EVEN STEVEN/THIS SATURDAY11/10/2008 11:55 PM - Benton's Blog
3-3-0 on the six-game road trip ... ROAD TRIP, BY THE NUMBERS10/29/2008 11:25 AM - Benton's Blog
So far - your updated breakdown of the six-game road trip, by the numbers:
61: Jersey number chosen by Jeff Kyrzakos after his favorite number was already claimed for dibbs (Rohlfs). He switched the numbers around and presto - Kyrzakos now owns the highest jersey number in Thunder history. 50: Degrees the temperature fell to on Sunday night in Victoria - I forgot to bring a heavy jacket. I'm from California. I nearly turned into Frosty the Snowman. 31: Number of years young Tim O'Connell turned last Sunday (Happy Birthday, O.C.) - a 3-1 win over Victoria was a nice present! 25: Number of pounds I feel like I've had to shed in the gym on the road trip (see numbers 13.50 and 6, below). 13.50: Amount spent on a breakfast at the hotel's Blue Crab Restaurant in Victoria on Eggs Benedict. Worth. It. Best. Ever. (Jeff Zavatsky, the Thunder's hockey operations point-man who traveled with us, made a point that the outrageously tasty hollandaise sauce could be substituted as a breakfast dessert drink. I'm with him). 12: Amount of hours traveling home in one day from Victoria from point A - bus to ferry to international customs to plane to bus - to point B. 10: Points that Cory Urquhart could easily have through the first four games of the trip (8 current plus two near miss, highlight-reel saves by Todd Ford and Dave McKee). If not for Tommy Goebel going bonkers in the scoring column in Wheeling, Urquhart would be your reigning ECHL Player of the Week. 9: Hours spent on the bus from Stockton to Las Vegas. 6.5: Hours spent after bus ride to Vegas uncramping myself. 6: Combined number of Tim Horton's donuts (my faves: here and here) and caramel butter smoothies consumed thanks to my lack of will power in one week. 5: Number of Thunder players making their season debut Friday (Huxley, MacMurchy, Kyrzakos ... maybe Perugini). 4: Approximately the number of minor penalties Garet Hunt has baited the opposing team into taking. Those turn into power-plays, where the Thunder ranks 3rd in the league (25 %). Gold. 3: Number of shoes I brought on the road trip - they all dodged the first annual shoe-check scheme (a shoe check is one of the oldest hockey pranks in the book that involve tagging an unsuspecting victim's nearby pair of shoes - in stealth-like fashion - with salad dressing, ketchup, cheese sauce, or anything else that leaves a mark). I've now got 32 more games (plus playoffs) and counting to dodge unnamed veterans, rookies, trainers, gremlins and mythological shoe bandits. 2: Number of wins so far on the road trip - more to come? Las Vegas is stammering out of the gate with a depleted blueline, an injured Tyler Mosienko and a former NHL goalie with a save percentage of .845. The Thunder must be cognizent though of an angry Wranglers team, who have won just once in their first five games. 1: Wins that Bakersfield (Saturday night's opponent) has all year. In four games. After a 7-4 loss last Wednesday to the Condors, the Thunder wants this one bad. Mike Benton has served the Thunder as radio broadcaster since the team's inception and also serves the same role for the Stockton Lightning of the arenafootball2 league. He can also be heard on AM 970 ESPN Radio, contributing as a sports anchor on "SportsCenter." Got a question or comment? E-mail Mike at mbenton@stocktonthunder.com YOU GOT LERGED10/21/2008 9:27 AM - Benton's Blog
For you YouTube fanatics, here's a little video morsel of the newest member of the Thunder, Bryan Lerg, who hits the ice Wednesday:
Bryan Lerg at Joe Louis Arena Bryan Lerg at Joe Louis Arena 2 (David Rohlfs might kill me for posting this) Bryan Lerg, penalty shot deluxe Bryan's brother Jeff is an accomplished goaltender at Michigan State. Matter of fact, he's in the running for college hockey's "Hobey Baker Award," the equivalent of hockey's Heisman Trophy. A popular phrase that's been produced amongst the faithful at Munn Arena is "You Got Lerged," which includes a highlight video of the two. Mike Benton has served the Thunder as radio broadcaster since the team's inception and also serves the same role for the Stockton Lightning of the arenafootball2 league. He can also be heard on AM 970 ESPN Radio, contributing as a sports anchor on "SportsCenter." Got a question or comment? E-mail Mike at mbenton@stocktonthunder.com THOUGHTS ON OPENING NIGHT10/19/2008 5:47 PM - Benton's Blog
The beauty of hockey, especially professional hockey, is that 72 games presents a wealth of possibilities for a promising season.
