Like the Charlotte Checkers, there have been Comets sports teams in and around Utica for a long time, so it was only fitting that the new professional team in town would adopt that name as well.  The Clinton Comets first came into existence in 1927, though they didn’t officially adopt the “Comets” name until 1949.  Over the years, they played in a number of leagues, including the Eastern Hockey League and ECHL that brought the Checkers great success.

The EHL Comets have another close tie to the Checkers, and that’s Pat Kelly, who after his time with the Comets, coached the Checkers during the 1970’s, and went on to help establish the ECHL and have its championship trophy named after him.

But back to the Utica Comets, and how they came to be the latest addition to the American Hockey League.  Here’s how all of this went down… and it didn’t happen exactly how many had speculated early on.

A while ago, the Canucks, who had an affiliation with the Chicago Wolves for the past two seasons, purchased the Peoria Rivermen from the St. Louis Blues.  But they never planned to keep the franchise there.  The rumors were that the Calgary Flames were interested in moving their AHL team from Abbotsford, British Columbia to Utica New York, and that the Canucks would in turn move their AHL team to Abbotsford.  But it didn’t shake out like that.  There’s even a Facebook fan page for the “Utica Flames” that has almost 2000 “likes.”  Regardless, the small city of Utica has a professional hockey team again, and for that they should be grateful.

The AHL isn’t new to Utica.  The Utica Devils found their home there for five years between 1987-1993, and had a few United Hockey League teams since then, but no professional team since 2002.  The UHL was a low-level professional league that folded in 2010.

The Comets become the sixth American League team in the state of New York.  There are eight teams that are three hours or less by car (or bus) from them (Albany, Binghamton, Glens Falls, Hartford, Rochester, Springfield, Syracuse, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) and at least a half dozen more that are closer to them than the Norfolk Admirals are to the Checkers (Bridgeport, Hamilton, Manchester, Providence, Toronto, Worcester).  Needless to say, travel wise, it’s a great place to be in the American League.  But is it good for the rest of the league, a league named after this great country, and not just the state of New York?  I’m not so sure.

How does this new team affect the Checkers?  In the immediate future, it’s hard to tell.  It means that with the departure of Peoria as a true-Western city, there’s one less team in the Checkers conference, though since Utica isn’t far from Rochester (a mere 2.5 hours), there’s a good chance they have to remain in the Western conference, though would possibly change divisions.

How will conferences and divisions be broken down?  For the most part, the Midwest was largely unaffected  even after losing Peoria because Des Moines, IA isn’t that far from most of the other Midwestern teams.  But the South Division lost the Houston Aeros, and a potential (heavily rumored) replacement is Norfolk, which would have a harder transition to the travel than the Checkers did simply because they are not in a city with a major airport hub like Charlotte.  And a move by Norfolk shuffles the rest of the Eastern Conference until all of the dominos fall into place.

Regardless, with one less team in Texas, no more Peoria, a new team in Iowa and now another team in New York, it’s fairly certain that divisions will be significantly shuffled, and the Checkers could very well find themselves in their fourth division in as many seasons, and at the very least, a new division mate to round out the numbers in the South.

Be prepared… the rest of this might get a little ranty, but the beauty of writing a blog is that it’s ok for my to express my opinions, and I have quite a few on this topic.

Utica is a city of 62,000 people.  They have a rink that seats 3,500 people (a little over half the average attendance of the Charlotte Checkers, and a bit over 1/4 of the number the Checkers had this year at some of the big events like Pink in the Rink).  Whereas Charlotte has dozens of large corporate headquarters which can turn into significant sponsorship revenue, and a population in the uptown area of as much as all of Utica, which of course can turn into ticket sales, Utica doesn’t have a lot in the way of major corporations that could generate significant revenue.

I think it’s great for the city of Utica for landing a professional hockey team.  I’m happy fans there will have their own team, but it seems like a pretty over-saturated market with so many other American League teams in the vicinity.  And by allowing one more team into an over-saturated area of the country, the league has further hurt the likes of teams in cities like Charlotte, Abbotsford, St. John’s and Oklahoma City who become even more isolated, and instead of expanding to new markets, have shrunk even more.

