in net and fared well.

Queen City coach Don Biggs is a former teammate of Cirone’s and to play against each other’s teams should be a special experience for both.

“Biggsy was one of the best captains I ever played for,” said Cirone. “Once I got older and became a captain, I incorporated certain tendencies he had as a captain into the way I was a leader. All I’ve heard about his team now is that they work extremely hard. This weekend will be a big measuring stick, but if they work as hard as I hear they do, I would hope our guys would see that and realize what can happen when you work hard.”

Last season, Metro split with the Steam in Cincinnati in early December and was also swept in two separate home games at Lakeland Arena.

JET STREAKS

Rookie forwards Matt Stirling and Justin Bennett will serve as alternate captains this season under Corder, now in his second season with the ‘C.’ … Leist is the second-youngest player in the CSHL this season. He doesn’t turn 16 under Oct. 29. Only Peoria Mustangs forward Josh Maciejewski (Sept. 20, 1995) is younger … Rookie defenseman Brian O’Loughlin is the first Tennessee native to play for the Jets since forward Matt Noe played 31 games during the 2008-2009 season … Metro added defenseman Morgan James this week and also acquired forward Tommy Burns from Flint for an undisclosed draft pick next year.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Jon Cooper, the head coach of the Jets’ 2001-2002 Silver Cup national Junior B championship team, led the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers to the Clark Cup last spring and then was hired in the offseason to coach the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals, the top affiliate of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.

Mountain Cats in shape, winning games

Courtesy CSHLhockey.com

And to think how good the Michigan Mountain Cats would be if they actually had a full roster.

Even goaltender Schuyler Ferguson got on the score sheet last weekend as the Mountain Cats swept the Battle Creek Jr. Revolution in two games on the road, outscoring Battle Creek by a 15-5 mark.

Mountain Cats head coach Chad Grills acknowledged that last weekend was just two games, but hopes his squad can keep the momentum going this weekend against Toledo.

“We had a very good weekend and that was with a ton of new faces,” said Grills, who also made his head coaching debut against Battle Creek. “It’s been difficult for teams in this league to field half-decent teams with NAHL teams keeping guys until the October 1 deadline. But last weekend against Battle Creek, I did expect to win those games, but I didn’t expect to win as big as we did. I wasn’t too nervous, but I hoped we would play well and we did. Maybe if I was in my 20’s and coaching I would have been nervous, but I’m 35 now and I felt fine.”

The Mountain Cats won 8-5 on Saturday night and then Ferguson made 25 saves and had an assist in a 7-0 shutout Sunday afternoon.

Grills played pro hockey in mid-Michigan for several years with the Flint Generals of the old Colonial Hockey League, later the United Hockey League. He was part of championship teams in Flint in 1996 and 2000 and also has a ring from an Ontario Hockey League title in 1993 with the Peterborough Petes.

Playing on those successful teams meant Grills had coaches he learned from and even took some of their coaching style to mold into his style with the Mountain Cats.

“In the OHL, I had Dick Todd and Ted Nolan, two guys that eventually coached inthe NHL,” said Grills. “With Flint, Doug Shedden was the first coach I ever had that really stressed the importance of conditioning. We used to ride the bike for an hour after practices and even though we didn’t want to, once the playoffs came, we were as conditioned then as we were in December. That’s what I am teaching these guys here –that we will not be outworked and we will have fun and make this team a brotherhood.

“There will be changes over the course of the season, there always is, but if we can keep it exciting like last night, where we had a 45-minute skate in our first full practice, I think we will be alright. We skated for 45 minutes and the whole time, guys were yelling and cheering each other on. These guys really want to be in shape and want to stay in shape.”

Even with a short roster, Grills is happy with what he has even though he was only hired a little more than two weeks ago.

“I had opportunities before to coach, but the time and opportunity for each wasn’t right,”explained Grills. “I was looking for a coaching job and I was actually down in Myrtle Beach and gave (Mountain Cats owner) Jeff (Brayan) a call and told him I was interested. When I got back into town, I met with Jeff for about five or six hours and we hashed things out and I told him what I thought I could do. Once I was hired, it was too late to get a lot of kids as some were already at school or playing in other leagues. I like the guys we have right now and down the line here shortly, we should be adding some more players.”

