John Jaeckel: Tour de AHL

Swift Current Broncos Vs Portland league final 1993 building was unreal, place was rocking like crazy.

1984 Centennial Cup in Weyburn games 5 and 6 place was at least 1000 over capcity.
Love JR hockey have had the pleasure of seeing so many good players on there path to the NHL. Favorite has to be seeing Chris Chelois play for moose jaw.

I worked for the AHL headquarters in Springfield in the comms department from 97-98. Great organization and great group of people which begins at the top with President David Andrews. Amazing leader and visionary.

While there, I also had the privilege to work with a legend in Jack Butterfield. For those of you who don't know him, google him. Not only is he a Hall of Famer for what he did for the sport of hockey but he's a Hall of Fame person. For a young kid trying to break into the sports industry, he gave me some great advice.

One of the most thrilling opportunities was working the AHL All-Star Classic at the On Center in Syracuse. Talk about an old barn. Wow. It's like a glorified high school gym. One of the many jobs I had working in the comms department was player hospitality and registering them and making sure they checked in, etc. A few of the guys (lets call them kids) I met who checked in were Zdeno Chara (didn't speak a word of English) and Danny Briere. Who knew, especially Chara, how good these guys would become.

If you haven't been to an AHL game, go and take your family if you have one. Very family friendly, good action and a lot of fun.

I grew up in the Quad Cities, home of the Quad City Mallards. They have bounced back and forth between the Colonial Hockey League and AHL as the Flames. Regularly draw 1,500- 2,000 fans on weekends.

The biggest legend is Jacque Mailhot. The clip below is post-Mallards, but the guy might be the only Quad City Mallard to make SportsCenter.

Also JJ, just visited Portland, ME with my wife in May. We loved it! Hit me up if you are looking for food or beverage recommendations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNqT5ojYT3A

Rockton Cardinals at the Wagon Wheel. Insane.

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

Went to school at Illinois State and played on the club team. Many times the Bloominton Prairie Thunder/Blaze/Thunder players came to practice with us. I internded for the team as a senior and got to see firsthand the insanity of SPHL hockey. The fued between the Thunder and the Peoria Rivermen was insane. A Riverman player had his head split open on the ice after a fight game two of the season, our player took a Slapshot into the Rivermen bench trying to hit the coach (was later acquired by the Rivermen), there were a few line brawls, and we both owned by the same ownership group. Craziness.

NCAA: I really miss the days when UIC had a D1 team and played at the Pavilion in the CCHA. My favorite moments growing up as a Chicago hockey player were watching them take on Michigan State in the late 80's and early 90's. Ron Mason's State teams were always loaded with the likes of the Miller brothers, Rod Brind 'Amour, Bryan Smolinski, Jim Cummins, Mitch Messier, Anson Carter and of course Chicago hockey products Rob Woodward, Scott Dean and Stevie Suk.

Crowd was always a bit thin but watching those guys was amazing. UIC had some talent with Jeff Nelson, Sheldon Gorski, and Paul Torey but those MSU Spartan teams were just sublime.

Great write up, JJ.

Sounds like an awesome trip you're on. I love going to AHL games.

What you said about roster changes/turnover reminded me of a great documentary called The Battered Bastards of Baseball. It's the story of Kurt Russell's dad starting an independent baseball team in Portland Oregon called the Mavericks. Since minor league teams are always leaving cities and losing players, the independent league team was a more concrete group of guys (since they weren't affiliated with an MLB team) that the city could really get to know and rally behind. He assembled a team of guys who were deemed too old or not good enough to play in the minors for MLB teams. Their whole goal was to beat the guys that would eventually be in the majors.

It's a great watch and fascinating story when you hear what happens with them.

I grew up in the Quad Cities, home of the Quad City Mallards. They have bounced back and forth between the Colonial Hockey League and AHL as the Flames. Regularly draw 1,500- 2,000 fans on weekends.

The biggest legend is Jacque Mailhot. The clip below is post-Mallards, but the guy might be the only Quad City Mallard to make SportsCenter.

Also JJ, just visited Portland, ME with my wife in May. We loved it! Hit me up if you are looking for food or beverage recommendations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNqT5ojYT3A
- phantasmo

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.

@SaskHawkFan

The Broncos vs. Tigers games were always my favourite growing up. With the two cities so close to eachother it always had a college rivalry feel to the games with so many groups of rowdy fans travelling from each city.

