Stars Recall Ryan Garbutt From Texas Stars
With Jamie Benn out and the Stars down to the minimum of healthy players, they have recalled Ryan Garbutt from the Texas Stars.
Because Toby Petersen was a healthy scratch Thursday, he could return to the lineup and Garbutt could be a healthy scratch against Phoenix.
Here is the press release:
DALLAS STARS RECALL RYAN GARBUTT FROM TEXAS STARS
Frisco, TX – The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has recalled forward Ryan Garbutt from the Texas Stars, Dallas’ primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Garbutt, 26, has played in 50 games for Texas this season, scoring 16 goals and 17 assists totaling 33 points. He ranks fourth in overall scoring for Texas and first with 96 penalty minutes. The 6-1, 195-pound forward from Winnipeg, MB was signed by Dallas as a free agent on Sept. 18, 2009.
The Dallas Stars will play against the Phoenix Coyotes Saturday night at Jobing.com Arena at 7 p.m. CT (TV: TXA-21; Radio: 1310 The Ticket).
Garbutt Becomes 486th ECHL Player to Reach NHL
PRINCETON, N.J. – Former Gwinnett Gladiators center Ryan Garbutt became the 486th player to play in the National Hockey League after the ECHL when he made his debut with the Dallas Stars in a 2-1 overtime loss against the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday.
The 26-year-old had three shots on goal in 5:41of ice time for the Stars, whose line-up also included former ECHL players Vernon Fiddler, Adam Pardy, Michael Ryder and Tom Wandell. Former Las Vegas Wranglers head coach, and 2006 ECHL Coach of the Year Glen Gulutzan is head coach of the Stars. Former ECHL goaltender Mike Valley is the Stars’ goaltending coach.
The Idaho Steelheads are the ECHL affiliate of the Stars and the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League. Former ECHL coach Jeff Pyle is the head coach of Texas.
Nineteen ECHL players have made their NHL debuts this season: former Florida Everblades center Mike Angelidis (Tampa Bay on Jan. 24), former Victoria Salmon Kings defenseman Jordie Benn (Dallas on Jan. 3), former Bakersfield Condors and Elmira Jackals defenseman Stu Bickel (New York Rangers on Dec. 20), former Greenville Road Warriors defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon (Philadelphia on Nov. 21), former South Carolina Stingrays defenseman Joe Finley (Buffalo on Dec. 2), Cincinnati Cyclones goaltender Brian Foster (Florida on Feb. 4), former Victoria Salmon Kings defenseman Kris Fredheim (Minnesota on Nov. 17), former Gwinnett Gladiators center Ryan Garbutt (Dallas on Feb. 18), former Elmira Jackals center Mike Hoffman (Ottawa on Dec. 23), former Victoria Salmon Kings goaltender Leland Irving (Calgary on Dec. 16), former Toledo and Reading center Bracken Kearns (Florida on Oct. 20), Stockton Thunder center Milan Kytnar (Edmonton on Jan. 11), former Bakersfield center Maxime Macenauer (Anaheim on Oct. 7), former Ontario Reign center Jordan Nolan (Los Angeles on Feb. 11), former Idaho Steelheads center and two-time ECHL All-Star Greg Rallo (Florida on Dec. 18), former Cincinnati Cyclones center Ryan Russell (Columbus on Jan. 7), former Reading Royals goaltender Ben Scrivens (Toronto on Nov. 3), former Cincinnati Cyclones defenseman Frederic St. Denis (Montreal on Nov. 16) and former Ontario Reign defenseman Colten Teubert (Edmonton on Nov. 3).
Four players have played in the ECHL and NHL in 2011-12: Brian Foster with Cincinnati and Florida, Milan Kytnar with Stockton and Edmonton, Peter Mannino with Chicago and Winnipeg and Allen York with Chicago and Columbus.
The ECHL had a record 81 players on NHL opening-day rosters, surpassing the 79 from a year ago and marking the ninth year in a row that there have been over 50 former ECHL players on opening-day rosters. The ECHL has affiliations with 26 of the 30 NHL teams, marking the 15th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.
There have been 486 players who have played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL including 23 in 2010-11. The ECHL has had 294 players reach the NHL since 2002-03 when it changed its focus to become the primary developmental league for the NHL and the AHL. The ECHL had 97 players reach the NHL in its first 10 seasons and 215 in the first 15 years. There have been 230 ECHL players who have played their first game in the last seven seasons for an average of more than 32 per year.