I guess only time will tell what is to come of the AHL divisions, and how the Checkers are affected.  Until then, there’s still AHL hockey going on! Tomorrow at seven is game six of the Calder Cup finals between Grand Rapids and Syracuse, and it should be a good one!

I remember many, many visits to “The Hive” throughout middle and high school, and attended an NBA all star game at the Coliseum on Tyvola.  Though oftentimes I was cheering for the away team (Go Suns!) the memories I have of the Hornets are fond ones, and I can’t wait to have that team back in my city.

Sure, it’s just a PR and rebranding move, but the early days of the Hornets were amazing. Muggsy Bogues and Kurt Rambis (and his disgustingly hairy chest and mullet!) were central figures in my childhood love of sports.  I really believe that bringing the Hornets back will revitalize the Charlotte basketball fanbase, and hopefully erase the bad feelings that Bob Johnson created when he named a team after himself.

One of the most distinctive elements of the Hornets brand was their uniforms.  North Carolina born fashion designer Alexander Julian is responsible for designing the iconic teal and white jerseys that featured classic pinstripes, and complicated patterning that other jerseys of the 1980′s didn’t have.  To this day, I think the teal jerseys with green, blue, purple and white pinstripes are one of the classiest looks of all time.

Initially, the jerseys had single pinstripes, but 10 years after the Hornets came to town, a second series of pinstripes was added to recognize the team’s second decade in Charlotte.  There weren’t here long enough (the first time) to enter a third decade.

I’m not really a photoshop pro, and have never been one to design “fantasy” jerseys, but with the news of the Hornets, I decided I had to throw together my own version of what I think would be an AWESOME third jersey.  This past season’s “Old Time Hockey” jerseys were my favorite the Checkers have ever done.  Sure, the Pink in the Rink and NASCAR jerseys are always fun, but those Old Time Hockey sweaters were AMAZING, and the only thing that could equal (or top!) them would be a saute to one of the most beloved pro teams in Charlotte history, the Hornets.

What would you rather see? The home white, or the iconic teal and purple pinstripe road uniform? (“Design” credit – J. Propst)

So, Checkers fans, what do you think? Am I onto something?  Who would love to see the Checkers skate out in sweaters that resemble the 1990 Charlotte Hornets?  I know I would!

One of the exercises we used at camp to process a day, or an event like completing a high ropes course or climbing tower, was talking about our “Highs and lows.”  It’s important to think of both, because even a terrible situation has to have something positive in it, and sometime it’s humbling to think about the hard things that get you to the top and that feeling of euphoria at the end of a great day.

As I tried to process the Checkers loss to OKC in the first round of the playoffs, I thought about my own Checkers highs and lows from the past season.

So, in no particular, my highs and lows for 2012-13.  What are some of yours? 

High – The NHL call ups.  All first-time call ups for a player are fun to watch, but there were a few this year that meant more than most.  Chris Terry scored a goal in his NHL debut (talk about Terryiffic!), Nicolas Blanchard finally got his shot after 403 games in the AHL and dropped the gloves in his debut, and blueline regulars from the past three seasons in Charlotte Brett Bellemore and Michal Jordan both got their first shot in Raleigh, and played well.  There’s a huge sense of pride in this Checkers fan when I got to see players I’d watched grow and mature in Charlotte playing with the big team in Raleigh, and making an NHL name for themselves.

Low – Cam Ward.  Okay, hear me out on this one. I love Mr. Ward. I have a great story about hanging out with him in the NASCAR garage at Martinsville a few years ago, so I know he’s a fun guy on and off the ice. But when he got hurt, so did the Checkers.  As if it wasn’t bad enough Charlotte lost Dan Ellis when the NHL season started, they took our OTHER goaltender too, when Justin Peters was called up.  Back in Charlote, the M&M&Ms did a great job for the remainder of the season in Charlotte, but what the Checkers really needed for a playoff run was a more veteran, experienced guy.  Any of the three, Rob Madore, John Muse, or Mike Murphy could have been that guy, but time was not on their side.  Murphy needed more time to get into game shape, Madore needed experience, and Muse had a broken hand.  So Cam Ward, you were one of my Checkers lows of the 2012-13 season.  Sorry, buddy.

