HAF
01-21-2007, 03:45 AM
Ams acing chemistry
This story was published Friday, January 19th, 2007
By Annie Fowler, Herald staff writer
Chemistry. Webster's Dictionary defines it in many ways, but in regards to the Tri-City Americans, the following fits best:
The makeup of a person, group or situation; interaction between people; rapport.
For a hockey team that has gone through personnel changes and injuries from the drop of the puck in September, the Americans are putting together the franchise's best season since 1998-99, and they are using a total team effort to get the job done.
"I think why we are doing so well is we are all friends," said forward Taylor Procyshen, who is having the best season of his career with 18 goals, 12 assists and a team-high plus-18 rating. "We are with each other every day -- even on our days off. We are not forced to be with each other and I think that's why the season has been so fun."
The Americans (25-16-0-1, 51 points) will have to work together this weekend when they travel to Portland today and play host to U.S. Division leader Everett on Saturday. Tri-Cities, Seattle and Spokane have been shuffling from second to fourth on a regular basis in the division standings since December.
"We are fourth and we have to be above .500 if we want to be in the middle of it," Procyshen said. "We have to work together to make that happen. Losing is not acceptable."
Togetherness is the key word for the Americans. The players spend a majority of their time together playing hockey and on bus trips, but it doesn't stop once the skates come off.
"We don't have a lot of time to ourselves, but it's nice to kick your feet up in the hot tub and talk," said Tri-City captain Alex Aldred. "Everybody cares about each other. We are like a bunch of brothers."
With school reading programs and working with youth hockey teams, there isn't a lot of time to plan, so much of what the Americans players do is spur of the moment.
They do lunch, go to movies, play video games, play golf when the weather is nice, and several of the players have guitars. Aldred said tryouts for Nashville Star are not on the schedule. There's also cowboy day, but some things are best left alone.
"When you care about someone, you play for them," veteran forward Shaun Vey said. "Me and Yellow (Colton Yellow Horn) hang out a lot and the team does a lot together. You hang out with different guys on different days -- that's what makes us so tight."
It took a few games for coach Don Nachbaur to find the right line combinations, but once he did, there were positive results, not only for the team, but for the players.
Several players are having the best seasons of their careers and everyone is contributing.
"We've done well for each other and not let each other down," said Americans enforcer Aaron Boogaard. "The season is going well. I wish I could contribute more offensively, but that is just one aspect of the game."
Yellow Horn, acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Sept. 12, leads the team with 28 goals and 52 points. His best season in the Western Hockey League was 2004-05 with the Hurricanes, when he scored 35 goals and had 86 points.
Yellow Horn could easily surpass that with 30 more games left on the schedule and a little help from linemates Joel Broda and Vey.
"It's nice that we have been together for a few weeks and we know where each other is on the ice," said Yellow Horn, who ranks third in goals scored in the league, just two back of leader Mark Derlago of Brandon. "All you need is a couple of practices and it's easy to adjust to what they will do with the puck. It's hard to keep adjusting to different players -- when you play together, you read each other."
Vey has benefited from playing with Yellow Horn and Broda, scoring 12 goals and handing out 15 assists. The 12 goals are more than his other three years in the league combined, and his 27 points equal his last two seasons combined.
"We've been working really well since Christmas," said Vey, who's scored five goals and the game-winning shot in a shootout since Dec. 27. "This line is a good fit for me, but what's great is that all four lines are contributing."
And when someone is missing off your line, it has an effect.
"I played with Alex (Aldred) last year and we feed off each other," Procyshen said. "I really struggled when he was out (earlier this year)."
Erik Felde, a 19-year-old rookie forward, has been paired with Procyshen and Aldred. The result: 14 goals and 20 assists.
"It's nice to get that chemistry in your line and be with the same guys the last two months," Felde said. "It's nice to have speed with Pro on the line to make things happen and Alex playing back helping the D-men get the puck out. That helps me and Pro make sure things happen."
And Boogaard makes sure things don't happen -- to his teammates.
While he would like to score a few more goals, Boogaard knows he has a much more important role as the team's enforcer.
"I think every team needs a guy like me to stand up for them and give them confidence," said Boogaard, whose 114 penalty minutes may not rank him in the top 10, but he still is one of the most feared players in the league. "When teams come in without their tough guy, they are more timid. That's what I bring."
Just ask Portland's Frazer McLaren, who missed a month with a concussion after Boogaard put him down with one punch in a game Dec. 10.
"He's a really tough guy, and if anything, I think he'll learn a lot from this," Boogaard said of McLaren. "That happened to me last year when I missed a couple weeks, but I rebounded quite well. I didn't stop doing what I have to do."
