When last we met, dear reader, I was asking for everyone’s help. Marc Savard was in dire need of a group hug from the Goonblog community, and I think he got it. Ready to move on with the season we gave Savvy his hug and went about our daily business. Well, now it seems you can give Savvy a hug, just make sure you talk quietly and meet him in a dark room. Savvy, it seems, will be out indefinitely after some Post Concussion Syndrome symptoms reared their ugly head before camp. It has to make me think these PCS annoyances are the reason Savard is still even in the black and gold.

I wish Marc Savard a speedy recovery, as I think the Bruins are a better club with him, than without. This injury does open the door for Tyler Seguin to start the season at his natural center position (potentially. He’s been playing wing with Recchasaurus, and Bergeron with success) and it most definitely leaves the door open a crack for Joe Colborne to make the club. I guess it’s a good problem to have when a club has too many young kids that can play ready and waiting when a veteran like Savard goes down eh?

The person I am most excited for, and hoping makes the club, is Brian McGrattan. I called for this signing in my Eastern Conference preview because the division is loaded for bear, and the Bruins should be too. Shawn Thornton has done an admirable job doing the heavy lifting fighting as a light heavy in the heavyweight division for a couple of seasons now. The Bruins are counting on Milan Lucic developing into a power forward that can police the ice when he has too, not being the second tough guy. Put it this way, while Milan is certainly a tough kid, I would prefer he not fight the likes of Colton Orr again. That’s why you sign a guy like McGrattan. I say keep him as the 13th forward, and any time they play in the division, he gets a nod on the 4th line with Gregory Campbell, and Shawn Thornton.

I am looking forward to the pre season tilt at the Garden tonight. I went to the first rookie game, and it was nice to be back in the building. The pre season tilts are always a good time, as I feel like a kid on Christmas with a new toy. Prague is a couple of weeks away, and I got MOL a new digital camera for our anniversary last week, so expect lots of pictures upon my return. Hockey is back!

The NHL free agency period has been open for 11 days now, and there has been some movement by teams looking to get tougher or stay tough that I have found interesting. Sure there are some serious players left unsigned, but I’d rather know where Derek Boogaard is playing over some guy named Kovulchuk any day. This was a big season for UFA tough guys, and so far, I have not been surprised or disappointed by the movement of these tough guys to date. I have been particularly excited by the moves in the Eastern Conference. Let’s take a look at how the rosters are shaping up.

In a nod to recently passed Bob Probert, I think it fitting the Atlantic Division be renamed the Bob Probert Division. Here is the breakdown by team. New additions are bold.

NJ-PL3, David Clarkson
PITT-Eric Godard, Mike Rupp
PHI- Jody Shelley
NYR- Derek Boogaard, Brandon Prust
NYI- Trevor Gillies, Zenon Konopka

Gee whiz – that is a lot of goonery. The Rangers and Islanders already don’t like each other, and those four names up there are not going to help the civility at all. Gillies probably wants a giant piece of the Boogeyman after Boogaard scrambled Trevor’s eggs in his first NHL game way back when Gillies was Anaheim property. I am sure those guys will tangle at least once. I am excited Jody Shelley is staying east too. I enjoyed his work with Columbus back in the day, but couldn’t follow him as much when he was dealt to the Sharks. Same with Derek Boogaard. It’s going to be awesome having him on the East Coast, and with Brandon Prust in New York as well, I will follow them closely. Prust is an exciting, scrappy middleweight that will fight up a division. He and Boston’s Shawn Thornton should match up well should Thornton not want a piece of the Boogeyman. The Islanders were one of my favorite clubs to watch last season on Center Ice, and looking at this division now, I will have them slated night in and night out as my Center Ice team.

One of Bob Probert’s biggest rivals, or at least a guy he fought a lot, was Craig Berube. I have renamed the Northeast Division the Craig Berube Division. Some good tough guys here and a message to Buffalo, and Montreal. Add some toughness. Quick.