High – Mike Murphy’s return to Charlotte.  It’s no secret, he was and will probably always be my favorite member of the Charlotte Checkers, of all time.  On and off the ice, Murphy is one of the most genuinely incredible people I’ve had the privilege to get to know, and when he was signed to a PTO this year, I think I had perma-grin for days. I never got to see him play in a game, but having him here and as a member of my team was enough.

High – Seeing Charlotte Checkers COO perform onstage with the North Carolina Dance Theater, a company that means a great deal to me, as I have worked on nearly every one of their productions for 11 of the past 13 years.  It meant a great deal to me to have the Checkers support an organization that is such a vital part of the arts in Charlotte.  And Tera was FIERCE onstage with Addul Manzano.

Low – The lockout.  Sure, it was great to have an all-star lineup in Charlotte night after night, but it also left a bad taste in my mouth at times.  Seeing NHLers throughout the American Leage play below where they should be and make some of the comments they did about the AHL just… well, it made me want to get violent, and I’m a pretty even tempered person most of the time!

High – The opportunity to interview Mike Commodore.  THE Mike Commodore, for Chasing Checkers.  Sure, he was playing for the enemy team at the time, but he’s a legend in the Hurricanes organization, and how could I not talk to him while he was in Charlotte?

 Low – Wilson’s departure from the Checkers.  Jon Wilson played a pivotal role in my love of attending Checkers games for many, many years.  He is a passionate hockey fan, and his love of the team, the sport and the fans was always apparent.  It’s unfortunate that he’s no longer with the organization, because there’s nobody better at what he does.

High – The Checker’s “You Can Play” pledge.  Straight from their mission statement, You Can Play is dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation. Eliminating homophobia in sport is something that should be a foundational value of every person and organization, and I’m so glad that the Checkers provided their support of a powerful movement, and were the first professional team in North Carolina to join the cause.  Way to go, Checkers.  You made me proud when that pledge was shown on the video board at a playoff game.

Human rights and equality is something I believe in very strongly.  I work in the arts, which is a field that tends to be more open minded than mainstream sports when it comes to LGBT issues, so for my entire career, and as long ago as high school when I was just learning how to do my craft, I’ve worked  with many LGBT artists, musicians, dancers and technicians.

I remember the anti-gay protests in Charlotte while I was in college in response to Charlotte Repertory Theatre’s production of Angels in America.  My best friend attended college for a brief time with Matthew Shepard, and in my work and personal life, I’ve had countless friends who have been faced with hateful groups and individual who attempt to violate their most basic human rights just because they are gay.

In 1998, Matthew Shepard, who had been targeted for being gay, was kidnapped, brutally attacked in Laramie, Wyoming,  tied to a fence post, and left to die.  He passed away a few days later due to head injuries sustained during the attack.  It was at Matthew’s funeral that the Westboro Baptist “Church” became famous for their hate-filled protest signs and banners.  Nearly a decade later, I watched the very same Westboro “church” protest the Lutheran church my father was a pastor of, and was reminded once again what a dreadful organization WBC is, and how important it is for others to counteract their evil in a positive way, and that’s what I think You Can Play is doing.

Shepard’s story has led to brilliant plays and films about his life and, and has given a voice to those who have been the victims of hate crimes.  In 2009, President Barack Obama signed a bill into law that expanded 1969 hate crime legislation to include crimes motivated by a person’s sexual orientation, gender, or disability.  The bill is named in Shepard’s memory, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Because of the impact of people like Matthew Shepard, and organizations like You Can Play, the world is becoming a better place.  It’s becoming more welcoming and more equal for everyone.  There is still a lot of work to be done, but I’m confident You Can Play is helping society move in the right direction.

Nearly two weeks ago, Jason Collins was a groundbreaker in the world of professional sports. As an NBA player, he is the first active athlete in a major American sport to come out as gay.  He wore number 98 for the Boston Celtics last season in honor of Matthew Shepard.  And I applaud him.  In a world where homophobia, racism and sexism are still rampant, I know it took a lot of courage to do what Collins did, and I hope his message will help others struggling with a similar decision.  I hope that the message of Collins and You Can Play will continue to decrease the homophobic jeers in sports stadiums, and make athletics more welcoming to all people, gay or straight.

