Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Snakes and Ladders 2015 Hockey
To refresh your memory: Snakes and
Ladders was the wonderful board game of your youth. You rolled the dice, and
moved your piece on the board. With good fortune, you would avoid the snakes.
If you landed on a snake, you could go from almost winning to definitely
losing. The ladders helped. You could climb your way to the next level.
Carefully.
Such is the nature of hockey in the
minor professional leagues. We are back in Fort Myers, not too far from the
Germain Arena, home of the Florida Everblades. The Blades play in the Eastern Conference
of the ECHL along with nine other teams. Five teams are located in the south
east, the others in the north east. There is also a Western Conference
consisting of 11 teams, from California to Alaska.
Most of the teams in the league have
affiliation with American Hockey League teams, and NHL teams. The Everblades
align with the Charlotte Checkers and the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, and the
Tampa Bay Lightning and the Carolina Huricanes of the NHL. Some affiliate with one team, some
with none. It is the ultimate goal for every player at the ECHL level to move
up to the AHL, and then to the NHL. Along the way, however, are those snakes
and ladders.
Injuries often get in the way.
Patrick McEachen spent the first few games this season as an observer. The team
carried more defencemen that required, and Patrick was the odd man out. Players
were moved to the AHL, and to other teams, and subsequently, Patrick was
inserted into the lineup. He played well for eight games, then ran into the
injury bug. He has been skating lately, and his return to the lineup is
imminent.
Chris Kushneriuk and Patrick McEachen
Quite often it depends on the
chemistry of the team, and how the coach perceives that chemistry. Some coaches
like to build speedy teams with smaller, highly skilled players. If you are a
gigantic slug, you should look elsewhere for work. But teams cannot rely
entirely on speed. At the ECHL level, all teams must be prepared for physical
play as well. In this regard, the Everblades rely on Tyson Gimblett.
Gimblett began his Junior career with
the Cobourg Cougars of the OPJHL in 2000. He played 45 games, and spent 92
minutes in the penalty box. Tyson stands 6’ 3”, and tips the scales at 215
pounds. I imagine he was a big lad when he started with Cobourg, but he was 15
years old at that time! The following year, he played briefly with St.
Michael’s Buzzers, then moved up to the Majors. He played for Owen Sound and
Saginaw in the OHL before returning to the Georgetown raiders of the OPJHL. He
told me he knew the interior of the DukeDome, intimately. He also spent five
years at the University of Prince Edward Island, with former Dukes Steve Cooke
and Dayne Davis. He is in his third season in Florida.
The ‘Blades are experiencing a banner
season, thus far. They have won 24 games, lost 5 and have 2 shootout losses.
They lead the East Division of their conference. Much of their success can be
attributed to their coach, Greg Poss. Due to his experience and knowledge, he
is able to juggle the lineup for every game. He must make adjustments weekly
for the players he loses to the parent teams. Former Belleville Bull, Alex
Aleardi, was recently called up to the Checkers, leaving a gap in the lineup
After the Game-Why not?
They play the Wheeling Nailers
tonight! It’s the $ 2 drafts, dogs, and wine night. All night long. Bring your
appetite, and your thirst!
James Hurst
January 13, 2015
# posted by James Hurst @ 8:17 AM 
