ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Friday morning the Flyers and myself will be making the 326 mile trek to Swan River for the first of two games in two nights against the Swan Valley Stampeders. This will be my fourth time on the Swan River trip and let me tell you it is the most fun and most boring trip ever. So I want to let you know what’s going on throughout the weekend. I will be keeping a Swan River road trip diary to let you know minute by minute what happens on these types of events. I will be posting my diary (complete with pictures) in my next post.

Another thing the Flyers started recently is making an effort to connect with their fans. After their game against OCN on Sunday Jordan Peters and Seth Ronsberg came to the lobby immediately following the game to hand out their hockey cards, sign some autographs and just chat. Each and every home game, two different players will be doing the same thing. So if you want to collect the whole set then you better make sure that you are at each and every Flyer home game.

Alright, that is it for now. Don’t forget you can listen to Friday nights game in Swan River on 1570 CKMW with our pregame show beginning at 7:25pm. You can also listen to the game online by clicking on the CKMW tile on winklerflyers.com.

WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM

Well hello once again. First off I would just like to thank all of you for reading my blog and also for letting me know what you think by leaving comments. This is the purpose of this blog and my intent was to give Flyer fans a voice. So thanks for making Behind the Mic as popular as it is.

This post isn’t going to be very long but I hope and I think that it’s important.

As we all know by now things on the ice have not being going well for the good old Orange and Black. And I am not here today to talk about what I think they should do or give suggestions on how to improve the situation. I am here to talk to you.

As fans of the Winkler Flyers we have had to learn patience the last few years and this year is no exception. The skill and talent is there, and unfortunately some key injuries and inconsistent play have also been there.

The team is fragile, they are trying so hard to be the team that they want to be and that we want them to be and it just isn’t happening at the moment.

The last two games against the Kings and Terriers have been very encouraging. The thing they need from us I believe is support. You walk into any store, coffee shop, church, or even bathroom in the area and the conversation always seems to turn into “What the heck is happening?”

What they need from us (Flyer Nation) is support, encouragement, patience, and trust. They need fans that come to the game a cheer their faces off and help anyway they can. And if coming to the game and cheering for the Flyers is the only way you can help then please do it. We need to stand behind them and all be on the same team.

And if you are the type of person to find everything wrong and pick apart the game, the players, the coaches, and everything else then I encourage you to stay home.

I THINK THEY ARE MAD

Are you frustrated with how things are going so far? I know I am. But I also know that there are a few more people that are way more frustrated and upset then we are and it’s the people on the ice and behind the bench.

Watching last nights 6-1 loss to the Saints it was pretty evident in the 3rd period that everyone is kind of ticked at the way things are going these days. The ref didn't help things at all though and was clearly not able to handle a game that was in danger of getting out of control.

Thiess (Head Coach Mark Thiessen as he is known in the hockey circles) made some nice in-game adjustments yesterday. The offence was no where to be seen really in the first and he re-united Ronsberg, Peters, and Lazorko to start the 2nd and they were awesome. They know where each other is going to be and they just have such good chemistry together that it makes you wonder why he broke them up in the first place.

Let’s go back just a few games ago. The Flyers are on a three game winning streak with wins over the Saints, Terriers, and Blues. It was then that they decided to mix up all the lines and bring in a bunch of more guys. And what has happened since then? They are 1-3-1. So why the tinkering? Just leave it alone for a while until these guys get used to each other. Unless there is a deal that is out there that is so unbelievably awesome that you have to make.

And seeing the boys in the locker room and hearing the coaches after the game I sure wouldn’t want to be the Pistons tomorrow night. The Flyers are MAD!!!!!!

****note**** There are some other things that I would like you all to be aware of. Washington Capitals forward and Winkler native Eric Fehr has been awesome enough to do a weekly show on 1570 CKMW each and every Thursday afternoon at 4:15 cst called “From Capital Hill with Eric Fehr”. He talks about himself, how the Caps are doing and takes us inside the life on an NHL player. The reports will be available online very shortly. He also welcomes questions and comments which you can do by emailing him at capitalhillreport@gmail.com. If there is anything that you have ever wanted to know about an NHL player then here is your chance.

