Charles Bradley: Pucks, Pets and CAN-AM Camaraderie, Part I

May 11, 2013

Saturday morning

West Concord, MA

The AMHL Photographer and I sit at our usual table at Dunkin’ Donuts, discussing an upcoming doctor appointment to address my Humpty Dumpty Groin.

She notices a familiar face entering the place, and I look left to watch Charles Bradley, an AMHLer, a veterinarian and one fine Canadian, approach. Wearing a solid bold blue short-sleeved shirt and smiling, he extends his right hand to meet mine.

Half of his left thumbnail is black and blue. Looks like a hockey injury to me. Charlie raises his hands, like a begging beagle, to reenact his awkward attempt to block a shot during a 3–1 loss on Tuesday morning. He laughs at himself.

Despite his Avalanche losing to the Leafs and his bruised lunula, Charlie seems happy, like the same fellow I got to know ten years ago, when he shared his hockey (and donut) story with me.

I asked him on that Tuesday morning in March, 2003, “Given your preference, Tim Hortons or Dunkin’ Donuts?”

Just then someone opened the fire escape door, not because of an emergency but because the door was closer to his car. This triggered a fire alarm bell.

“Tim Hortons,” Charlie said.

Tim Hortons, I say, OK.

“Definitely.”

I had a feeling, but there was a pause

“Because of the bell,” he says.

I switch from donuts to hockey and learn that Charlie was born and raised in Montreal (pronounced MUN–tree–all) and started playing hockey when he was four or five years old. 

“Our grade school was in Loyola Park, and we had four hockey rinks and one skating rink right behind us. The City maintained it.” Charlie said. “And in those days (1960s), we didn’t have really artificial ice, except for the (Verdun Auditorium) and Montreal Forum. Well, we played hockey every day; we played because the rinks were maintained by the City.”

These were outdoor rinks?

Charlie said, “Outdoor ice, yeah. And the guys would come out, the municipal workers would come out and flood every night. They were illuminated, and we could play all the time unless there was a thaw. It was great. That’s where we learned our skills.”

As we chat after his Tuesday morning game, comedian and AMHL mainstay Chris Howell interrupts us. “I just want to say that Charles Bradley is probably the biggest liar I’ve ever met.”

“Thanks a lot, Donut Boy,” Charlie replied, enjoying the friendly exchange.

After Donut Boy exited, I asked Bradley if he had aspirations of playing junior hockey.

Loyola High School, he said. "Pretty high-level hockey.”

The Jesuit-run school, created for English-speaking Catholics in the Côte-Des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-De-Grâce neighborhood of Montreal, resides on Rue Sherbrooke and is contained by Concordia University, a few blocks west of Parc Loyola.

Charlie wore the school’s maroon and white sweater.

“We did tournaments, and we were usually the champions or near the top in the Montreal league,” he said as the Zamboni did its thing around the Valley Sports rink. “And we had our rink, so that helped a lot. We skated every day. We skated probably about seven to ten hours a week. It was good for skills as well.”

After high school, though, hockey took a back seat to professional studies. He graduated from The University of Guelph Ontario Veterinary College and then worked at dozens of practices in the next almost twenty years, travelling from Ontario to New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

He found his way back to hockey, though. In 2000 or 2001, Charlie says that after learning of the AMHL at a Valley Sports Stick Time session on a Friday afternoon, he registered to play.

“I was really surprised at the level of hockey,” he said. “This is a nice league because, the difference to me, other than the time, is that everyone plays hockey for the fun of it. They don’t take it too seriously. That was a real put-off for me when guys were getting really really serious, competitive, and angry at each other, smashing each other and holding grudges. We don’t see that in this league. And the idea of rotating the teams through is really good. Having the time after for the CAM-uh-rah-duh-rie and fellowship, that makes it really good.”

But financial struggles—tough to earn find stability in a veterinary market where clinic ownership can change hands— took him away from his passions: taking care of cats and dogs and playing hockey. He dabbled in local home renovation, but that endeavor never took off. He and his family decided to move to Ontario in 2009.

Upon learning of the move across the 49^th Parallel, AMHLers expressed their respect for Charlie by email.

“On behalf of all the AMHL officials, we would like to extend our best wishes to Charlie and his family as they go back to the mother country. Bradley was a great competitor and statesman from Canada and will be missed,” wrote Referee Peter Bagley.

Terry Loebs: “I will remember Charles Bradley as the most accomplished backchecking defenseman in AMHL history, and the all-time leader in evoking the same question ("Is that guy playing 'D' or forward?") among AMHL newbies. Good luck, Charles (eh?)”

Mike Schneider wrote, “Nicest guy off the ice. On the ice? Tenacious, quick, strong. A beast on defense. The kind of guy you fear going towards or fear may be on your heels. If you beat Charles, you know you played your best.”

Now, Bradley is back in business and back in the game. At the Dunkin’ Donuts in West Concord, he’s his same old amiable self as he sits at the table next to my wife and me. Caring to the core about pets and humans alike, Charles Bradley listens to my wife describe my ongoing injury saga and makes a suggestion or two from his own experience as a hockey player and animal doctor. (You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker, “Be kind to animals. Hug a hockey player.” Right?)

Stop by Domino Veterinary Hospital (DVH), Charlie says, I’ll give you a brochure for the doctor that fixed my wrist.

He stands up to get in line for his coffee as my wife and I prepare to leave. 

(To be continued)

Boston Bruins: My All-time Team

My wife asked me who I’d include on my all-time Bruins team. On the bench (and behind it), the list below has less to do with the players’ popularity or statistics than it soes with my personal connection to them.

Coaches:

Claude Julien, Don Cherry, Pat Burns. Who would be the head coach? Would they rotate executive leadership? I love Julien’s patience and imperviousness to those who question his line combinations. Grapes: Colourful with words and attire. Pat Burns: My wife once got special access to one of his press conferences (thanks, Steve Babineau) and developed a crush on Burnsie.

Goalies:

I didn't see Gerry Cheevers play, but I read about him first in George Plimpton’s book, “Open Net.” Cheesie was kind to me when he signed my copy of his memoir, “Unmasked.” Tim Thomas: Before the off-ice shenanigans tarnished his image, Timmy was superb between the pipes and delivered uncommon post-game quotes.

Defensemen:

Sorry Number fORR; I never saw you play and haven't met you yet. My wife and I did fly to the Big D to watch Ray Bourque, though. Ray-Ray (as my wife calls him), still wearing his Boston Bruins-issue hockey pants (magic marker couldn’t cover completely cover the Spoked B) was twenty days removed from The Trade. He logged more ice time than any other player as his Avalanche beat the Stars, 2–1. Don Sweeney, Bourque’s defensive partner, was under-sized and under-rated. One of the fastest players on any Bruins squad he played for, Sweeney’s work ethic and commitment to the Bruins lands him on my list. Gary Doak's  heyday was before my time here in Boston, but I hear tell of his shot-blocking acumen. Aaron Ward: His dedication to blocking shots and his proclivity with a stiff-arm to an opponent’s chest (as well as his fondness for the Boston Kreme) make him a favourite. Hal Gill: Yet another Boston Kreme fan, his most memorable goal was against the Avalanche (February 2003), a crafty shot from beyond the blueline that beat Patrick Roy.

