Let the games begin!
Photo via Hershey Bears Facebook Page
There is a fall chill in the Central PA air. It’s now October. The Bears have had training camp and the preseason games are over. Now comes the anticipation as we await the start of the regular season. For the team it starts tomorrow, but we won’t see them until October 15th. Currently, there is a large RV show that has taken over the parking lots of the Giant Center and Hersheypark. This happens every year and it yet another signal of hockey’s impending return.
The final cuts have been made, and the opening roster is set. But this is the AHL. The roster won’t be the same for long. When the Caps lose a player to injury, he is temporarily gone. Those positions are filled in from the Bears. As an AHL fan, we know that our guys are different. Instead of being temporarily gone, they are temporarily here. There are no long term contracts. We hope for the best for them and that their dreams of making it to the NHL come true. I kind of equate it to parenting. We want the best for our boys, but while they are under our roof we demand the best from them. This is Hershey. When you look up the rafters in Giant Center you will see the names of the greats and 11 Calder Cup banners. Division and Conference championship banners are not hung. The Reese’s advertising in section 211 says it all. “It’s all about the cup!”. This is Hershey and you will be held to a higher standard. With that in mind, let’s take a look at who we will be seeing in Hershey to start the season.
Boyd Kane was named the team’s captain yesterday while Keith Aucoin, Graham Mink and Chris Bourque were named assistant captains. In the case of Mink and Bourque, Mink will wear the A at home and Bourque will wear it on the road. All of them have proven ability on the ice.
Kane has led two previous teams to Calder Cups. One them was the 2005-2006 Bears team. He is without a doubt a leader. On the ice he can be quite vocal and that includes with the official. Kathryn pointed out that his mouth cost the Bears a couple penalties last year. Not a horrible thing for a Captain. You need someone who will speak up, but you also need it done in a controlled manner. Kane can and has done that as a Captain in the past.
Aucoin has worn an A on his chest for several seasons. In our previous poll he was the favorite to be Captain. Where Aucoin’s downfall is on the ice is that he can have a hard time controlling his temper. This type of thing happened more than once last season and in some cases ended up costing the Bears a retaliation type penalty. I saw it in this preseason already, but no penalty was called.
Mink is another veteran leader. In Caps training camp he was already talking about looking forward to mentoring the younger guys. He is a fan favorite and all around good guy. He seems like he would be a fair leader who, rather than getting up in your face about a mistake, will use it as a teaching moment.
Bourque will wear the A on the road. Like Kane and Aucoin, he has an edge that has cost the Bears in the penalty department on prior occasions. Also like Kane and Aucoin he will definitely let the officials know just how he feels.
If the team goes as its leaders go, then this will be a gritty team. But they will also be a scoring team. All of the guys with letters on their chest can put up numbers as well. This is yet another very promising team that Doug Yingst, Mark French and Troy Mann have put together.
This appears to be the roster for the Bears first game:
Keith Aucoin
Francois Bouchard
Chris Bourque
Julien Brouillette
Andrew Carroll
Sean Collins
Cody Eakin
Brett Fleming
Matthew Ford
Kyle Greentree
Christian Hanson
Braden Holtby
Boyd Kane
Patrick McNeill
Jacob Micflikier
Graham Mink
Zach Miscovic
Dmitry Orlov
Ryan Potulny
Joel Rechlicz
Danny Richmond
Dany Sabourin
Mattias Sjogren
Patrick Wellar
It looks like there will be a good mix of veterans and young talent. This roster will change there is no doubt about that. For example Aucoin and Greentree were called to Washington today to practice with the Caps. It isn’t expected that they will see time in the game on Saturday, but there is a chance that they will not be available for the start of the Bears road trip. I guess we will find out soon. As the season goes on, this roster will see many more changes. Here’s to hoping that we are still seeing those changes into June!
I don’t know about you, but I am more than ready to get this thing started. Good luck to the boys as they open the show on the road, and I will see you at the Giant Center on October 15th!!!!