Sorry so late on this, but today has been just one disaster after another.
Here is what Coach Ruskowski had to say about the CHL losing Corpus Christi:
"It’s a sad scenario. All those players are out of jobs now. You never want to see that happen. They’ve been in the league since (before) we joined, so them not being there is a huge void. That’s rivalry and tradition down the drain."
On the financial effects on the Bucks:
"It affects our travel schedule. We’re going to have to plan trips smarter; if we’re driving somewhere 10, 12 hours away, we need to play two games, then play somewhere else or hit another team on the way back. If we’re up in Fort Worth (to play the Texas Brahmas), then we can play Allen and Odessa. We need to be more proactive with our scheduling."
On the future of the CHL:
"You worry about the economy, and when that gets better, we’ll get better. When you go into pro sports, it’s always a tight gamble. If you do well, great; if not, sometimes you have to bite the bullet. You’ll always be a bit concerned, but if other teams can survive, we can survive and keep playing."
On the new free agents:
"There are some I’ll be pursuing. I called Amarillo when their players first became available, and a lot are going to Europe or not playing anymore, or just didn’t fit into my system. But from Corpus, there are some guys that I’d like to pursue, lure to Laredo, when they are available for me to do that. They have some good hockey players over there. In two years, with the same personnel, that would have been a team to beat."
Friday, May 28, 2010
Bucks Recruiting
Today, the Bucks unveiled their new recruiting video, which, unsurprisingly, features smiling girls i, short shorts, dresses and bikinis. Slightly more surprising is the fact that it also features Mayor Salinas talking about homicide.
Meanwhile, the team was already recruiting long before this video made its online debut, and the Bucks are expected to announce their first signing sometime next week.
If you don't want spoilers, you might not want to keep reading, because Robert Keith from the Texas Brahmas Insider sent me this link today, and after some quick research, I found this.
So it seems Zeanan Ziemer and Justin Michaud are going to be two of the players reporting to training camp this fall.
Both are coming off their first seasons with the Dauphin Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (and are both from Manitoba), Michaud only a partial season after being acquired in a trade, and here's a bit of what broadcaster Marlin Murray had to say in that post:
Ziemer, after three years with the OCN Blizzard, came to Dauphin in a trade last November and collected 25 goals and 51 assists to go along with 121 penalty minutes during the regular season. Zeanan Ziemer also had 18 points during the MJHL playoffs and scored the double overtime goal in game two of the Anavet Cup.
I'll post more on this later if I get a chance; just wanted to put it out there now.
Back to everything that was going on yesterday, you can read Greg Rajan's column about the IceRays' move from the CHL to the NAHL here and my story on Coach Ruskowski's reaction and future plans here.
I'll be back to post those quotes as soon as I finish up our weekly Zapata sports section.
Meanwhile, the team was already recruiting long before this video made its online debut, and the Bucks are expected to announce their first signing sometime next week.
If you don't want spoilers, you might not want to keep reading, because Robert Keith from the Texas Brahmas Insider sent me this link today, and after some quick research, I found this.
So it seems Zeanan Ziemer and Justin Michaud are going to be two of the players reporting to training camp this fall.
Both are coming off their first seasons with the Dauphin Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (and are both from Manitoba), Michaud only a partial season after being acquired in a trade, and here's a bit of what broadcaster Marlin Murray had to say in that post:
Ziemer, after three years with the OCN Blizzard, came to Dauphin in a trade last November and collected 25 goals and 51 assists to go along with 121 penalty minutes during the regular season. Zeanan Ziemer also had 18 points during the MJHL playoffs and scored the double overtime goal in game two of the Anavet Cup.
I'll post more on this later if I get a chance; just wanted to put it out there now.
Back to everything that was going on yesterday, you can read Greg Rajan's column about the IceRays' move from the CHL to the NAHL here and my story on Coach Ruskowski's reaction and future plans here.
I'll be back to post those quotes as soon as I finish up our weekly Zapata sports section.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
IceDiggers are the New IceRays
Everything is official in Corpus Christi, as the North American Hockey League team from Alpena, Mich., has been purchased and moved to the American Bank Center.
The sale and relocation have been approved by the NAHL, prompting the press conference at the ABC today.
That Alpena team, previously known as the IceDiggers, will become the new IceRays.
As is made obvious by that press release and the webite for the Corpus NAHL franchise, the only people truly losing here are the IceRays' players, as the IceRays staff will be staying on, and fans can obviously stick around, too, if they want.
Coach Ruskowski's first response when I asked him about this move was to note that this leaves players out of jobs - at the moment anyway - which is never a good or fair thing to do, in his opinion.
Ruskowski joked that he had been upset to hear the IceRays may fold before they were purchased by the Lange family only to have them beat up on his team during the 2009-10 season, so his emotions about losing the team are mixed.
On a more serious note, he said that this is not something you want to see and that losing the rivalry and being forced to travel more are both bad things for his team.
You can read more of what Ruskowski had to say in my story in tomorrow's paper or check back here tomorrow for some quotes.
As far as teams joining the CHL, Justin Cohn has more up on his blog.
The sale and relocation have been approved by the NAHL, prompting the press conference at the ABC today.
That Alpena team, previously known as the IceDiggers, will become the new IceRays.
As is made obvious by that press release and the webite for the Corpus NAHL franchise, the only people truly losing here are the IceRays' players, as the IceRays staff will be staying on, and fans can obviously stick around, too, if they want.
Coach Ruskowski's first response when I asked him about this move was to note that this leaves players out of jobs - at the moment anyway - which is never a good or fair thing to do, in his opinion.
Ruskowski joked that he had been upset to hear the IceRays may fold before they were purchased by the Lange family only to have them beat up on his team during the 2009-10 season, so his emotions about losing the team are mixed.
On a more serious note, he said that this is not something you want to see and that losing the rivalry and being forced to travel more are both bad things for his team.
You can read more of what Ruskowski had to say in my story in tomorrow's paper or check back here tomorrow for some quotes.
As far as teams joining the CHL, Justin Cohn has more up on his blog.
Couple Quick Things
Per Greg Rajan, the IceRays were holding a press conference today, during which they likely announced their departure from the Central Hockey League. According to the IceRays' Facebook page, the presser began at 2:15 p.m., so news from that should spread soon enough.
I'll be calling Coach Ruskowski for his reaction to this becoming official, the effect it will have on the Bucks, his thoughts on the future of the CHL considering it has lost two cities in a matter of weeks and to get an idea about whether or not he is pursuing any players who recently became free agents in Amarillo or will soon become available from Corpus Christi.