OTT- Matt Carkner, Chris Neil
BOS- Shawn Thornton, Jeremy Reich
TOR- Colton Orr, Jay Rosehill

Boston welcomes back Jeremy Reich! The REEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIICHEEEEERRRR! Love it. He brings nice energy and a veteran presence to the dressing room in Providence if he goes down. Colton Orr and Matt Carkner had a well documented rivalry last season that shows no signs of slowing this season. Jay Rosehill had a great tilt with PL3 last season, and is a very big guy. Chris Neil might feel he owes Boston’s Milan Lucic one as well, but after the beating Lucic gave him last year, he may not want to go there. Speaking of Lucic and not wanting to go somewhere, I think he owes Colton Orr one after the fight he had last year. You remember the scarp? It was the one where Don Cherry was in the house and accused Lucic of “quitting.” I think Boston wins the division on team toughness on paper right now, but Toronto has it based on enforcer tough. Colton Orr, in my opinion is the reigning heavyweight champ in the NHL right now. I’m interested to see if anyone can take the belt this season.

The Southeast Division will be renamed the Andre Nazarov Division. They need to get tougher if they want to hang with the true heavies, but have enough experience to win some every now and then.

ATL- Eric Boulton, Ben Eager
CAR- Tim Gleason
TBL- Mitch Fritz

Atlanta should dominate the division physically, as they have been reaping the rewards of the Chicago Blackhawks fire sale and have gotten better, and tougher. Carolina never really has a tough guy on the roster, but Tim Gleason can do the heavy lifting if needed. Mitch Fritz may be the worst skating NHLer ever.

So there’s the Eastern Conference right now. On paper it looks to be a very exciting, and fight filled season. I called Comcast, and not only are they not taking Center Ice deposits right now, they suggested I might want to calm the fuck down. Looking forward to a great season of goonery galore!

It is with the nerves of an expectant father that I am watching the clock today. MOL has been given the television until 5, and she is welcome to stay and watch as the Islanders and Maple Leafs square off. I think if Trevor Gillies does dress today, there is no way he and Colton Orr don’t have a dust up. It would be like leaving a case of Funny Bones, and a stack of fight tapes under my watch. The tapes are getting watched, and you are going to be light a few Chocó and peanut butter treats. The AHL did a nice piece on the Gill-Man here. Hopefully his second NHL tilt goes better than his first, but Orr is the Heavyweight Champ right now, so it could really go either way. I will report what happens here, so stay tuned!

Well, despite Trevor asking twice, there was no fight. Great assist by the Gill Man on the Isle’s first goal. Well done. I will be taping the game Tuesday. Hopefully Hordichuk is game.

Congratulations Canada, you barely beat America at the game you invented. No, I kid. I saw that on the site, Texts from Last Night. Go there for hilarity. For hockey hilarity, you stay here. Now then, Canada won gold last Sunday in a game I saw maybe 20 seconds of due to a prior engagement. I will say I enjoyed the tournament, as the hockey was up and down in every game, and who will forget Pavol Demitra hitting the cross bar with about 22 seconds left against Canada Friday night? That goes in, and it easily could have been USA and Slovakia for gold in Vancouver.

Naturally, after a game like the gold medal game, the talk turns to will this help the NHL, or not? From my seat in the stands, I prefer NHL hockey over International play because a lot of the cheap shit that went on in the Olympics has to be answered for. I don’t care how inspirational Saku Koivu’s story is, he’s a dirty little fucker and the stick work he deployed during the Olympics would have been dealt with in the NHL. Same with Alexander Semin’s late hit on Dan Boyle. Shifty Euros get smaller and less brave with their sticks in the NHL, and that’s the game I like. Will the tournament help the NHL? Maybe short term. Long term reality of the situation is this. You are either a hockey fan or you aren’t. One exciting game, gold medal or otherwise, will not turn the tide of a niche sport.

Tonight should feature why I love the NHL so much, as the Battle of Ontario rivalry between Toronto, and Ottawa is on again. When we last left our heroes, Goonblog favorite, Matt Carkner, had been beaten soundly by another Goonblog favorite, Colton Orr. Look for these two to get after it again early in tonight’s contest.

I had the privilege of watching Orr soundly beat Boston’s Milan Lucic in person this week. Everyone in the building, including Don Cherry, was on Milan for “giving up” on the fight. Well, what we didn’t know was Orr had broken the big Serbians nose early in the fight, and when they got separated Lucic wanted no more part of sticking the already formidable beak back in there. I can’t say I blame him, as it is my opinion Colton Orr is the best in the business right now. Damn I wish he was still in the black and gold! Glad the NHL is back boys!

See what I mean? Win some, lose some.