There are 30 coaches with an ECHL background working behind the benches of teams in the NHL including including Anaheim Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach and 2011 Jack Adams Award winner Dan Bylsma, New York Islanders head coach Jack Capuano, Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan, Philadelphia Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette and Winnipeg Jets head coach Claude Noel. It is the seventh consecutive season that there have been 11 or more coaches with an ECHL background working in the NHL. Boudreau, who coached Mississippi for three seasons winning the Kelly Cup championship in 1999, was named NHL Coach of the Year in 2007-08 becoming the first former ECHL coach to receive the award. Bylsma, who played in the ECHL with Greensboro from 1992-94, was named NHL Coach of the Year in 2010-11.
There are 22 former ECHL officials scheduled to work as part of the NHL officiating team in 2011-12 with referees David Banfield, Francis Charron, Ghislain Hebert, Jean Hebert, Marc Joannette, Mike Leggo, Wes McCauley, Dean Morton, Dan O’Rourke, Brian Pochmara, Kevin Pollock, Kyle Rehman, Chris Rooney, Justin St. Pierre, Graham Skilliter and Ian Walsh, and linesmen Steve Barton, Brian Mach, Matt MacPherson, Tim Nowak, Bryan Pancich and Jay Sharrers.
The ECHL was represented for the 11th year in a row on the Stanley Cup champion with Boston Bruins assistant coach Geoff Ward, players Rich Peverley, Michael Ryder and Tim Thomas, radio broadcaster Dave Goucher and scout Tom McVie. Thomas is the first former ECHL player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as Most Valuable Player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. There were 34 former players and 19 coaches on the 16 teams competing in the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, marking the sixth year in a row that there have been at least 30 former ECHL players and the eighth consecutive season that over 25 players with ECHL experience have competed in the NHL postseason.
The first ECHL player to play in the NHL was Johnstown Chiefs goaltender and current Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach Scott Gordon, who played his first game with the Quebec Nordiques against Buffalo on Jan. 30, 1990. The 100th player honor is shared by Jean Sebastien Aubin and Manny Legace, who both made their debut on Oct. 21, 1998 with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Los Angeles Kings, respectively. The 200th player was Brett McLean with the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 10, 2002 while the 300th was David Liffiton with the New York Rangers on Apr. 11, 2006 and the 400th was Phil Oreskovic on Mar. 9, 2009 with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Former ECHL broadcasters working in the National Hockey League include John Ahlers and Steve Carroll of the Anaheim Ducks, Tom Callahan of the Nashville Predators, Dave Goucher of the Boston Bruins, Chris Kerber of the St. Louis Blues, Jack Michaels of the Edmonton Oilers, Dave Mishkin of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Bob McElligott of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Ryan Stanzel and Jeremy Zager, who were both recipients of the ECHL Media Relations Director of the Year award, are working in the communications department for the Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings, respectively. Former ECHL assistant director of communications Joe Siville and Kelly Murray are now with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals, respectively, while former ECHL director of communications Jason Rothwell is the creative director for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League Fast Facts
• Watch games live on America One, the “Official Broadband & Mobile Broadcaster” of the ECHL.
• The ECHL celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2007-08 and is the third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League.
• ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown to be a coast-to-coast league with 20 teams in 16 states in 2010-11.
• The league officially changed its name from East Coast Hockey League to ECHL on May 19, 2003.
• ECHL has affiliations with 24 of the 30 teams in the American Hockey League and for the past 22 years there has been an ECHL player on the Calder Cup Champion.
• In the last seven seasons the ECHL has had more call-ups to the AHL than all other professional leagues combined with over 3,000 call-ups involving more than 1,500 players and in 2010-11 there were 10 times as many call-ups from the ECHL to the AHL than all other professional leagues.
• The ECHL averaged 4,339 fans per game in 2010-11, marking the seventh consecutive season and the 19th time in the last 21 years that the ECHL has averaged over 4,000 fans.
• Further information on the ECHL is available from its website at ECHL.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter.
Garbutt World, Twitter Salvo
A former IceRays player hasn’t made it up to the NHL until tonight, so excuse us if we devote another blog post to Ryan Garbutt.
He made his NHL debut tonight for Dallas at Phoenix, and you can read about what he did here. And you can check out these clips of a couple of his scoring chances tonight (he had three shots in a little more than five minutes of ice time).
