The plan is, once again, to do a livechat here on Tuesday afternoons, 1:30. Didn’t want to schedule one yesterday, not knowing ahead of time what the practice schedule would look like, so we’ll begin regulation chatting next Tuesday with two games to discuss.
But rather than not chat before the season, let’s get together at a special time: Friday, 1:30 p.m., livechat, right here.
…..
On Oct. 5, 2001, a team of 20 guys in black sweaters with a blue tiger on their chest hit the ice in Rochester. They beat the Amerks 3-0. They got out of town and went east toward Syracuse, and exactly 10 years later as of today, they’ve never been back.
(The sweaters and most of the players have been gone for a while, too.)
From the Connecticut Post, Oct. 6, 2001:
SOUND TIGERS FIRSTS
Starting lineup: Goal: Rick DiPietro. Defense: Branislav Mezei-Chris Armstrong. Forwards: Raffi Torres-Justin Mapletoft-Marko Tuomainen.
Alternate captains: Chris Armstrong, Dave Roche, Ray Schultz
Boos: 7:42 p.m., before player introductions. During player introductions, both Amerks and Sound Tigers got applause.
Faceoff: 8:01 p.m., Mapletoft defeated Chris Taylor.
Shot: Trent Hunter from the right-wing boards, 1:20 first.
Save: DiPietro, :58 first, off a deflection. Christian Matte’s shot from the left-wing boards at 5:35 was the first clean Rochester shot.
Goal: David Morisset from Jason Podollan and Nick Smith, 5:58 second.
Penalty: Ray Schultz, roughing and a double-minor for attempted spearing*, 6:06 first.
Power play: 3:13 first, after Taylor Pyatt interfered with Mapletoft. No goal, no shots.
Penalty kill: 6:06 first, the roughing segment of Schultz’s triple-minor. No goal, two shots.
Empty-net goal: Trent Hunter, unassisted, 19:21 third.
Bridgeport 0 1 2–3
Rochester 0 0 0–0
First Period — None. Penalties — Pyatt, Roc (interference), 3:13; Schultz, Bpt, triple-minor (roughing, double attempted spearing), 6:06; Peters, Roc, double-minor (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 12:33; Peters, Roc (roughing), 17:00; Roche, Bpt, double-minor (boarding, roughing), 18:41; Van Oene, Roc (roughing), 18:41; Houda, Roc (boarding), 18:41.
Second Period — 1, Bridgeport, Morisset 1 (Podollan, Smith), 5:58. Penalties — Taylor, Roc (slashing), 3:05; Mezei, Bpt (holding stick), 8:28; Schultz, Bpt (roughing), 13:43; Kolnik, Bpt (slashing), 15:59.
Third Period — 2, Bridgeport, Hunter 1 (Smith, Kolnik), 11:19. 3, Bridgeport, Hunter 2, 19:21 (empty net). Penalties — Schultz, Bpt (tripping), 5:45.
Shots on goal — Bridgeport 4-6-9-19. Rochester 10-10-9–29.
Power play opportunities — Bridgeport 0 of 5, Rochester 0 of 7.
Goaltenders — Bridgeport, Rick DiPietro, 1-0-0 (29 shots-29 saves). Rochester, Mika Noronen, 0-1-0 (19-17).
Attendance — 9,887. Referee — Rooney. Linesmen — Brisebois, Murphy.
…..
The folks on that bench that night***:
Coach Steve Stirling: Assistant coach, Binghamton
Assistant coach Dave Baseggio: Director of pro scouting, Anaheim
Trainer Garrett Timms: Trainer, New York Islanders
Equipment manager Vinny Ferraiuolo: Assistant equipment manager, San Jose
1 Rick DiPietro G: New York Islanders
2 Ray Giroux D: Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia), KHL
3 Ray Schultz D: Last played in 2006 for Springfield
7 Dick Tarnstrom D: AIK (Sweden), Elitserien
8 Petr Mika C: Last played 2010 for two teams in the Czech Republic
12 Juraj Kolnik LW: Dynamo Moscow (Russia), KHL
16 Raffi Torres LW: Phoenix
19 Ben Guite C: Worcester
21 Trent Hunter RW: Los Angeles
23 Dave Morriset RW: Last played in 2004-05 for Idaho, injury-plagued.
24 Branislav Mezei D: Lev Poprad (Slovakia), KHL
26 Justin Mapletoft C: Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany second division)
32 Chris Armstrong D: Last played in 2010 for Springfield
33 Nick Smith C: Last played in Germany in 2007, but playing senior hockey
35 Stephen Valiquette G: Last played last year for CSKA Moscow. Just named goaltending coach, Quinnipiac
36 Evgeny Korolev D: Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Russia), KHL
44 Marko Tuomainen RW: Last played last year for KooKoo (Finland second division)
51 Dave Roche LW: Last played in 2004 for the Toronto Roadrunners. At last report a financial advisor.
73 Jason Podollan C: Last played in 2006 in Japan. At last report a part-owner of a pub in Vernon, B.C.
(With help from The IHDB and EliteProspects. If you know more about some of the ones I missed, let me know.)
(The Amerks? Their lineup included two future Sound Tigers: Mike Hurlbut, Doug Janik, Rory Fitzpatrick, Jaroslav Kristek, Milan Bartovic, Taylor Pyatt, Chris Taylor, Darren VanOene, Jeremy Adduono, Mario Larocque, Norm Milley, Ales Kotalik, Christian Matte, Doug Houda, Andrew Peters, Francois Methot, Brian Campbell and Mika Noronen.)
*-Sideshow Bob, op cit**.
**-Sorry. I had to.
***-Did that on the fly, rather than, you know, thinking ahead and doing research. Any where-are-they-now help is welcome, ’cause Google only goes so far at 12:30 a.m.