To say Saturday was an emotional day for the Toronto Maple Leafs could be the understatement of the century. Already reeling from blowing a lead in New Jersey on Friday night, they learned of the tragic death of GM Brian Burke’s son, Brendan on an icy road in Indiana. Goonblog would like to extend our condolences to the Burke family. I can’t imagine what they must be going through, and wish to never find out. With the business of hockey having to go on, the Leafs squared off against an Ottawa team that was flying high after winning 11 games in a row.

After returning from another Bruin loss, this one to Vancouver, I was given the opportunity to watch either Real Housewives of the Jersey Girls Survivor Bachelor or whatever the crap reality show MOL had lined up. No wait. It was Out of Sight, with J. Lo, and George Clooney, my mistake. Anyway, I chose to retire to the office for a game.

I had picked the Leafs and Sens for one reason, and one reason only as my game of the night. Number 28 in white, Colton Orr, and number 39 in red, Mr. Matt Carkner would be renewing some old acquaintances. Kudos to the ACC Centre crowd for staying silent during the entire moment of silence for Brendan Burke. I find nothing more disrespectful than the idiot who takes the opportunity to scream “Let’s go Insert Team name here!” during the honoring of someone, or something’s memory.

These two have tangled twice before with the record being 1-1, and it didn’t’ take long for the rubber match to get under way. The two tough guys got together along the glass just inside the blue line, and it was on. Both guys got the gloves off, and Orr started in with 4 very hard right hands. Colton isn’t considered one of the toughest in the league for no reason (I say THE toughest) as the 3rd punch stunned Carkner, and the 4th sent him to the ice. I am not 100% sure if he was knocked all the way out, but Matt sure seemed a little uneasy when rising to his feet. I give Carkner all the credit in the world for wanting to skate across to the penalty box, but the training staff and officials had a different idea, and he was lead off to get looked at. It was a clear win for Colton Orr, and the season series is now 2-1 for Orr.

That’s the thing about this game of hockey, and enforcing….hell, even life. You win some, you lose some. Carkner was shown when he came back to his bench. One of his mates tapped his glove as if to say, “Hey, good go” and Carkner just kind of shrugged. What are you gonna do? Win some lose some Matt, now you owe Orrsie one.

As the end of the decade approaches there are a million different "Top…" lists floating around the web. The Ref and I have been heavily debating the Top 50 Comedies of the 00′s and we both agree Stepbrothers is getting royally shafted. Naturally, The Hangover is coming in tops on a lot of lists. It’s also #1 on our list of the Top 50 Overrated Comedies of the decade. If you haven’t seen Stepbrothers, do it. NOW! Wait. Finish reading this, and then sit down with Brennan and Dale.

On a slightly more related note, GoonBlog.com has been around for about half the decade and has seen some great enforcers come in to the league during that time. It got me to thinking about who my choice for favorite tough guy of the last ten years would be. I am having a hard time choosing right now for a few reasons. First, I am not all that creative. The second being, if they had a list of Top 50 Things I did to my brain to cause damage this decade with booze and a general lack of common sense, we wouldn’t really scratch the surface of how un-smart I am. Here are some things I am struggling with in terms of prerequisites.

Dennis Bonvie recently retired as the most penalized player in North American hockey history. He’s been playing hockey for a long time now, and he’s one of my all time favorite tough guys. Would he be considered an enforcer of the decade despite the fact his career spans several? Also, does he have enough NHL experience to be considered? Does NHL experience matter? That puts a guy like Tie Domi in the mix. He has all NHL experience and retired in the decade, but does that make him the best of most popular enforcer of the decade?

I don’t care much for wins and losses in a fight, what I am looking for when thinking of this list is guys I like to watch fight, and when I am flipping through the Center Ice Package I stop and say, “Oh, I’ll watch this game because so and so plays for them.” In the end I decided on a couple of definites.

1. If they played in the years 2000-2009, they were eligible.
2. If I followed the career path, they were eligible.
3. If I had personally met and interacted with them off the ice, eligible. This is where a lot of guys score highly.

Without further ado, Goonblog’s Top 10 Enforcers of the Decade!

10. PJ Stock. Undersized for the role, PJ went into the breach with the determination of a hungry Pit Bull in Michael Vick’s back yard. He had three of the most memorable fights in the “New” Boston Garden, and had a hell of a following in Boston. To this day, PJ Stock Crew shirts can still be seen worn to Bruins games.