THINGS ARE BETTER THEN YOU THINK

When you read the title of this one you may, or may not agree with me. The Flyers have been very consistent this season. They are either consistently bad or consistently good. How do you go from a team that loses four in a row to a team that wins 3 in a row. It is at least good to know that the team that is supposed to be winning the division this year is in there somewhere.

Mark Thiessen (Head Coach and GM) has said all along that the players who start the season are probably not going to be the ones that end the season. In every season and with every team there is tweeking along the way. The thing is that some teams and some tweeks are better then others.

To me, the things the Flyers have done so far have been positive. Bringing in David Lawrence this week will be huge I think. I remember him at the CJHL Prospects Game that took place in Winkler in 2007. He played for La Ronge of the SJHL then and seeing him play for the OCN Blizzard last season he just seems like a player that anyone would want on their team. The skill level is great but now just fitting him into to where he fits best will need to happen.

During the three game winning streak the team chemistry was one of the reasons, I think, for the success and with the showcase weekend upon us that aspect of the team better be back.

So lets just assume that everyone is healthy, which they might be this weekend. These are the lines that I would make if I were the coach (which I would never want to be by the way).

Forwards -
LINE 1
Nick Lazorko Seth Ronsberg Jordan Peters
LINE 2
Shael Hechter David Lawrence Jordan Neduzak
LINE 3
Michael Wilgosh Brock Genyk Kendrew Friesen
LINE 4
Kyle Wells Brett Harder Brett Suderman (or Tim Rollins)

Defense –
PAIR 1
Blair Osiowy Troy Kliever
PAIR 2
Caleb Suderman Josh Martin
PAIR 3
Mac Williams Cam Stevens
PAIR 4
Eric Smith (I will make Kliever double shift…sorry buddy)


Here is the thing that I think when I see these lines. They are a very front loaded team. If a deep run is in the cards this year the balance will need to be shifted a little more toward the defensive side. And if some of the rumours or possibilities happen with the WHL deadline coming up in a few days this problem could either get worse or better. We will have to wait and see.

Let me know what you think and if you have any better ideas or other things you want me to write about in the future please leave a comment.

WHO ARE YOU PLAYING FOR?

As time moved on from when we last talked, a number of things have happened. The Flyers lost 4 in a row including a bad OCN road trip where they showed terrible discipline and lost those two games mostly because they where in the box for over half of the time. Now I know that when things are not going well and the pressure is on like it is this season, every little thing seems like the biggest deal ever. I mean do you think anybody wanted to start the season 3-5.

Lets just assume for a second that the Flyers lost their most recent game against the Saints (which they won 5-1 by the way). What would the questions have been? Cause there does come a time when you stop saying that it’s early in the season so let’s just let them figure it out. When I was watching that game against the Saints I saw a much different team then I did during that four game skid. They seemed to dominate the game from start to finish and they were able to take advantage of the opportunities that they needed to. And most of all the stayed disciplined. I am not just talking about staying out of the penalty box but also doing what they have been taught from day one and throughout everyday in practice.

As I am writing this entry I am stumped about what to talk about. I am watching the Toronto vs Montreal game and all of a sudden an idea popped into my head. The Toronto Maple Leafs are like the Winkler Flyers. Now before you start to think that I am crazy just listen for a second. Why do teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Portage Terriers, New England Patriots, and The L.A. Lakers compete for championships year after year? Is it because they always have the best players or spend the most money or have the best coaches…No! Its about culture. The second you walk into to one of those stadiums or arenas you see the trophies sitting in the trophy case and you see those banners hanging in the rafters and before the team even comes on the playing surface you know you are about to watch a good team.

Now if you are a Toronto Maple Leafs fan or not you have to admit that the culture of the team has changed for the better. And it will take a few years to get to the end goal but it is getting better. The Flyers have won a championship more recently then the Leafs so it should be easier to change the culture of the Flyers.

So to wrap up this rambling mess of an entry you have to figure out a few things if you want to be a member of a team that needs a culture change.