One of the conditions Brayan accepted when he purchased the Motor City Chiefs franchise over the summer and re-named them the Mountain Cats was that the team’s home rink would remain at Canfield Arena in Dearborn – roughly an hour south of Burton, where the Mountain Cats’ headquarters are. The team practices at Ice Mountain Arena, but home games are at Canfield.

On the ice in Burton or Dearborn, leaders have emerged for the Mountain Cats. Mike Foster wears the ‘C,’ while Zack Soulliere and Dante Delabbio are the alternate captains.

“We have a great mix of young and old players,” said Grills. “Our captains really take charge, especially in the room when I’m not there.”

One place the Mountain Cats will be is at Canfield this Sunday when they host the Cherokee.

“The good thing about not having a full roster right now is that we only have two games the rest of the month,” Grills said. “We played well last weekend and I hope we keep getting better and can stay with Toledo, a team I don’t know a lot about, but a team I know is always in the upper half of the league every year.

“It’ll be a good test for us early in the season, but I like our chances. We’ve looked good so far.”

North Stars ready for NAHL Showcase

When the Traverse City North Stars take to the ice on Wednesday at the Schwan Super Rink in suburban Minneapolis, they’ll see a familiar foe – albeit in different garb.

The Corpus Christ IceRays, the Stars’ opponent in the opening game of the four-day, 26-team NAHL Showcase, relocated from Alpena, where the former IceDiggers and North Stars had forged a regional rivalry for the past five seasons.

Traverse City head coach-GM Anthony Palumbo says even team’s mere modicum of familiarity with the Rays probably won’t afford either side any kind of advantage in preparing for the Showcase opener.

“Yeah, we’ll know 10-11 of their guys,” he said. “And we certainly know they’re strong in net with (Marco) Wieser. They also have a new coach, a new home, and a new approach that comes with making a move across the country like that. I’m not sure it means we know what to expect in terms of their style of play, but we have to be ready for their best.”

The Stars, 1-0-0 after their season-opening 4-1 win over Chicago on Sunday, are still getting to know themselves, let alone another squad, according to Palumbo.

“Number one, the Showcase gives us a chance to engage ourselves against the rest of the league,” he said. “It gives us a pretty short time to work on our game, kind of get an idea who will fill what roles, and try to get a jump on having a good season.”

Corpus Christi will be playing their first game of the 2010-11 campaign on Wednesday, but boast a roster with such veterans as Jason Souva, Kevin Crowe, Kyle Hughes, Brandon Marshall, and Sam Cheraso, in addition to Wieser. The team went 22-34-2 last season as the IceDiggers, finishing fifth in the five-team North Division, nine points behind fourth-place Motor City for the final playoff slot.

“Getting in a game before the Showcase is big for us,” Palumbo said. “We have a lot of guys who were playing in their first junior game on Sunday, and had a chance to work out some of the nerves rather than doing that on the league-wide stage. That’s a good thing.”

The North Stars will play expansion Austin (Minn.) on Thursday in second-day action, but square off with Wenatchee (Wash.) and Alaska to close out the event. Traverse City is 2-1 all-time against Wenatchee – including a thrilling 4-3 victory over the host Wild in the opening game of last season’s Robertson Cup championships – and is also 2-1 all-time against Alaska.

The Stars and Avalanche have played in each of the previous three Showcase events, claiming a 6-1 triumph in 2007, dropping a 4-3 affair in 2008, and blanking the Avs 3-0 last season.

Jets 'have a lot of potential' this season

The Metro Jets pretty much have an all-new team this season, but for the staff and players, that is most definitely reason for optimism.

Being mired in the lower echelon of the Central States Hockey League standings the past couple years is in the past and with the crop of new players, along with three returnees from the 2009-2010 squad, moving up the standings is one goal the Jets think is very attainable this season.

“I think a realistic expectation is to make the playoffs and move five players up to the next level,” said first-year head coach Jason Cirone, an assistant coach last year with the Motor City Metal Jackets of the North American Hockey League. “I will lean on all the players nightly. We have a team where everyone will have to show up every night for us to be successful.”

Returning defenseman and captain Mike Corder agrees with Cirone.