9. Shawn Thornton. 22 has been a full time NHLer since the 06-07 season where he won a Stanley Cup in Anaheim. Before that, he made frequent stops in the Tsongas Arena with Norfolk, and Portland. Thornton is a guy that clearly enjoys playing a game for a living and keeps penalty box attendants in stitches with his quick wit. On here as much for his personality as he is his pugilistic ability, Shawn has improved his fighting skills tremendously this season.

8. Ben Eager. On here mostly because I marvel at how equipment mangers around the league are consistently able to make a Gatorade bucket look like a hockey helmet. Have you seen the size of that boy’s heeeed?!

7. Darcy Hordichuk. I have been a big fan of him since the old Springfield Falcon days. He also had a couple of donnybrooks with “Mad” Mel Angelstad when they were both in the IHL that are a must see for any fight fan.

6. Ryan Flinn. If there was a more intimidating looking enforcer in the AHL from 2001-2005, I didn’t see him. But then again, maybe I’ve been blocking them out. Shudder. The resemblance to Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart is also remarkable.

5. Gordie Dwyer. Hands down, one of the nicest most personable guys I have ever met. He was hurt a lot of the time he was a member of the Lowell Lockmonsters so I got to speak with him many, many times during games. Not 100% sure he enjoyed the role of enforcer, definitely not at the AHL level, but for a guy that could fight he was the one of the best skaters, and body checkers around.

4. Officer Brendan Walsh. No doubt, the funniest human being on the ice ever. With quotes like, “Half price goatees boys? And "Hey Kanko, give me extra cheese on my taco,” it’s hard to disagree. The only thing that ever got the best of Walshie was a puck according to him; he was a thorn in the AHL’s side for 4 seasons. His one game swan song as a Lowell Lockmoster was one of my favorite memories of the old team.

3. Trevor Gillies. Speaking of the old Lockmonsters, Trevor has been a Goonblog favorite since his debut with Lowell in the 1999-2000 season. One of the best guys off the ice as well, he’s always willing to stop and say hi when coming back to the Paul. His fight in which he and Richard Scott bloodied each other was one of the better fights I have seen in that building.

2. Dennis Bonvie. Every time “Bones” was in the building, the calendar was circled and watched with the anticipation of getting a Red Rider BB gun with a compass in the stock. Could rival Walshie as the funniest person on earth, Bonvie was always entertaining and gave an honest effort every night. Some career highlights include the time he was barking like a dog at Craig MacDonald at the redline during warm-ups, and asking the penalty box attendant if Lowell’s Jan Vodrazka had ever fought before after handling he youngster soundly. Classic Bonvie.

1.Colton Orr. Right now, Orrsie is my favorite player in the NHL not wearing #17 for the Boston Bruins. If Boston were smart, they wouldn’t have waived him a couple of years ago, but that is a whole different post. Orr is as tough and honest as they come these days. He truly loves to fight as evidence by the ear to ear grin on his face while being led to his home away from home to feel shame for 5 minutes at a time. Also, the time I introduced myself to him after I had at least 30 beers after a Bruins game he could have been a real jerk to a drunken guy. Instead he humored me for a few minutes as we talked enforcers, and guys he has fought. I am sure I was making no sense, as the look on his face was an indication, but he was a cool guy like most of the pro hockey players out there are.

So, there we have it. My Top 10. I’d love to see what the group thinks, and welcome any suggestions on guys I left out. Merry Christmas all. Go easy on the egg nog, eh?

It’s here, it’s here, it’s finally here! The NHL announced the schedule for the 2009-2010 NHL season last Wednesday, and I for one, am more excited than Chris Nilan walking into the men’s swimsuit section to find the guard off getting a sandwich. I have gone over the schedule, and chosen a couple of games I am the most excited for.

Thursday October 1. Washington Capitals: Opening night. Finally the stupid summer is over.

Saturday October 3. Carolina Hurricanes: Honestly, I am probably more excited for this game than any other on the schedule. I love the fact the Bruins won’t have to wait long to exact revenge on the Hurricanes, and more specifically, Scott Walker. It’s time to answer the bell. Carolina also signed Tom Kostopoulos who was one of the chief punks on the Canadiens last year. He’s one of the dirtiest players in the league in my opinion. This game has the chance to get very ugly.

Saturday October 10. NY Islanders: Our first look at John Tavares in an Islanders uniform. I am interested to see if his skating is “Glen Murray Bad” or if it’s just NHL bad.