Meanwhile, the Garbutt story is gaining traction in the Dallas media and on the team’s Facebook page.
Of course, those of us who saw Garbutt from his first training camp aren’t necessarily surprised. He always had the air of a guy who was going places. I had to work tonight, so I didn’t see any of the game, but received texts from people watching who said Garbutt looked good. Hopefully he’ll be in the lineup for Sunday’s game against Nashville that will be on Fox Southwest.
So, for the longtime IceRays fans, is this the coolest story surrounding the team in years or what?
Elsewhere:
- We had some history in the CHL tonight, as Texas rookie Mark Guggenberger broke the league’s consecutive shutout minutes record in the Brahmas’ 3-1 victory over Rio Grande Valley (which is in a free fall with a six-game winless streak). Interesting thing about the four guys below Guggenberger on the list: Only two of them won a playoff series the year they went on those monster streaks. [CHL]
- Wild interconference heavyweight game between Allen and Fort Wayne on Komets ice. [Journal Gazette]
- Speaking of Fort Wayne, circle the Komets’ March 4 game against Wichita on your calendar after this tweet that Thunder goalie Adam Russo sent out Saturday about Komets counterpart Nick Boucher and his role in that imbroglio against Bloomington Friday. I screen-captured it, albeit with some blacking out of a naughty word, to make sure you see the tweet before it and the follow-up tweets inevitably are deleted. [Twitter]
Yep, that’ll get the rivalry going.
Stars’ Ryan Garbutt’s NHL Debut Was Hard Earned
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Ryan Garbutt is an interesting mix.
A native of Winnipeg, he grew up in a strong hockey environment. He then attended Brown University for four years and has spent the last three seasons trying to climb through the lower minors to get a shot at the NHL.
On Saturday, at age 26, he made it.
“I’ve been working for this for a long time, so when it happens, there’s a little nervousness, but mostly excitement,” Garbutt said of making his NHL debut with the Stars. “I’ve been through a lot. I was able to experience college, I’ve seen hockey in a lot of different places and I’ve learned a lot.”
Garbutt’s climb is inspiring. He’s a tough forward who can score and fight. He has 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists) and 96 penalty minutes in 50 games with the Texas Stars this season. Two years ago, he was playing with Corpus Christi in the Central Hockey League and had 50 points (22G, 28A) and 204 penalty minutes in 64 games. Before he went to Brown in his last year of junior hockey at age 19, he had 81 points (47G, 34A) and 303 penalty minutes in 64 games with the Winnipeg South Blues.
Garbutt (6-0, 190 pounds) said he was a late bloomer and often was six inches shorter than his competition growing up. That made him tough. Still, what led him to Brown?
“I had a few schools I was looking at, and I liked what they had to offer,” he said. “It was a great experience in every way. There are some great people there.”
Garbutt received a four-year degree in sociology and economics. That would probably get him a pretty good job offer in the real world, but he said he wasn’t ready to give up on his hockey dream. So he spent some time in the CHL and worked up to the ECHL and then the AHL.
“I’m sure there were some nights in the Central Hockey League a few years back when he was wondering what he was doing, but it’s a real good story when you see guys stick with it,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “He’s had success in the American Hockey League for two straight years and he’s earned an opportunity. Sometimes, guys who aren’t drafted, it takes them a little longer and they have to take the hard road, but it looks good on him that he’s getting a chance now.”
Sweatt Lifts Wolves To Overtime Win
Rosemont, Ill. – Left wing Bill Sweatt flew into the offensive zone and whistled a shot past Grand Rapids goaltender Tom McCollum’s glove 18 seconds into overtime to give the Chicago Wolves a 4-3 victory Wednesday night at Allstate Arena.
Sweatt was mobbed by his teammates along the boards as the Wolves celebrated their seventh win in the last nine games. Jordan Schroeder contributed one goal and one assist while Tim Miller and Michael Davies added goals as the Wolves set up a big weekend series with first-place Charlotte.
The Wolves (28-18-1-3) pulled within 2 points of Charlotte in the American Hockey League’s Midwest Division. The Checkers visit Allstate Arena on Saturday and Sunday.
“We had a pretty good start, lost momentum and then Billy rescued us,” said Wolves head coach Craig MacTavish. “We have to tighten a few things up heading into the weekend series against Charlotte, but we are looking forward to playing them.”
Jamie Johnson, Grand Rapids’ leading goal-producer, opened the scoring with a power-play marker at the 3:46 mark, but the Wolves answered with two goals in a 33-second stretch.