NCAA: I really miss the days when UIC had a D1 team and played at the Pavilion in the CCHA. My favorite moments growing up as a Chicago hockey player were watching them take on Michigan State in the late 80's and early 90's. Ron Mason's State teams were always loaded with the likes of the Miller brothers, Rod Brind 'Amour, Bryan Smolinski, Jim Cummins, Mitch Messier, Anson Carter and of course Chicago hockey products Rob Woodward, Scott Dean and Stevie Suk.

Crowd was always a bit thin but watching those guys was amazing. UIC had some talent with Jeff Nelson, Sheldon Gorski, and Paul Torey but those MSU Spartan teams were just sublime.
- acmidd28

UIC was fun hockey before they dropped the program to put the resources into hoops, and they still suck. Wife went to school there and used to get in for 3 bucks and park for free with her parking pass.

MSU really was stacked in those days, Lake Superior State too and of course Michigan.

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.

Certainly, watching the St. Louis Braves - back in the early 60s - at the Arena (later, the Checkerdome for the Blues) - I remember chicken wire around the rink instead of glass (Doesn't seem right into the 60s, but that's what I remember), cheap seats, sit almost wherever you want.

Phil Esposito was there for a while, Dennis Hull, Alain Caron - a wing who could score but couldn't skate (played for several years in the WHA)....

BTW: Why is Vancouver's AHL team so far away from the mother ship - I doubt it's very easy getting from Utica to BC if they want to move players up and down.

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.

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

Illinois has so many youth hockey players. Such a shame there is no D1 program in the state. Lake Forest College has a solid D3 tradition and Aurora is a new D3 doormat. Other than that, nada.

Trevor Linden recently addressed why Utica? Canucks find Utica is a good situation with less travel, and more practice time.

Trevor Linden recently addressed why Utica? Canucks find Utica is a good situation with less travel, and more practice time.

and if we are count game - crowds events, in the 1960's whenever the Habd came to town with Lou Fontinato, the Chicago fans were simply nuts in fervor, with the "Kill Font - tin- atoooo !!!!" chants.

and if the games were preceded be an big Bera win, many of the lit up fans were coming from "dinner" at gin mill they spent the time between the games.

Everything from the set of three connect seats that I saw flung from the boxws after there was a bad call, to the guy who jumpped down to the ice with a pennabt in his hand, to Murray Balfours overtime goal past midnight in late March (because the playoffs started earlier before the NHL season was over extended).

That goal/win was the key to defeating the powerhouse Canadians and moving on to meet the Wings and winning my first Fan watchd Cup.
Glenn Hall was never better, and Jacques Plante was at his best too, so the fans were crazy with excitement, and as an eleven-year old it was one what probaby imprinted me to the team,fans,and the game.

Illinois has so many youth hockey players. Such a shame there is no D1 program in the state. Lake Forest College has a solid D3 tradition and Aurora is a new D3 doormat. Other than that, nada.
- acmidd28

There's no D1 basketball, either.

There's no D1 basketball, either.
- StLBravesFan

You're a little off there: Illinois, UIC, Bradley...

Certainly, watching the St. Louis Braves - back in the early 60s - at the Arena (later, the Checkerdome for the Blues) - I remember chicken wire around the rink instead of glass (Doesn't seem right into the 60s, but that's what I remember), cheap seats, sit almost wherever you want.

Phil Esposito was there for a while, Dennis Hull, Alain Caron - a wing who could score but couldn't skate (played for several years in the WHA)....

BTW: Why is Vancouver's AHL team so far away from the mother ship - I doubt it's very easy getting from Utica to BC if they want to move players up and down.
- StLBravesFan

Yeah and Jack McKenzie, and the over hyped John Brenneman too.

I made that trip to the checkboarded Purina arena to see boom-boom and the boys.

Yeah as a very little boy maybe 1957 there was glass and chain-ling fence on the fan side at the Stadium too, to stop any possible glass to fall on fans, as the protective glass was still breakable and moverover able to loosend and push out...

You're a little off there: Illinois, UIC, Bradley...
- acmidd28

Those can't be D1 programs - have you watched them (and, yes, DePaul, Loyola, Southern, Illinois State, Northern, NU....) recently?

Illinois has so many youth hockey players. Such a shame there is no D1 program in the state. Lake Forest College has a solid D3 tradition and Aurora is a new D3 doormat. Other than that, nada.
- acmidd28

Agreed. I was really hoping they would install ice when they redid Assembly Hall/State Farm Center. Would have made some sense.

Rosemont, IL to see the Chicago Wolves.

Life changing experience. I recommend everyone takes the road trip if they have time