Centers:

Patrice “Selke” Bergeron's demeanor and dedication to defense, as well as his face-off skills, endear fans to him. Derek Sanderson, who was also great on the draw, owned (owns?) a nobby Nehru jacket and a neat nickname. Reading Turk's memoir gave me hope for those who strive to redeem themselves. Jean Ratelle was before my time, too, but my dad (a Rangers fan) rooted for him. I’ve heard only fine things about Gentleman Jean.

Right Wings:

Stephen Herbert Heinze: I like this guy because he had the audacity to wear #57 (but not as a Bruin) and because I owned one of his game-used hockey sticks. I recall skating on a pond in Stow (MA), cradling the puck with that twig (remember my motto: wood is good). Willie O’Ree: Well-known for being the first black player in the NHL (again, before my hockey days), people respect him for his off-ice attributes. For example, he excused himself from his lunch guest to share, with my wife and me (on vacation in New Brunswick), his excitement about the Bruins winning the Cup in 2011. He said that after the Bruins swept the Flyers, he knew the B’s would go all the way. Miroslav Satan: The fire in the outside pit crackled and hissed as my wife and I joined a friend for Hockey Night in Hudson (MA). At this backyard gathering on a Saturday night in April 2010, we watched Satan score twice—the second goal in OT as the Bruins beat the Leafs.

Left Wings:

My wife’s favourite player is Marco Sturm. Whether he’s on a Bruins behind-the scenes show, wearing lederhosen, or front and center, scoring the game-winning goal in the 2010 NHL Winter Classic, Sturmie's smile is magnetic. John Bucyk: More Ukranian than Native North American, “Chief” is a happy go lucky whistler; at least that’s the way he seemed off-camera. Per Johan Axelsson: At a Wives' Charity Carnival (the year escapes me), I told him I admired his commitment to defense. “That’s my game,” he said. That was before he scored this beauty to beat the Blackhawks in 2008.

Healthy Scratch:

John Wensink played for my Colorado Rockies, but I don’t remember any of his game action. His wild hair and how his tough-guy persona is tempered by his fascination with doll houses (as documented in “Open Net”) means he belongs here.

 

 

Fall 2012 AMHL Championship Week Roundup

Tuesday, December 18

Flyers vs. Penguins

Concord, MA

As Tonawanda (NY) residents watch (via satellite and streaming Internet) the AMHL Tuesday Championship game, referee Peter Bagley announces the return to five-on-five play in the third period. “All even!” he yells to the Flyers and Penguins, the teams tied at two goals.
 

Tonawanda native Mike Moore eludes two Penguins

Bereft of their beloved Buffalo Sabres, the good citizens of Tonawanda are on their feet to watch their native son, AMHL Flyers defenseman Mike Moore. Will Mikey, they wonder, be able to repeat his spectacular performance in the 2012 Summer Championship?

Moore played his youth hockey way back when Brighton Arena (where he says “the Moore brothers never learned how to backcheck”) didn’t have a roof. He later attended Kenmore East High School (2011-2012 Division II state hockey champs) and worked at Ted’s (Mike recommends the footlong  dog, toasted bun, with everything on it.)

Fast forward to Overtime, the Flyers and Penguins still tied, 2 –2. 

Moore strides forward—skating right to left across your AMHL Internet— cradling the puck and circumnavigating would-be defenders. A left-handed shooter, he arrives in enemy territory and skates below the right face-off circle. Backhand…goal!

Sweet victory for the Flyers, who win the donut-studded Koffey Cup, and fans in Upstate New York, who “head to Ted’s” (and then Paula’s Donuts).

Wednesday, December 19 
Sharks vs. Sabres
Concord, MA

Mike Moore doesn’t play on Wednesdays, but Tonawanderers have traversed the Internet again in search of Sabres hockey. They find the AMHL Wednesday Sabres, who eked out a penalty-filled 2 –1 victory last week against the Rangers, struggling to land shots on Sharks netminder Chris Bade. 

The Sharks, who endured a seven-game mid-season losing streak, are riding hot goaltending and a three-game winning streak.

Chris Bade: All the Big Stops

 

Bade watches his offense-generating players, like defenseman Larry Brown, block shots. Up 3–0 in the second period and the Sabres shooting right to left across your Internet connection, Sharks forward  Rob Witty—a goal-per-game guy—takes one for the team.

In the third period and the Sharks nursing a shut-out, Tony “Sharkie” Psikarakis slides and sweeps the puck from a Sabre’s stick.

The Sabres score twice, though, and Tonawanda is all atwitter.

But Bade and company return to form and put the kibosh on a second celebration in Greater Buffalo. 

Sharkie credits his goalie, saying that Bade “made all the big stops.”

Thursday, December 20
Avalanche vs. Panthers

Concord, MA

Moore is playing on Thursday, for the AMHL  Bruins.  When the folks in Erie County learn Moore is on Rink Two, however, they are not consoled. South Jersey, though, is thrilled to witness one of its own playing for the Koffey Cup.

We join Brent Delehey  and his Panthers against the Avs. Delehey, a Bobby Clark fan if ever there was one, is amped up (after the game, he'll  say his increased intensity may have been caused by the two Aleves he took earlier this morning.) The most likely reason for his elevated compete level is not naproxen but rather that his eldest two sons, Jack and Kevin, are home from college.

The boys watch, from the stands behind the goal in the west end, as their dad wreaks havoc on the Avs.  Delehey is credited with two goals in the first period, and the Panthers lead, 5–3, in the second stanza.


Delehey shoves an Av in front of the players’ bench.  Merry Christmas from Bobby Clark.

“Geez,” one of the boys says as their feisty father skates to the sin bin, “Dad really took that guy out.”

The Panthers kill the penalty, and Delehey (whose nickname in college was “Brr”) is a free man.

Panthers Center Brent Delehey: Channeling His Inner Bobby Clark

To the third period, the Panthers ahead  5–4 and skating far end to near end, Brr plants himself in front of the Avalanche’s crease.  Teammate Paul Nelson shoots. Jack and Kevin watch as the puck deflects off their dad’s skate—and then trickles… over the goal line.

The college kids rise to their feet, applauding and hooting.

Delehey glances upward and flashes a wild child-like grin, not yet knowing that he will spend another two minutes in the penalty box, that the Avs would score on the power play…or that Panthers goalie Anthony Bonfiglio will save the day for the Deleheys, the AMHL Panthers, and all those Philly Flyers fans in the Garden  State.

Friday, December 21

Hawks vs. Whalers

Concord, MA

“It wasn’t our season,” says Moore, after yet another consolation game, this time playing for the Kings. The Royals lost last week to the Whalers, who advanced to play the Hawks.

We rewind the championship game to the second period and the Hawks winning, 5–2.  