If the first half of the season is a sign of things to come, neither will anyone else
This story was published Friday, January 19th, 2007
By Annie Fowler, Herald staff writer
Chemistry. Webster's Dictionary defines it in many ways, but in regards to the Tri-City Americans, the following fits best:
The makeup of a person, group or situation; interaction between people; rapport.
For a hockey team that has gone through personnel changes and injuries from the drop of the puck in September, the Americans are putting together the franchise's best season since 1998-99, and they are using a total team effort to get the job done.
"I think why we are doing so well is we are all friends," said forward Taylor Procyshen, who is having the best season of his career with 18 goals, 12 assists and a team-high plus-18 rating. "We are with each other every day -- even on our days off. We are not forced to be with each other and I think that's why the season has been so fun."
The Americans (25-16-0-1, 51 points) will have to work together this weekend when they travel to Portland today and play host to U.S. Division leader Everett on Saturday. Tri-Cities, Seattle and Spokane have been shuffling from second to fourth on a regular basis in the division standings since December.
"We are fourth and we have to be above .500 if we want to be in the middle of it," Procyshen said. "We have to work together to make that happen. Losing is not acceptable."
Togetherness is the key word for the Americans. The players spend a majority of their time together playing hockey and on bus trips, but it doesn't stop once the skates come off.
"We don't have a lot of time to ourselves, but it's nice to kick your feet up in the hot tub and talk," said Tri-City captain Alex Aldred. "Everybody cares about each other. We are like a bunch of brothers."
With school reading programs and working with youth hockey teams, there isn't a lot of time to plan, so much of what the Americans players do is spur of the moment.
They do lunch, go to movies, play video games, play golf when the weather is nice, and several of the players have guitars. Aldred said tryouts for Nashville Star are not on the schedule. There's also cowboy day, but some things are best left alone.
"When you care about someone, you play for them," veteran forward Shaun Vey said. "Me and Yellow (Colton Yellow Horn) hang out a lot and the team does a lot together. You hang out with different guys on different days -- that's what makes us so tight."
It took a few games for coach Don Nachbaur to find the right line combinations, but once he did, there were positive results, not only for the team, but for the players.
Several players are having the best seasons of their careers and everyone is contributing.
"We've done well for each other and not let each other down," said Americans enforcer Aaron Boogaard. "The season is going well. I wish I could contribute more offensively, but that is just one aspect of the game."
Yellow Horn, acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Sept. 12, leads the team with 28 goals and 52 points. His best season in the Western Hockey League was 2004-05 with the Hurricanes, when he scored 35 goals and had 86 points.
Yellow Horn could easily surpass that with 30 more games left on the schedule and a little help from linemates Joel Broda and Vey.
"It's nice that we have been together for a few weeks and we know where each other is on the ice," said Yellow Horn, who ranks third in goals scored in the league, just two back of leader Mark Derlago of Brandon. "All you need is a couple of practices and it's easy to adjust to what they will do with the puck. It's hard to keep adjusting to different players -- when you play together, you read each other."
Vey has benefited from playing with Yellow Horn and Broda, scoring 12 goals and handing out 15 assists. The 12 goals are more than his other three years in the league combined, and his 27 points equal his last two seasons combined.
"We've been working really well since Christmas," said Vey, who's scored five goals and the game-winning shot in a shootout since Dec. 27. "This line is a good fit for me, but what's great is that all four lines are contributing."
And when someone is missing off your line, it has an effect.
"I played with Alex (Aldred) last year and we feed off each other," Procyshen said. "I really struggled when he was out (earlier this year)."
Erik Felde, a 19-year-old rookie forward, has been paired with Procyshen and Aldred. The result: 14 goals and 20 assists.
"It's nice to get that chemistry in your line and be with the same guys the last two months," Felde said. "It's nice to have speed with Pro on the line to make things happen and Alex playing back helping the D-men get the puck out. That helps me and Pro make sure things happen."
And Boogaard makes sure things don't happen -- to his teammates.
While he would like to score a few more goals, Boogaard knows he has a much more important role as the team's enforcer.
"I think every team needs a guy like me to stand up for them and give them confidence," said Boogaard, whose 114 penalty minutes may not rank him in the top 10, but he still is one of the most feared players in the league. "When teams come in without their tough guy, they are more timid. That's what I bring."
Just ask Portland's Frazer McLaren, who missed a month with a concussion after Boogaard put him down with one punch in a game Dec. 10.
"He's a really tough guy, and if anything, I think he'll learn a lot from this," Boogaard said of McLaren. "That happened to me last year when I missed a couple weeks, but I rebounded quite well. I didn't stop doing what I have to do."
If the first half of the season is a sign of things to come, neither will anyone else