Thursday November 5. Montreal. I can’t believe they don’t play these guys until November. I am eagerly awaiting Hal Gill stepping out on the ice to a chorus of boos like he’s never heard before. Oh, and I hate the Canadiens.

Saturday December 5. Toronto Maple Leafs. Speaking of bell answering. Mike Komisarek, it toll for thee. Milan owes you one big time, and I hope he drops you like a bad habit. I am also looking forward to Colton Orr and Shawn Thornton having a go.

Friday January 1. Philadelphia Flyers. This once in a lifetime event is the talk of the town right now. To say this is going to be the toughest ticket to get is the understatement of the year. Season ticket holders are guaranteed the right to buy seats for as many as you own at the Garden (so if you have 2 seats at the Garden, you can buy 2 seats at Fenway) at a price point to be determined later. I would love to get out on the Monster, or up in the Pavilion, and would expect to pay at least $500 for the right to do so. Am I paying that? Hell yes. Don’t tell MOL.

Saturday February 6. Vancouver. The annual game I take my brother too. I hope Darcy Hordichuk plays, and goes completely mental. Oh, the “Baby Faced Enforcer” Shane O’Brien will be in the barn as well. Good times.

Saturday March 27. Calgary. Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf, and Brian McGrattan all in the building at the same time? Are you kidding?! Remember the dudes head at the end of Scanners? That could be me.

Saturday April 10. Carolina. Finishing it off pretty much right where they started. I hope there is a ton of bad blood between these two teams all year, and I’d love to see it boil over at the last home game of the year before the playoffs start.

So, there you have my important dates. If Boston plays the crash and bang style they played most of last season, and no one gets hurt at the Olympics, they should have a shot to be one of the best in the league next season. Fire up the Zamboni, it’s almost time to make ice!

I hope everyone is having a very Happy 4th of July, and Happy (belated) Canada Day to all the Goonsqud in the Great White North. So far free agency has been open for a couple of days. What has developed has been a new GM putting his mark on a franchise, another two or three reasons to hate the Canadiens (as if any were needed); Boston fixed some problems on defense by not signing two guys, and a lot of tough guys switching uniforms. Let’s take them in order shall we?

One hour and thirteen minutes into free agency is exactly how long it took Toronto GM Brian Burke to make the Leafs a “Brian Burke” team. The Leafs are looking to get tougher, and they are doing so by adding Colton Orr for 4 years, at 1 million per season. Having Orr in the blue and white should make the six times Boston plays them next season watchable at least. Shawn Thornton of the Bruins was originally drafted by the Buds, and he’s on record having said he tries to play extra hard against Toronto to prove them wrong. I’m giddy. I’d stand upright now, but I don’t have a math book with me. A few hours after adding Colton Orr, Toronto signed defenseman Mike Komisarek. Komisarek, you will remember, is off Milan Lucic’s Christmas card list, after cross checking the burly winger at the end of game 4. It was a move out of frustration that he will certainly have to answer for when the 2009-10 season emerges from its summer off. The question is, after asking Milan to go in the very same game 4 he was obliged by a one punch to the mind administered by young Lucic after he asked Komisarek if he really wanted to do this, will he answer the bell that most certainly will toll for thee? Where the hell is my math book!?

Hal Gill is a Canadien. I will say it again. Hal Gill is a Canadien. Having Goonblog’s least favorite son don a Habs jersey should be enough to get the blood at a boil, and the hatred to a nice simmer, but those frog pussies go and add Scott Gomez via trade, and sign Brian Gionta. In the hockey pecking order of disliked teams, it goes, Montreal in first, New Jersey a close second. I don’t really need any more reasons to dislike the Habs, but I just gave myself three. Good luck in Montreal, Hal. You suck.

It looks like the organization might be willing to give Eddie Shore Winner Johnny Boychuk a legitimate shot to make the big club this season, as Steve Montador, and “Sheriff” Shane Hnidy were both allowed to sign elsewhere this past week. Both Boston blue liners played poorly in the playoffs, and essentially are the same exact player anyway, so both were allowed to leave. I like what Hnidy brings to the ice and the room from a leadership standpoint. He’s a cagy veteran that is willing to stand up for a teammate at anytime, and that’s my kind of player. Same with Monty. He dropped em a couple of times for the black and gold, but they need an upgrade on defense, so they are allowed to walk. I certainly wish both guys the best of luck this season in Minnesota, and Buffalo. This leaves Boston in need of at least one more defenseman. Could they still be trying to swing a trade for Kessel to TO for Kaberle? Stay tuned.

