Loved that AA Minor Pro and a couple times a year in the mid 2000's would get to Kalamazoo or Muskegon to see these two play in their great little old school 4,000 seat arenas. Separated by maybe 50-60 miles the rivalry between the two cities was nasty as the fans could easily make the road trip.

I'm at Muskegon sitting maybe 15 rows up in the middle of the row and the buzzer ends the period. I get up to leave and a 75 yr oldish guy sitting in the aisle seat sticks his leg out as a 75 yr oldish Kalamazoo fan is climbing the steps and tries to trip him. The two go nose to nose and are about to fight when a 75 yr oldish usher comes down and gets in the middle of them.

No blows were thrown but there is no doubt the one old guy tried to trip the other. Saw it clear as day. Every game I saw between these two cities was the same, they despised each other and that filtered down to the ice as the players felt the same way it seemed.

JJ, I'd imagine you understand that rivalry as well. Flint was a part of that triangle but the Kzoo-Muskegon rivalry was at another level.

Left turn ahead:

Reminds me of my college days watching the U of I club team in the late 80's early 90's. Not sure if anyone has been to the U of I Ice Arena, but the seats are above the glass. Literally. If you lean over the rail, your head is over the ice. It would get so loud in there. The rivalry with Iowa State was fantastic and the games were well played. Miss those days of Beat the Chef, trying to get the Zamboni driver to do donuts and yelling obscenities at the opposing team, because they could actually hear you.
- CanOCorn

Back in the day the side glass was really low. The linesman could grab a hold of the top and lift himself off the ice to avoid the puck. You could hear everything on the ice from the lower level. ......Last arena I was in that had that low glass was Flint in the mid 2000's.

Indeed the arenas where the ice is below the 1st row seating has great sight lines and you can hear. Rockford is like that as is The Edge in Bensenville.

Kinda like now, the Chicago fans via the Chicago Stadium program scouting reports, thought that the future was paved around that St. Louis Braves farm core.

I think because after they sent the St. Catherinee TeePee Phil Esposito along with McKenzie, Matt Ravelich, Wanye Maki, Doug Robinson and defender Paul Shmyr) there to develop, the fans thought that the Braves were going to be a pipeline of first line NHLers. (Not all were St. Catherine grads, as some were obatined along with Boom-boom Caron when the bought the Portland buckaroos WHL team.)

In a playoff run the Hawks sent NHL seasoned vet Wanye Hillman,John Brenneman, and big eared Doug Robinson to the Rangers to get Camille ('the Eel") Henry.

Camile Henry was the original six version of Alex DeBrincat, who was under 160 lbs. and only 5" 7" but was a goal scorer who scored 20 or 30 goals in at least seven of his last seasons.
More than anything else, he was a power play specialist.
He was put out there to generate chances even stand in front, shift to the point, and was teh precursor to the present way so many of the NHL players move and play.
He was also a Pavelski type tip-in expert, who was so successful at redirecting in flight pucks and getting the rebounds up high...

Knowing Haggerty this probably means Vesey is only considering Toronto and Bostom.

Haggerty is not a good source for a damn thing.

Knowing Haggerty this probably means Vesey is only considering Toronto and Bostom.

Haggerty is not a good source for a damn thing.
- the_dough_boy

Also, it reminds me of the Mike Reilly situation - everyone, including the beat writers closest to Minnesota, were saying Chicago was where the kid would land. He didn't. Even for K.Hayes, it was 'for sure' Boston until it wasn't. The more 'for sure' anyone is about a team being the lock or teams being excluded just makes me skeptical at this point.

today 20 years later, I am really kicking myself in the arse for a inexpensive black & white photo purchase at Sports show in the 'burbs. (Westmont maybe?)

It was a cardboard copy of a phote of a St. Catherine Tee Pees team, prior to the time the Chicago Blackhawks organization acquired it in 1961

It was from 1956-57

and the team was filled with the early prospects I cut my teeth on as a young follower:

Bobby Hull
Stan Mikita
Pierre Pilote
Moose Vasko
Pat Stapleton
Doug Jarrett
Ken Hodge
Chico Maki
Denis DeJordy
Matt Ravlich
John McKenzie
Doug Robinson
John Brenneman
Vic Hadfield
Roger Crozier
The Satnfield brothers Fred & Jack
Ray Cullen
Gerry Foley

anyway, I am sure how many of these guys were in the photo but there was easily more than a dozen Blackhawks pictured plus the guys who didn't take the step to pros with them.