I’ve been name called by religious folk who believe my own salvation is at risk for supporting my LGBT friends.  I’ve been the victim of harassment in the workplace and in the sports arena for voicing my support of my gay friends.  But I will continue to stand with my friends, my coworkers, athletes like Jason Collins, and the potentially tens of thousands of athletes who haven’t yet found the courage to come out as gay.  I hope that You Can Play will continue to give courage to others, and spread their powerful message of equality to all who can hear it.

So to the Charlotte Checkers, again, I thank you.  I thank you for being the FIRST professional sports team in North Carolina to align yourselves with You Can Play.  With legislation such as last year’s “Amendment One,” North Carolina isn’t an easy state to live in when it comes equal rights for all people, gay, straight or otherwise, so it makes me incredibly proud that the Checkers took a step to do the right thing.

On May 1, 2013, I woke up to a press release in my inbox at 6:55 a.m. that the Checkers had released an amazing video that featured fans, players and front office staff of the team supporting the movement, and encouraging Checkers fans to join You Can Play.

This morning, the News & Observer in Raleigh published a piece about the Hurricanes involvement in You Can Play, and the author claims that the Hurricanes are the first professional team in North Carolina to align themselves with the organization, and didn’t even mention the Checkers as being one of the AHL teams to produce a video (but he referred to the Rochester Americans and Toronto Marlies????)

The Hurricanes are the first professional team in North Carolina to support gay and lesbian inclusivity through You Can Play, a Denver-based nonprofit. The National Hockey League and NHL Players Association announced last month a joint partnership with You Can Play, with the motto “Hockey is for Everyone.”

But here’s the thing.  The Hurricanes were NOT first. The Checkers were.  The Hurricanes did release a 27 second video, but it was after the Checkers released their video before 7 a.m. on May 1, and the Hurricanes video does not come close to the quality that the Checkers staff put together.  Here’s a tweet from the Hurricanes Senior Director of Communications Mike Sundheim about the video.

As promised, the @NHLCanes spot for @YouCanPlayTeam: bit.ly/18q12qh—
Mike Sundheim (@MikeSundheim) May 01, 2013

So, I know it’s nitpicking, but it drives me crazy that the Hurricanes are getting positive press about being the “first” North Carolina pro team to support You Can Play, and they weren’t.  The Canes don’t even have a press release on their website, and the only mentions of the video are in twitter feeds after the Checkers sent out press releases on May 1.  The Checkers should be commended for being the first, and getting the positive press it affords, not the Hurricanes.

At the Checkers playoff game on May 3, I stood and applauded with thousands of other in the arena when the Checkers You Can Play montage was shown on the videoboard.  I didn’t care that it’s taboo to applaud in the “press box,” I felt this video deserved my support and so I cheered.  Loudly.

So to the Charlotte Checkers, I thank you.  I thank you for being the FIRST professional sports team in North Carolina to align yourselves with You Can Play.  I thank the athletes who took part in the video (Zac Dalpe, Rasmus Rissanen, Brett Sutter and Justin Krueger.)  I thank Tera Black and Michael Kahn for their support, I thank the fans (my friends!) who participated in the video, and the talented front office staff who created the video. North Carolina isn’t an easy state to live in when it comes equal rights for all people, gay, straight or otherwise, so it makes me incredibly proud that the Checkers took a step to do the right thing.

As always, Let’s Go Checkers!

Everything looked clear on the front during warm-ups, the team had obvious high spirits and seemingly no worry as to whether or not this game was theirs. The beginning of the game sported some true playoff hockey despite scoring starting with a seemingly fluke goal by the Barons 34 seconds in. As time passed, probably the longest first period of our lives, OKC showed just how bloodthirsty they were for a win. Edging on elimination they gave all they had and then some as dirty play began to ensue. No one was the poster child for this quite like Ben Eager. Eager’s play was cheap and full of instigation, earning him a ten minute game misconduct before the conclusion of the second period.

Regardless, the end of the first period left hope. After watching OKC take 3 goals without ever looking back the Checkers needed to regroup and come back with a fire. Instead it took 5 minutes and 27 seconds for Rob Madore to be pulled. Current backup and fan favorite, Michael Murphy, entered the game, one he was surely not prepared for and arguably had no chance to be. The second period was awful, no other way to put it or option to sugar coat it. The Checkers had three shots on goal. Yes, three. Instead of regrouping they allowed the Barons to get under their skin and affect their play. For a large portion of the period they were played as puppies chasing their tails in hopes that something would happen. This proved unfruitful though, thankfully only two more goals were allowed in the hellish second.