Finally, some tough guys are on the move. We spoke of Colton Orr trading in Ranger red, white, and blue, for the blue and white in TO; there have been some other notable goon signings. It looks as if Donald Brashear will be counted on to fill Orr’s spot in New York signing with the Rangers for 2 years at 1.4 million a year. Ian Lapierriere will be looking to stir it up in Philadelphia with Riley Cote for the next three seasons. That is one agitating pair there. Mike Rupp is the new Sheriff in Pittsburgh tasked with protecting Crosby and the like. He was allowed to walk after New Jersey signed PL3 earlier this off season. Speaking of filling roles, David “Crazy Eyes” Koci will be taking Lapierriere’s role in Colorado after singing on for 575K. He played for about half the league last year, so look for him to wind up elsewhere at the end of the year.

Finally, I’d be remiss if we didn’t say a good Goonblog farewell to “The Reicher” Jeremy Reich. Jeremy signed with the Islanders, and has a legitimate shot to crack their roster next season. Had it not been for Blake Wheeler coming out of nowhere this season, Reich could very well have been with Boston all season. He took the demotion like a man, and Captained the Baby Bruins to a very fine season indeed. Good luck Reicher, we’re pulling for ya!

Guys, I think we should start our own Goonblog book club eh? First we have Howard Shapiro’s excellent “Hockey Player for Life”. Of course there is “The Code”, and now from my good buddy Ken Babbitt comes “The Face of Toughness,” a 40 page book told mostly in photos on some of the toughest AHL enforcers from 2001-2006. Kenny was the Lowell Lockmonsters photographer, and had the best seat in the house for the games in the Tsongas Arena perched between the benches on the red line. It gave him an unobstructed view of “The Face of Toughness” up close and personal. Ken sent me the link, and I think I was the first to buy one. I can’t wait to get my hands on this, as I have seen most of the games and players featured in the book. Trevor Gillies, Brendan Walsh, and Dennis Bonvie have already reached out to Ken to say how much they are looking forward to it, as well as to tell them they are honored to be a part of the project. Just another testament to the character of these players.

I sent Ken some questions I had about the book, and he answered them below. I hope you enjoy our “interview” and please click the link to buy your very own copy of “The Face of Toughness.” Ken this is a long time coming. I can’t wait to get mine in the mail!

Why do this book? Why now?
The idea of doing a book, at least in some form, has been in the back of my mind for a few years, but the primary reason for doing it now is that I had a large archive of great photos from my six years in Lowell that had never been seen by anyone other than myself and a few people in the front office, so it was pretty much “there’s no time like the present”!
How much trash talk is there between the benches?
It would really depend on the teams involved. If Providence was in town there was a good chance that there would be some interesting chatter, and even that would depend on who was with the Lock Monsters. They never had any great bench jockeys that I can recall. The best “work” always came from the visiting bench.

What is the funniest thing you ever heard?
Wow….do you have a few hours? Just remember that with the crowd (in Lowell, what crowds?) noise, they had to be pretty close to me to hear anything. I always said that they should have had a microphone on Dennis Bonvie and Brendan Walsh every game. It’d be some of the best comedy ever produced. But, if I have to narrow it down to a few, I’d say that one of the funniest things came from Mr. Bonvie. During a shootout during the lockout season of 04-05, with Dennis about two feet away from me, Eric Staal skated by the visiting bench after having his effort denied, and he tells Staal that that was the reason the he only got a bonus of $895K, instead of a million…because he couldn’t finish. I almost soaked myself in the box. Walshy was a classic, as well. He started from pre game and didn’t stop until the final horn. It must have been a team thing, but the Lock Monsters were all sporting facial hair, at least the guys that had to shave, and he skates by asking if they were havin’ a 2 for 1 sale on goatees. During his one game as a Lock Monster, he gave Peter Kanko a line about wanting extra lettuce on his taco.

What kind of relationship did you form with these guys over the years?
There were several guys that I got to know a little bit over the years. Trevor Gillies, Brendan Walsh and Jan Vodrazka were the guys that I spent the most time talking with. Either on the ice during pre game or in the hallways there were many of them that I spoke with over the years. I would always joke with the tough guys at center ice during pre game, like joking with Ryan Flinn when he came to the red line to see who he may have to fight that night…I’d tell him not to bother, that there was nobody on that side for him to play with. These guys were all very pleasant to deal with in the short time that I had to talk with them. I’d make it a point to tell Bonvie to “stir things up” for me, and he’d give me a wink, or he’d come back to the bench telling me that he’d tried!