I am still kicking myself for not buying one.

I even stayed in a capground in St. Catherines and visited the sports cards stores there looking for it close to home, but no luck.

I met a guy, Tony, who had a copy, he wasn't selling, and I asked for a Xerox copy, but lost contact with him and he wasn't calling me saying it was ready either.

As an E-Bay seller, I frequnet look for it bu have come up short.

I am posting this so if you see it, you get buy it for me.

(I was gonna add an entire fictitious story of me being ill, dying man's request, but stopped since I am not, just ill in my head and backside for NOT buying when I saw it!

Great topic!!

The Mallards were my introduction to minor pro when they played in the United Hockey League (unaffiliated AA pro) in the mid 2000's. Tied for best smoke deck in all of hockey as it is half the size of a football field and yards away from The Mississippi River. Wheeling WV has a great old arena with the same kinda smoke deck.

Before I found them I'm told they drew 7 or 8,000 a game and led the league in attendance. Did you see those Mallards?

Remember Luke Stauffacher? 5ft 7in 175 lbs and would fight anyone, especially anyone from the filthy Hogs. Kid had some game too as he was a point a game guy. He's fighting 235lb Hog Kaleb Betts here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPzAEDvJK6c

The kind of hockey where you could go to the local tavern after the game and drink with a bunch of the players if that's your thing.
- Mr Ricochet

First hockey game I ever went to was a Hogs/Mallards game in rockford during the UHL days. 3 fights in the first six seconds of the game. Faceoff...Fight...Faceoff...Fight...Faceoff...Fight. Settled down after that but man was that something to see. Also didn't QC have some giant bruiser on their team that just destroyed people?

Also, it reminds me of the Mike Reilly situation - everyone, including the beat writers closest to Minnesota, were saying Chicago was where the kid would land. He didn't. Even for K.Hayes, it was 'for sure' Boston until it wasn't. The more 'for sure' anyone is about a team being the lock or teams being excluded just makes me skeptical at this point.
- L_B_R

Spot on!

It will be funny to see how many fans blame Bowman when Vesey is going to sign somewhere else.

Left turn ahead:

Reminds me of my college days watching the U of I club team in the late 80's early 90's. Not sure if anyone has been to the U of I Ice Arena, but the seats are above the glass. Literally. If you lean over the rail, your head is over the ice. It would get so loud in there. The rivalry with Iowa State was fantastic and the games were well played. Miss those days of Beat the Chef, trying to get the Zamboni driver to do donuts and yelling obscenities at the opposing team, because they could actually hear you.
- CanOCorn

Went to school down there and those were the best seats. It was so packed and loud especially when they were good enough to be competing for the title. Yelling "creative" things at the other team was great, especially MSU and Lindenwood when I was there. The coolest thing was all the townies that actually came to watch the games for a college club team. I really hope they can get a D1 team going down there. Only downside is it will probably mean the end of the current ice arena. Other quirks about the arena people may not know is that it is not olympic or NA sized. Its actually sized for speed skating competitions. Its really wide and the end boards are very strange. Additionally the locker rooms are downstairs below the lobby area. Both teams have to file down the same narrow staircase to get to their respective locker rooms. Surprisingly I never saw any altercations between players when I was there.

Well, lets look around the league.

Some teams did little in free agency, many in my opinion got worse because they lost players in free agency and teams that did sign guys, didn't change the axis with the signings/trades.

and this is a vacation time for most front offices and management teams, and these "hockey writer experts" have less acumen than the Arizona blogger in terms of knowledge and or simply doing what we do here-banging the keys in speculation.

Trying to get two & two to add up.
...except they have little prior knowledge of the base ten mathematics system.

