Re: Maine - the Golfing Season
The top article talks about Chad Denny playing for U New Brunswick.
I remember seeing him play against Sidney Crosby when they played Juniors.
Chad was a killer, as I recall.... 6'3, 225 and loved to deliver crushing hits... of course back then he was hitting 17 year olds.
Denny only played 8 games for UNB last season. He was still recovering from a season-ending injury from the previous season in the minor pros when he arrived. UNB had a veteran defence last year, so it was hard for him to get ice time. Then when he was finally getting his game going, and starting to get his big shot on net, he broke his hand blocking a shot in a January game against Moncton and missed the rest of the UNB season and playoffs.
He's a big-boned kid. He's trimmed up a lot since coming to UNB, so expectations are pretty high for him this season. He plays pretty cautious/safe and doesn't usually go looking for the big hit (which the fans in Fredericton are dying to see). He has an absolute cannon of a shot, but doesn't use it enough. That game in Moncton, before he broke his hand, he absolutely smoked UNB's captain with an inadvertent point shot on the power play. Fortunately Kyle Bailey wasn't injured and came back (with huge bruise probably).
For me, Denny so far is a big success story. He grew up on an Indian reserve in Nova Scotia. You may have noticed few native kids make the NHL. They grow up amidst tons of tough socioeconomic issues. High youth unemployment, lack of role models, substance abuse, etc. Not enough make it through high school to university. Cultural issues ("homesickness") is one big reason why so many aboriginal kids leave junior teams or even university. Many around the AUS conference thought Denny "wouldn't last", wouldn't be able to "stick it out" in school. And he just quietly keeps proving them wrong. (Sorry, getting all preachy there, back to hockey ...)
As for former MaineIACS, Antoine Houde-Caron was a rock for UNB last year as a rookie. Not a big point guy, but the most consistent rookie, shift after shift. Tireless.
I'll be in Orono on Sunday, as well at UNB's game against BC on Saturday.