Time to get back to the Dog Pound! Pretty incredible that the AVB have been playing here for 10 seasons now. I have been here for 9 in a row, arriving for 2003-2004, missing the Inaugural 2002-2003 season.
I could write five pages of memories from all the games, but it is not about the past right now, it is about the PRESENT. It is a "gift" treat it as such, etc. It is springtime for Hockey, when hope springs eternal for all teams, a clean slate, a chance to skate to glory and win the RBC Cup, the Fred Page Cup, the Doyle Cup. A chance for personal glory along the way is there for every player that throws on a BCHL sweater. A chance to "live the dream" and get a scholly, get drafted, play in the SHOW. Get PAID to pay this great GAME.
I get paid to work in the game and like so many lucky other people and I feel quite fortunate for the opportunity. Don't tell my boss, but I might even do it for free.
For new fans and new parents and family members of the new Dogs, it might be no big deal that the season finally starts on September 24th. For anyone that has followed the team here for multiple years, and especially for anyone that is a long time fan, it feels like "springtime" has come three weeks late this year. Kind of like our summer, which arrived on Labour Day Salmon Fest weekend, and lasted until the end of the following Fall Fair weekend, haha!
The last nine years, the Regular Season began the second weekend of September, and I have become quite accustomed to being very busy with my duties with 93.3 The Peak at Salmon Fest, Fall Fair the following weekend with the first Hockey Broadcasts of the season, followed by the Dogs first home game, which was always the following weekend, during the Port Alberni Toy Run which the station always had me involved in as well. It has been nice to have an extra three weeks and be half as busy as past years, but at the same time I have missed the game, missed the Dog Pound, and I am fired up to DROP THE PUCK ALREADY and I know I am not alone!
Home Opener festivities get going at 5pm with The Peak's Jolie McMullan broadcasting live from the Tail Gate party, featuring live music from Lance Lapointe and a BBQ to fill your bellies to give you lots of energy to make you cheer inside the rink, so brave what might not be the BEST weather, and get to the rink early!
Catch the pregame show at 6:45 with "The Ace" Alf Thompson and myself with interviews from both sides of the coin and all the information you could want about both clubs. It is going to be tough to say goodbye to Rick Schievink, who I have been able to spend lots of time with over our respective years involved with the club, Rick as the Assistant Coach from 2004 to 2007, and then later as my partner in the Broadcast Booth providing Colour Commentary and Analysis. When you spend that much time with someone over that of a period, some great friendships develop and some very fun times happen. At the same time, it feels like going back in time with Ace coming back, he is one of the small army of people that brought this team to the Valley, and he also took part in the Broadcasts from 2002-2003 to 2005-2006, doing all 60 games over those years. He brings a great eye for the game to the air, and does an amazing amount of work on compiling current and historical statistics and researching every single player in the BCHL. Welcome back Ace!
Also in case you missed it, here is Ace's "Off The Post" from the Alberni Valley Times, click
HERE to read it
Dan "the stats man" Tisserand will also be back in Broadcast Booth as often as he can be this season,
making our call of the game better with real-time team and player stats. Dan is in it for the fun and for the love of the game. Great to have you back Danno. I hope you and Ace are as funny as you and Ricky going back and forth about the game, about me, about whatever!
With this being the 10th Anniversary season, there might be some pretty special things happening on the ice beofre the start of the game, please try to be in your seats early so you can see it. It will also be the first time for a group of guys on the Bulldogs roster to skate in a game in the Dog Pound with the great crowd behind them. It is a special moment.
Don'tmiss BCHL Commissioner John Grisdale, our 2nd Intermission "feature guest"
Get up to Safeway, and get your name entered into the 93.3 The Peak Port Alberni Safeway Bulldogs power play contest! We will pick a contestant every time the Dogs go to the power play and if the Dogs score, you score a Safeway Gift Card!
We always love to hear to fans from both sides of the puck, parents, family members etc etc etc that are tuned into the Broadcast so feel free to drop us a line by clicking
HERE and give us feedback on the broadcast, or maybe a great factoid or tidbit about a player.
Also, don't miss my "Weekly Preview" article from the Dogs
website here
Contained in my write up is a heads up on something making a comeback for the 10th Bulldog season that only previously existed in the Inaugural season - a post game show live on The Peak (then AV1240am "The Source", man have I been here a while, haha) from the Multiplex Upper Lounge. Fans are encouraged to stick around as Ace and I will be joined by members of the Bulldog Coaching Staff and Roster and the opposition as well should they accept our invitation. The plan is to have the audio audible to people in the Lounge, and on the Radio. Please bear in mind that shows like this are always a work in progress. I am crossing my fingers. Ace has told me some legendary stories from the shows in year one, so I'm looking forward to it.
Go Dogs Go!
Hammer
