Hockey Band Moving?
For those of you who didn't know and/or go, the Summer Hockey Showcase was today at Yost, and I couldn't help but notice that the area the band has been in the last couple of years has been overhauled in a very not-band fashion. They appear to definitely be moving again, probably back to their old spot. Anybody who can confirm this feel free to do so.
Other things about the showcase:
Red Berenson still owns the ice
The Under-35 team that had Jack Johnson and Mike Cammalleri somehow lost 6-3
August 6th, 2010 at 11:40 PM ^
from band members who said that Dr. Pasquale (their director) told them that the hockey band is moving. Though, from the showcase, I didn't notice anything about where it could be. The thing about moving them back to where they used to be is that the band has expanded to roughly twice the size that barely fit in the old spot and I do not believe that there are plans to reduce it again. Of course, there are still two months to go (:-() until the season starts, so plenty of time to re-overhaul the new area, renovate the old area or create a new area. Or, I could be wrong and the band could re-shrink.
More on the alumni game:
Red Berenson still owns the ice (bears repeating).
The reason JMFJ and Cammy lost is a simple one; Billy Sauer. Who managed to stop, I think 2 Cammy breakaways and at least one JMFJ breakaway. I don't know how JMFJ managed to not score, but Sauer stopped him everytime. Sauer was really spectacular. Also, Porter and Kolarik were not only on the same team (the not Cammy team), but the same line and the not-Sauer goalie was a good decade older and more removed from the game than Sauer.
Cammy still had two goals. (I mentioned this in Brian's unverafied voracity post, but I think one of the reasons he may have finally decided to come back is that, despite his conflict with Red, he sitll attended Michigan and was coached by Red and Dean Lombardi's attack on Red had to have offended more ex-Michigan players that just Jack Johnson. Whatever the reason though, it was good to see him again). Unsurprisingly, Cammy was really fun to watch and played a bit to the crowd too, waving a bunch and posing for a picture with his old center.
Summers played at forward, because (otherwise) his team had 8 forwards and 5 d-men, so they evened it up. He played REALLY high the whole game, had several breakways/2-on-1's and scored a goal and an assist.
It was the alumni game, so there wasn't a whole ton of defense, but it was really obvious that all the players coming back were really enjoing themselves. If you ever wanna see Red smile, that's probably one of the few times you will. He (during the second game) and Billy Powers (during both games) were really visible in the crowd too, talking to fans and kids, signing stuff and all that. The refs were Hunwick and Pateryn. Didn't really do much, of course, though there appeared to be a good foot of height differential. Their "messing with Red" moment involved waving off a goal for no good reason, which considering last (every?) season and the fact that in the last two years, they've given him a penalty and awarded a penalty shot against him, it was pretty obvious that was coming.
All in all, very good time, ery entertaining. If you ever get a chance to make it out for one, I definitely suggest it. Free, kid friendly (way more so than with the student section :-p) and there's still a ton of really skilled players in the younger game and Red in the older game.
August 6th, 2010 at 11:51 PM ^
It is a fun event. I love seeing all of guys come back especially the older players in the over 35 game. It is cool to see the old guys still have juice left in their rockets Red was awesome. He almost got a goal tonight. It was funny seeing Hunwick calling off one of Red's team's goals for having too many men on the ice.
Bill Sauer was lights out. It is awesome seeing him on the top of his game. I cannot believe he stoned JMFJ on his breakaway.
Nystrom and JMFJ are awesome. They spent as much time as he could to get every kid there an autograph.
August 7th, 2010 at 12:29 AM ^
It does appear as if the band will be moving.
Sauer was incredible; I wish he had played like that in a few NCAA Tournaments.
August 7th, 2010 at 12:55 AM ^
Watching Bob Nystrom and Red on a line together with the old-timers squad a few years back at the Alumni Game was a thing of beauty. Watching guys who are one-in-a-million players out on the ice, even years after their physical prime, shows what a great hockey mind can do. Nystrom and Red were operating on an entirely different plane from the rest of the guys out there. I think they combined for like 5 goals.
August 7th, 2010 at 10:39 AM ^
cuz we lieks them in their old spot. we (student section) can hear them better. i've heard the reason they moved over was because the band was growing (free season hockey tickets is a powerful incentive) and they didn't have enough space where the used to be.
August 7th, 2010 at 12:37 PM ^
And was definitely the reason they moved in the first place. But it wasn't so much there were more band kids wanting to do it as it was that the AD/band program/Red/somebody else with some sort of authority wanted a larger band. There's always (maybe not always, but you know what I mean) been an audition process for all the athletic bands. Kids are still turned away that want to play in the hockey/basketball bands, just not as many as they used to turn away.
I had an older Michigan fan in front of me freak out online after the game, because I was "being too boisterous and conversational for him."
There were plenty of seats, he could've moved. Or he could've asked my friends and I to be quiet, I would've had no problem with that. But he never said anything; expected us to read his mind.
It's an exhibition game; I doubt he cared about the outcome all that much.
This reminded me of why I hate the Blue Hair crowd at the Stadium.