Mike Travalent, who netted a hat trick last week against the Stars, shoots low and just inside the post to bolster the lead.

“Wear ‘em down, guys,” a Hawks bench jockey bellows, “Wear ‘em down.”

Neither team scores another goal in the second period, but the Hawks—comprised of several Stow (MA) residents,  score three more in the third to win going away, 9–3.

With that, the AMHL media wishes everyone—from Upstate New York to South Jersey to Middlesex County, MA— safe travels, a joyous Christmas, and happy New Year.



AMHL Thursday Champioship: Breaking News

Thursday, August 25 2011
Concord, MA

We interrupt your regularly-scheduled coverage of (insert your East Coast natural disaster here) for this important hockey news:

While some Eastern U.S. residents perform minor clean-up after this week’s earthquake, and New Englanders prepare for a tropical storm, the AMHL Panthers and Avalanche are engaged in a scoreless tie in the championship game.

Anthony Bonfiglio, who led all Thursday AMHL goalies this season in GAA, and Dan Barros, no stranger to Koffey Cup victories, have endured surge after surge of would-be scorers. Stay tuned for updates as we return you to Barry Burbank and the meteorological maps.

The latest spaghetti diagrams indicate the most likely path—hold on, Barry, this just in:

Broadcaster turned blueliner, Ken MacLeod’s shot. From the right point, MacLeod, an award-winning journalist last seen sporting a salmon-colored tie and sitting behind a news desk, now anchors the Panther blueline corps. He has blasted a slapper past Barros. 1–0 Panthers with less than two minutes remaining in the second period. We return you to your local weather-related news coverage.

The eye of the hurricane is approaching—Sorry, Barry. More breaking news from the rink:

MacLeod has done it again. With less than a minute remaining in the second stanza, Kenny, who grew up cheering for Bobby Orr and the Bruins, charged up the right side, charmed his way into the Avalanche zone, skated left through the slot and snapped a low shot to Barros’s left. 2–0 Panthers after two periods.

And now a word from our sponsor: Advertising agency Arnold Worldwide has landed the Boston Bruins account. And marketing maven and Panther forward Paul “Whoa Nellie” Nelson can bear-ly contain his excitement.

And we’re back to the game: In the waning minutes of the third period, Nellie backhands the puck into an empty net. “Good night, Irene,” the early-morning crowd whispers to each other as they anticipate the Panthers victory and the impending Koffey Cup celebration.

The Three Stars, as voted by the media

3. Dan “Gale Force” Barros: Superb goaltending despite the loss
2. Anthony “the Eyewall” Bonfiglio: Splendid season capped with a shutout
1. Ken MacLeod: Award-winning goals (and ties)

Honorable mention:

The Bruins Bear
Weather-tracking technology
Vermont Tourism

AMHL Thursday: Saddle Up

Image courtesy of Appaloosa at Flickr.com

November 20, 2008
Valley Sports, Rink Two
Concord, MA

“Saddle up your horses. We got a trail to blaze…”
-“The Great Adventure,” Steven Curtis Chapman

The Capitals’ locker room smells like a stable. Stench rarely bothers hockey players, but this morning’s stink is so rancorous that defenseman Erik “Sunday Silence” Domingo is taken aback.

Are the 2–9–0–0 Avalanche, this morning’s opponent, playing a prank on the 9–1–0–1 Caps?

Domingo checks the shower floor for road apples but finds nothing that needs to be removed from the premises. The Caps can overcome the toxic tendrils of unknown source, but will the team—without four key players—falter against the Avalanche?

Netminder Kenny “Northern Dancer” Tarr, Forward “Big Ben” Budds, Rob “Funny Cide” Mirak, and Doug “The Black Stallion” Wight, are all out to pasture—at least this morning.

And they’re off, the Capitals trotting left to right across your imaginary racetrack/rink...

...The Avalanche lead 2–1 on goals by Mike “Giacomo” Gardner and Tim “Tim Tam” Turner, but the Capitals pull even when Tom “Champion” Barrett and Tom “Trigger” Hargrave execute a perfect give-‘n’-go, Barrett roofing a shot over Mitch “Ponyboy” Weiss.

Still in the first period, the Capitals score three more goals before Steve “Quick Draw McGraw” Cook, snaps a wrister past Stephanie, “Rags to Riches” Spunt, who was claimed off waiver wires to replace Kenny Tarr.

After one period, it’s 5–3 Capitals.

“It looks like the Bruins last night,” says Hargrave, referencing the hometown team’s first period against the visiting Buffalo Sabres.

Whoa, Nellie. The Avalanche, even without scoring stud Paul “Seldom Seen” Nelson counter with two goals, including one that ricochets off a loose saddle and then drops behind Spunt.

But Mike “Real Quiet” Hansen lopes past an Av defenseman and then beats Weiss like a dusty saddle blanket. No one-trick pony, Hansen scores again and then watches Brent “Sea Biscuit” Delehey beat Weiss high to the blocker side.

After two periods, the Caps lead, 7–4.

“What are you doing?” Spunt asks the Capitals’ lame bench jockey. “Coaching? Statistician…?”

Gatekeeping. And betting on the Caps.

The Avalanche will not quit. They again pull within two lengths on goals from Rich “the Pinto” Perkins and Cook.

But the Avs don’t have the…uh…horses and can’t catch the Caps. 8–6 is your final, equine enthusiasts.

With one game left in the regular season, the Capitals have blazed a trail to first place and—in the Great Adventure known as the AMHL Play-offs—are the odds-on favorite to win the Koffey Cup.

On the Shelf, Part I: Soda Jerk

A lower-mid body injury I incurred two Thursdays ago—with about five minutes left in the game—will keep me on the shelf for I don’t know how long. Could be four weeks or four months. I’m trying to keep upbeat during this downtime, though. Although I won’t be writing anything like “…and this morning, I blocked a shot, finally scored a goal, and ate a donut..,” I hope you’ll enjoy AMHL action from different angles. Plus, I plan to deliver more reviews of hockey books I’ve read and that are literally (because they’re books) on the shelf.

Thursday, September 18
Rink Two

I arrive a little late, so I don’t make it to the Capitals' bench. I watch the first period from behind Avalanche netminder Mitch Weiss. We surrender the first goal but then lead 4–1 at the intermission.

I shuffle to the bench, where I figure I’ll be the gatekeeper. And because a few guys are missing this morning, I’ll do a little one-on-one coaching and player-profiling.

With a 4–2 lead, Mike “MMMBop” Hansen, Rob “Mobile” Mirak, Erik “Nunca el” Domingo, as well as two other teammates for whom I haven’t yet assigned nicknames—Scott Keith and John Field— are on the ice. That leaves only Doug Wight on the bench.

“Can I get you anything?” I ask Wight.

“A frappe.”

A few minutes later, Field takes his turn on the bench.

“Hey,” he says. “Can you tape this?”

I look up from my notes to see him holding his hockey stick, blade up.

“Kidding,” he says.

Add soda jerk and stick boy to my list of duties.

When Mirak sits, I ask him if he needs anything.

“No. I’m good.”

