The Dog Days of December

We're right in the middle of it....the darkest part of the year, the busiest part of the year, and the part of the 2008-2009 AHL season that the Marlies players must dread the most...DECEMBER!

The Marlies play 14 games in the 31 day month, with 8 of them on the road. There are 3 back-to-back-to-back weekends, and with call-ups to the Leafs, it is no wonder that we're .500 this month so far. As a fan who joined them at the start of the month on the road and have attended every home game (save one) this month, I'm exhausted so I can only imagine how they must feel!


All of that being said, there have been some real bright spots that shouldn't go unnoticed.


1. Marlies players who have been called up to the Leafs have played well and have made an immediate impact. Whether it is Sifer's energy, William's points, or just the fact that even though the Marlies cupboards have been called "bare", we've managed to juggle the roster through call-ups, PTOs, and letting those players who have not been at the forefront to step up to the plate and stay at .500 for the season.


2. The players have gave it their all to keep us in the game and in all three losses we managed to outshoot our opponents. So even though we haven't won all of the games we've played, we're at least going hard to the net and the challenge now is to start burying the puck behind the goal line. That I hope will be a new year's resolution for all of the players!


3. Fans are getting into the game. I've seen the crowds grow around the players as they play sewerball pre-game, people have been seeking player autographs, the rumour mills are working overtime over who will stay up or be called up to the Leafs and interest is growing in the Marlies.

On Wednesday night (December 17th) the Marlies play their last home game before the holidays. It will be a sad night at the 60th minute because in all the hustle bustle of the holiday season, the players will be away from their families and friends on the 19th, 20th, and 21st. Help be a bright spot for the team by going to the game (call 416-597-PUCK for tickets).


If I could ask Santa for just one thing, it would be for a few lucky breaks for the boys as they finish off the first half of the season and gear up for the home stretch.

You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.

On the Road...

December 5, 2008
I had the good fortune last weekend to follow the team to Syracuse and Cleveland to watch the Marlies play on the road with one of my fellow DDP members last weekend and get a sense of what it is like for the boys to travel between cities.

On Friday, we hopped in the car from Toronto and headed down the QEW and the interstate system to Syracuse to watch the Marlies play the Crunch.

In Syracuse, the boys lost 5-1 but not without some great play by the team. We don’t know what happened to Kyle Rogers, but he definitely has kicked it up a notch or 2! Dan LaCosta was just a hot goalie on a real streak and only Staffan Kronwall was able to put one past the line. Our real problem in Syracuse was keeping the puck out of our net (and getting it past theirs!). Toronto was only able to put one past the line with 43 shots, while 5 went in on our end on 27 shots. The Veteran’s Memorial definitely is a great venue with a hardcore fan base (who chose this game over the Orangemen!).

What struck me most during my trip to Syracuse was the passion that the Crunch fans had for the team. There were 5588 people in attendance (2 of them Marlies fans!) and the fans cheered their hearts out for the whole game. Last week, I spoke about the importance of the names on the backs of our jerseys and fans and players rallying around the team colours because we are part of a great hockey tradition. All one needs to do is look at what the Montreal Canadiens are doing this year to see the importance of tradition and why the jersey matters. Although the Crunch have been around for just 8 years, you can see that they genuinely care about the franchise. We were told by one fan that the organization is threatening to move the team if they do not install a new scoreboard, but I think that would be detrimental to the Crunch since the fans and the historic venue seem to be as much a part of the team as do the players.

The next day, we hopped in the car for the 5-hour trip from Syracuse, NY to Cleveland, OH to watch the second game in as many nights.

Lake Erie was definitely their best game of the road trip. With 3 penalties (1 Toronto, 2 Monsters) just 17 seconds into the game, it was definitely a raucous one! We really enjoyed Ondrus kicking the snot out of Durno 4 seconds in! It was a close game (3-2) but we just couldn’t pull out a W, despite great efforts by the boys.

The Monsters play in the cavernous Quicken Loans Arena. Home to the NBA’s Cavaliers and the Gladiators arena football franchises, it doesn’t have the same feel as a smaller venue and the fans aren’t nearly as vocal. What is impressive about the Monsters is their entrance at the start of the game. The Q Arena darkens, the “Monster” comes out, and they tell you the story of the Monsters. You can tell that the team has put great efforts into polishing their presentation!