Meanwhile, one player who Ruskowski did acquire from the IceRays during the 2009-10 season will not be returning to the team - and not just because of the drop in his caliber of play toward the end of the campaign - as Kevin Desfosses has signed with the Neuilly-sur-Marne Bisons in France.
You can read a roughly translated version of the story here; thanks to Robert Keith from the Texas Brahmas Insider for pointing that out.
As far as Todd Griffith, whose Hockey DB page seemed to imply a return to the Newcastle Vipers, a return to the Bucks might be more likely.
Hockey DB might have messed up on that one, as there is nothing official noting a return to the Vipers and the last news from there was of him leaving the club for a second time.
Adding to the idea that he could come back is the fact that I saw Griffith writing his bike down McPherson just two days ago.
Back to the status of the CHL with losing teams and all that, there may be some good news on that front, as Justin Cohn is reporting an interest in turning the IHL team in Fort Wayne into a CHL franchise.
According to Cohn, CHL Commissioner Duane Lewis has confirmed that the league wants at least a few of the IHL teams, and Cohn also links to a story saying the Bloomington Prairie Thunder are already headed in that direction.
If the league is able to add teams, of course it will want to do so, but adding more and more that are quite far away from the Bucks is only going to make the sting of losing Corpus worse expense-wise.
I'll be back with updates as more is announced about all of these situations.
I'll be calling Coach Ruskowski for his reaction to this becoming official, the effect it will have on the Bucks, his thoughts on the future of the CHL considering it has lost two cities in a matter of weeks and to get an idea about whether or not he is pursuing any players who recently became free agents in Amarillo or will soon become available from Corpus Christi.
Meanwhile, one player who Ruskowski did acquire from the IceRays during the 2009-10 season will not be returning to the team - and not just because of the drop in his caliber of play toward the end of the campaign - as Kevin Desfosses has signed with the Neuilly-sur-Marne Bisons in France.
You can read a roughly translated version of the story here; thanks to Robert Keith from the Texas Brahmas Insider for pointing that out.
As far as Todd Griffith, whose Hockey DB page seemed to imply a return to the Newcastle Vipers, a return to the Bucks might be more likely.
Hockey DB might have messed up on that one, as there is nothing official noting a return to the Vipers and the last news from there was of him leaving the club for a second time.
Adding to the idea that he could come back is the fact that I saw Griffith writing his bike down McPherson just two days ago.
Back to the status of the CHL with losing teams and all that, there may be some good news on that front, as Justin Cohn is reporting an interest in turning the IHL team in Fort Wayne into a CHL franchise.
According to Cohn, CHL Commissioner Duane Lewis has confirmed that the league wants at least a few of the IHL teams, and Cohn also links to a story saying the Bloomington Prairie Thunder are already headed in that direction.
If the league is able to add teams, of course it will want to do so, but adding more and more that are quite far away from the Bucks is only going to make the sting of losing Corpus worse expense-wise.
I'll be back with updates as more is announced about all of these situations.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Should They Stay?
I know this is well overdue, but better late than never, hopefully.
There are a lot of guys to evaluate considering how many suffered season-ending injuries but were never let go by the team, so I just did this in alphabetical order (by last name) rather than sorting by my rating of their value.
Igor Agarunov (Forward/Defenseman) - Yes. Agarunov is a part of the core group that seems to come back every season regardless of performance in the previous season, but I don't think his low point totals during the 2009-10 campaign are necessarily something to hold against him. He only had five goals and 10 assists, but he did miss 11 games, suffer a head injury and get shuffled around from line to line and even to defense on occasion, so it's really not surprising that he was out of sync. In my opinion, Agarunov hustles and plays hard every game despite the fact that he can probably assume his future is safe, which is not always the case for other "core" players for the Bucks. He skates hard, tries to work in his hits and goes after loose pucks around the net, and those are all things Coach Ruskowski likes to see, so I assume he can be expected to come back. Also worth noting is the fact that Agarunov practiced very seriously, which I always think is a good sign in regards to a player's commitment to the team.
Jeff Bes (Forward) - Yes. Say what you will about Bes getting older, getting slower and not being the same player on the ice, because it's all true. However, his mind and his hands make him a valuable asset on the ice even if he were to become practically immobile, so I don't think there's any reason the Bucks should let him go. If he decides he wants to devote himself full-time to coaching, that's one thing, but he says he still wants to play, and as long as he does, the Bucks should try to keep him here. In my opinion, staying here as long as he did was settling on his part to an extent - despite the fact that he obviously wouldn't experience the same success at a higher level - and the Bucks should reward him for that commitment. He also plays an undeniably huge role off the ice, whether as the most recognizable face (player-wise) on the team or the biggest leader in the locker room. Even after missing a large part of last season due to injury and everything else he's gone through, Bes managed to put up a team-high 75 points this season, including nearly 20 goals. From Bucks' standpoint, at least in my eyes, there's really just no reason to let him go anywhere else.
Curtis Billsten (Forward) - Yes. Take pretty much all of the positive things I said about Agarunov and apply them to Billsten, as well. He does not take shifts off like some players did this year, he does not act like practice is a joke, and to add to those similar positives, he is young and eager and willing to learn. Injuries obviously prevented him from playing as much as he could have, but he put as much of his body and all of his heart and soul into every game he did play. Plus, he was a plus-8 on a team full of minus players during the regular season despite having his lines change constantly. Eleven goals and 17 assists might not be big numbers, but if a forward works as hard as he does and is responsible defensively, I don't see why a coach wouldn't want to bring him back.
Brent Cullaton (Forward) - Moot point. Unless he has a really big change of heart, he is not playing as a pro again.
Sylvain Deschatelets (F0rward) - Yes. Deschatelets showed that he can do a heck of a lot offensively with that stunning first week of his and bounced back from being dropped to the second line by being the Bucks' second-leading scorer. All told, he had 25 points in just 2o games, and he seemed to mesh well with several players who will likely return for next season. The only thing about him that could be a slight problem - well, other than the chance of him wanting to go back to Europe for the start of the season - is that he seemed to be put off by that line change, which although understandable, could be a sign of an attitude problem. Obviously, Ruskowski knows if that is a problem better than I do, and if it's not - and the Bucks can afford to keep Deschatelets' salary - I say go for it.