When the third came around, Charlotte actually seemed somewhat rejuvenated and was well aware of the play they had to make up for. Things improved slightly, but nowhere near where they should have been. The Checkers did see some inspired play in the third after Zach Boychuk potted Charlotte’s only goal of the night. The team had not given up but the messy icing on the cake was surely having one of our own players tip in a goal on himself. But that is the story of the game. The loss was one the team gave to itself. Play was sloppy on both ends of the ice and frustrated to say the least, I’m not even sure Brett Sutter properly received a pass all night. Despite this the blame cannot be placed solely on one players’ shoulders, it is a burden that the entire team carries in one way or another.

All in all, this night is past everyone. It’s over. Tomorrow brings a new game, a new opportunity, a fresh start to advance to the second round of playoffs. The Checkers must take that new opportunity and face it as if this is the first game they’ve played against OKC. They have to lay everything on the ice and will have to bring their focus back to the moment rather than focusing on the frustrations of tonight’s game. The Checkers have all the talent in the world to make Calder a reality, but face elimination tomorrow night at 7pm.

It’s game day, so what better way to prepare than learning a bit about the ultimate goal of the playoffs! Thanks, as always, to the great writing team of Tess and Sara here at Chasing Checkers! – Jenni – Editor-of-Awesome

Most hockey fans know the history behind the Stanley Cup, but what about the Calder? The Calder Cup is 77 years old and bears its namesake from the late great, Frank Calder. This Cup is awarded to the American Hockey League’s final playoff championship winner. It is also the second oldest trophy of it’s kind, only trailing Stanley itself.

Frank Calder is a familiar name to many. Another piece of hardware claims the Calder title, the NHL’s Calder Memorial Trophy given ”to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League.” Calder served as the NHL’s first president from 1917 to 1943 and was instrumental in making hockey what it is today.

The first Calder Cup was given in 1938, the same year that the IHL (International) and C-AHL (Can-Am) formally merged together as one, to the Providence Reds. The season prior, when the leagues merely had interlocking schedules, the 1937 Syracuse Stars allegedly never got the privilege of receiving the Cup despite being the rightful champions and in 1996 finally had the chance to hoist it.

This season nurtures the Checkers’ second run at the Cup, their first was in their AHL inaugural season (2010-2011) where Charlotte made it all the way to the semi-finals only to lose four straight games to the Binghamton Senators and relinquish their fight to glory.

The Calder Cup stands at 24 inches tall, a beautiful mix of sterling silver and Brazilian mahogany boasting the names of the last 20 teams to hoist the hardware.
Be sure to go out and support your Checkers on the road to the Calder and help to make them a bigger part of this history!

Chris Terry scored two goals for the Charlotte Checkers on the PP early in the first period. (Photo – J. Propst)

While there were only 3021 in the building (as opposed to the nearly 7000 average the Checkers had this season), the energy was infectious, and seemed to carry onto the ice.

Yann Danis, last season’s AHL Goaltender of the Year, struggled from the beginning, allowing six goals on 33 shots.  In the previous two games against Charlotte, Danis was the difference maker in both the OT game on Friday and the Barons 5-2 victory on Saturday.

Stellar goaltending from the Checkers Rob Madore kept the Checkers in the game from the beginning. He only allowed one goal on 38 shots, during one of three lengthy 5-on-3 penalty kills the Checkers had to overcome.

Charlotte Checkers captain Brett Sutter goes flying during game three against the Oklahoma City Barons. (Photo – J. Propst)

The Checkers got on the board early, and scored three goals in a six-minute span of the first period with an even-strength goal from Matt Marquardt, and two #Terryiffic power play goals from Chris Terry.

Five Checkers had multi-point nights.  Chris Terry had two goals, Zach Boychuk had three assists, Jeremy Welsh had two assists, Dan Biega had two assists, and Tim Wallace had one goal, one assist.

For the first time this playoff series, the Checkers played a complete game from start to finish, with an exceptional performance by special teams.  The power play contributed three goals, and the penalty kill was nearly perfect with only one goal allowed in nine opportunities by the Barons.

