2007-08 Cheeks Awards
Alright folks, it is the time to hand out the first annual Cheeks Awards. After witnessing all 77 games this year, I am filled to the brim with memories and tales from the 10th anniversary season of the Augusta Lynx. It was a bittersweet season because of how close we came to winning our first playoff series since 2000. To know we were just one overtime goal away in both Games 3 and 4 to pulling off the upset of the season, really chews at you. That is the beauty of playoff hockey… everyone who makes it into the post-season has a chance. After two games in Augusta, EVERYONE thought the Lynx had a chance, but I guarantee that number was a lot lower before the start of the playoffs. So, here we go with the Cheeks Awards for the 2007-08 season:
Rookie of the Year: A lot of choices here because the Lynx had so many rookies. I originally leaned towards Bobby Goepfert because he was the backbone of the team for a solid four months, and he was phenomenal in the playoff series against the Stingrays. Plus, I am a former goalie and know what kind of pressure he was under. I also strongly considered Matt Auffrey, who was the only Lynx player to play in every game and during his first pro season scored 25 goals (50 points), which isn’t easy to do. But, my winner is Adrian Veideman. “Veeds” as I call him, was solid since Day 1. He made the All-Star team and became only the second player in Lynx history to be named to the ECHL All-rookie team. Unfortunately, because he had such a strong season as a rookie, I highly doubt he will be in the ECHL next year, taking the immediate leap to the AHL. I wouldn’t doubt if we see this guy in the NHL one day.
Welcome to Neighborhood Award: This award is intended for a player who joined us throughout the season and flourished with the Lynx. There are a handful of players who had a meaningful impact when they arrived from our AHL affiliate in Portland. Matt Christie and Ryan Dingle were players who had an impact right away and really brought some offense with them at the right time. B.J. Crum and Chris Brooks were both guys who were added via trades and really did provide some good solid defense along the bluelines. Not huge point production guys, but guys that do the dirty work in order for us to be successful. J.P. Levasseur was a breath of fresh air. He started strong stopping 39 of 40 shots in his first ever start for the Lynx and finished with a surprise Game #5 start against the Stingrays, in which he gave us a good chance to win stopping 30 of 32 shots. Gerald Coleman was also fun to watch play in goal. I kept forgetting that he was only 22 and already in his 3rd year as a pro. Anthony Battaglia was huge, especially during playoff time. I am convinced that if Louis Goulet doesn’t get hurt in Game #3, the line of Goulet-Slattengren-Battaglia wins the series for us. They were special in the playoffs. It was good to finally get Shane Hynes back. I had been wondering for about two months when we would finally see him and boy, did he play big down the stretch for the Lynx. What could have been if he was healthy the entire season? But, my award this year goes to Travis Fuller. What a pick up for the Lynx this was! Credit Bob Ferguson for picking this guy up at the deadline. As soon as he arrived in Augusta after being traded at the deadline from Cincinnati to Columbia to Augusta, he was a fun guy to watch play and be around. He made an immediate impact and never let off the gas. He scored a goal in his Lynx debut and had three points in the playoffs. All this and he is only rookie at 22 years old… makes me smile when I think about next season.
