"General Admission" Preview

WBS Penguins @ Hershey Bears
1/20/07

by Rege Ryan

regeryan@gmail.com

Just wanted to give a quick rundown of what we’ll be covering in next week’s General Admission. I’m making the short road trip over to Hershey to watch the “Evolution”s conception: the WBS Penguins invade the Giant Center in clash of epic proportions. Ok, not really, it is only AHL hockey, but I can try to hype the game just a tad .

The last time I checked out the Baby Pens at Hershey was when they hooked up in last year's Calder Cup. The Pens lost the series behind a less than stellar performance from Nolan Schaefer in goal. Management then promptly sent him packing, and he then ended up in the Minnesota Wild organization playing for the Houston Aeros. Nolan now is the hottest goaltender in AHL, sporting a 16-7-0 record w/ 1.97 G.A.A .930 Save %. You want to talk about a goaltending controversy, be glad we got rid of Schaefer.

This is my first look at the 2007-08 Baby Pens, so I am excited. This is a big rivalry game for WBS. These teams flat out don’t like each other and the hatred is fueled by Mr. Dennis Bonvie, who leads the team with 111 PIM at the half way point. This season is his swan song. He is supposedly retiring at season’s end, so enforcers league wide are lining up for their last chance to tangle with the boxer on skates that is Bonvie.

The Hershey fans hate him because he used to be a Bear. The legend Hershey fans tell me is that he was rumored to upset with being released and felt he got a raw deal from management. After rejoining the Baby Pens after a 9 year hiatus he takes his vengeance out one punch at a time on the team that scorned him.

Height:
5-11 Weight: 205- and Just as dangerous as Iron Mike

Bonvie has had the second best AHL single season for penalty minutes (PIM) with 522 in 96-97. The record is 551 PIM

The Bears are the Washington Capitals’ farm club, and have many extremely annoying players Dean Arsene, Louis Robitaille and Chris Bourque (son of NHL HOFer Ray Bourque) all need to be smacked around, so we should see some good action.