Who were your all time favorites?
The three guys that I’ve already mentioned were always my favorite players to shoot. Gillies, Walshy and Bonvie. Colton Orr was another guy that you couldn’t take your eyes off of, as well. He seemed to really like to get things going in Lowell. During the later years, towards the end of the Lock Monster run, I really liked shooting, and talking to Mitch Love and Gordie Dwyer.

Were there any you didn’t like?
Of the fighters?? Not one of them. They were all great guys, and the reason that I made sure to get them into the book. There was only one player over the years that I took an instant dislike to, and he was from a town near where I grew up south of Boston.

Were there any guys that didn’t like you?
That…you’d have to ask the players, but not to my knowledge. For the most part I was pretty invisible to them once the puck was dropped.

What was the best fight you saw?
The thing about shooting the fights is that one eye is closed so I miss a lot of the action, and only really see it when I’m editing the images following the game. The five on five with Springfield, I want to say that was 03-04, was one of them. There were five fights going on at once. Brennan Evans going with Niko Tselios and Patrick DesRochers pounding on David Leneveu in a great goalie fight. Photos of both are in the book.

Who was the “toughest” in your opinion?
There were a lot of guys that you could put in that category. Steve McLaren, Jeremy Yablonski, Ryan Flinn, along with Trevor and Bonvie. I could list a number of other guys, but because I shot in Lowell, I never saw some of them fight. These guys are all tough and anyone could beat anyone on a given night. My hometown kid, Mike Hoffman, has also come a long way as a fighter.

Were there a lot of reluctant enforcers?
That’s a good question. I think that there were guys that were forced into the role for one reason or another. I know that Mike Hoffman told me as he was just starting up as a pro, that he knew that he’d have to fight because of his size, but he is a pretty good player. Another thing, especially in Lowell, it seemed like there were guys who may have been a little reluctant because they were the only tough guy on the roster, so they had to carry the whole load themselves. That’d make it tough to show up and fight night after night.

Were there any guys that made you nervous?
There was only one, but his name won’t be mentioned here. He was very polite, a good guy, but just a bit “off”. When he skated up his wing I made sure that I was up against the glass on the side of the box. It was weird, too, as I had never given it a thought prior to that game, or after.

Were the coaches ever involved with the trash talk between the benches?
I can’t recall anything specific. I know that Tom Rowe got into it on the ice when they were in Norfolk.

Was there any talk that went over the line? (Sisters, mothers…that sort of thing.)
Never, within earshot of me. But I know that it did happen.

I saw Dennis Bonvie bark like a dog during warm ups once. Is that pretty standard behavior?
Standard? I’d say no. I missed that one, but heard plenty about it. It was that “incident” that made my pre game routine change over the years. There were certain guys that if they were in the building, I was in the box for pre game skate.

How much intimidation happens during those stretches, or is it more cordial, “how’s the family” stuff?
I’m sure that some guys make it a point to be on the red line to let the boys on the other side know that they’re in the barn, but I also heard plenty of the latter. There wasn’t much that ever happened during pre game, but there was one time that Provi was in town and Tomas Malec made it a point to skate over the red line, and Walshy took a shot at him, saying that he wasn’t mad at him, but to stay on his side. More comedy from # 36.

Who do you think will like this book?
First, I hope that the players and their families like it. The guys that I know that have seen the preview of the first 15 pages have said that it looked good. I tried to show “them”, not just the fights. Fight photos are great, but I also want to be able to see into the players’ eyes. And there are enough of both to keep everyone happy. I think that people forget that these guys are human beings, and see them just as tough guys.
Naturally, I want the fans of these guys to like the final product, as well, as it’s geared to them, too. I set all of the photos with a black background, so it should look pretty good to the autograph collectors.

What is your position on fighting in hockey?
I’m old school with my views on the subject. I believe that there is, and always will be, a place for fighting in the game. It serves a purpose both on the ice and off. The enforcers make it easier for the first and second line guys know that someone has their backs, mess with them and there’ll be a price to pay. Off the ice…it puts butts into the seats!! The NHL could do worse than to have some of these guys marketing the sport. They’re always one of the most popular players on any given team, with the fans.