“My expectations are that Coach Cirone will bring a different perspective to the organization and that we will all work together to make the Jets a competitive team, game in and game out,” said Corder. “The team is looking good and we have a lot of potential. With the group of guys this year, I feel we can exceed our potential as a whole.”

And being the one with the ‘C’ on his jersey, Corder plans to take that role to the fullest extent.

“I plan to motivate my teammates by leading by example,” Corder explained. “I will work hard and I will expect that they will work hard. I want the team to gel and become a brotherhood where everyone looks out for everyone else. I will do what it takes to get this group to work hard, play hard, and become a team on the ice, off the ice, in the locker room, during workouts, you name it.”

Another returning skater, forward Mike Denston (White Lake), wants his second year with the Jets to be leaps and bounds better than last season.

“Last year’s season has brought my motivation to a new level,” said Denston. “It wasn't fun losing all those games, especially when we had talent. This year, we have kids who can play the game and want to be here and that has motivated me to push the envelope and try to be better myself.”

“Last season, we fell short of our goal of making the playoffs,” added Corder, a 20-year-old native of Warren. “Personally, it is not easy to relive that disappointment. Setting realistic goals for myself to help improve the team and achieve the overall goals is not difficult. Remembering last season will help push me to stay focused on what is necessary to achieve the team goals.”

Leading the team along with Corder will be alternate captains Matt Stirling (Dexter) and Justin Bennett (Brighton), both forwards.

On the blue line, rookies Blake Blaha (East Lansing), Jordan Reames (Essexville), Ian Costello (Lansing), Brian O’Loughlin (Franklin, Tenn.) and Brennan Borowiak (Gaylord) will join Corder and be thrown right into the mix.

Up front, veteran Brett Grech (Hartland) is back for his final season of junior hockey. Travis Hargett (Clarkston) is just 16 years old and will be one of the youngest players in the CSHL this year. Erik Bachynsky (Windsor, Ont.) played the last two years for Northland College, a Division III school, and will be counted on for leadership and to mentor players like Hargett, Josh Beleski (Southgate), Tommy Kilgore (Pinckney), Joe Matyaszek (Taylor), Matt Elswick (Gaylord) and Mike Moroso (Macomb).

Getting two wins in their two-game exhibition set with the Flint Jr. Generals three weeks ago, the Metro staff had the chance during those two games to evaluate the younger players and see where their strengths lie.

Rookie forward Dan Hudson, an 18-year-old from Gregory, scored three goals in the two games with Flint and showed he has the ability to be a pure goal-scorer in the CSHL.

And while there may be reason to be giddy, Cirone knows the regular season means more than two pre-season contests.

“We have a good crop of rookies and expect them to perform every night,” said Cirone. “Let’s wait and see which ones decide to be impact players.”

Nineteen-year-old goalie Allan Dowler (Oxford, Ohio) is expected to shoulder the workload in net.

“I'm very excited about all the new players this year,” Denston said. “Everyone looked good in our exhibition games and if we all do what were told to do, then we'll be a very good team. I want to give it everything I got and hope that everyone else will want to do the same.”

Traverse City to play four exhibitions

The start of the 2010-11 North American Hockey League season is right around the corner and the Traverse City North Stars are set to gear up for the new campaign with a pair of preseason contests against Blind River of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, including the team’s first-ever contest of any kind at Howe Arena, and another two at the U.S. National Team Development Program squad in Ann Arbor.

Before heading off to play at Chicago against the expansion Hitmen on Sept. 12, the North Stars will square off against Blind River at Howe Arena on Sept. 10 and again on Sept. 11 against the Beavers at Ferris State. After the warm-ups and the regular season opener in Chitown, Traverse City will head to the annual NAHL Showcase in suburban Minneapolis.

“It’s always a good thing to have a couple of games under your belt before jumping into the regular season and certainly the Showcase,” said Stars head coach-GM Anthony Palumbo. “You’re bringing together a lot of new guys and you want to develop a cohesions as early on as possibly and hit the ground running when the puck drops for real.”

The Stars will face first-year clubs in Corpus Christi and Austin (Minn.) on the first two days of the Sept. 15-18 Showcase and close out the event with Wenatchee and Alaska. A subsequent two-week hole in the North Stars’ schedule prompted Palumbo to congeal a two-game exhibition series with Team USA at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube on Sept. 24-25.

