Blaine Showcase Review; Season Preview
Published on September 22, 2008 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Springfield Jr. Blues News Release
With the North American Hockey League's Blaine Showcase completed, the Springfield Jr. Blues find themselves with a 2-2 record - along with respect from the rest of the league. The Jr. Blues lost thier first game vs. Fairbanks 4-3, then beat Alpena 6-4 and Mahoning Valley 4-3 in overtime. They lost their 4th and final game of the Showcase to Alaska 6-3. The Showcase was a tremendous success for the league, with over 200 college and professional scouts trying to find future talent for their programs. As for the Blues and the coaching staff, the Showcase offers an early look at the players and their ability to play in real league games and under the pressure of scouts in the stands.Coach Chris Wyler, in his second full season as head coach, made the decision to she! d some of last year's veterans and go with a younger squad. "We have ten 1990 birthdays on the roster, making us one of the youngest teams in the league", states coach Chris Wyler. "We were fortunate to have all our draft picks and tenders this year, unlike last season when they were all traded away. With that leeway, we were able to sign some of the top players available". Assistant coach Andy Maher was a busy guy during the off-season. Maher, in addition to being assistant coach, also has the main scouting responsibilities for the Blues. "This is not a rebuilding year", states Maher. "Management has made it clear that they want a Robertson Cup Championship in Springfield and that is what we are striving for. Anything less would be a disapointment. There is a huge jump from where most of these kids played last year to Jr. hockey and it showed in the early games at Blaine. However, we continued to get better as the tournament went on"! , he added......Leading the scoring for the Blues so far are f! orwards Trent Frey and Nick Curry, each with six points. Defenseman Jack Callahan has five points with veteran forward Jon Gaffney and defenseman Austin Caldwell with three each.....
2008-2009 Season Thoughts.....Springfield needs to keep a winning team on the ice in order to keep the tremendous momentum going it earned from the team's strong end-of-the-year finish last year. Springfield stunned division leader North Iowa in the first round of the playoffs before losing in overtime of game # five of the Round Two, best-of-five series with the Alexandria Blizzard. The team increased attendance by over three hundred fans per game last year and made great improvements in many other aspects of the team's operations. With another strong season, the team will solidify it's presence in Springfield as the longest operating sports franchise in Springfield history..... The Jr. Blues first home game is Friday, October 17th against the 2008 Champions, the St. Louis Bandits. The Blues have beat the Bandits in the two pre-season exhibition games played in early September. Season and single-game ticket prices will remain the same for the new season and are availa! ble by calling the team office at 217-525-2589. The games can also be viewed on the B2 Network(see home page for more info).
North American Hockey League Stories from September 22, 2008
- Blaine Showcase Review; Season Preview - Springfield Jr. Blues
- Outlaws Suffer Three Straight Losses at Showcase - North Iowa Outlaws
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