Forward Nathan Longpre opened the spree when he carried the puck into the zone, spun around as he approached Grand Rapids goaltender Jordan Pearce and fired a backhand pass to Miller in front of the goal. Miller flipped home the puck at the 13:45 mark for his 14th goal of the season. Longpre and defenseman Adam Polasek earned assists.
Moments later, the Wolves attacked the goalmouth again. Schroeder’s shot from close range was denied, but Davies collected the rebound just outside of the crease and lifted it over Pearce’s glove at 14:18 of the first for his fourth goal in the last six games. Schroeder and Sweatt notched assists on the play.
Chicago jumped ahead 3-1 at 1:23 of the second period as Mike Duco kicked the puck to Schroeder in the circle. Pearce got a piece of Schroeder’s elevated shot, but not enough to prevent his 15th goal of the year. Grand Rapids coach Curt Fraser sent in backup goaltender Tom McCollum at that juncture.
The Griffins (20-20-5-4) pulled within 3-2 with a power-play goal at the 10:59 mark of the second. Minard flew in from the right wing and was denied by Wolves goaltender Eddie Lack, but Joakim Andersson swatted the rebound in mid-air into the back of the net.
Grand Rapids tied it at 10:37 of the third when defenseman Brendan Smith rifled home a one-timer from just inside the blue line through traffic.
Lack (13-12-3) posted 36 saves to win for the fourth time in five starts. McCollum (6-7-0) took the loss despite stopping all 15 shots in regulation.
The Wolves host Charlotte on Saturday and Sunday at Allstate Arena with the Midwest Division’s top spot on the line. For ticket information, visit ChicagoWolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.
BOX SCORE/NOTES:
Grand Rapids 1 1 1 0 — 3
Chicago 2 1 0 1 — 4
First Period—1, Grand Rapids, Johnson 18 (Minard), 3:46 pp; 2, Chicago, Miller 14 (Longpre, Polasek), 13:45; 3, Chicago, Davies 7 (Schroeder, Sweatt), 14:18. Penalties—Roussel, Chicago (tripping), 2:10; Callahan, Grand Rapids (slashing), 4:22; Smith, Grand Rapids (tripping), 9:43.
Second Period—4, Chicago, Schroeder 15 (Duco), 1:23; 5, Grand Rapids, Andersson 13 (Minard, Nyquist), 10:59 pp. Penalties—Pyett, Grand Rapids (hooking), 2:38; Duco, Chicago (cross-checking), 3:44; Ferraro, Grand Rapids (fighting), 7:59; Miller, Chicago (fighting), 7:59; Mancari, Chicago (slashing), 10:12.
Third Period—6, Grand Rapids, Smith 9 (Janik, Johnson), 10:37. Penalties—Connauton, Chicago (cross-checking), 0:59.
Overtime—7, Chicago, Sweatt 11 (Tanev, Connauton), 0:18. Penalties—None.
Shots on goal—Grand Rapids: 13-15-11-0—39; Chicago: 9-9-7-1—26. Power plays—Grand Rapids 2-4; Chicago 0-3. Goalies—Grand Rapids, Pearce (7-10), McCollum (15-16); Chicago, Lack (36-39). A—3,527. Referees—Trent Knorr and Francis Charron; Linesmen—Al Stensland and Aaron Mills.
Sweatt rescues Wolves
Scores 18 seconds into overtime after club had blown 2-goal lead
Bill Sweatt came up with a much-needed goal in overtime to prevent the Wolves from a discouraging defeat.
After blowing a two-goal lead in the second period Wednesday night, the Wolves survived for a 4-3 victory over Grand Rapids before a crowd of 3,527 at Allstate Arena. Sweatt burst down the right wing into the Griffins zone to beat Tom McCollum for the winner only 18 seconds into overtime.
“We came (into the zone) with a lot of speed and it ended up working out,” Sweatt said of his 11th goal of the season, but first since Jan. 25. “You never know what can happen in a shootout, so it’s nice to get it over in overtime.”
The line of Sweatt, Jordan Schroeder and Michael Davies combined for five points for the Wolves, who won for the seventh time in nine games and moved within two points of North Division-leading Charlotte in the American Hockey League. The Checkers come to Allstate for games Saturday and Sunday.
Trailing 1-0 after allowing an early power-play goal, the Wolves responded with the next three goals to grab a 3-1 lead only 1 minute, 23 seconds into the second period.