Last night's 3-2 loss is indicative of just that. It's just one game out of 72, and warrants absolutely nothing to panic about. There was promise of a talented, balanced Thunder team that took the ice in all facets of the game:
TOP SIX10/12/2008 1:12 PM - Benton's Blog
This blog has gotten a bit cold over the past week and a half. That will happen when the season approaches and your 9-5 hours in the office sometimes turn into 9-6, or 9-9. The season opener is this Saturday. I'm bracing for a possible 9-midnight foray pretty soon.
Thus, it's about time I come out of the blog cave. Too much has happened in the past week. Since we're six days away from the official return of Thunder hockey for 2008-09, I felt it would be appropriate to turn a normal "top 10" list into a "top six." Here's my pick for top-six highlights of this past week: 6. Cleve Kinley: He branded me "Dwight Schrute" on the team bus last night, en route from Fresno. I took it as a compliment (it pains me to miss an episode of "The Office"). Heck, maybe it would make a good Halloween Costume? 5. First practice: There's just a special feeling that engulfs you when you emerge through Stockton Arena hallways for the first time in the fall, to be encountered with the cold blast of air and the sound of skates searing their way into the ice for the first time. Hockey's here. Hallelujah. 4. "FanFest," the Q&A session: Fans who packed the press conference room of Stockton Arena made it a bigger press conference-style turnout than the EliteXC mixed martial arts bout that was here this past summer and on CBS television (that was packed too). The roar for Mike Lalonde's introduction perfectly capped Thunder fans' reception for the return of a hometown hero; and quite frankly, it gave me goosebumps. Cory Urquhart's flashing of a sly grin and promise to take over Planet Benton with plans for world prank domination have me on my toes for future road trips. I think I should dress-up in saran wrap for team meals this year. 2. Thunder 5 - Falcons 1 (Urquhart erupts/goaltending): Cory Urquhart's two goals and assist, giving a first-hand exhibition of why he'll be one the top, dynamic offensive threats in the league this year, let alone on the Thunder. He could score 30 goals this year. He was on pace for 40 last year in Cincinnati. Additionally, Andrew Perugini made 32 saves in his preseason Thunder debut and he had to stop everything (shots through screens, shots from in-tight, deflections, sharp-angle shots) and threw together a couple of highlight-reel glove saves in the third period. 1. Fans, Fans and more fans - The sight of 40 Thunder fans in white and black game jerseys, crammed into one section of bleachers at Gateway Ice Center for last night's preseason game in Fresno gave me chills (felt like a student section of a college hockey game!). You also should have seen the stunned faces on some of the players when they got their first look at the congestion of fans in the lower concourse of Stockton Arena. They found out quickly what Stockton is all about. Mike Benton has served the Thunder as radio broadcaster since the team's inception and also serves the same role for the Stockton Lightning of the arenafootball2 league. He can also be heard on AM 970 ESPN Radio, contributing as a sports anchor on "SportsCenter." Got a question or comment? E-mail Mike at mbenton@stocktonthunder.com R.I.P. REGGIE DUNLOP09/29/2008 5:02 PM - Benton's Blog
Paul Newman passed away earlier this weekend.