And he is. He and Hansen each are credited with four points in our 6–4 victory.

Tune in next week, when I’ll have hockey tape, if not a frappe maker.

Katie's Fight

Nine hundred thousand is a nice number if it’s your NHL salary.

For Katie Thomas, a Colorado Avalanche season-ticket holder, that dollar amount is a nightmare. The thirty-three year-old single mom, who in 2007 was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, said the cost of her clinical trial, which is not covered by her health insurance, is approaching that figure.

Thursday night, Katie sounded cheerful talking about hockey (and donuts) but admitted that the trial treatment, which was necessary because traditional treatment wasn’t effective, saps her strength.

“I’ve lost considerable weight,” she said. (The treatment) weakens my bone structure.”

But Katie hasn’t lost hope—hope that she’ll recover sufficiently to skate with her nine-year-old daughter at Big Bear Ice Arena in Aurora, CO or maybe return to playing pick-up hockey with her nephews.

“I’ll need a good year after I’m declared in remission to skate again,” she said.

Until then, she’ll endure the treatments, watch her daughter skate, and root for Milan Hejduk—her favorite player because he’s under-rated—and the Avalanche.

The NHL is helping Katie with medical expenses by donating funds raised at an online auction, where you can bid on rare autographed sports memorabilia—from hockey sweaters to pictures to pucks. Items signed by members of the Miracle on Ice, Phil Kessel, and Ray Bourque are up for grabs. Items signed by Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky and other greats are also available. The bidding ends on Thursday, August 7th.

As the spirit moves you, please consider bidding or a donating directly to Katie’s fund.

With your help, Katie will sleep more soundly.

Celtic Pride

Kate fallon (goalie, pictured right): Will the lassie lead the Sharks to another championship?

In Celtic Pride (1996), Bostonians and best friends Mike O’Hara (Daniel Stern) and Jimmy Flaherty (Dan Aykroyd) are hockey fans (remember the scene where Jimmy is watching the Bruins on TV?). That’s right, hockey fans.

Sure, the movie was about the buddies’ obsession with the hometown team sporting the shamrock; but when Mike and Jimmy come down from the high triggered by the Celtics’ championship and ensuing celebrations, the two boyos will be ready to appear in Celtic Pride 2.

You see, Jimmy and Mike will become AMHL fans.

The two blue collar lads will love everyone’s favorite morning hockey (and donut) league because it’s rich with Celtic connections. From Tuesday to Thursday, AMHL rosters have been rooted in Irish heritage.

The Doyle brothers, Brendan and Jeremy, enjoy a cult-like following from Concord to County Cork. The two Flyers may well hoist the Koffey Cup again, as they did last season for the Leafs.

The Leafs will wallow in last place unless they can recruit a player with a surname such as Mahoney or Mahony. Peter Mahoney, who retired from the league several seasons ago, set a record for assists in a game, has not yet been contacted by Leafs management. Meanwhile, Bill Mahony, may be too busy chasing his kids around this summer to play hockey. Nonetheless, Billy’s agent is working the phones, trying to design an incentive-packed deal for his client.

The Blues’ Ryan O’Connor (not to be confused with the Barrie Colts’ sixth-round draft pick) leads all AMHL rookies in scoring. Teammate John Sweeney, in his second season, has already doubled his goal production from the last campaign.

“Penguin Pat” Obrien is making a comeback. The feisty Irishman scored three points in his first game in more than a year. His goalie, the unorthodox Brian Monahan, leads the league is poke checks and pucks deflected out of play. And Jeff Quinn, if his statistics are any indication of his potential, will continue to improve.

On Wednesday’s, Tim Donahue—last season’s MVP—has already lit the lamp nine times (and assisted on nine goals) for the Canadiens. Good luck trying to stop him.

Kate Fallon, who backstopped the Sharks to a championship last season, has a 2.66 GAA for the Teal Tiburones. Bobby Kilkenny can play nets if needed, but Stow’s (MA) favorite celebrity is blossoming into a point-producing prodigy. The CPA-by-day has been putting up big numbers this season.

Kevin Lyons, an unheralded Sabre defenseman, is best at putting out fires—in and around Acton and in the creases at Valley Sports Arenas.

On Thursdays, Paul Connors, the ever-steady and heady blue liner, has commanded the Caps to 5–0–1–0 record.

Mike Kennedy, City Sport’s CEO and de facto Avalanche captain, will make a new name for the Kennedy clan. “K” was out of commission last season with a tennis-related injury; but in his first game back, the venerable defenseman scored a highlight-reel goal (against his own goalie). Other than that blunder, Kennedy has returned to form: no goals, one assist, but lots of no-panic play, effective passing, and legendary leadership.

The Bruins, like the Leafs on Wednesday, are winless and hoping AMHL management will trade an AMHLer with obvious Irish ancestry to the hapless clubs.

And let’s not forget the Panthers. With the versatile and quick-witted Kevin “Hungry Hill” Reilly, time-tested Tommy Barrett, and yours truly, we’re a good bet to win the championship.

We’ll make fast friends with Mike O’Hara and Jimmy Flaherty, too.

AMHL Thursday Championship: On a Mission

Thursday May 9, 2008
Concord, MA

Avalanche sharpshooter and co-author of Business Plans that Work, Andrew “Zach” Zacharakis is presumably teaching entrepreneurial theory somewhere—who knows exactly—maybe China, maybe Chile. Teammate Bill Chioffi postulates another theory.

In the locker room before our game against the Capitals, Chioffi jokes that Zach is an assassin posing as a professor.

Regardless of Zach’s true operation, he’ll miss the championship. We’ll miss the way he plays with reckless abandon, but we’re focusing on our own mission: Win the Koffey Cup!

Our goalie, Nova Scotia native and KISS fan extraordinaire, Kenny Tarr tells us to steer clear of his puck-stopping counterpart’s glove.

Skating right to left across the Internet, we Avalanche are rolling. Losier has won the opening face-off back to me. I pass it to left wing Scott Kessler. He pushes it over the blue line. The Caps clear the puck but gift-wrap it to Tom Hargrave. The former Clarkson University player enters the zone, goes around a defenseman, and scores on Steve Scansaroli.

We’re still leading 1–0 midway through the first. A capital forward beats me to the puck in the high slot. He shoots low stick side, but Tarr kicks out his right leg, directing the puck to the near boards.

Avalanche all-purpose man and java aficionado, Mike “Mr. Coffee” DeLeo, is flying today. The mild-mannered defenseman who downs a cup of Dunkin’ Donuts divine brew before every game, is filling in for Zach at forward. DeLeo is all alone and shoots on Scans. "'Roli the Goalie" falls to his knees, trapping the puck in his midsection.

“I’d fire (DeLeo) right now.” Prime time referee and part-time color commentator Peter Bagley says to us on the Avalanche bench.

Five minutes later, DeLeo has a shot at redemption and makes the most of it.

When DeLeo scores his second goal to give us a 3–0 lead, Chioffi says to me, “I believe that’s another blocker-side goal.”