Kevin Desfosses (Goaltender) - No. Even when he was playing well, this guy showed signs of having some problems, and I don't think any team can have him play the way he did during his many meltdown games and expect to do well with him in goal. Honestly, the beating of the goalpost didn't really bother me too much, but there were other things that he did that were just too much. If you're more interested in leering at your ex-teammates and gesturing to the crowd (whether in a good way or not) than stopping the puck, you're not going to be a successful goalie. The fact that Corpus Christi won't have a CHL team next season could very well do him some good, but I don't think he's worth the risk at this point. He allowed four or more goals in his last seven games - and eight of his last nine - and that's no way to end a season with a team and expect to come into another season with them fully confident.
Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel (Defenseman) - Maybe. Dieude-Fauvel definitely has his appeal, whether it be his hat-trick game or his often crushing hits or his willingness to shoot from the point on the power play. But he also has his weaknesses and sometimes proved to be a liability when taking penalties in bad situations. I'm not much a fan of judging defenseman by their points, but I don't think we could really call him a "shut-down" guy, so it is worth noting that he had multiple five-game scoreless streaks throughout the season, including one that lasted 12 games. He was a plus-3, which for this season's team wasn't bad, but he still has some work to do. That said, I know Ruskowski saw a lot of potential in him, and those few really crushing hits might be more memorable than some of his mistakes.
Paul Elliott (Defenseman) - No. Elliott does his thing, and he does it well, but I think he knew it was time to hang up his skates when he did the first time, and now would probably be a good time to follow through on that. No one ever stops talking about how the game has gone to speed, and that is one thing Elliott unarguably does not have. I can't imagine that getting another year older is going to help him in that department, plus he got banged up a lot during the playoffs and does have a day job to attend to, so I think calling it quits and leaving his veteran spot for the Bucks to use on someone else would be his best bet.
Tyler Fletcher (Forward) - Maybe. I didn't get to see the one game that this kid played in, but Ruskowski was positively glowing when he talked about his performance. Ruskowski always complains that his teams don't hit enough, and he said Fletcher "was hitting everybody," so that clearly made a lasting impression. He'll be a rookie if he comes back, and his eagerness in that game - though it cost him a chance to play any others - is a sure sign that he loves what he does and wants to keep doing it. He could be lured over to the ECHL, but if not, I'd say he's worth at least a spot in training camp, and he should be good to go by then because his injury turned out to not be as severe as initially expected.
Eric Giosa (Forward) - Yes. Giosa is a character guy through and through, and I think it shows every time he is on the ice. He makes some really nice plays, and he hustles like crazy, and he kept doing those things even when nursing an injury during the end of the regular season and the playoffs. No one ever wanted to confirm much to me about that situation as it happened, but it was clear Giosa was battling something, and he never once asked to be held out of a game or played like he was hurt when he was out there. Based on those facts, and the one that Ruskowski says all he needs to win a championship is character guys, I think Giosa should be given a chance to return.
Todd Griffith (Forward) - No. I know the guy brings a lot on the ice, but he has a bad attitude. He lets that affect the way he behaves off the ice, so I can't help but think it will eventually harm the way he plays on it. I didn't mention this previously, but there was an incident in a store where one of my friends works that involved Griffith coming in, telling the employees he was a Buck and then expecting them to do everything he wanted and threatening them when they didn't. If Ruskowski didn't want to stand for what Ryan Salvis and Josef Fojtek were doing off the ice, then I hope he wouldn't want to stand for his players treating other people that way or doing anything that would give his team a bad reputation. According to his Hockey DB page, he seems to have returned to his EIHL team, so he probably wouldn't be available to the Bucks for training camp anyway. EDIT: Griffith does not seem to be signed in the EIHL after all, and his demanded departure from that team seems to be an interesting testament to his character of its own, but let's talk about what he did on the ice for the Bucks. Griffith got hot at exactly the right time, so that is what everyone is going to remember about him at this point. However, as Ruskowski often noted, Griffith is a "streaky" player, and eventually the hot streak was likely to end. Griffith had 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points in his 33 regular season games while posting a minus-2, then lit up for seven goals and two assists for nine points and a plus-4 in seven playoff games. Neither point total is anything to look down on, and if Griffith has found a comfort zone here in Laredo, then maybe his off-ice problems are something that can be resolved. I do worry a bit about his willingness to fight during the playoff series when he admitted that the tension between him and Mike Salekin was carried over from the past and had absolutely nothing to do with the Bucks, especially considering the fact that he was taking his own team's highest-scoring player off the ice for five minutes when he did (during a loss for the Bucks), but I'm guessing Ruskowski talked to him about that after the fact because he didn't do it again despite saying he would be up for it. If that was the case, and he listened, there is hope for his attitude problem. Considering some of the numbers he has posted in the past, and the fact that he never seems to treat fans the way he treated those previously mentioned, he could very well be back if Ruskowski can afford the salary he wants. And Griffith is still in Laredo but does not seem to be nursing any injuries, so that can only say good things for the way he feels about the city.
Ryan Lehr (Defenseman) - Yes. When Lehr came in, he brought something with him that Ruskowski had been looking for all year - a booming slapshot. I haven't mentioned this enough with other guys on this list, but when you find young talent that isn't so overwhelming it requires excessive compensation, it is exactly what you want to keep on a team like this. Lehr had six points in just 10 regular season games - great for a defenseman - and was a plus-4, which also isn't bad. He was very eager to learn and to play, and someone who can take point shots and block them at the other end is exactly what the Bucks need.
Mike Looby (Defenseman) - No. Looby can play when he wants to, but that's just the problem - he often doesn't want to do that, as his -12 shows. He slacked off on the ice, missed practices when the team staff didn't necessarily feel he needed to and overall just displayed a bad work ethic. Players like that - especially if they're wearing an 'A' - can do horrible things for a locker room and for a coach, and I guarantee you he became more of a headache for Ruskowski than he ever wanted to be dealing with. Considering the things I was told about Looby off the record, by more than one person, I would be absolutely shocked if he returned.
Jarred Mohr (Defenseman) - Maybe. Mohr has the tools to be a great player, but something was just off about him a lot of this season. He had 10 goals and 22 assists, with seven of the goals coming on the power play, but more often than not, he seemed to waste his chances on the advantage. I obviously don't get to see every game, but I feel like there was a lot more he could have done in the games I did see. I also feel like turning the puck over may have been a bit of a problem for him, but it's hard to judge that too much in a league that doesn't keep stats like that. Some of the mistakes he made were just not what you want to expect from a guy in his fourth pro season. But, there were some positives to his play, as well, and if he could be convinced to shoot more from the point, he could get better, so he's a tough one to decide on with just a yes or no.