Then I read that "New Jersey is looked at as a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference", all I can think is they might have added enough to win more games...not that they are playoff ready close, or have the talent with or with out Vesey to take that step.
(Heck they didn't draft a wunderkind scorer at the draft, the selected a really fast second line junior player!)

We all can try to connect the Vesey connection dots whichever way, we want...and the only little dot I see connecting people/family to the Blackhawks is Mark Kelley, so that would indicate to me IF they keep getting mentioned, it sin't because of past friendships.

I look at it this way.
Right now Jimmy is living at home for the last days before embarking on his pro career,30 minutes from the Boston Garden, and simply is shutting his mouth closed to avoid the chance of hard feelings with neighbors or the internet angry so he can live out his days as family unit member without negative karma.

Once he is free, he can have bags packed and be on his way, with the early World Cup hype taking much of the precedence & media coverage as it will.

He can't talk up the Bruins,
Even though he can sign with the Sabres he has time to think before deciding they are REALLY his choice,
and belive me, from all I hear,
there is gonna be an investigation into tampering if he suddenly "chooses" the Leafs, so it makes sense if his representation team attempts to misdirect the media into "it's an open interview & fit" competition even if it already truly isn't.


Agree or disagree?

I grew up in the Chicago Stadium (although "grew up" is still questionable), and JJ your current road trip reads like my last tens years on the road.

One of the most surprising (more like shocking) arena road trip was when I walked out from the under walkways of Hersey arena, and I stopped dead at the step up opening to the seats, because it was almost a scaled down version of the Chicago Stadium - minus the Norris family built clocks that all their depression bought arenas. (Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Omaha bought to sell liquor...)

It had the same steeper angles that the old Stadium had and the fans were in the "hills that lead to the valley of ice" below.

I instantly had to give out one of my biggest yells, and it resounded much like the ones I let out in the old barn at least twice a week.
- wiz1901

Hershey Arena was a great place. Rode my CB550 from State College to Hershey for a game. Froze my tail off on the way home. Loved being right on top of the action. Like, literally, right on top of it.

Phantom games at the Spectrum were great too. Any excuse to go to that place.

Also, it reminds me of the Mike Reilly situation - everyone, including the beat writers closest to Minnesota, were saying Chicago was where the kid would land. He didn't. Even for K.Hayes, it was 'for sure' Boston until it wasn't. The more 'for sure' anyone is about a team being the lock or teams being excluded just makes me skeptical at this point.
- L_B_R

Watch Vesey surprise everyone and sign with a team like Carolina.

Watch Vesey surprise everyone and sign with a team like Carolina.
- DarthKane

I think he's going to sign with the Devils.

Even for K.Hayes, it was 'for sure' Boston until it wasn't...
- L_B_R

Actually, with Kevin Hayes, it was more about Tracy Myers actually tweeting real information (as opposed to regurgitating tweets of players or wine choices) that hayes was NOT going to sign with hawks,
and then, the Hawks telling here to NOT post another WORD concerning Hayes, and the Hawks quietly moving on with their story in place, without a Nashville type boo-hoo sob story.

WE may have thought Bruins, and I still cannot figure out how Hayes thought NY Rangers WAS the best long term fit.

Watch Vesey surprise everyone and sign with a team like Carolina.
- DarthKane

Would be interesting, but I doubt it.

Lots of guys on the roster that Vesey would have played against in college.

Would be interesting, but I doubt it.

Lots of guys on the roster that Vesey would have played against in college.
- BINGO!

I think he's going to a "smaller" market city.

I think he's going to a "smaller" market city.
- Hank3Henshaw

Skinner - Rask - Nestrasil
Di Giuseppe - Staal - Vesey
Aho - Lindholm - Teravainen
Stalberg - Nordstrom - Stempniak

Nah. It just (frank)s things up too much.

Boston and Toronto now no longer among Vesey's top choices.

Chicago, New Jersey and NY Rangers now top 3 choices?

http://www.csnne.com/bost...orite-to-sign-jimmy-vesey
- kwolf68

Vesey's agent refuted that report via a couple twitters. He basically said there are no favorites at this time and any rumor stating otherwise is only speculation.