Our road-trip weekend concluded on Sunday when we headed down the street to Cleveland Browns Stadium for the game vs. the Colts. It was rainy, cold (the only thing cooler than the temperature were our chicken wings) but it definately was a great day for football. We sat in row 2 of the Dawg Pound (Cleveland is home the original Dawg Pound in Cleveland Browns Stadium) and you definitely knew where you were. From the markings on the tickets, the dog masks, the barking, and the players coming up to the wall to pump up the fans. The Browns lost 10-6 and the fans were really disappointed, but it was fun just to be there and be part of the experience. It was my first NFL game but it definitely won’t be my last!

After the Browns game, we rushed back to our hotel room to listen to the Marlies game, where we won 4-3 in a shootout. The attendance was 3722 and it was the first time I’ve ever listened to a home game on the radio. Thank heavens for the Fan590!

This weekend will be the second of three, 3 games in 3 nights weekends in a row on the sked for the Marlies. The Duke’s Kids Long-Sleeve T-Shirt Jersey giveaway is on Saturday at the Ricoh vs. the Milwaukee Admirals, which is sandwiched between away games against Grand Rapids (Friday) and Hamilton (Sunday). We’re in the dog days of December and this is going to truly be a make-or-break month for the boys. Call 416-597-PUCK for tickets and come on out and help cheer on the boys back into race for the Pollock and the Calder!

Getting Back to Basics

November 24, 2008

I flew into Toronto from a business trip on Saturday and as the plane circled the city to land at Pearson the Ricoh Coliseum and Air Canada Centre came into view and I knew I was home.

During my trip, I visited Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Museum of Art where a special King Tut exhibit was on. Walking in both venues made me reflect on the history I was seeing before me with awe and the impact both have had on their “worlds” so to speak. Arriving in Toronto and seeing the Marlies Ring of Honour, the kids playing Timbits hockey and seeing Wendel Clark’s banner finally raised to the rafters at the ACC made me realize that for Toronto to remain a hockey city unlike any other, we need to get back to the basics. From the players to the fans, to the front-office, we need to remember why we even put on the blue and white in the first place!

For fans, we need to get back to the days where we cared about who was on the ice wearing the uniform because the name on the backs of the jerseys mattered. We need to be patient, expecting a few not-so-good years in our long-term pursuit for greatness. We need to buy seats to the game and take our place in the bowl and let our presence be felt on the Marlies bench and the ice itself. In short, we need to cheer on our team even if we lose and it was a stinker just as loud as when they score and it’s a total blowout in our favour. Our heroes of the past in Armstrong, Baun, Ellis, Palmateer, and Pulford will need to share the stage with today’s heroes in Ondrus, Pogge, Sifers, Tlusty, and Newbury.

For the team and the bigger organization, they need to continue the path laid down by Cliff Fletcher, with the understanding that for the Leafs to win the Stanley Cup, the Marlies need to win the Calder. There needs to be a culture of winning and that winning matters because when you put on the blue and white, you are part of a winning tradition, whether you be part of the Marlies whose predecessor won a record 7 Memorial Cups, or the Leafs. We need to invest in our players, setting the bar high, and fighting for each win so that we hoist not only the banners of heroes past, but Championship ones as well.

On a few occasions last year I had the good fortune to be the only one in the bowl at the Ricoh and standing there, you can’t help but look at the Ring of Honour and see the history of the Marlboros, the Marlies, and the Leafs. We’re all a big part of hockey history in this city and we need to accept the challenges placed before us to cheer on the boys at every chance we get, and they in return must learn that to wear the blue and white means they are much bigger than an I….they’re a TEAM destined for greatness.

We’re 16 games in and have 64 left. We’ve won our last 3 and we’re finally gelling as a team…..let’s go out and fight for another 64 checks in the “W” column! Look for updates on games 17, 18, and 19 next week!


You can email Chris with comments and questions about the blog, Duke’s Dog Pound Supporters Club, or the Marlies anytime to dukesdogpound@yahoo.ca.