Mark O'Leary (Forward) - Yes. O'Leary is yet another guy who didn't get much of a chance to show what he had with the Bucks, but everything he did show looked pretty good. A team needs to be made up of a lot of guys who can step up on any given night, and O'Leary proved he can be one of those guys on several occasions. He played only nine games with the Bucks, but had three goals and three assists and was a plus-3. If he could play at that rate for the whole season, you're looking at more than 20 goals, more than 40 total points and a pretty good plus/minus ratio. Ruskowski got to see him play when he did some decent work for the Killer Bees, too, so he can rest assured that the scoring wasn't a fluke, and I think O'Leary is worth a training camp invite this fall.
Pier-Olivier Pelletier (Goaltender) - Yes. I know Ruskowski doesn't have a history of keeping goaltenders, but how could he not want to keep a kid who stepped up the way Pelletier did? He had very little pro experience and came in and had some extraordinary games to help the Bucks clinch that third playoff seed and to hang with the Americans for seven games in a series that likely would have been much more one-sided without him in net. I don't think you need me to tell you how well he played, but a .915 save percentage during the regular season followed up with a .920 in the playoffs is just great for a rookie netminder, and he can only get better with more time playing against CHL-level talent.
Robin Richards (Forward) - No. I'm honestly not sure why Richards stuck around all season, though I'm not surprised he didn't play in most of the playoff games. Yes, he plays a rough style of game that appeals to the casual hockey fan, and yes, he has a big body presence that can be useful in front of the net... but what's the point of those things if someone loses most of his fights and takes penalties to cancel out power plays more than he scores goals on them? Plus, as I had mentioned previously, he did not take practice seriously at all. There were even occasions that he would joke around loudly while Ruskowski was trying to give the team instruction and Ruskowski would have to call him out to get him to shut up. That is not an attitude you need on your team, and his carelessness and lack of talent are not liabilities you need, either. He is better suited for a league in which he can be used purely to fight, and even then, he needs to work on that a bit. If Ruskowski plans to keep only 18 guys so he can stay below the cap, he cannot waste one of those spots on someone like Richards.
Adam Rivet (Defenseman) - Maybe. This is a tough one, because Rivet is the captain, a guy who the players get along with well, someone fans recognize, someone who was and is a part of so much this team wants to be... but I just can't bring myself to say yes flat-out. Everything I said about Agarunov not seeming overly comfortable in his situation here, I can reverse and apply to Rivet. Yes, he cares about this team, and yes, he wants to succeed, but he just didn't seem as invested in it this year as he has in the past. After last season, he was emotional and really upset with himself for the way he played. This year, he put up one point more in one more game played and said he was completely satisfied with his play. In my opinion, being completely satisfied with yourself is never a good thing, and being completely satisfied with being the captain of a team that often looked like it did not care definitely can't be good. Ruskowski told me all season long that there were veteran leaders he needed to have step up who were not doing that, and though he refused to name names, I have to think Rivet was often one of them. I know he wants to come back, so I'm not sure a split is in the cards, but I do think Ruskowski needs to question his desire before he lets him have his 'C' back even if he does stay.
Evan Schwabe (Forward) - Yes. Schwabe plays hard and plays a position that not every forward can handle, and his presence was obviously missed when he could not play due to the injury he suffered in the All-Star game. By my count, he won't be a veteran just yet, but he definitely has plenty of experience, and he put up good numbers with the Bucks but wasn't quite at career highs, which could mean he will do more with a full season to play. I'd say the biggest question here would be how much he wants to be paid, but if you can get 50 points out of him for every full season he can play, it doesn't seem like bringing him back would be a bad idea.
Darryl Smith (Forward - Yes and no. Smith is an even more complicated situation. On the one hand, of course Bucks fans should want him to stay here. On the other, why does he really want to stay? Of course he didn't play poorly this year, but I don't think he necessarily played up to his potential. He is comfortable in Laredo knowing that he will always be top-line talent here and that he is dating the coach's daughter. But is there really a good reason to keep him around? Maybe being rejected by teams at higher levels has led him to believe he's better off staying, but if he were to try playing for an ECHL team with an affiliation, his chances of getting called up and staying up could improve. Plus, sometimes teams within the same organization play the same systems, and going up to the AHL with a knowledge of what is expected of him there, rather than by his CHL team, could also benefit his chances. I told Smith at the end of his rookie season that I hoped for his sake he wouldn't be back, and I meant it. But he came back, and now I can't help but hope the same thing. But if I'm supposed to be analyzing what is best for the Bucks, not for the players themselves, then I guess I'd have to say it would be best to keep him here. A 35-plus goal scorer and 70-plus point man is not one you want to give up.
Justin Styffe (Forward) - Yes. Styffe brings the two most exciting things to see in a hockey game - speed and fighting. He may not have the best hands, but he is a sparkplug who can skate with the best of them (at this level) and win fights against guys a foot or more taller than him. Especially in a non-traditional market, players like Styffe are an incredible asset. And there's no denying the similarities between Ruskowski as a player and Styffe, so I think that gave him a soft spot for the guy even before he started producing. If he left, I think there would be some unanswered questions about how big of a draw he could become in Laredo, and what kind of player he could have become now that his game was not as focused on fighting as it was in the IHL. I have to admit that it's not necessarily exciting for me to watch a lot of CHL players after being jaded by too many NHL games, but Styffe was a lot of fun to watch, right up to the play that ended his season.
Jeremy Swanson (Defenseman) - Yes. Other than goaltending, playing solid defense can be the hardest thing to do, and he did it well for the games he did play. He was willing to shoot the puck, willing to block shots and willing to ask questions in order to improve. He got better and better every game, and Ruskowski always says the game in which Swanson got hurt was the best he had seen from him so far. It's optimistic to assume that he will just keep on getting better, but it also seems pretty logical, so having him come back and try to get better in Laredo - especially considering all the money invested in his injury rehabilitation - couldn't hurt.
Neil Trimm (Forward) - Maybe. He plays hard, and he had to deal with a constantly nagging injury, but I'm sorry, a minus-22 season on a winning team is not something you want to see. He can obviously do some things well, but I don't know if he did them well enough or often enough for the Bucks, and I think it might be best for all parties involved to let him try to bounce back elsewhere. However, if you can look at a season with .7 points per game as a bad one for a third-liner, the assumption that a good one could be coming might be reason enough to keep him around.
Of course, whether these guys meet my standards are not, it's ultimately up to them if they want to come back or not, even if Ruskowski does want them here.