I think he's going to sign with the Devils.
- Hank3Henshaw

Then I read that "New Jersey is looked at as a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference", all I can think is they might have added enough to win more games...not that they are playoff ready close, or have the talent with or with out Vesey to take that step.
(Heck they didn't draft a wunderkind scorer (Michael McLeod) at the draft, the selected a really fast second line junior player! and as much as I like Pavel Zacha and even Steve Santini, but that cupboard seems half filled.


The Vesey family has strong ties with Devils assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald, going back to their Charlestown days...blah blah blah.

I am happy for them.

I am sure because of this, they encourage their son to go to New Jersey, lose for many years and secure a franchise contract IF he suceeds in huge point totals and leadership where they actually see a future.

Actually, with Kevin Hayes, it was more about Tracy Myers actually tweeting real information (as opposed to regurgitating tweets of players or wine choices) that hayes was NOT going to sign with hawks,
and then, the Hawks telling here to NOT post another WORD concerning Hayes, and the Hawks quietly moving on with their story in place, without a Nashville type boo-hoo sob story.

WE may have thought Bruins, and I still cannot figure out how Hayes thought NY Rangers WAS the best long term fit.
- wiz1901

Yes, we all knew he wasn't signing with the Hawks, I just meant more that there were a decent number of beat writers close to Boston saying he was going there plus there was the off chance he might go to Florida to be with his brother. Then suddenly it was 'Oh NYR is going to get him' which was pretty random (and yes, it's hard to understand why he picked NYR).

At this point the Hawks are the morning line favorite to sign Vesey.

I think only way Vesy doesn't come is if he really prefers being a bigger fish in a smaller pond-At this point I don't see how that would benefit his cause.

I'm sure Bowman has made the point in a very clear fashion they feel Vesey is going to contribute in Chicago in a big way this coming season....and any fears of him not having a golden opportunity to make the club has been eased.

Then I read that "New Jersey is looked at as a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference", all I can think is they might have added enough to win more games...not that they are playoff ready close, or have the talent with or with out Vesey to take that step.
(Heck they didn't draft a wunderkind scorer (Michael McLeod) at the draft, the selected a really fast second line junior player! and as much as I like Pavel Zacha and even Steve Santini, but that cupboard seems half filled.


The Vesey family has strong ties with Devils assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald, going back to their Charlestown days...blah blah blah.

I am happy for them.

I am sure because of this, they encourage their son to go to New Jersey, lose for many years and secure a franchise contract IF he suceeds in huge point totals and leadership where they actually see a future.
- wiz1901

The only reason the Devils are not rumored to be on the move from NJ is they are a former Cup winner. No one likes to go NJ from beat writers on down...If they sign Vesy good for them, because that is a not a destination spot for most.

I lived in Baltimore for a few years and would watch the Skipjacks. Fun team, fun town, had the locals involved. Glen Sharpley, Bruce Boudreau, McSorley, and Greg Fox.
Today, here in town we have the ECHL Mavericks, affiliates of the NYI. Great bunch of people, the locals have really taken hold, and arena holds 5800, and it has been a very big success. So much so, that Lamar Hunt Jr bough the team, and is currently trying to build an arena to house a USHL team.

Skinner - Rask - Nestrasil
Di Giuseppe - Staal - Vesey
Aho - Lindholm - Teravainen
Stalberg - Nordstrom - Stempniak

Nah. It just (frank)s things up too much.
- BINGO!

Where do Hurricane fans (or management if you know their plans) project Teravainen to be this season: top 6 or bottom 6? I assume 2nd line given your roster depth, and possibly 1st line as the season progresses.

At this point the Hawks are the morning line favorite to sign Vesey.

I think only way Vesy doesn't come is if he really prefers being a bigger fish in a smaller pond-At this point I don't see how that would benefit his cause.

I'm sure Bowman has made the point in a very clear fashion they feel Vesey is going to contribute in Chicago in a big way this coming season....and any fears of him not having a golden opportunity to make the club has been eased.
- Al

If no one can talk to him until the 15th - Buffalo has his rights until then - how could Stan have made anything clear to him without running afoul of tampering rules?

Or is this going to be the Wirtz' / McDonough's reward for stepping up to the plate again for the Winter Classic?