Tim Miller tied it 1-1 at 13:45 with his 14th goal of the season. Only 33 seconds later, Michael Davies gave the Wolves the lead with his seventh goal. Schroeder and Sweatt assisted.
Schroeder then made it 3-1 at 1:23 of the second, chasing Griffins starter Jordan Pearce after he had allowed three goals on 10 shots.
“It looked like it was going to be a fairly pedestrian night when we went up 3-1,” coach Craig MacTavish said. “Then we started turning the puck over in the second period and they took momentum back. We never really recovered until they tied it.”
Joakim Andersson made it 3-2 with a power-play goal at 10:59 of the second. The Griffins tied it 3-3 at 10:37 of the third on a Brendan Smith slap shot that nicked the post on its way past Eddie Lack, who finished with 36 saves.
Q&A with Bill Sweatt: NHL Debut ‘An Out-of-Body Experience’
Living near Yorktown Mall in Lombard until moving to Elburn at the age of 5, Bill Sweatt started playing hockey a short time later with the Flames Hockey Club in Glen Ellyn. The left winger went on to play for the likes of the Oak Park Eagles, Highland Park Flames and Team Illinois before joining the U.S. National Under-18 team in 2004-05 after one year at Kaneland High School.
A four-year career at Colorado College followed, which included a freshman season in which he played alongside older brother Lee. After getting drafted 38th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007, he was traded in 2010 along with Kris Versteeg to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Electing not sign with that team, Sweatt later inked a contract with the Vancouver Canucks, joining his brother who was already in the organization.
This year, Sweatt was assigned to the Chicago Wolves, the Canucks’ new AHL affiliate which plays its homes games at Allstate Arena in Rosemont. He has appeared in 31 games for the Wolves. On Dec. 7, he received his first call up to the NHL for two games with the Canucks.
How did you get your start with the sport of hockey?
My brother, when he was younger, started out with football because my dad had played football. And he played hockey; also, my mom is a huge hockey fan. When it came down to it and he had to pick one, he chose hockey. I just followed him and never tried another sport.
What was your college hockey experience like?
It was a blast, I’m really thankful I got the opportunity to go to Colorado College. It was a lot of fun and my brother was there for one year. I love the area, it was beautiful scenery to look at and the hockey was good. It helped develop me for the pro game.
You originally were drafted by the Blackhawks, what kind of feeling was that when it happened?
It was really cool, it was the hometown team. You really couldn’t watch them back then because they got blacked out every (home) game but it was still a lot of fun. Things didn’t end up working out there but such is life, things happen.
Have you always been a left winger?
Yes, I’ve basically played left-wing all of my life though the Flames had me play defense for one year. It’s something where I was put there as a kid and it just kind of stuck.
Article source: http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/stcharles/sports/x1771267945/Q-A-with-Bill-Sweatt-NHL-debut-an-out-of-body-experience
Tom Sestito Leaves a Mark Against Bruins
Over the past few seasons, the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins have developed a heated rivalry.
While the origins of the hatred between the two teams dates back to the Flyers Stanley Cup victory over the Bruins in the 1974 postseason, the rivalry regained it’s momentum following the 2010 playoffs when the Flyers historically came back from three games down to defeat the Bruins in the Eastern Conference semi-final.
Since then, the Bruins have gotten the better of the Flyers winning nine of the last 11 meetings between the two teams (including a sweep in last year’s rematch in the semi-final).
What this has led to is a great deal of physicality whenever the two teams meet.
That was certainly the case this Sunday.
In the first period alone, the two teams combined for 36 penalty minutes and by the end of the game there were 13 separate power plays. Not to mention three fights and six roughing penalties. Even Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov received a penalty when he threw a punch after a scrum in front of his net.
While there was plenty of physicality and animosity to go around, Tom Sestito made sure to make his presence felt early and often.
After the Flyers allowed a goal 50 seconds into the game, it was Sestito who answered the bell to motivate his team.
On the Flyers first offensive zone faceoff draw (34 seconds after the goal), Sestito challenged Milan Lucic to a fight. 41 seconds after the scrum, the Flyers tied the game.
While it may have energized the Flyers, the most important dynamic of the fight was that Sestito (an energy player on the third line), managed to take Lucic (a player tied for the second most goals on the Bruins), out of the game for five minutes by goading him into a fight.