Speaking of Ruskowski, I'm sorry I never got to mention that he would be featured during the ESPN Friday Night Fights event at the LEA tonight.
Not sure if any of you saw it, but he did a little segment about fighting with boxing analyst and trainer Teddy Atlas.
There are a lot of guys to evaluate considering how many suffered season-ending injuries but were never let go by the team, so I just did this in alphabetical order (by last name) rather than sorting by my rating of their value.
Igor Agarunov (Forward/Defenseman) - Yes. Agarunov is a part of the core group that seems to come back every season regardless of performance in the previous season, but I don't think his low point totals during the 2009-10 campaign are necessarily something to hold against him. He only had five goals and 10 assists, but he did miss 11 games, suffer a head injury and get shuffled around from line to line and even to defense on occasion, so it's really not surprising that he was out of sync. In my opinion, Agarunov hustles and plays hard every game despite the fact that he can probably assume his future is safe, which is not always the case for other "core" players for the Bucks. He skates hard, tries to work in his hits and goes after loose pucks around the net, and those are all things Coach Ruskowski likes to see, so I assume he can be expected to come back. Also worth noting is the fact that Agarunov practiced very seriously, which I always think is a good sign in regards to a player's commitment to the team.
Jeff Bes (Forward) - Yes. Say what you will about Bes getting older, getting slower and not being the same player on the ice, because it's all true. However, his mind and his hands make him a valuable asset on the ice even if he were to become practically immobile, so I don't think there's any reason the Bucks should let him go. If he decides he wants to devote himself full-time to coaching, that's one thing, but he says he still wants to play, and as long as he does, the Bucks should try to keep him here. In my opinion, staying here as long as he did was settling on his part to an extent - despite the fact that he obviously wouldn't experience the same success at a higher level - and the Bucks should reward him for that commitment. He also plays an undeniably huge role off the ice, whether as the most recognizable face (player-wise) on the team or the biggest leader in the locker room. Even after missing a large part of last season due to injury and everything else he's gone through, Bes managed to put up a team-high 75 points this season, including nearly 20 goals. From Bucks' standpoint, at least in my eyes, there's really just no reason to let him go anywhere else.
Curtis Billsten (Forward) - Yes. Take pretty much all of the positive things I said about Agarunov and apply them to Billsten, as well. He does not take shifts off like some players did this year, he does not act like practice is a joke, and to add to those similar positives, he is young and eager and willing to learn. Injuries obviously prevented him from playing as much as he could have, but he put as much of his body and all of his heart and soul into every game he did play. Plus, he was a plus-8 on a team full of minus players during the regular season despite having his lines change constantly. Eleven goals and 17 assists might not be big numbers, but if a forward works as hard as he does and is responsible defensively, I don't see why a coach wouldn't want to bring him back.
Brent Cullaton (Forward) - Moot point. Unless he has a really big change of heart, he is not playing as a pro again.
Sylvain Deschatelets (F0rward) - Yes. Deschatelets showed that he can do a heck of a lot offensively with that stunning first week of his and bounced back from being dropped to the second line by being the Bucks' second-leading scorer. All told, he had 25 points in just 2o games, and he seemed to mesh well with several players who will likely return for next season. The only thing about him that could be a slight problem - well, other than the chance of him wanting to go back to Europe for the start of the season - is that he seemed to be put off by that line change, which although understandable, could be a sign of an attitude problem. Obviously, Ruskowski knows if that is a problem better than I do, and if it's not - and the Bucks can afford to keep Deschatelets' salary - I say go for it.
Kevin Desfosses (Goaltender) - No. Even when he was playing well, this guy showed signs of having some problems, and I don't think any team can have him play the way he did during his many meltdown games and expect to do well with him in goal. Honestly, the beating of the goalpost didn't really bother me too much, but there were other things that he did that were just too much. If you're more interested in leering at your ex-teammates and gesturing to the crowd (whether in a good way or not) than stopping the puck, you're not going to be a successful goalie. The fact that Corpus Christi won't have a CHL team next season could very well do him some good, but I don't think he's worth the risk at this point. He allowed four or more goals in his last seven games - and eight of his last nine - and that's no way to end a season with a team and expect to come into another season with them fully confident.
Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel (Defenseman) - Maybe. Dieude-Fauvel definitely has his appeal, whether it be his hat-trick game or his often crushing hits or his willingness to shoot from the point on the power play. But he also has his weaknesses and sometimes proved to be a liability when taking penalties in bad situations. I'm not much a fan of judging defenseman by their points, but I don't think we could really call him a "shut-down" guy, so it is worth noting that he had multiple five-game scoreless streaks throughout the season, including one that lasted 12 games. He was a plus-3, which for this season's team wasn't bad, but he still has some work to do. That said, I know Ruskowski saw a lot of potential in him, and those few really crushing hits might be more memorable than some of his mistakes.
Paul Elliott (Defenseman) - No. Elliott does his thing, and he does it well, but I think he knew it was time to hang up his skates when he did the first time, and now would probably be a good time to follow through on that. No one ever stops talking about how the game has gone to speed, and that is one thing Elliott unarguably does not have. I can't imagine that getting another year older is going to help him in that department, plus he got banged up a lot during the playoffs and does have a day job to attend to, so I think calling it quits and leaving his veteran spot for the Bucks to use on someone else would be his best bet.
Tyler Fletcher (Forward) - Maybe. I didn't get to see the one game that this kid played in, but Ruskowski was positively glowing when he talked about his performance. Ruskowski always complains that his teams don't hit enough, and he said Fletcher "was hitting everybody," so that clearly made a lasting impression. He'll be a rookie if he comes back, and his eagerness in that game - though it cost him a chance to play any others - is a sure sign that he loves what he does and wants to keep doing it. He could be lured over to the ECHL, but if not, I'd say he's worth at least a spot in training camp, and he should be good to go by then because his injury turned out to not be as severe as initially expected.
Eric Giosa (Forward) - Yes. Giosa is a character guy through and through, and I think it shows every time he is on the ice. He makes some really nice plays, and he hustles like crazy, and he kept doing those things even when nursing an injury during the end of the regular season and the playoffs. No one ever wanted to confirm much to me about that situation as it happened, but it was clear Giosa was battling something, and he never once asked to be held out of a game or played like he was hurt when he was out there. Based on those facts, and the one that Ruskowski says all he needs to win a championship is character guys, I think Giosa should be given a chance to return.