Sorry to see you go Award: Another tough one to call. Professional hockey is a tough business. One night you are singing a guys praises, the next he is on the next train to somewhere in New York. Seeing Nathan Marsters and Dave McKee leave was tough for Lynx fans. Both fan favorites from a season ago, but they were in dire need of playing time, which they weren’t getting here. It was also tough to see John Laliberte leave, but how can you be mad at a guy who is getting the call to the AHL? After his six-point night in Pensacola and point per game production with the Lynx, all of us knew that offensive production was going to be lost. Although we gained three great players in Anthony Battaglia, Chris Brooks and Travis Fuller at the trade deadline, it was tough to see Eric Lundberg and Jeremy Schenderling leave. Schenderling started out with such promise, but was injured with a sports hernia two games into the season and struggled to find his game when he returned. He did well is Columbia following the trade, so I am happy for him and wish him continued success. Lundberg was a tough one to take. Eric was the first guy on the ice who would stick up for a teammate. I remember a game in Cincinnati earlier this year in which Cyclones player Matt Syroczynski (6-5, 225) was taking liberties with a Lynx player and Lundberg hopped right in there and squared off with him. I know that one day again fans could see him back in a Lynx uniform, which I know would make fans happy. This winner this year however, goes to Aaron Slattengren. Numbers do not lie here folks… Slattengren totaled 44 points in 33 regular season games this year. That equaled his point total from last year, but in 23 fewer games! It is no coincidence that when Slattengren signed his PTO to play for the Providence Bruins in the AHL on January 17th, the Lynx started to fall. Slattengren didn’t play a regular season game for the Lynx after that point and the Lynx went 11-20-2, falling from 3rd place to 7th place in the South Division. With Slattengren, the Lynx were 22-14-3 during the regular season. Hard to argue with those numbers, but it was also hard to argue with the numbers that Slattengren put up with Providence in the AHL. 23 points in 32 games played will punch his ticket to the AHL next season.
Hardest shot award: This one is easy to call because I felt it first hand. If you remember back to January I wrote about my 2-week experience of filling in as the second goaltender during Lynx practice. Usually to judge the hardest shot you get a speed gun, sit behind the net, and let guys rip slapshots to see whose is fastest. But, it this case the speed gun was replaced by a goalie turned broadcaster. I had my mask cage dented from a Matt Auffrey one-timer. I was beaten every single time by Louis Goulet’s snap shot. I simply cringed when Will Bodine wound up and let one fly towards my head. Chase Watson just appeared to laugh when he started to shoot. But, the winner went to Bobby Bolt. I think there is a reason he is the last one off every single warm-ups. His shot would just simply fly by me, simple as that. Now I know how Davis Parley felt in Game #2 of the South Quarterfinals… Never even saw it.
Most exciting game of the year: Tough to call. I mean, the first one against Texas was very exciting because it was my first behind the mic for the Lynx. I also remember the come-from-behind OT win in Dayton back on November 7th. Down 5-1, the Lynx came back for a 6-5 OT win thanks to a goal from Eric Lundberg. Then there was the 9-1 win in Pensacola right after Thanksgiving. The best part about it was watching shot after shot go in as if Aaron Slattengren and John Laliberte were just willing it in the net. The 10-man shootout win over Columbia was memorable thanks in large part to the unlikely hero in Nick Toneys, who decided the game as the 20th overall shooter. I also was very pumped about the 1-0 OT win in Pensacola on March 25th when “Coach” Dan Troutman filled in and assisted the team to a win in which Bobby Goepfert showed how good he really was. But, the winner for me is the Game #2 win in the South Quarterfinals against the South Carolina Stingrays. There is nothing like playoff hockey and this game proves it. Down 3-1 in the 3rd period, the Lynx mounted a comeback for the ages led by Jamie McKinven’s first goal of the SEASON to make it 3-2. Then Aaron Slattengren’s heroics to tie the game at 3-3 with Bobby Goepfert pulled for the extra attacker in the final minute of regulation. Finally, Bobby Bolt’s laser from the top of the slot to win it for the Lynx, 4-3 in overtime. He may have the best name in hockey, but in my opinion that shot was the best moment of the season.