“As a team, I think we want to be more disciplined,” said coach Jeff Daniels in response to the nine penalty kills the Checkers had to overcome, “We don’t want to be giving up five-on-threes and being in the box so much, but the penalty killers did a great job.”

Dan Biega had two assists, his first professional points, in the Charlotte Checkers 6-1 victory over the OKC Barons. (Photo – J. Propst)

Moving forward to game four following a 6-1 win against the Barons, the Checkers will need to continue to play at the same level they did Wednesday night in Charlotte.

“The first two games we did a lot of good things, but the one thing we didn’t do is play a solid 60 [minutes] and I thought we were pretty close tonight.  Come Friday night, again it’s 0-0 and you’ve got 60 minutes to be great again.”

Momentum going forward is going to be crucial for continued success against the Barons in this playoff series.

“We finally played a full 60[minutes] and that’s what we were looking out to do,” shared Zach Boychuk, who finished the game with three assists, “We got some big powerplay goals so we’ve got to keep that up and keep playing physical.”

Tim Wallace scored for the Charlotte Checkers in the second period. (Photo – J. Propst)

Tim Wallace, Jared Staal and Nicolas Blanchard returned to the lineup after playing in the Carolina Hurricanes final game oer the weekend.  All made their first playoff appearance for the Checkers this season.   Each added a physical presence to the game, and Wallace contributed an even-strength goal during the second period.

So far, all three playoff games has had a different lineup for the Checkers with the addition of players from the NHL club and players returning from injury.  Though last night’s lineup found a great deal of success against the Barons, it may continue to change moving forward.  After having as many as a dozen players injured at one time during the regular season, the Checkers currently have 17 healthy forwards, and 8 healthy defensemen, and more players may join the roster after last night’s loss by the Florida Everblades, and the WHL playoff completion by Victor Rask in Calgary.

Coach Daniels seems to feel reassured that the number of choices he can make in the lineup will help the team moving forward.

“It’s nice to have options after a month and a half without options, and we’re all in this together.”

Scoreboard watching around the AHL:

• The Toronto Marlies are the only team to have swept their opponents (so far).  They defeated the Rochester Americans in three games.
• The Texas Stars lead the Milwaukee Admirals 2-1 in their series.
• Grand Rapids is up 2-1 over the Houston Aeros.
• In the Eastern Conference, the eighth seed Hershey Bears lead the first seed Providence Bruins 2-0
• The second seed Springfield Falcons are up 2-0 over the Manchester Monarchs
• The Syracuse Crunch, who’s players won the Calder Cup last season in Norfolk, have won both games against the sixth-seed Portland Pirates.
• Fifth place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is up 2-0 over the fourth place Binghamton Senators.

A few weeks ago, I sat down with the Texas Stars’ Mike Commodore when he was in Charlotte to face the Checkers.  We talked about a wide variety of subjects, most of which I wrote about in this piece.

One of the parts of our chat that I’d planned to write about later was about social media, and more specifically, Twitter, and how Commodore uses it to stay informed and communicate with friends, fans, and fellow athletes.

After some particularly entertaining tweets last night during the first day of the NHL playoffs, I figure it’s the perfect opportunity to delve into Commodore’s feelings about Twitter.

Last night, Commodore tweeted a couple of #beauties about his feelings for Pierre McGuire, a media personality that he’s loved to chirp for many years.

That’s it. I want to watch, but I can’t take it any longer. Pierre McGuire ruins it for me. Too much useless info and ball sucking.

— Mike Commodore (@commie22) May 1, 2013

After he tweeted that, NHLers supported it.  Mike Modano retweeted it.  Many others commented and agreed, including guys like Theo Fleury.

Back in 2011, when he was playing for the Detroit Red Wings, Commodore had a lot of fun laughing about a sign he saw in the Joe Lewis Arena about McGuire.  His feelings aren’t unlike the ones many, many die-hard hockey fans have towards McGuire, an NBC broadcaster, who tends to dumb down the sport in his commentary to frustratingly idiotic levels.

When Commodore and I chatted in April, he shared with me how he uses Twitter, and what he loves and hates about the social media platform.  He began using the medium in 2009, and has become one of the most fun athletes to follow thanks to his candid commentary and lack of a filter.