We’re sticking to the scouting report and focusing on the mission, cashing in on our chances and playing solid in all zones. And when the Caps get a rare scoring opportunity, Kenny takes care of business.

Now in the second period, the puck is loose in our zone. Tarr beats Ben “Ear” Budds, the kangaroo quick Cap forward, to it, though.

Back the other way—skating right to left now across your Internet Explorer—we lose the puck in the offensive zone. The Caps attempt to clear it past the right point, where I’m cemented. I keep it in the zone once…twice…the puck is in the right corner. The diminutive Scott Harvey settles the puck and then centers a big-time pass to DeLeo. Bing, bang, boom.

“Mikey,” Bagley says, “That’s a hat trick you know, baby. (Go back) on D!

No need. Doug Wight, Scott Keith, Chioffi and I are all set.

Cap power forward and former Bowdoin College defenseman “Polar” Paul Nelson charges over the blue line. Between the face-off circles, the tall and talented forward winds up and then blasts the puck into my thigh pad. A blocked shot is as good as a goal for me.

But the Caps keep coming. Mirak scores with 5:30 left in the second stanza. Down 4–1, Bagley is hopeful Mirak and his minions can mount a comeback.

“It’s just the beginning,” Bags says as he records the goal. “I tell ya.”

“Beginning of the end,” an anonymous Avalanche corrects the affable arbiter.

In the third, period, the mission is all but complete. We’re up 6–1, and DeLeo breaks free with the puck. He ignores the scouting report and shoots glove side. The puck hits the top of Scansaroli’s catching mitt and then falls behind the forlorn netminder.

The Caps counter with a late goal, but 7–2 is as close as they’ll get.

Somewhere on one of the seven continents, Zach—his own mission perhaps accomplished—may be wondering if we’ve won without him.

Front row, left to right: Scott Kessler, Scott Harvey, Kenny Tarr, Mike DeLeo, Dave Losier

Middle Row: KC (Koffey Cup)

Back Row, left to right: Scott Keith, Jimmy Dwyer, Chad Mikkelson, Doug Wight, Bill Chioffi, Tom Hargrave

AMHL Thursday: Going Green

Image courtesy of Fernando at Flickr.com

Thursday, May 1st, 2008

The AMHL Photographer and I share a small SUV. It’s the least we can do to make our planet greener. She drives us to Concord Valley Sports while I contemplate—between conversations—my first round play-off game against the Bruins.

Avalanche teammates, greenhorns Scott Kessler (2g, 1a) and Tom Hargrave (3g, 1a) (Hey rooks, update your profile pages) lead us to the Koffey Cup Finals. A 9–3 victory over the Bruins pits us against next week’s opponent, the Capitals. The Caps have defeated Chris Howell’s Panthers, 5–1.

Howell is my chauffeur this week, but he’s over the loss. Still in the parking lot, Howell tells me it’s Kermit the Frog month.

What?

He reminds me of the calendar my wife designed, produced, and then gave to a select few kindred spirits like me and the AMHL’s original director or donut procurement. May’s picture, which I’ll see again when I get to work, is of a svelte felt bendable amphibian: Kermit is chumming up to a Dunkin’ Donuts Blueberry, his right elbow resting upon the glazed prize (Mike Schneider’s favorite).

Howell says he is afraid to ask why I own a Kermit doll.

Kermie and I are tight, so I sing in a voice that my family has told me sounds exactly like my favorite Muppet. “Piggy, Piggy, Piggy, can’t you see? “Can’t you see the way you hypnotize me?”
Chris is alarmed but still laughs as he exits the parking lot. National Public Radio’s broadcast—Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are ready to drop the gloves—prompts a change of topic.

Howell and I talk politics. Gas prices and energy conservation efforts: Is going green as simple as supply and demand? We engage in a lively discussion and by drive’s end, we’re ready to tackle, together, our nation’s problems.

“Do you want president or vice president?” I ask him as I exit his pick-up truck.

Chris doesn’t want to work, so he’d take the vice-presidency.

Uh-oh! If there’s a crisis on a Thursday morning, say between 6:00 and 8:30 a.m., I’ll be too busy with hockey. Kermit the Frog may as well be your president.

Short Shifts: Here's to U

Driving home from another trip to CanadAmerica, I hear on WBZ radio that Boston College beat Notre Dame, 4–1 to win the 2008 NCAA Division I Championship. Gerbe and the gang weren’t the only Eagles on ice this week. So in honor of BC (and a few other Boston-based schools, and one in upstate New York), here’s to U.

Tuesday morning, BC alumni Kate Mikkelson, Erin Tullock, and Mike Chase (posing here as a lumberjack) wore not maroon and gold but blue and white—for the AMHL Blues. The trio defeated Mike Evans (another BC alumnus among us) and the Leafs 6–1.

Wednesday, the Sharks’ Andy Hayes and the Sabres’ Jonathon Corke (teammates at Clark University), played against each other. Corke’s teammate, Stephen “Whoa Nellie” Antonelli (alma mater unknown, but you can ask him; he loves fan mail) scored the game-winner. “It was an ugly backhander,” Antonelli would say after the game, “that scooted inside the pipe.”

Thursday, MIT’s Chad Mikkelson scored two goals for the Avalanche. Tied at two in OT with the Caps, fellow Av Tom “Last Train to Clarkson” Hargrave—slapped a shot toward the Capitals’ goal. An Av tipped the puck over the goal line—just after the buzzer (or so said referee and BC alumnus Peter Bagley).

Zeroes and Heroes

Zero: the number of…

-Face-offs I lost on Thursday morning

-Points I’ve scored this season

-Times the NHL Bruins have beaten the Canadiens this season

-Trans-fat calories in the Bruins Donut I’ll eat later today

Heroes:

-Mark Flinkstrom, who scored his first two AMHL goals

-Bobby Orr, who turned 60

-Kenny Tarr, who thwarted four breakaways

-Chad Mikkelson who scored the game-winner in OT

-Pete Anastos, Scott Arnold, Pete Bagley, Brent Delehey, Dave Losier, and Aaron Sherman, who sponsored the breakfast extravaganza

-And John Scott, who passed away this week. John, who was born and raised in Wakefield, MA, was my teammate more than twenty years ago, when we played in the Fort Collins Adult Hockey Association. I remember him because I don’t think he ever sharpened his skates; because he was a great two-way player and teammate; because he was congenial and kind. I’m sure he wasn’t perfect, but he’s still a hero—and not just because he was Vietnam Vet—to many who played with him.

AMHL Thursday: Wings

“What’s on your iPod?” George Morton asks me on the drive from Concord Valley Sports to Maynard (MA).

Clapton? Meat Loaf? The Beatles?

I don’t tell George about Alberta's Paul Brandt, whose song “I’m Gonna Fly” was stuck in my head thirty minutes before my game against Aaron Sherman and the Bruins.

Early in the first period a Bruins’ defenseman fell down near center ice. Avalanche left wing Scott Harvey snared the loose puck and flew past the D-man.

Breakaway…score!