Lunch pail award: This goes out to the guy, who comes to work everyday with his hard hat on, plays for the team, and just gets the job done without a lot of pomp and circumstance or notoriety. The first criteria was determining who qualifies? In my mind, it has to be someone who shows up for work at least 75% of the time, so out of 72 games that meant anyone who played more than 54 regular games in a Lynx uniform would be in the running. Looking at who qualified, four players really stood out to me. Louis Goulet, Chase Watson, Jason Platt and Tim Branham. I think the fan pick here would be have been Goulet, and I couldn’t agree more. As the team captain, Louis missed one game and that was to attend his grandfather’s funeral in Canada. He also led the Lynx in scoring and often times led the Lynx in hits during a game. I know he killed him to be out of the line-up for the final 2 ½ playoff games of the season, but he would have been on the ice of he could have even stood up, which was a struggle. Tim Branham is the kind of guy every team needs. Quiet, hard-working, doesn’t complain, stays out of trouble, etc. He doesn’t care if he scores or gets points, just wants to win. Tim’s last competitive season was 2004-05. Considering it was three years since, I’d say he did a commendable job. For as little credit that he gets, Chase Watson is a great candidate for this award. He missed one game all season long and finished with a +4 rating (meaning he was on the ice more times for a goal for than a goal against while even strength). He had a good, workmanlike season with 30 points, while winning face-offs, killing penalties, and staying consistent. Also, a great guy to have in the lockerroom… He can take a joke and dish them out with the best of ‘em. I certainly hope Chase decides to come back next season. My winner of the award is Jason Platt. I would have remained undecided on this if it wasn’t for what I witnessed on January 31st in a game in South Carolina. With the Lynx up 2-1 in the 3rd period and looking for their first win of the season in Charleston, Platt took a slapshot directly in the top of the knee and crumpled to the ice. The problem is, the puck went straight back to the point and the Stingrays kept it alive in the Lynx zone. After realizing the play was still going on, Platt who was now without the use of one leg, crawled his way like a wounded soldier to the front of the net where another shot was coming towards the goal. After teammate Bobby Goepfert made another save with the help of the wounded Platt, Jason rose to his feet and was helped off the ice. He would only miss the next six games before returning.
Welcome back award: Ken Scuderi, who returned after missing six weeks of action for the 5th a deciding game of the playoff series against South Carolina. Scuderi was checked into the boards in a March 4th game against Texas, where he broke ribs and punctured a lung. It was good to see him back on the ice in the game that mattered the most. Honorable mention: Jamie McKinven, the guys misses almost the entire season with torn knee ligaments and scores his first and only goal of the season to start the comeback in Game #2 of the playoffs against South Carolina. Welcome back, indeed!
Didn’t get enough credit award: I am going off the player board here and going with Lynx GM Dan Troutman. This guy went through it all this year. Coliseum Authority ups and downs, lease negotiations, concessionaire changes, pipes bursting underneath the ice during games (and having to fix it), questions regarding the status of the team, having to fill in behind the bench for three games, and most of all… putting his trust in an brand spanking new play-by-play radio guy. Just another day in paradise I guess. Honorable mention: Lady Lynx. You can call me a suck up if you want, but seeing first hand what these ladies were able to accomplish this season was a testament to what the Lynx is all about, family entertainment. The Lady Lynx were a valuable part of entertaining the audiences and creating an enjoyable atmosphere, and how about the Lil’ Lady Lynx? Other than the roars from some of the bigger goals that were scored, the two biggest cheers in the James Brown Arena this season came after the two Lil’ Lady Lynx performances. No kidding! One thing is constant for both groups, they simply love and live to entertain audiences, so a standing ovation to both of them for a job well done! Honorable Mention x 2: Lynx ticket staff. Yes, it is a team effort in the office, but we are up almost 11% over last year for a reason and they are a big part of it. Plus, who didn’t love peanut butter-jelly time?
Just get it done award: Hockey staff. When I think of the three guys on the hockey staff, Head Coach Bob Ferguson, trainer Joe Huff, and equipment manager Ryan Adamson, I just think of no-nonsense guys who work everyday to just “get it done.” Some days you may run into them and they could be in the worst mood ever. Others, they are sky high. Such is the balance created by being around 20 hockey players everyday for seven months. The amount of work put in these three behind the scenes is insane. It involves late nights and early mornings of laundry, phone calls, medical treatments, travel, skate sharpenings, trade offers, salary cap concerns, doctor’s appointments, and much more. I know what kind of work it takes by all three and appreciate it.