“A couple things went into setting that up,” he explained. “We had the big gap in the schedule and it’s two more games against a good opponent to help our team get ready without having an effect on the standings. Plus, any time you play against Team USA, there are 5-10 scouts in the stands and that’s great exposure for these kids at the same time.”

The North Stars open the home portion of their schedule on Friday, Oct. 15 against Springfield.

A hockey Revolution in Battle Creek

Courtesy CSHLhockey.com

Changes happen on a yearly basis in junior hockey and that was never more evident recently in the Central States Hockey League when the Grand Rapids Jr. Owls’ franchise decided to cease operations.

However, an ownership group from Battle Creek quickly swooped in, purchased the franchise and will play the Owls’ schedule this season as the Battle Creek Jr. Revolution, an organization that also has a professional team in the All American Hockey League.

The transfer of ownership literally happened overnight.

“We found out through a friend of ours on August 23 that the Owls had decided to cease operations,” said Battle Creek owner Bobby Clouston. “I called (CSHL president) Jim Rufo right away and started the whole process. Jim was an amazing help along with (Grand Rapids owner) Jerry Barber. The whole thing went very smooth and we are truly, truly excited to be a part of the CSHL.”

Nick Bet will coach the Jr. Revolution and when asked how he sees his squad fitting in this year, his response was nothing short of confident.

“I know that the CSHL is the premier Tier III Junior A hockey league in this country and I don't hope just to fit into the league,” said Bet. “I hope to run a standout organization that treats the players well and can place a competitive team into the league year after year.”

Clouston also praised the CSHL and said when the opportunity arose where he could have a team in the league, he jumped at the chance.

“In regards to the CSHL, I have followed it for years,” Clouston said. “We couldn't believe we might have a shot at getting involved. I have known (Metro Jets owner) Butch Wolfe for many years and Jeff Bond, the former coach of the Motor City Chiefs, and I are great friends. I have been to many CSHL games and have been blown away with the level of play.”

In Battle Creek, Bet’s hiring was a typical “no-brainer” for Clouston and the rest of the staff.

“We absolutely know that we have the right guy,” beamed Clouston. “We have set a standard in Battle Creek with our pro team and it will carry down to our junior team that we do everything first-class and Nick Bet fits exactly into our mindset and our goals asa n organization. Nick has been intimately involved with our organization for over a year as a player at the pro level and he knows how we operate and he is willing to carry that out with his junior team. Nick is energetic, optimistic and very knowledgeable about the game and we feel lucky to have him as our coach.”

As a player, Bet played four years of professional hockey, one with the Battle Creek Revolution and parts of three seasons with the Flint Generals of the International Hockey League. He also skated one year of NCAA D-I hockey with Robert Morris University and played five years of junior hockey – three in Ontario with the Petrolia Jets and two out east with the Boston Jr. Bruins.

As a coach, Bet seems to be bringing a level of intensity to the ice.

“My coaching style is to have fun, combative practices with a lot of battling and game situations,” said Bet. “My in-game style would be hard forechecking, putting a lotof pressure on the defense of the other team, and hitting hard all night with a strong emphasis on team defense.”

How will that translate to wins and losses? Both Clouston and Bet have an idea.

“Our team goals for this upcoming season are to run an organization that kids want to play for and parents feel comfortable sending their kids to,” said Clouston. “We also want to win. We feel we have a great coach who knows the game and is very good at recruiting. We want to be a force on the ice and whomever we play they know they are going to have a game opponent every time we touch the ice.”

“My expectations for this season are very high,” added Bet. “I expect to have a winning team and am aiming for a minimum of 25 wins. I also expect to make the playoffs and make a run at the league championship. I hope to move as many players to the next level of hockey as fast as possible, assuming the player is ready to make the jump. Moving up players to the next level of hockey will be my No. 1 priority.”

Goaltenders Rueben Medrano and Karel Popper will be the backbone of the team. The Battle Creek defense will be anchored by Tyler Allen and key forwards will be Maxim Norsov, Radney Ritchie, Brett Menton and Jordan Sabatino.