But then Sherman took control. He snuck up the middle on breakaways and waited for pucks to ping-pong right to him—just before he would tuck them past or slap them over my goalie..

With less than five minutes in the game, the Bruins were looking like the Red Wings. They led 8–2, but Sherman’s squad showed no mercy.

Brent Delehey had the puck in his own zone, scanning the ice for break-out options. His left-winger was along the boards, fewer than five feet in front of me and about a foot to my right. I was poised to intercept a pass if he angled toward center, so instead he charged straight ahead.

Because Aaron Sherman was scoring points like he was Kevin Garnett, I figured I’d draw the charging foul. I was conflicted about playing the body in a no-check league, but I couldn’t help myself.

I planted myself in his path. Wham!

Sherm flattened me. The ref blew his whistle and then ordered both of us to serve two minutes.

Aaron argued. Loudly. Make that four minutes for the Sherminator.

Forty-five minutes later, in the donut room, I placed my right arm on his back and my hand on his shoulder. “I love you, man.” (Translation: Do you forgive me?)

“Jimmy,” he says is a soft tone, “You drive me insane.” (Translation: It’s hockey, so you’re forgiven.)

George Morton isn’t so magnanimous when I tell him what’s on my iPod.

Gloria Estefan. A little country and a little rock ‘n’ roll but no Donnie and Marie. Anne Murray.

I grab my hockey gear from the back of his Subaru and sing, “Could I have this dance for the rest of my life…”

He laughs, not knowing that ten minutes later, as I walk to work Annie’s, “Snowbird” (duet with Sarah Brightman) is streaming into my ear buds.

“Spread your tiny wings and fly away…”

Perfect. I play it again so it might be stuck in my head all day.

AMHL Rewind: Best of Three

Steve Scansaroli and Kenny “KISS Fan” Tarr are peas in a pod. Both are goalies. Both work from home. They live close to each other, so they carpool to the rink. And this past week, they’ve played against each other three times.

Last Saturday night, in the annual Jimmy Dwyer Birthday Skate, Scans and Kenny played three thirty-minute periods. They played well—Kenny perhaps a little stronger in nets for the first two periods—but each was eventually humbled because this reporter scored breakaway goals on each.

By Thursday morning, Scans—filling in for Mike Chase in the Panthers’ crease—and Kenny had recovered. Kenny’s Avalanche overwhelmed the Panthers in the third period and won 8–3.

But let’s rewind this week to Tuesday morning, when Scans’s Penguins faced Kenny’s Blues. This game was the best of the three.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Rink Two

When Mike Chase—not in action for the Blues because his first radiation treatment to thwart melanoma is this afternoon—enters Valley Sports Arena a few minutes into the game; he has no idea that history is in the making.

The Blues, skating left to right across your streaming imagination, and Penguins cannot put a single puck past either goaltender. At the first intermission, players from both teams skate across the rink to the penalty box. Chase, in his sweat suit and BC Eagles baseball style cap, stands strong and greets his concerned but playful well-wishers from his vantage point in the sin bin. (Mike is no stranger to these parts: 76 career penalty minutes).

Scansaroli and Tarr take their places for the second stanza. The sounds of hockey permeate the air: titanium blades digging into ice, composite sticks whacking vulcanized rubber, the oohs and aahs as Scans and Kenny stop shot after shot.

In the third period, neither team has scored when the Blues’ “Peterborough Pete” Kokas, stands in front of Scans, waiting for a pass from the corner. Kokas corrals the puck, and then fakes a shot. Scans drops into a butterfly. Kokas fires—and you can imagine NESN announcer Jack Edwards say, “Kick save by Scans!”

“I thought for sure he was scoring,” Scans will write via e-mail the next day. He’ll also say he had been struggling with new leg pads. He was strapping them too tightly.

But now he feels “comfy” with them loose.

In OT, the two friends are still courting a shutout.

Scans squares to the Blues’ Mike DeLeo, who charges in on a breakaway bid. DeLeo snaps a shot high glove side. Scans stretches his left hand to snare the would-be game-winning goal.

The Penguins on the bench go wild!

Later in OT, the Pens’ game-breaker, Kevin MacDonald, rushes in on Tarr.

Tarr will describe the action via e-mail on Wednesday morning. “Scans had just made yet another HUGE save to keep the game from ending and the puck ended up on the Pens blue line on Kevin MacDonald's stick with a head of steam already. He came flying in dead center. I came WAY out to challenge and started backing up as fast as I could go. He deeked around me and I sprawled my legs and slid backwards just enough to catch the puck with the bottom of the pad. As if that wasn't enough, the (expletive deleted) takes the rebound, circles around for more! I make that save high right shoulder and smother the rebound for the whistle. (Fifty) seconds later, history was made.”

The first scoreless tie in the AMHL’s ten-year history.

“I think that just maybe the presence of Mike Chase looking so good and in such great spirits may have had a little something to do with this,” says Tarr.

AMHL Thursday: Obeying Orders

Thursday February 21, 2008

"No talking to the media," Dave "Mr. Hockey" Losier tells us after our 7–4 victory over the Bruins.

Our captain doesn’t want our egos to inflate as we tell the hockey world about the Avalanche’s 6–1–1 record. With five games remaining in the regular season, we lead the Panthers by three points; Losier doesn’t want us to get too cocky. He doesn’t want to read about us in the paper.

“Too late,” I reply.

I spoke with a legitimate member of the media last week but not about the Avalanche per se. Melissa Reiner interviewed me and two other AMHlers—Stow’s Bobby Kilkenny and Paul Anastas—for The Stow Independent’s piece about our league.

Losier orders me to post Reiner’s story. When Mr. Hockey issues a command, I obey. Even if he contradicts himself.

So here's the text (with permission from The Stow Independent).

February 20, 2008
By Melissa Reiner

It’s 5:51 a.m. on Tuesday and Bob Kilkenny’s alarm clock is sounding. He’s been awake for awhile, thinking about the cup of joe he’ll enjoy after an early-morning workout at Valley Sports in Concord. It’s not that the coffee is that good. Actually, it’s average at best. But it’s the hockey that keeps him coming back.

Twice a week Kilkenny arrives at the rink just after six o’clock – sometimes still in his pajamas – and by 6:30, he and about a dozen others take to the ice for a friendly game of five-on-five. Members of the A.M. (as in early-morning) Hockey League, they’re part of a growing number of local hockey groupies who are willing to gather in the wee hours of the morning – and night – to play a sport they’re as addicted to as that daily jolt of caffeine.

“We’re old men… we never get primo ice time,” laughed Kilkenny, 41, one of several Stow players in the 18-and-over adult league. “The alternative is to play at 11 o’clock at night. But then again, I would do just about anything to play hockey.”

He’s not alone. The AMHL, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, has enough players – women included – to fill 12 teams that play on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings throughout the year. (Plans for a Friday session are currently in the works.) Fairness in the league is paramount: Trades are allowed if a team is unfairly stacked with talent, and all teams make the playoffs. The champion is awarded the aptly-named “Koffey Cup” trophy.