Todd Griffith (Forward) - No. I know the guy brings a lot on the ice, but he has a bad attitude. He lets that affect the way he behaves off the ice, so I can't help but think it will eventually harm the way he plays on it. I didn't mention this previously, but there was an incident in a store where one of my friends works that involved Griffith coming in, telling the employees he was a Buck and then expecting them to do everything he wanted and threatening them when they didn't. If Ruskowski didn't want to stand for what Ryan Salvis and Josef Fojtek were doing off the ice, then I hope he wouldn't want to stand for his players treating other people that way or doing anything that would give his team a bad reputation. According to his Hockey DB page, he seems to have returned to his EIHL team, so he probably wouldn't be available to the Bucks for training camp anyway. EDIT: Griffith does not seem to be signed in the EIHL after all, and his demanded departure from that team seems to be an interesting testament to his character of its own, but let's talk about what he did on the ice for the Bucks. Griffith got hot at exactly the right time, so that is what everyone is going to remember about him at this point. However, as Ruskowski often noted, Griffith is a "streaky" player, and eventually the hot streak was likely to end. Griffith had 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points in his 33 regular season games while posting a minus-2, then lit up for seven goals and two assists for nine points and a plus-4 in seven playoff games. Neither point total is anything to look down on, and if Griffith has found a comfort zone here in Laredo, then maybe his off-ice problems are something that can be resolved. I do worry a bit about his willingness to fight during the playoff series when he admitted that the tension between him and Mike Salekin was carried over from the past and had absolutely nothing to do with the Bucks, especially considering the fact that he was taking his own team's highest-scoring player off the ice for five minutes when he did (during a loss for the Bucks), but I'm guessing Ruskowski talked to him about that after the fact because he didn't do it again despite saying he would be up for it. If that was the case, and he listened, there is hope for his attitude problem. Considering some of the numbers he has posted in the past, and the fact that he never seems to treat fans the way he treated those previously mentioned, he could very well be back if Ruskowski can afford the salary he wants. And Griffith is still in Laredo but does not seem to be nursing any injuries, so that can only say good things for the way he feels about the city.
Ryan Lehr (Defenseman) - Yes. When Lehr came in, he brought something with him that Ruskowski had been looking for all year - a booming slapshot. I haven't mentioned this enough with other guys on this list, but when you find young talent that isn't so overwhelming it requires excessive compensation, it is exactly what you want to keep on a team like this. Lehr had six points in just 10 regular season games - great for a defenseman - and was a plus-4, which also isn't bad. He was very eager to learn and to play, and someone who can take point shots and block them at the other end is exactly what the Bucks need.
Mike Looby (Defenseman) - No. Looby can play when he wants to, but that's just the problem - he often doesn't want to do that, as his -12 shows. He slacked off on the ice, missed practices when the team staff didn't necessarily feel he needed to and overall just displayed a bad work ethic. Players like that - especially if they're wearing an 'A' - can do horrible things for a locker room and for a coach, and I guarantee you he became more of a headache for Ruskowski than he ever wanted to be dealing with. Considering the things I was told about Looby off the record, by more than one person, I would be absolutely shocked if he returned.
Jarred Mohr (Defenseman) - Maybe. Mohr has the tools to be a great player, but something was just off about him a lot of this season. He had 10 goals and 22 assists, with seven of the goals coming on the power play, but more often than not, he seemed to waste his chances on the advantage. I obviously don't get to see every game, but I feel like there was a lot more he could have done in the games I did see. I also feel like turning the puck over may have been a bit of a problem for him, but it's hard to judge that too much in a league that doesn't keep stats like that. Some of the mistakes he made were just not what you want to expect from a guy in his fourth pro season. But, there were some positives to his play, as well, and if he could be convinced to shoot more from the point, he could get better, so he's a tough one to decide on with just a yes or no.
Mark O'Leary (Forward) - Yes. O'Leary is yet another guy who didn't get much of a chance to show what he had with the Bucks, but everything he did show looked pretty good. A team needs to be made up of a lot of guys who can step up on any given night, and O'Leary proved he can be one of those guys on several occasions. He played only nine games with the Bucks, but had three goals and three assists and was a plus-3. If he could play at that rate for the whole season, you're looking at more than 20 goals, more than 40 total points and a pretty good plus/minus ratio. Ruskowski got to see him play when he did some decent work for the Killer Bees, too, so he can rest assured that the scoring wasn't a fluke, and I think O'Leary is worth a training camp invite this fall.
Pier-Olivier Pelletier (Goaltender) - Yes. I know Ruskowski doesn't have a history of keeping goaltenders, but how could he not want to keep a kid who stepped up the way Pelletier did? He had very little pro experience and came in and had some extraordinary games to help the Bucks clinch that third playoff seed and to hang with the Americans for seven games in a series that likely would have been much more one-sided without him in net. I don't think you need me to tell you how well he played, but a .915 save percentage during the regular season followed up with a .920 in the playoffs is just great for a rookie netminder, and he can only get better with more time playing against CHL-level talent.
Robin Richards (Forward) - No. I'm honestly not sure why Richards stuck around all season, though I'm not surprised he didn't play in most of the playoff games. Yes, he plays a rough style of game that appeals to the casual hockey fan, and yes, he has a big body presence that can be useful in front of the net... but what's the point of those things if someone loses most of his fights and takes penalties to cancel out power plays more than he scores goals on them? Plus, as I had mentioned previously, he did not take practice seriously at all. There were even occasions that he would joke around loudly while Ruskowski was trying to give the team instruction and Ruskowski would have to call him out to get him to shut up. That is not an attitude you need on your team, and his carelessness and lack of talent are not liabilities you need, either. He is better suited for a league in which he can be used purely to fight, and even then, he needs to work on that a bit. If Ruskowski plans to keep only 18 guys so he can stay below the cap, he cannot waste one of those spots on someone like Richards.
Adam Rivet (Defenseman) - Maybe. This is a tough one, because Rivet is the captain, a guy who the players get along with well, someone fans recognize, someone who was and is a part of so much this team wants to be... but I just can't bring myself to say yes flat-out. Everything I said about Agarunov not seeming overly comfortable in his situation here, I can reverse and apply to Rivet. Yes, he cares about this team, and yes, he wants to succeed, but he just didn't seem as invested in it this year as he has in the past. After last season, he was emotional and really upset with himself for the way he played. This year, he put up one point more in one more game played and said he was completely satisfied with his play. In my opinion, being completely satisfied with yourself is never a good thing, and being completely satisfied with being the captain of a team that often looked like it did not care definitely can't be good. Ruskowski told me all season long that there were veteran leaders he needed to have step up who were not doing that, and though he refused to name names, I have to think Rivet was often one of them. I know he wants to come back, so I'm not sure a split is in the cards, but I do think Ruskowski needs to question his desire before he lets him have his 'C' back even if he does stay.