I'll remember this guy for one underrated role - and not the first few titles that may come to your head which are synonymous with the building of this great Hollywood icon's legacy, such as "Cool Hand Luke" (filmed in Stockton, by the way), "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," or even "The Color of Money." Nor his ridiculously tasty marinara sauce. It's Slap Shot. If you've seen it, more than likely, you've picked your favorites like the Hanson Brothers (for the slapstick fighting), Denis Lemieux (for the hockey 101 tutorial) or Jim Carr, everyone's favorite announcer who can't keep his toupee on. But, in this sports cult classic, it's Newman's character, Reggie Dunlop, who stamps the cast as the "heart" of the film. Newman even learned how to skate to play the character, where he personified a hockey player/coach of the Charlestown Chiefs and of the "old school" - brash, tough, blue-collar, direct and charismatic. He loves "Eddie Shore Old Time Hockey." He rolls his eyes when the Hanson Brothers bring their toy train set to the hotel room on the first night in Charlestown. Or, when they explain the method of "puttin' on the foil." He's a coach with heart, an over-the-hill player with heart, and his role gave heart to hockey within the pop-culture world. Thus, our tribute here to the man who made, arguably, one of the most legendary sports movies of all-time. Mike Benton has served the Thunder as radio broadcaster since the team's inception and also serves the same role for the Stockton Lightning of the arenafootball2 league. He can also be heard on AM 970 ESPN Radio, contributing as a sports anchor on "SportsCenter." Got a question or comment? E-mail Mike at mbenton@stocktonthunder.com HUX AND CANUCKS09/24/2008 2:50 PM - Benton's Blog
Apparent in last night's Edmonton Oilers at Vancouver Canucks tilt from GM Place, there are three things guaranteed in life:
NEVER FORGET09/11/2008 9:02 AM - Benton's Blog
Ever since seven years ago, I can never look at the calendar when the date "September 11" appears and merely pass it off as just another day.
I remember getting up at 8:00 a.m. on that fateful morning in my campus apartment at Azusa Pacific University, sitting down to my computer with a bowl of cereal before classes and finding a close friend on my instant messenger to say good morning to. The conversation is pretty much close to as follows: Me: First day of NHL training camps! My friend: Are you nuts? How could you be thinking about that at a time like this?! The world is going to explode! I then turned on the TV and found out what he was talking about. I was fortunate to have no family working in the vicinity of New York's World Trade Center that day or aboard any of the planes that were mercilessly crashed into American landmark structures with a strike of evil beyond compare. But I had friends who lost loved ones (you might be among the many who have this in common) and on that day, hockey also lost two dedicated men in that tragedy. You might have heard of the stories of Garnet "Ace" Bailey and Mark Bavis - both were scouts for the Los Angeles Kings and on flights back to the west coast for the first day of NHL training camps. Ace even had a hand in mentoring a player, back in his playing day, who would move onto accomplishing feats the game has never seen - Wayne Gretzky. "Ace" spent 13 years as a scout for the Thunder-affiliate Edmonton Oilers. His brains were a major contributor behind the five Stanley Cups the Oilers won in seven seasons. Bavis was an up-and-coming amateur scout for the Kings, boarding that flight at just the age of 31. Both were on United Airlines Flight 175, en route from Boston and through New York. You know what happened next. On this day, my thoughts and prayers go out to you who lost a loved one. I also keep these gentlemen in mind - make sure you do too. (More information on donating to the Bailey and Bavis Memorial Fund can be found here.) Mike Benton has served the Thunder as radio broadcaster since the team's inception and also serves the same role for the Stockton Lightning of the arenafootball2 league. He can also be heard on AM 970 ESPN Radio, contributing as a sports anchor on "SportsCenter." Got a question or comment? E-mail Mike at mbenton@stocktonthunder.com WHERE'S MURCH?09/05/2008 3:16 PM - Benton's Blog
If you've been keeping in tune to the websites of the Thunder and the Edmonton Oilers, you're most likely well-aware of NHL training camps opening this month, which will include a slew of players who have experience in a Thunder jersey.