In the team’s game against the New Jersey Devils the day before, Jody Shelley challenged Eric Boulton to a fight after Boulton landed a hit on Shelley.
While it’s great that Shelley is finally starting to fight, it wasn’t necessary for him to waste his time. The reason to fight is to energize the team or to protect his teammates, not because somebody hit him cleanly and he didn’t like it.
Anton Volchenkov took an early run at Daniel Briere in the same game and Shelley was nowhere to be found. Briere ultimately suffered a concussion.
Earlier this year, in the preseason, Sestito ruined his chances of making the team out of camp when he was suspended for five games for hitting Andre Deveaux from behind.
The suspension effectively allowed Zac Rinaldo to win a spot on the team.
Now with Rinaldo out due to injury, Sestito is given a second chance at displaying his value.
Standing at 6’5”, 228 lbs, he is a force that is difficult to deal with. He is a decent skater for a player his size and looks for big hits every time he is on the ice.
Throughout the rest of the Boston game, Sestito played a prominent role in the physical dynamic and even landed a few hits on Bruins big man, Zdeno Chara.
Unfortunately, it may be that same desire to throw the body that may hold the 24-year old back.
During the second period, Sestito hit Nathan Horton in what the Bruins are calling a ‘blind-side’ hit. Horton sustained a head injury on the play and didn’t return to the game. Sestito was not penalized on the play.
As of Monday afternoon, it is still unclear as to whether the league will review the incident.
Another suspension could prove costly given the opportunity he has.
Regardless of what may happen, it is clear that Sestito has the potential to make an impact on the Flyers.
However, it will be his responsibility to make sure he is available to prove it.
Matt Climie Wins Goalie Duel As Wolves Top Admirals
Goals were at a premium in the Wolves’ game with the Midwest Division-rival Milwaukee Admirals on Friday night at Allstate Arena.
With both goalies playing well, the game boiled down to which team could create more chances. The Wolves won that battle in a 2-1 victory, edging the Admirals 34-32 in shots on goal.
The win moved the Wolves into a tie for first place in the division with the Charlotte Checkers, who did not play Friday.
The Wolves, who host the Lake Erie Monsters on Saturday night, have won five straight games and 12 of their last 15.
‘‘Tough game, a lot of intensity, a lot of battles, a lot of drama,’’ Wolves coach Craig MacTavish said.
‘‘The intensity was shared on both teams. Both goalies were exceptional, and it was a hell of a game. . . . Highly entertaining — a little too entertaining at the end.’’
After a scoreless first period, Wolves forward Michael Davies beat Jeremy Smith (16-7-1, 32 saves) for the game’s first goal at 0:57 in the second period. Just a little over a week removed from the flu and an ear infection, Davies is on a two-goal streak after scoring his first goal of the season Wednesday in a 4-2 win against the Rockford IceHogs.
Admirals center Michael Latta evened the game at 1 at 6:19 in the second period on a power play after the puck deflected off Wolves defenseman Yann Sauve and trickled under goalie Matt Climie’s left arm.
Other than that lone defensive blemish, Climie (12-5-0) was stellar between the pipes for his third victory during the Wolves’ winning streak. He had a spectacular stick save in the latter part of the first period and limited Milwaukee’s opportunities off rebounds.
Left wing Bill Sweatt scored at 18:59 in the second period to put the Wolves ahead to stay.
Wolves Left Wing Bill Sweatt Knows There’s More Than One Route to Making it Big in the World.
The week before Bill Sweatt made his National Hockey League debut on Dec. 9 for the Vancouver Canucks in Montreal, the Chicago Wolves forward underwent another serious test in a less-hostile environment: the comfort of his own home.
Sweatt wrapped up the final exam in his 800-level Contemporary Managerial Accounting class – his first step toward earning an MBA in Finance via the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s online program.
If you can’t figure out why a 23-year-old with a bright hockey future feels the need to pursue a master’s degree in his spare time, then you need to understand how the Sweatt family operates.
Long before the Chicago Blackhawks made Sweatt their second-round choice in the 2007 NHL entry draft, Walter and Dottie Sweatt made sure their two sons knew that excellence must be pursued with equal fervor on the ice and in the classroom.
“It’s something our parents instilled in us,” Bill said. “You’ve got to be the best at both. You can’t just slack off in school and just try to be a hockey player – or the other way around. You’ve got to do both.”
