A special-teams-heavy practice Tuesday at Wonderland, where Brent Thompson, with John Ferguson standing right there, made a point to thank Fergie and the staff for their help and hospitality over the course of the season. He said he was serious, so there it is.
It was a serious kind of day. Kyle Schempp, he said, is expected to miss the rest of the season after taking that hit from Christian Djoos (not Madison Bowey, as I’d written; wrong single digit) in the first period Sunday. I assume that implies surgery.
But Connor Jones appears ready to go tomorrow. He was with Kellen Jones and Darren Nowick today, with the other apparently-in lines as they were the other day. Same cast otherwise.
And Thompson said they’re hopeful Travis St. Denis will be skating by the weekend. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s close; he’ll have to get back into condition after being out, by then, almost three weeks.
Two games of Atlantic-race import tonight: Lehigh Valley on the Rock, and Hartford at Wilkes-Barre. The Phantoms and Hershey are (separately) playing tomorrow as Bridgeport visits Albany.
Mathew Barzal versus Parker Wotherspoon in the first round of the WHL playoffs, beginning Friday. (There might be other players involved, too.)
And wishing the best for Fairfield Ludlowe’s Charlie Capalbo, diagnosed with cancer after the Fairfield hockey season.