One of these is scheduled to be Ryan MacMurchy, who is boarding a plane next week for Edmonton and hits the ice ahead of schedule for Oilers rookie camp, starting September 12. Everywhere I've gone this summer, I've run into fans on the golf course, at the gym, at a restaurant ... practically everywhere, who ask the same question ... "So, when are we re-signing MacMurchy?" The answer: soon, depending on how he fares in Edmonton. I remember MacMurchy telling me in a casual conversation, as far back as a plane ride to Utah in April, that he wants to come back to Stockton for 2008-09. Yet, don't forget that the ECHL is a developmental league, and almost every player in this league still has burning aspirations of achieving the NHL dream. MacMurchy's one of those players and is close to that achievement, after turning Oilers heads last year by scoring 23 goals and putting up point-per-game numbers, which earned him a spot on Edmonton ice this month. I spoke to Ryan on the phone today, who is still soaking up the Saskatchewan sun and said he's taking solid advice from his agent to "take things one step at a time" - adding to that, he'll vie for an NHL deal or an AHL "two-way" contract with the Springfield Falcons. If all else goes by the wayside, he said he's ready to sign on the dotted line with the Thunder again for 2007-08. I know Jeff Zavatsky, our team's esteemed community relations and hockey operations guru, is ready this year to stamp anything sold, with a #19 on it, as "MacMurch-andise." Get it???! This one of the poster-child examples of why some of hockey's elite choose Stockton: the chance to play in a professional, hockey rabid environment with a great chance to move up the NHL pipeline in the Edmonton farm system. On a side note, if he's back here, he'll be amongst the throng of Thunder scheduled to open training camp at Skatetown Ice Arena in Roseville, where the Thunder plans to spend three days before Stockton Arena is available due to prior committed special events. It's wild frontier, but it's three days that I very much look forward to because of the Sacramento-area connections. There are a handful of people who venture Thunder games with season tickets or mini plans who hail from the area (we better see you out there!), plus it's also a good time to pay our friends at News10 or other local television outlets a visit and help set the scene for the upcoming regular season. It gives me the chills thinking about it, because isn't the weather supposed to be getting chilly soon? 31 days until training camp ... Mike Benton has served the Thunder as radio broadcaster since the team's inception and also serves the same role for the Stockton Lightning of the arenafootball2 league. He can also be heard on AM 970 ESPN Radio, contributing as a sports anchor on "SportsCenter." Got a question or comment? E-mail Mike at mbenton@stocktonthunder.com YOU’RE TOO GOOD, SO YOU CAN’T PLAY08/26/2008 10:33 AM - Benton's Blog
All apologies if I take a moment for getting on the soapbox of the broad sports landscape, but this rattled my cage when I read about it ...
This is a prime example of why some parents are going way overboard with being overprotective in youth sports. How would you like to be that little nine-year old boy and be told, eye-to-eye from a kneeling adult, "we're taking you off the team and you can't play anymore becuase you're too good?" Way to dash a kid's dreams. A 40 MPH pitch at that stage is the equivalent to a 90-100 MPH fastball in the big leagues (the mound is closer in little league). Assuming this kid was really throwing 40, he's light years ahead of the curve. Chances are, there will be Major League scouts watching this kid's games in 3-5 years ... and drooling at the chance of drafting him. Did someone miss the point? Aren't youth sports all about learning about life, sportsmanship, competition and having to manage situations of when people are just sometimes better than you? And having to deal with it? Heck, I remember when I was 11, playing for the Pony League Detroit Tigers - I had to face a kid who looked like a right-handed version of Dontrelle Willis and was already throwing 70 MPH heat. I was scared spitless upon stepping into the batter's box for the first time. I struck out on 3 pitches. Yet, an important lesson was learned of stepping up your game when you face someone who's raising the bar for you. Wayne Gretzky scored 378 goals and 120 assists in just 85 games with his Brantford youth team ... by the age of 10. Did anybody try to disband the team? Did anybody ban little Wayne and tell him "sorry, you can't play anymore becuase you're too good to play?" Gretzky went on to become hockey's all-time leading scorer, a four-time Stanley Cup champ, Hall-of-Famer and the game's version of Michael Jordan. Too bad for little Jerhico Scott, who's hit a speedbump in perhaps becoming a future Giant, Athletic, Tiger, Cardinal, etc. All we're doing in this case is setting a terrifying example of "when you face a kid who's too good, let's all hit the reset button, hold hands and sing 'Kumbaya'." There, I'm off the soapbox. Mike Benton has served the Thunder as radio broadcaster since the team's inception and also serves the same role for the Stockton Lightning of the arenafootball2 league. He can also be heard on AM 970 ESPN Radio, contributing as a sports anchor on "SportsCenter" and "Modesto's Morning News." Got a question or comment? E-mail Mike at mbenton@stocktonthunder.com |
Browse by Month »
November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 |
 |  |  |  |  |
| ©2008, Stockton Thunder. All rights reserved. |
|