Evan Schwabe (Forward) - Yes. Schwabe plays hard and plays a position that not every forward can handle, and his presence was obviously missed when he could not play due to the injury he suffered in the All-Star game. By my count, he won't be a veteran just yet, but he definitely has plenty of experience, and he put up good numbers with the Bucks but wasn't quite at career highs, which could mean he will do more with a full season to play. I'd say the biggest question here would be how much he wants to be paid, but if you can get 50 points out of him for every full season he can play, it doesn't seem like bringing him back would be a bad idea.
Darryl Smith (Forward - Yes and no. Smith is an even more complicated situation. On the one hand, of course Bucks fans should want him to stay here. On the other, why does he really want to stay? Of course he didn't play poorly this year, but I don't think he necessarily played up to his potential. He is comfortable in Laredo knowing that he will always be top-line talent here and that he is dating the coach's daughter. But is there really a good reason to keep him around? Maybe being rejected by teams at higher levels has led him to believe he's better off staying, but if he were to try playing for an ECHL team with an affiliation, his chances of getting called up and staying up could improve. Plus, sometimes teams within the same organization play the same systems, and going up to the AHL with a knowledge of what is expected of him there, rather than by his CHL team, could also benefit his chances. I told Smith at the end of his rookie season that I hoped for his sake he wouldn't be back, and I meant it. But he came back, and now I can't help but hope the same thing. But if I'm supposed to be analyzing what is best for the Bucks, not for the players themselves, then I guess I'd have to say it would be best to keep him here. A 35-plus goal scorer and 70-plus point man is not one you want to give up.
Justin Styffe (Forward) - Yes. Styffe brings the two most exciting things to see in a hockey game - speed and fighting. He may not have the best hands, but he is a sparkplug who can skate with the best of them (at this level) and win fights against guys a foot or more taller than him. Especially in a non-traditional market, players like Styffe are an incredible asset. And there's no denying the similarities between Ruskowski as a player and Styffe, so I think that gave him a soft spot for the guy even before he started producing. If he left, I think there would be some unanswered questions about how big of a draw he could become in Laredo, and what kind of player he could have become now that his game was not as focused on fighting as it was in the IHL. I have to admit that it's not necessarily exciting for me to watch a lot of CHL players after being jaded by too many NHL games, but Styffe was a lot of fun to watch, right up to the play that ended his season.
Jeremy Swanson (Defenseman) - Yes. Other than goaltending, playing solid defense can be the hardest thing to do, and he did it well for the games he did play. He was willing to shoot the puck, willing to block shots and willing to ask questions in order to improve. He got better and better every game, and Ruskowski always says the game in which Swanson got hurt was the best he had seen from him so far. It's optimistic to assume that he will just keep on getting better, but it also seems pretty logical, so having him come back and try to get better in Laredo - especially considering all the money invested in his injury rehabilitation - couldn't hurt.
Neil Trimm (Forward) - Maybe. He plays hard, and he had to deal with a constantly nagging injury, but I'm sorry, a minus-22 season on a winning team is not something you want to see. He can obviously do some things well, but I don't know if he did them well enough or often enough for the Bucks, and I think it might be best for all parties involved to let him try to bounce back elsewhere. However, if you can look at a season with .7 points per game as a bad one for a third-liner, the assumption that a good one could be coming might be reason enough to keep him around.
Of course, whether these guys meet my standards are not, it's ultimately up to them if they want to come back or not, even if Ruskowski does want them here.
Speaking of Ruskowski, I'm sorry I never got to mention that he would be featured during the ESPN Friday Night Fights event at the LEA tonight.
Not sure if any of you saw it, but he did a little segment about fighting with boxing analyst and trainer Teddy Atlas.
IceRays Moving to NAHL
I don't have much time right now, but just wanted to acknowledge the fact that the Corpus Christi IceRays are moving to the North American Hockey League, the same junior league that is putting a franchise in Amarillo.
Not all of the details have been confirmed, but Greg Rajan from the Corpus Christi Caller-Times has the scoop and will likely provide more info on his blog later.
I am in the middle of editing two sections while also dealing with a bunch of other work, so I can't really make calls about this right now, but Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees beat writer Brian Sandalow has some initial remarks from coaches and other league figures, including Terry Ruskowski, on his Twitter account.
UPDATE: You can read Sandalow's story on the situation here. This is what Coach Ruskowski had to say to him about it:
"It’s going to hurt both of us, Rio and us. It’s a situation where cost and travel is going to go up. The rivalry won’t be there. Now there’s only two in (South Texas) and scheduling-wise it’s going to be tougher to have people coming down here just to play two teams."
I will only be able to use a blurb about the situation in sport shorts for tomorrow's paper because the front page is already full of local stuff, but I'll try to follow up on everything ASAP.
Not all of the details have been confirmed, but Greg Rajan from the Corpus Christi Caller-Times has the scoop and will likely provide more info on his blog later.
I am in the middle of editing two sections while also dealing with a bunch of other work, so I can't really make calls about this right now, but Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees beat writer Brian Sandalow has some initial remarks from coaches and other league figures, including Terry Ruskowski, on his Twitter account.
UPDATE: You can read Sandalow's story on the situation here. This is what Coach Ruskowski had to say to him about it:
"It’s going to hurt both of us, Rio and us. It’s a situation where cost and travel is going to go up. The rivalry won’t be there. Now there’s only two in (South Texas) and scheduling-wise it’s going to be tougher to have people coming down here just to play two teams."
I will only be able to use a blurb about the situation in sport shorts for tomorrow's paper because the front page is already full of local stuff, but I'll try to follow up on everything ASAP.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Catching Up
Sorry for the lack of posts lately; I've been pretty busy with desk work and a few stories here and there, so I haven't had much time to get on the blog. I am working on that "stay or go" post, but I figured I would try to catch up on some news for now.
First things first, the Bucks have lost a Southern Conference opponent, as the Amarillo Gorillas announced today that they will be suspending operations for the 2010-11 season.
The move was somewhat expected, as the North American Hockey League announced plans to open a franchise in Amarillo for next season a while back and apparently will officially announce that franchise's existence tomorrow.
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees Vice President of Communications Rich Bocchini has all the info about that, as well as his take on how it will affect the Killer Bees (which is similar to how it will affect the Bucks) on his blog.
