Monday, January 21, 2019
Swamp Rabbits Come to Town!
The Swamp
Rabbits hail from Greenville, North Carolina. It is just far enough
to be one of those proverbial “extended bus trips in the minors”
that one must endure to move up the ladder to the Big Leagues. It is
almost 700 miles, about a 12 hour trip on the main interstate routes.
League
officials in the ECHL have determined, to curb expenses, that when
the Rabbits come all the way to Fort Myers, they will play more than
one game. In early December, they had a two game series. Last
weekend, they stayed for three games. That gave the team an
opportunity to catch a few rays, play a little beach volleyball, tour
historic sites. They played three games in four nights, Wednesday,
Friday, and Saturday. Considering the nature of the game, that can
lead to nasty play, especially in the final game. The players are not
children; most are the best players from the Canadian Hockey League
or from American Colleges. Some have been sent down for several
reasons from their American Hockey League affiliate. Many of them
have had a cup of coffee in the NHL.
One of the
Swamp Rabbits plying his trade is Austen Brassard. Many of you will
recall Brassard's work with the Belleville Bulls. He spent three and
a half seasons in “The Friendly City”. (Does that moniker still
apply?) He has spent time in the American Hockey League, and has been
a professional hockey player for six years. In a recent conversation,
he told me that he appreciates the opportunity to play. “Last
summer I did construction work with my father. That made me grateful
for the chance to play the kid's game for a pay cheque.”
The
Greenville squad lost the opened last Wednesday night, 7-3. Brassard
chipped in a goal and an assist in the game. On Friday night, the
Swamp Rabbits were skunked 5-0. On Saturday night, The Everblades
showed no mercy, dumping the Rabbits 10-4. Brassard added a goal and
two assists in the losing effort. He stands third in scoring on the
team. He commands a presence in front of the opposition net, a la
Phil Esposito. It was the last time that the Rabbits have had the
pleasure of playing the Blades this year. Pleasure? Wrong choice of
words. They have lost every game.
The
Everblades are now playing in a re-named arena. The Hertz
corporation, with headquarters in this arena, took over the naming
rights this year. They also purchased enough paint to splash a lot of
yellow on the exterior. Traveling south on Route # 75 at Estero, you
won't miss it.
The Blades
are enjoying a remarkable season under third year coach Brad Ralph.
Last week he was named as the head coach for the Eastern Conference
All Stars. His record with the team in that time is an impressive
125-41-16. What makes that even more remarkable is the constant
transition of the team, with players moving up and down, moving from
team to team in the off-season as well. Most of the time, there is
only a handful of players suiting up from the previous year.
Logan Roe is
playing his fourth season for the Everblades. Worth note is that he
was born in Cape Coral, just across the Caloosahatchee River from
Fort Myers. He attended Canisius College before turning pro. There is
an extensive developmental program in this area for young players,
working their way through the ranks of the great game of hockey!
This coming
Sunday, the semi-final games will take place in the NFL: the Rams at
New Orleans, and New England at Kansas City.
James Hurst
January 14,
2019
# posted by James Hurst @ 3:05 PM 