Do you want to do whatever it takes to win? Will you sacrifice your individual goals or stats for the greater good of the team? Just remember what you are playing for……the crest on the front and not the name on the back.

MEET THE CAPTAINS – TROY KLIEVER

Welcome to the first installment of a four part series that I like to call “Meet The Captains”. This season as you already know the coaching staff has selected Troy Kliever as the captain with Caleb Suderman, Cam Stevens, and Shael Hechter as the assistant captains. You know who these guys are on the ice but do you really know them.

For most of you your paths will probably never really cross and I want to let you know who these guys are.

First off we are going to start with this years team captain Troy Kliever. Troy Michael Kliever is entering his third year with the team. He is probably one of the most reliable defenseman that you can ask for in the MJHL. He basically does whatever it is that you ask of him as a hockey player and in my opinion, a great pick to wear the “C”.

Troy was born in Brandon, Manitoba on March 1st, 1990. He grew up in Elkhorn with his older brother Mark and other sister Kristen along with their parents Rod and Laurie. The Kliever family moved to Deloraine when Troy was finished grade one and that is where they still live today.

Troy played the majority of his minor hockey and baseball in Deloraine, which is a very sports minded community. The rink is the hotbed of activity in the winter with plenty of free ice time and the rink is always open for anyone to use at any time.

Troy credits his parents for his successes in hockey as they would always provide rides to practice or games and still to this day will travel from their home in southwestern Manitoba to watch Troy play.

After his junior hockey career is over Troy would like to earn a scholarship for either a NCAA school or CIS. He would also like to have the opportunity to play professionally overseas.

During his school years Kliever enjoyed History and World Issues and enjoys camping and spending time at the lake and on the water during the summer.

And for any of you looking to succeed in the game of hockey Troy offers this advice, “Work hard but have fun playing the game.”

There you have it folks. I hope you enjoyed the first installment of “Meet The Captains”. Stay tuned throughout the season for parts two through four and thank you so much for checking out my blog and feel free to leave a comment about anything and I will be happy to talk about it.

First Impressions

Well another Flyers season is underway and already there is a lot to talk about. As I talked about in my first post there were many questions coming into the season and some already have been answered and some are just different than I thought.

The first one was in goal. When Dayn Belfour decided to leave the club during the summer and try his hand at the U.S.H.L. it automatically left the number one spot open. So the first thought is that Scott Hellyer (last years backup) will just slide into that spot and it would be a situation where it would be his spot to lose.

There were a few guys that played well during camp but no one really took the bull by the horns and showed that they were for sure the number one goalie. But throughout the first two games of the season both Peter Alexander who got the start in game one, and Hellyer who got the start in game two have made it very difficult for the man in charge to pick his man. Or maybe he already has….I don’t know. For the time being anyway that part of the roster will be just fine.

Scoring goals shouldn’t be a problem either. With plenty of experienced fire power on this years team things are looking promising and when they actually find who plays best with each other the Flyers offense will be lethal from top to bottom.

Now here is where I get just a little bit nervous. At the end of last season the entire blue line was eligible to return which made me think that was going to be the best part of their game. And so far it hasn’t. Now I’m not saying that it’s terrible and I know that when you start the season without one of the best d-men in the league it puts you in the hole right off the bat.

Last season when Caleb Suderman missed three months with an ankle injury, it created a big hole and also put additional stress on the guys who have to fill in which in turn can take production away from them. Bad giveaways have been the story early in this season. In game one all four goals were a direct result and a Flyer mistake and the Pistons took a 2-1 lead in the first period in that game thanks to another bad play but the Flyers in their own zone.

You have to wonder if people are trying to do too much in Suderman’s absence or are trying to make an impression early in the year to earn more ice time or are just nervous or excited or both about a new season. But I’ve heard it said and seen it many times that when you are stuck in your own zone with the puck on your stick the most attractive thing in the world is to fire that sucker off the glass and out. You don’t have to make it pretty to make it a good play. There are no style points in victory. You can score 5 highlight reel goals and still lose the game but it might be that hard working second and third and fourth effort around the net that gets you the big win.

I encourage you to make a comment and let me know what you think…