“Honestly I started because I’d see on TV ‘So and so news reported by Twitter’ and I remember thinking what the hell is Twitter,” commented Commodore, about why he joined the craze in 2009, “So I went online, signed up for an account and just started playing around with it and it just went from there.”

Like many who have embraced the social media platform, Commodore is a regular user of Twitter.

“On my phone, other than my text messages and emails Twitter is the other thing I use the most. It’s how I get my news. I like it.  There are downfalls like anything else, but I like it.”

What makes Commodore such an interesting “follow” is his lack of a filter when he Tweets.  He tries to use common sense, but he also wants to come across as real and genuine, which is sometimes rare from celebrities and media-savvy personalities.

“I want to be me on Twitter, but at the same time I don’t want to be rude.  There are some things I’d like to say, but I don’t.  I think that goes for a lot of people,” Commodore continues, “I try and watch what I say as far as language a little bit, but at the same time, hey, language is language and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to follow.”

One of the most admirable qualities of Commodore is his no-regrets attitude.  He’s honest and open about what he’s done in life, and even admits to a few slip-ups during the nearly-four years he’s been Tweeting.

“Every once in a while you have a few drinks in you, and I try and stay off of Twitter after a night out, that’s usually not good,” Commodore grins as he continues, as if remembering a few gems he shared after a night out,  “but every once in a while I’ve had fun in it.”

So what about taboo subjects? Just this week, Commodore led his support to Jason Collins, the first active major-professional athlete to come out publically as being gay.  But for the most part, he tries to avoid subjects that many find controversial, and have gotten others accounts taken away from them by agents who felt their use of the platform was getting out of hand. (Does anyone remember Paul Bissonette’s first Twitter account that his agent had him close after some pretty offensive statements and calling Ilya Kovalchuk a communist.)

“Politics I try and avoid, any kind of sexuality thing I try and avoid,” Commodore shares, “Race, I avoid at all costs. Stuff like that.”

With all of the positive that social media can bring, does Commodore have any Twitter regrets?

“I try and forget the bad stuff.  There are a few things I put on there and I’m not really sure how it’s going to go over, and that’s kind of exciting actually.  You know some people are going to take it bad, and some people are going to like it, but nothing crazy.”

Commodore also acknowledges that a lot of good and bad can come out of Twitter, especially if you get sucked into the trap of fans who set out to chirp him or other professional athletes.

“You can market yourself a little bit. I don’t know if brand is the right word. It doesn’t happen much in hockey.  It’s not like basketball and some other sports.” Unlike sports such as basketball, the fancy shoe endorsement deals aren’t as prevalent in hockey, so Commodore continued, “Yeah, none of that goes on. So you can market yourself a little bit, especially if you are into charity things.  It’s a good way to get the word out immediately.”

Commodore also acknowledged that he liked the interactive and insantaneous nature of Twitter, and being able to communicate with fans and other athletes.

“Obviously there’s another bad side of that too, if you say something stupid or something you shouldn’t, that is out immediately too.  But it’s a good way to interact with fans, there are a lot of good people on Twitter.  There are a lot of good questions on Twitter. There’s a lot of good comments on Twitter. There’s a lot of funny stuff on Twitter.”

Funny stuff like Commodore’s comments last night about Pierre McGuire.  I was watching the same NHL game Commodore was when I read his Tweets, and cheered out loud (much to the surprise of my sleeping dog) because I was in agreement with his statements.

So what about the bad side to Twitter? When things can go awry?  Commodore says it’s important to have a thick skin.

“There are a lot of total morons on Twitter. Complete idiots, that all they are looking for, I mean total losers, where they are just trying to say anything,” Commodore continued, relating his own personal experiences with the media, “I used to fall into the trap, when I was first into Twitter, and they would say something about me in the mentions thing, and I would read it, and before I got a thicker skin and really understood what was going on, I’d be pissed off and start firing back.  There’s a lot of losers on Twitter, but overall, I think it’s good.  If I wasn’t a fan of it, I’d delete my account.”

Near the end of my interview, I had to ask if Commodore thought he’d ever tweet something so outrageous that his agent would make him delete his account.

With a huge smile, Commodore replied.

“I don’t think my agent pays attention to me anymore so I can say whatever I want on there. So no, I don’t have to worry about that.”

Thank goodness for that.  I’d miss Commodore’s humor and candid honesty if he was forced to retire from social media!