Bill and his brother, Lee, learned these lessons while growing up in west suburban Lombard and Elburn. They spent their early years in a townhouse across the street from Yorktown Mall in Lombard, but their burgeoning passion for hockey forced them to find a new address.
“They didn’t have a place to shoot,” Dottie said. “I looked for a house that had a full basement. Basically, that was our criteria. We had to have a full basement where the furnace wasn’t in the middle of the room.”
Dottie’s long search finally led her to Elburn, where the Sweatt boys could have a 10-foot-high ceiling and everything else they needed for training.
Dottie, who grew up in Rhode Island and went to the Boston Garden every Sunday to watch Bobby Orr play for the Bruins, insisted on going to Canada to purchase NHL-regulation nets for the basement. Walter, who was a standout defensive back for Wofford College in the early 1960s, insisted on installing an 80-pound punching bag.
“That’s where our father taught us how to hit,” Lee said. “We practiced our checking on that. And we had 200 or so pucks. We’d be in the basement on roller blades working out and shooting.”
When the Sweatts started to play on travel teams, there weren’t any rinks close to Elburn. Bill starred for the Glen Ellyn Flames, Oak Park Eagles, Highland Park Falcons, Chicago Young Americans and Team Illinois over the course of 10 years.
Kenny McCudden, the Wolves skating and skills coach, tutored the Sweatt boys during their time with the Flames. “You knew at that age (they would be special),” McCudden said. “You could see the drive, the desire. They were the only two guys I had to try to put the reins on because they were hitting guys during the skill sessions. Yeah, they were taking guys out.”
“That sounds like Lee,” Bill said. “That doesn’t sound like me.”
“That is definitely true,” Lee said.
As the boys climbed the hockey ladder, they required increasingly longer trips in order to practice and play. Dottie says the family wore out three minivans on their treks, which makes sense considering it’s a 130-mile roundtrip from Elburn to the north suburbs and there were at least two practices and two games each week.
Because they had to depart immediately after school and didn’t return home until 9 or 10 p.m., the Sweatts had to get their homework done in the van – and they had to do it before they could play video games or watch movies.
“If you’re going to do your best in hockey, do your best in your studies as well,” Dottie said. “If you don’t make it in hockey, what do you fall back on? You can’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
Lee, who graduated from Kaneland High School in 2003, received a scholarship to play at Colorado College, where he graduated with a 3.8 GPA in Mathematical Economics. He’s also expecting to wrap up his work for three master’s degrees (in finance, technology management, and project management) in May.
Bill spent his freshman year at Kaneland before moving to Ann Arbor, Mich., in 2004 to join USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. In addition to picking up a pair of gold medals for his hockey prowess – he was voted “Top Forward” at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Under-18 World Championships in 2006 – he finished his final three years of high school in two years so he could play with Lee for a season at Colorado College.
After his freshman year at Colorado College, the Blackhawks made Bill the 38th overall selection in the 2007 draft. He opted not to accept the Blackhawks’ offer and returned to school. He could have reversed his decision after each college season, but never considered leaving.
“My agent asked me every summer,” Bill said. “I never wanted to go. I always wanted to stay and get my (Mathematical Economics) degree because hockey is a short life. It doesn’t last forever.”
If you think that’s lip service, consider Lee’s unlikely choice this summer. A 26-year-old defenseman, Lee played in 3 games for the Vancouver Canucks last season and signed a free-agent deal with the Ottawa Senators in July. But a month later – before training camp began – Lee retired in order to become a financial advisor in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“I made a good decision,” said Lee, who wants to help young professional hockey players manage their bonuses. “I’m happy now. I’m really enjoying what I’m doing. I watch guys blow their money all the time. Just the power of saving a portion of that money is incredible. I don’t really miss it at all.”
That having been said, Lee couldn’t get to Montreal quickly enough to witness his brother’s NHL debut on Dec. 9.
“We are exceptionally competitive when it comes to all things,” Lee said the day before the game. “We do very similar things and compete in a lot of areas. It’s a nice compliment that he’s following a little bit in my footsteps – and he’s successful at it.
“I had one remaining bragging right on him: playing in the NHL. That’s going to go by the wayside – and I couldn’t be happier.”
Dottie, on the other hand, could be a little bit happier. The self-described hockey fanatic thinks Bill’s rate of progress on the ice is great, but she’d like to see him pick up the pace on his MBA.
“Now that he’s got his feet wet, I’d like to see him take two courses now,” Dottie said. “That’d be great.”