The Gorillas join the New Mexico Scorpions and Rocky Mountain Rage as "suspended" CHL franchises, while the Austin Ice Bats, who are owned by Gorillas owner Randy Sanders, are considered defunct but supposedly still looking to relocate after the Texas Stars took over the Austin scene.
Meanwhile, the Bucks are currently holding a Bucks pride contest for their fans. All you have to do is submit photos of yourself and your family wearing Bucks gear and showing your team pride to fans@laredobucks.com. Entry deadline is June 4.
Prizes include tickets to Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Sea World and Schlitterbahn.
Staff members and players who are still in town have been making appearances at local events, which you can read about every week in the team's community update.
On a more hockey-oriented front, Bryan Benway posted an interview with 2009-10 captain Adam Rivet the week before last. You can listen to that here.
Yesterday, Benway posted on his blog, saying the team is close to making its first (re-)signings for the 2010-11 season and will likely do so next week. When they will announce them, though, is likely a different story.
The Corpus Christi IceRays sent a few players to different teams this week to complete prior trades, and you can read about who went where on Greg Rajan's blog.
That should about do it for now. I'll get back to work on that "stay or go" post, which will be up here before I leave the office Friday night. And if any other Bucks news surfaces, I'll be sure to blog about it ASAP.
First things first, the Bucks have lost a Southern Conference opponent, as the Amarillo Gorillas announced today that they will be suspending operations for the 2010-11 season.
The move was somewhat expected, as the North American Hockey League announced plans to open a franchise in Amarillo for next season a while back and apparently will officially announce that franchise's existence tomorrow.
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees Vice President of Communications Rich Bocchini has all the info about that, as well as his take on how it will affect the Killer Bees (which is similar to how it will affect the Bucks) on his blog.
The Gorillas join the New Mexico Scorpions and Rocky Mountain Rage as "suspended" CHL franchises, while the Austin Ice Bats, who are owned by Gorillas owner Randy Sanders, are considered defunct but supposedly still looking to relocate after the Texas Stars took over the Austin scene.
Meanwhile, the Bucks are currently holding a Bucks pride contest for their fans. All you have to do is submit photos of yourself and your family wearing Bucks gear and showing your team pride to fans@laredobucks.com. Entry deadline is June 4.
Prizes include tickets to Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Sea World and Schlitterbahn.
Staff members and players who are still in town have been making appearances at local events, which you can read about every week in the team's community update.
On a more hockey-oriented front, Bryan Benway posted an interview with 2009-10 captain Adam Rivet the week before last. You can listen to that here.
Yesterday, Benway posted on his blog, saying the team is close to making its first (re-)signings for the 2010-11 season and will likely do so next week. When they will announce them, though, is likely a different story.
The Corpus Christi IceRays sent a few players to different teams this week to complete prior trades, and you can read about who went where on Greg Rajan's blog.
That should about do it for now. I'll get back to work on that "stay or go" post, which will be up here before I leave the office Friday night. And if any other Bucks news surfaces, I'll be sure to blog about it ASAP.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Rush Win Presidents' Cup
The 2009-10 Central Hockey League season came to a close in dramatic fashion last night as the Rapid City Rush rallied to a 4-3 double-overtime win over the Allen Americans in Game 6 of the Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Finals.
The Americans jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, but could not hold on, and with just 32 seconds left in the second OT period, Scott Wray scored to give the Rush the CHL title in the franchise's second year of existence.
You can read more about Wray here, the game here and here and the finals as a whole here and in today's "Shots from the Point."
Though the Bucks do not get to say they lost to the eventual league champs, they did lose the eventual conference champions, so that's something.
Did any of you watch the game last night? I was not able to for a variety of reasons, but it seems to have been quite a thriller.
The Americans jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, but could not hold on, and with just 32 seconds left in the second OT period, Scott Wray scored to give the Rush the CHL title in the franchise's second year of existence.
You can read more about Wray here, the game here and here and the finals as a whole here and in today's "Shots from the Point."
Though the Bucks do not get to say they lost to the eventual league champs, they did lose the eventual conference champions, so that's something.
Did any of you watch the game last night? I was not able to for a variety of reasons, but it seems to have been quite a thriller.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
LMT Sports Page On Facebook
Though this isn't the biggest season for Bucks news, I just wanted to let those of you who read this blog know that the LMT sports section now has a Facebook page.
You can find it here, and "like" it to receive Laredo sports news updates in your Facebook news feed.
We will post all Bucks news on that page, as well as to our Twitter account, and sometimes, those pages may be updated before this blog.
Additionally, Facebook allows for us to have photo albums; I have already uploaded a lot of the Bucks JPEGs we have from this season, and I will upload more from this season and years past as I find them.
You can also upload your own fan photos, whether they be game action shots, pictures from team events or photos of you with your favorite Bucks players.
I have been working on this page for the past few days, and I think it's actually pretty neat, because it gives us a lot more freedom than the LMT 956 Sports website, and we can tag photos and stats/results to the players participating in games.
If you have a Facebook account, check out our page, and "like" it if you'd like to receive our updates and be able to share your photos or opinions. Thanks!
You can find it here, and "like" it to receive Laredo sports news updates in your Facebook news feed.
We will post all Bucks news on that page, as well as to our Twitter account, and sometimes, those pages may be updated before this blog.
Additionally, Facebook allows for us to have photo albums; I have already uploaded a lot of the Bucks JPEGs we have from this season, and I will upload more from this season and years past as I find them.
You can also upload your own fan photos, whether they be game action shots, pictures from team events or photos of you with your favorite Bucks players.
I have been working on this page for the past few days, and I think it's actually pretty neat, because it gives us a lot more freedom than the LMT 956 Sports website, and we can tag photos and stats/results to the players participating in games.
If you have a Facebook account, check out our page, and "like" it if you'd like to receive our updates and be able to share your photos or opinions. Thanks!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Rush Take Series Lead
The Rapid City Rush continued their trend of winning every game in the Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Finals during which they score more than two goals with a dominant 7-2 victory over the Allen Americans in Game 5 tonight.
They now lead the series 3-2 heading back to Rapid City, where they will have a chance to win a title in Game 6 on Tuesday.
The Rush were outshot 26-22 tonight but managed to get seven of those 22 shots into the back of the net to take their first lead of the series.
You can read more about the game here.
They now lead the series 3-2 heading back to Rapid City, where they will have a chance to win a title in Game 6 on Tuesday.
The Rush were outshot 26-22 tonight but managed to get seven of those 22 shots into the back of the net to take their first lead of the series.
You can read more about the game here.
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