This guy deserves a medal award: Not sure too many people know about this one, which is why is deserves the proper recognition. If you die hard Lynx fans remember, earlier this season our beat writer for the Augusta Chronicle was Steve Sanders. He did a very good job, but midway through the season decided to move to Charlotte, NC. Needless to say, after all of Steve’s hard work I was sad to see him go because of his outstanding coverage and writing. Our new writer was Billy Byler, who took over and wrote through the remainder of this season. He picked up right where Steve had left off including the same great coverage, similar writing style, and support of the Lynx. People don’t realize how important it is for us to daily coverage in the Augusta Chronicle, and Billy is a big part of that. But, that is not where this thank you ends… On March 13, 2008, Billy lost his wife of almost two years, Shelley, to a battle with liver cancer. She was 24 years old. Now being a newlywed myself I cannot imagine the loss that Billy felt, but did he miss a beat to write about the Lynx? No. He wrote an article a day prior to the loss of his wife and his next story appeared in the Chronicle on March 22nd. He said in an email to all of us that the love of writing is helping him cope and deal with the loss of another love, his wife Shelley. When the ECHL hands out its awards in June, they present an award to a member of the independent media, who goes above and beyond in their coverage of an ECHL team. I cannot think of a better candidate for this award than Billy, who through a time of unspeakable loss, managed to continue his duties as a writer and reporter ultimately benefiting a team like the Augusta Lynx. Continued well wishes and prayers for Billy and Shelley’s family.
MVP: This is a hard one to call. What is an MVP? Is it your best player? Leading scorer? All-Star? In my opinion, the MVP of your team should be defined this way: if you took him out of the line-up, what would happen to your team? I was left to ponder three candidates. First, Bobby Goepfert. I can’t count how many times this guy kept the Lynx in games, especially in the playoffs. However, I think he would have had to play some more games to be my MVP. I think from the top on down, the last thing we concerned ourselves with this season was the play of the goaltenders. All who played for us did a very good job this season. Second, we have Aaron Slattengren. I wonder what could have/would have been if he stuck around all season? 50 goals? That could have been easily within reason. But, Slattengren punched his ticket to the AHL next season with his great performance in Providence. Yes, the team stumbled after he left in January, but he came back for the playoffs and had a big contribution. However, I felt like South Carolina pull the full press on Slats from Game #1. They know what kind of damage he can do if left unmarked, so seeing him double/triple teamed the entire series wasn’t a surprise. My pick this year for MVP is Louis Goulet. The bottom line is when Goulet got hurt in the playoffs and the guys realized he wasn’t going to return, a collective air went out of the team. Not that they stopped battling, because they did so to the very end with passion and determination, but clearly Goulet was the heart and soul. One of the calmest guys I have ever met under pressure, but willing to unleash the inner fury when he needs to. It is hard for me to count the number of times that he led the team in hits during the game and he even decided that it was necessary to drop the gloves a few times. Pretty remarkable coming from a guy who was asked when was the last time he fought in a hockey game, replied with “never.” I know the injury at the end of the season was tough for him to take, and I also know the he and wife Jamie have their first baby due in August, so here’s hoping that he continues playing the game for the Augusta Lynx. We need him back!
Rapid fire awards: Some brief mentions to have some fun.
Team comedian award: Bobby Goepfert
I’ll fight you with one hand behind my back award (literally): Will Bodine
I apologize for where you sit on the bus award: Matt Auffrey, Adrian Veideman, Joe Huff and Ryan Adamson for being in my vicinity.
Best names award: Bobby Bolt, Dan Kronick, Ryan Dingle
Best playoff beard award: Nick Toneys
Worst playoff beard award: Me