Kilkenny, who laced up his first pair of blades as a five-year-old growing up in Maynard, skates Tuesdays and Wednesdays before heading to his day job straight from the rink. “Most guys bring their work clothes to the locker room and shower there,” he said. “We do it to get out, get some exercise and to have fun.”

But mostly they do it for the coffee, crullers and conversation that have become a morning ritual after every game. “The coffee is pretty horrible,” said Kilkenny, “but all week long I look forward to it.”

Jim Dwyer of Maynard plays every Thursday and carpools to work with his goalie. He looks forward to his post-game walnut crunch and chocolate frosted donuts almost as much as donning his Avalanche jersey each week. “I think about other things, but hockey and donuts are never far from my mind,” he said.

Dwyer, formerly of Stow, is so passionate about amateur hockey that he’s currently penning a book about his experiences. “AMHL Glory: A Passion for Morning Hockey (and Donuts)” is nearly complete and awaiting publication. “It started out being about the league,” said Dwyer, 44, “but the more I started writing, it turned into my hockey memoir.”

In the book, Dwyer reminisces about everything from lacing up his first pair of skates to bonding over Rangers’ games with his father. He says hockey is enmeshed in the culture of New England. “There are a lot of knowledgeable hockey people here,” he said, “partly because of (former Boston Bruins’ defenseman) Bobby Orr. For a lot of people, he was their favorite player growing up.”

Stow resident Paul Anastas still bleeds black and gold. “I think every kid in New England played street hockey and watched the Bruins growing up,” said Anastas, 44, who moonlights for the Wednesday morning Sabres in the AMHL.

A late-bloomer by hockey standards, Anastas was a wrestler who didn’t pick up a stick until age 26. “For me, one of the reasons I play is the camaraderie and the bond that the guys share,” he said. “But there’s also something special about the game. It’s unlike any sport I’ve ever played.”

Anastas has helped organized the first all-Stow team to participate in this spring’s Chowder Cup Adult Hockey Tournament April 23-27th in Marlboro. Their moniker? The aptly-named Stow Brewins.

Now, can somebody pass the butternut crunch donuts, please?

Muscial Montage

Saturday, February 16, 2008

I’ve missed the Dunkin’ Donuts Musical Montage—the between-period, set-to-music Bruins’ highlight reel—tonight but won’t miss the final frame, when I expect the Bs to sustain or increase their 2–1 lead over the Leafs in Toronto.

While I wait for the third period to commence, I present a soundtrack for the last few days. Rewind to Thursday morning: As my Avalanche teammates prepared for the third period against the Capitals, my defensive partner pounded the metal support column, painted white, to his right.

“Bodies on the floor. Bodies on the floor,” Bill Chioffi chanted in his best monster truck rally voice, repeating the lines from some heavy metal song (he thinks it’s Metallica, but I can't verify that. Anyone?) as he pounded out the beat.

I don’t know if Chioffi’s charades pumped up Andy “Zach” Zacharakis, but the goggled warrior scored a late goal to give us a 5–4 victory. This pleased our goalie, Kenny “KISS Fan” Tarr because if the game had gone into OT and the Panthers had scored, Kenny’s GAA would have taken a hit.

Kenny and his wife sat in Section L at Conte Forum at Boston College on Friday night. My wife and I sat a few rows back. The Eagles struggled against the underdog UMass Lowell River Hawks, but BC’s pep band tried to jack up the home team and its fans with Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” and the Sport Chant Remix in Zombie Nation’s “Kernkraft 400”. Neither the band nor the person who selects music for the PA system chose KISS, but Kenny was content with AC/DC.

And I was happy to tap my toes to a tune by Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine as Baldwin the Eagle (or was it Baldwin Jr. ?) skated around the rink, chucking sponge pucks into the crowds of kids gathered behind the Plexiglas. The youngsters were ultimately disappointed because the Eagles succumbed to the River Hawks, 1–3.

Saturday morning, I opened the CD my wife had bought for me, Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends. I read the inserted booklet containing the stories behind the songs—from “Danny’s Song” to “Si Jamais Je Te Revois” (If I Ever See You Again), sung with the likes of Martina McBride and Isabelle Boulay —all the while thinking about Glen Murray, who like Anne, is from Nova Scotia. What’s his favorite song by Anne Murray? “Daydream Believer” or “Snowbird”?

Muzz scored a goal against the Leafs, but the Bs bungle a 2–1 lead in third and then lose in OT. My quick-thinking wife changes the channel before the last Bruin exits the ice. We watch the last half of Miracle, and I enjoy the goose pimples I get when Eruzione scores his goal and then does his dance. After the victory over Finland and then the gold medal ceremony, I read the where-are-they-now updates flashing on the tube as Aerosmith’s “Dream On” stokes my core.

AMHL Thursday: Crunch Time

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Fresh off a 3–3 tie with the Panthers, I join my Avalanche teammate Doug Wight in the donut room.

The usual finger food fare—donuts, Munchkins, bagels—is accompanied by a Louisiana Crunch Cake, which Entenmanns describes as “a crunchy, nutty southern sensation with a decadent coconut glaze.”

“Watch out for the crawdads,” Doug says.

Dave “Mr. Hockey” Losier, who scored a late goal for us to send the game into OT, asks me who’s the only NHL player born in Louisiana.

I have no idea. I don’t think Dave does either; he’s making it up.

Or is he?

Saturday, February 09, 2008

After scouring the Internet, I can’t find a single mention of an NHler, past of present, born in the Pelican State. But that’s not because hockey’s not big in Cajun country.

Some minor league teams have come and—BAM!—gone: the New Orleans Brass, the Baton Rouge Kingfish, and the Louisiana IceGators. But the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs are still alive and well.

In fact, when it has come to crunch time, the Mudbugs (slang for crayfish, crawfish, or crawdad) have crushed the competition. They’ve won a few cups since they were founded in 1997—much like what the AMHL Avalanche intend to do this season, even if no cake (or donut) will be named in our honor if we win the Koffey Cup.

AMHL Championship Week: On the Juice, Part Two

From Part I

December 20, 2007

Adam “Donut Meister Meister Donut” Berger watches me pour orange juice, an AMHL post-game staple (as are the donuts), from the gallon jug into a flimsy plastic cup. I spill the sticky stuff on the counter, and it drips onto the floor. Thursday’s donut meister, who’s also responsible for clean-up, shakes his head.

Berger has a mess on his hands.

And it’s not just the pool of pulp that I’ve presented him. Innuendo about another juice, the kind that has made AMHLers wonder how an athlete like Adam enhances his performance…

…Adam decided not to play on Wednesdays, so he didn’t witness the Rangers overcome a 4–1 deficit to beat the Canadiens, 7–6; he didn’t see Mick Bain (pictured above, third from right) net the game-winner, and he didn’t hear Habs’ superstar Billy Whynot say, “The saves Heather (Rangers’ goalie Heather Wright) were phenomenal.”

