Dog Pound Weekly

Published on March 16, 2004 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bozeman Icedogs News Release


The 'DOGS are in the thick of the playoff hunt this week, and the fate of the season is about to be revealed! Tomorrow night, the 'DOGS play in Helena and you can listen to all of the action on 95.1-FM "The Moose" with voice of the ICEDOGS Mark Martello. Friday, Fernie pays a visit to the Valley Ice Garden and Saturday, the 'DOGS play in Billings. Three tough games for one of four teams fighting for three remaining playoff spots.

Friday's game is sponsored by Dick Walter Auto Group and will be a white out promotion night. Wear a white shirt to the game, make signs, and be loud---make our arena as intimidating as possible for this must-win contest.

Team Update

Last weekend, the 'DOGS were really helped in the playoff race by Fernie beating Helena and Fargo- Moorhead beating Bismarck on Friday. Bismarck tied Bozeman in the standings with a win on Saturday against Minnesota and Billings also provided some assistance by beating Fargo-Moorhead.

Tomorrow, Bismarck hosts Minnesota, and your hometown Huskies travel to Helena. Friday, Fargo-Moorhead plays in Minnesota, Fernie plays in Bozeman, and Bismarck plays in Helena. Saturday, Fargo-Moorhead plays in Minnesota, Bismarck plays in Helena, and the ICEDOGS play in Billings. If you like a tight race to the finish, it does not get any closer.

The ICEDOGS will rely very heavily on playing smart and aggressive at both ends of the ice. Josh Kassel must continue to play stingy in goal, and get help from the 'DOGS defense who will not be able to afford any breakdowns or turnovers.

In other news, Bozeman High Graduate Nick Boddy had an excellent game on Friday against the USA Development team! The 'DOGS lost 3-1, and Nick played very solid against the toughest competition the 'DOGS faced all season. Nick has been invited to camp this summer, along with Bozeman native Dane Fletcher. Both will be competing for a spot to back up Josh Kassel.

The Passing of the Torch

Next season looks extremely promising for everyone. A majority of this year's team is eligible to return, and most have hinted at a desire to come back. From Captain Bill Leahy to goalie Josh Kassel, the 'DOGS will have excellent veteran leadership as they fill in a few roster spots left by departing players.

Garrett Gruenke, Zak McClellan, Matt Frank, Brett Kisner, and Joakim Eklov are the only players born in 1983, which means a graduation from Junior A hockey. These fine young men have helped uphold the tradition of ICEDOGS hockey, and deserve our upmost respect. This year, they have taught younger players the importance of hard work both on and off the ice. They willingly donated countless hours to reading to local school children, skating and training with with the disabled, mentoring children, and too many other organized charity programs to list in this newsletter.

Zak McClellan will be playing hockey at Michigan State University, and Matt Frank, Joakim Eklov, and Garrett Gruenke will likely continue their hockey careers at yet- to-be-determined locations. We look forward to hearing of their future successes, and passing that information on to our fans.

This year, we worked hard to track down and report on former 'DOGS...and will continue to do the same as these fine players move forward in their lives.

F.Y.I.

Season ticket holders receive FREE playoff tickets. If you are a season ticket holder you will be receiving information on this perk this week. Any questions can be directed to our Will Call Office at 585-1415.

If you are NOT a season ticket holder you should think about becoming one next season. A number of new benefits have been added, so give it some thought! $20 reserves your seat for next season, and you can pay the balance as late as July 31, 2004! Find a current season ticket holder to "refer" you to buy season tickets, split the $50 credit, and you both get season tickets for $250 instead of $275! There is not a better value on this type of local entertainment anywhere.

Do you have any suggestions for next year? We have received a few comments for improvements next year and really appreciate hearing what you think. Managing any business causes people to get "tunnel vision" and we are no exception. Being able to hear what outsiders are seeing, hearing, and feeling is extremely important. PLEASE reply to this e-mail with any thoughts you have about this past season and what you think we can improve on.

This is the final Dog Pound Weekly of the season---but don't worry! We will still be sending an occassional e- mail with ICEDOGS news throughout the playoffs and off season! This may include current and future playoff updates, scheduling and league news and information, and more! There is always news to report during the summer.

Spotlight on Nicholas Ghidina

Nick started playing hockey at age 8, after seeing the first Mighty Ducks movie. He lived in Pekin, IL and the movie motivated young Nick to strap on the skates. He started out as a Forward, but then moved to Defense while playing Midget Minor (age 15) because the team needed some additional strength on Defense. Those around Nick have annointed him with the two nicknames of "Chucky" and "The Fury" because of his intense personality and unparalleled work ethic.

Nick's first fight was at age 16, while playing Midget Major. He was jumped from behind and then proceeded to drive the perpetrator to the ground. Both were kicked out of the game.

Nick came to the ICEDOGS in early October 2003 in a trade with the Springfield Spirit. When notified of the trade, he was excited especially talking to Coach Metro. After arriving in Bozeman and meeting his teammates, touring the facility, and getting assigned to a great billet family he felt right at home. His favorite part of being an ICEDOG is the opportunity he gets to participate in charity work, which the team does a lot of, and being able to play in such a professional atmosphere.

Nick does not have any superstitions about the game, but gets very intense before it. In the locker room, he sits in his stall and mentally visualizes what he needs to focus on during the game. This may include finishing checks, moving the puck quickly, gapping up on the opponents, and bringing all around intensity both offensively and defensively every shift on the ice. Nick plans on returning to the ICEDOGS next year, and being a dominating force in the league. Eventually he would like to play college hockey for the University of Wisconsin, Northern Michigan, Michigan State, or the University of North Dakota. Nick is very goal oriented, and feels that setting high standards is the way to constant improvement and achieving great things in life. He also realizes that there is always someone working just as hard for the same goals, and this is a tremendous motivator. Earning a college scholarship is also important as a way to repay his father for the tremendous sacrifice he has made for Nick to advance his hockey career.

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North American Hockey League Stories from March 16, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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