First, I must be completely honest. I did not pay 100% to this game. I was running a show (ballet…. the ballet always interrupts hockey watching! Good thing I love the ballet!) Therefore, some of my observations may not be as thorough as I’d like them to be. Because much of my game-watching was done from a muted laptop, I’m sure I missed a lot. But hey, some observations are better than no observations, right?

Now…. my own personal observations, in no particular order:

• Rob Madore.  I was not surprised in the least that he was the starter for the Checkers last night. I also believe he will continue to play in that role, but, and I mean this is the most positive of ways, he’ll be on a short leash. A couple of bad games (that are his fault or his teammates, and I must say I believe it will be the latter more than the former), and he may get replaced by one of the Checkers other two willing and able goaltenders. In what has become Madore’s true fashion, he was able to stop shot after shot.  This was particularly important in the first period, when the Barons outshot the Checkers 13-5.  Not only that, but the Checkers had an entire powerplay where they didn’t register a single shot on the Barons goalie, Yann Danis.
• After the first period and the disgustingly unbalanced SOG stats, all I could think was YIKES. As it’s been in the past month it seems, the Checkers came out a bit sluggish, but whatever was said in the room between periods seemed to work, because the second period was a drastically different pace, and one that favored Charlotte. SOG were nearly equal, and the Checkers scored two goals.  The first was from Justin Shugg, one of only two Justin’s that remains on the Charlotte roster (insert sad faces here).  Shugg’s goal was a beautiful one, coming of of a rebound while the Checkers were on their second powerplay of the game.
• The next came from Brody Sutter, younger cousin of Brett who was possibly the biggest star of the Checkers playoff run two years ago.  Brody’s goal was a slick one, a wraparound goal on the backhand. The Checkers had the lead, but it was for a very brief period of time.
• In a span of only 21 seconds late in the second period, the Barons scored two more goals. With only eight seconds left in Charlotte’s penalty kill, Mark Arcobello scored a wraparound goal, catching the visiting team off guard a bit in the midst of a line change, and there was little that could be done to prevent that Barons goal. 
• Moments later, the Barons Josh Green scored another on Rob Madore, thanks in part to some sloppy defensive play by Charlotte.
• A penalty at the whistle to end the second period and another right after it expired early in the third period would have given the Checkers nearly four straight minutes on the powerplay, but they didn’t need it.  On his first shift of the second power play,  Zach Boychuk scored, tying the game for the Checkers.  
• The remaining 17 or so minutes of regulation were scoreless for both squads, taking them to overtime.
• It only took a couple of minutes in overtime for the Checkers to end the game.  Brody Sutter’s game winning OT goal was a gorgeous deflection off of Brett Bellemore’s shot. 

Other thoughts:

• Last night, Mike Murphy was the backup to Rob Madore, and John Muse was a healthy scratch.  It was a pleasant surprise, seeing Murphy’s name on the scoresheet. Does this mean in the “goalie rankings” he’s moved up to number two? Maybe. Murph is, of course, the winning-est goaltender in Checkers history, and nobody can ever forget his stellar performance in the 2011 playoffs that saw him relieve Justin Pogge of his starting duties just a couple of games into the first round.  Charlotte went on to make it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals where they were defeated by the eventual Calder Cup winning Binghamton Senators.
• I was really impressed with Brock McGinn. Though he didn’t make it onto the score sheet, he continued to be physical and has no problem using his body at the right times to make big plays.  He appeared to be hit late in overtime, but left the ice on his own.  Here’s hoping it was nothing serious!
• Once the sluggishness of the first period was over, the Checkers played like a team I recognize.  While they seemed to slip a bit late in the second period, they generally stayed strong and physical throughout the second and third periods.  Overtime, though it was only a few minutes long, was completely controlled by Charlotte.  More play like this will result in plenty more playoff games won by the Checkers.
• Game two is tonight at 8p.m.  I will be watching, as always, from a lightbooth while working a ballet performance.  Let’s Go Checkers!

A few links to get you through game day two:

From Tend the Farm: Charlotte Beats OKC In Overtime, Takes 1-0 Series Lead

From The Charlotte Observer: Checkers rough up Barons

From Paul Branecky: Brody Sutter’s OT goal wins game 1