Nope, Berger wasn’t there because he was too busy resting from the rigors of Tuesday hockey. In addition to his AMHL games on Tuesdays and Thursdays and his Sunday morning pick-up sessions at Valley Sports Arena, Berger often plays on Tuesday nights. That’s when he hones, with help from hardcore hockey players from the Heartland of Hockey, his self-ascribed marginal skills. Several skaters, who’ve migrated from New Brunswick to Massachusetts, are happy to help Adam improve his game.

The tutoring from the Canadian crowd, coupled with the time Adam spends skating solo—before his AMHL brethren or Sunday skaters join him—have made all the difference this season.

Berger (far left, back row) didn’t score this morning—Mike DeLeo, Mike Hansen, Kevin Leverone, and Brion Bickerton provided the firepower—but Adam’s Avalanche upset the first-place Bruins on Rink One.

Back in the donut room, Berger watches me address the mess. I dab napkins on the puddles of juice. I think everything is clean, just like Berger’s system.

AMHL Championship Week: On the Juice, Part One

Pour a glass of OJ and then enjoy your beverage with the penultimate story from 2007.

December 20, 2007

Adam “Donut Meister Meister Donut” Berger watches me pour orange juice, an AMHL post-game staple (as are the donuts), from the gallon jug into a flimsy plastic cup. I spill the sticky stuff on the counter, and it drips onto the floor. Thursday’s donut meister, who’s also responsible for clean-up, shakes his head.

Berger has a mess on his hands.

And it’s not just the pool of pulp that I’ve presented him. Innuendo about another juice, the kind that has made AMHLers wonder how an athlete like Adam enhances his performance.

The hockey universe has noted Berger’s breakout season. He not only registered a career-high seventeen points (6G + 11A) while playing for the Tuesday Penguins and Thursday Avalanche, but he trimmed last season’s penalty minutes from twenty-two to ten. Both the Pens and Avs advanced to the AMHL Finals, too.

To address his fans and foes, Berger issued a press release the week before AMHL Championship Week.

“…While there have been many questions and considerable ill-founded rumors given my recent record setting performance, I will continue to deny that I have been involved with performance enhancing drugs. The Federal Express packages that were sent to my house did not contain human growth hormones, but actually my high blood pressure medication. Further, the so called documents that supposedly linked me to the former major league strength coach, Brian McNamee, [were] actually my AARP benefits package…”

The following Tuesday morning, the fifty-something spectacle scored—a perfect pass from Steve Nicole that Berger pushed past Blues’ goalie Ken Tarr—prompting Adam’s detractors to whisper the "j" word. Then, they claimed the defenseman-turned-forward’s positioning on a face-off in the third period as further evidence of cheating.

Lined-up at right wing on a face-off in his own zone, Berger inched over the line separating him from the Blues’ left-winger. The official nodded Berger back into position—twice—before the much-maligned AMHLer complied.

Berger’s Penguins would succumb to the Blues (pictured above), 4–5, but the questions about his enhanced performance (like that mess I created in the AMHL donut room) will persist…until I post Part Two.

Special Report: Energy on Ice

December 2, 2007

Raymond Bourque, Valeri Kamensky, and Igor Larionov: these names are engraved on the Stanley Cup that greets hockey fans here at The Edge Sports Center in Bedford, Massachusetts.

The talented triumvirate and a host of other prominent players are here tonight at the brand new arena to raise awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer, USA Hockey, Toys for Tots, and Colonel Daniel Marr Boys & Girls Foundation. The contingent of North American and Russian players is here to foster friendship and bolster business relationships, too. And they’re here because they still love to play hard; they still crave competition, especially when a Cup is on the line. Not that cherished chalice in the lobby but rather the AspenTech Cup.

Never heard of it? A little background while the standing-room-only crowd watches the Zamboni work its magic and the players put on their game faces.

Bourque will wear green and gold for Aspen Technology, a company that helps process manufacturers transform the way they design and run their operations. His teammates include former Bruins Don Sweeney, Ted Crowley and Marty McInnis; joining them are Bob Sweeney and Scott Young, who both once called Valley Sports Arena in nearby Concord their home ice. Also eager to play for the AspenTech All-Stars are Harvard’s Hobey Baker winners: Lane MacDonald and the Fusco brothers, Mark (now CEO at Aspen Technology) and Scott (now General Manager of The Edge Sports Arena) are hoping to do Harvard—and North America—proud.

Kamensky will sport a blue sweater with and edgy design for Gazprom Export, the world’s leading exporter of natural gas. His comrades include Sergei Starikov, Ravil Yakubov, and Maxim Mikhaylovskiy. All played in the NHL and/or in the minors as well as in their native Russia. Add to mix former Spartak players, such as head coach and defenseman Sergey Makarov and right wing Evgeny Chizhmin, who averaged just shy of a point per game last season with Team Gazprom.

And Larionov?

Team AspenTech acquired his rights when the stalwart center, born forty-seven years ago tomorrow, decided to work for Aspen Technology.

How does it feel to play for the Green and Gold?

“Feels good, actually,” Larionov says, smiling as he exits the locker room for the pre-game skate.

“At least give us someone who can pass,” jokes a new teammate.

Larionov, who won three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings and posted 475 career assists, is an adroit passer. But he’s not amused as the first period closes. The scoreboard shows :46.7 when Kamensky scores on former Rensselear Polytechnic Institute goalie Bobby Farrelly. (Yep, flick fans, the director of Dumb and Dumber, Fever Pitch, and The Heartbreak Kid is no ringer, but he’s no slouch either.) Kamensky’s wrist shot from the far circle is the only one to beat Number 00, and it prompts the sound system’s operator to play the Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out.”

Farrelly’s counterpart, Mikhaylovskiy, meanwhile, has closed the door on would-be scorers.

Referee Paul Stewart assesses the first period, “You can see the level of play, even with some rust. It’s important for kids to see how good these guys are…the prime thing is that they can all skate, shoot quick…the puck never gets tired.”

When Chizhmin scores on a two-on-one two minutes into the second period, Gazprom lengthens the lead to 2–0.

More music, this time a classical piece by John Williams.

“Hey, Star Wars!” a kid recognizes the score from a movie first released three decades ago.

AspenTech continues to battle, scoring at 6:59 to cut the deficit, but Igor Romashin counters for Gazprom. Bobby Carpenter scores on a wrist shot from the point but then Chizhimin scores on a penalty shot with less than two minutes remaining in the second period to stake Gazprom to a 4–2 lead.

“(Those) boys can move,” comments one fan to another between periods.

The third period provides the crowd more fervent action. Gazprom’s empty-net goal secures a 5–3 victory but also may bolster the AspenTech All-Stars’ commitment to practice more often; chances are they’ll face Team Gazprom here again next year.

“We hope that this will be an annual event,” Scott Fusco comments via e-mail. He adds, “I think Gazprom won because they play together three times per week and have an extensive game schedule together whereas we play probably once per week in separate pickup situations. This makes it tough to finish as we should.”

Even so, you can bet your last dollar (or ruble) on this: The next time they play, Bourque, Kamensky, Larionov, and company will provide fans lots of energy on ice.