Daily Poll

Which player did the Journeyman NOT play with

Becoming the Journeyman

Great Cause

I'm curled up in bed right now icing down my "hammies" after finishing my 1st marathon (ok half marathon..alright it was 5K - but there were a lot of hills!!). It was the Komen Race for the Cure http://www.komen.org/. If you are ever feeling sorry for yourself please attend/participate/volunteer at one of these events and you will come away Energized and Inspired. Needless to say there is no PBR today. However, tomorrow is a new day!!

Becoming The Journeyman

This is a common tale among my fellow journeyman. You come to training camp as a 20-22 year old (depending if you played junior or college - for me it was the IVY League of the Midwest - Bowling Green). You are not even thinking of making the team. All you want to do is make a good impression and try to get into an exhibition game. That's it. Although, if you are a 1st rounder, things may be a little different.......but, remember, this is a story about journeyman...try to keep up! My 1st training camp was with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks (mighty in name only at that time).

First up - Physicals: I report to the doctors office to check in. "Sean Pronger reporting for my physical" I said. The women says "I'm sorry we don't have you're name anywhere." Excuse me....This can't be good. So, I ask her to check again. I don't have a "Sean Pronger" but I do have a "Chris Pronger" she says. You've got to be kidding!!!!...obviously this is not the 1st time this has happened to me but COME ON!!! Fortunately, there were only 20 players that heard that. I'm sure that won't come up again FOR THE REST OF MY CAREER!! Sidebar: I've had referees, linesman, coaches, players, teammates, opposing players, fans, media, doctors, trainers, strangers, parents (just kidding!) call me Chris...Do you think one time PAYROLL or ACCOUNTING could make that mistake!!!

Up next: Welcome Dinner - this is the time when management and coaches tell you that they want a competitive training camp and no one's job is safe. "If you want a spot on this team you are going to have to battle for it!!!" You believe every word (unless you are a veteran journeyman - you know better). As the dinner is about to end the coach says to "check the board in the lobby to see which ice session you are on tomorrow". On the board you'll find "The List". All journeyman know and fear "the list". The list shows which players are on Team A or B. As you make your way over to "The List" you start to get butterflies in your stomach. Is it better to be on Team A or B? Or does it matter? You want to run over to see it ....but you don't....you kinda lolly gag over and act like "the list" is of no consequence to you.....What?!? a list?? what list?? ..... As you scan over Team A you don't see your name. You immediately look at Team B. There it is. You are on the 3rd line on Team B. Thank goodnes.....they didn't forget me. Now, you check out to see who is on Team A. NHLer, NHLer, NHLer, NHLer, NHLer, NHLer, NHLer, 1st rounder, etc...you get the picture. You immediately look up and down Team B. AHLer, AHLer, AHLer, ECHLer, Tryout, etc........ As a 1st timer you are ok with this....."I'm young, I'll be on Team A in no time" If this is training camp # 3 or #4 "the list" can be devastating.....

My 1st camp with Anaheim was fairly uneventful. I played 1 exhibition game vs. The Rangers. I remember being on cloud nine. A mere 9 months earlier I was playing in the ECHL...... now I'm running into Adam Graves....I think I actually said sorry to him - how could I not..the "Kid Line" was awesome when the Oil won the Stanley Cup in 1990. The next day I got "the tap" to go see the coach. "Sean, you had a great camp but....blah, blah, blah, go down to the minors blah blah, work hard blah blah, and you'll be back in no time blah blah BLAH!" You bite it hook, line, and sinker. You don't know any better. It's standard operating procedure for the coach to get you in and out of the office as quickly as possible so there is no confrontation....They try to make you feel good about yourself, about your training camp, and about your future within the organization all the while politely kicking you in the ass to Providence/Baltimore/Syracuse/etc so they can bring in the next victim and tell them they had a good camp, blah blah etc..... The 1st time it doesn't hurt because you knew this was going to happen....Hey, you just played against the NYR...life is good.....I'll go down to the minors, play hard, and be back in no time!! I'm young, this is my 1st camp....wait until next year!!!.....However, things change as you get older...when you get "the tap" you strut into the coaches office and say "spare me the song and dance....what time's my flight?"

Journeyman OUT!

The Journeyman Loves Waivers

My apologies for the delayed blog......I got sent down to the minors and was writing on Bobby Ryan's blog for the last week......OUCH! Unprovoked attack....yes! Uncalled for! ...yes! Can you find it in your hearts to forgive me?......Whatever!! Enjoy!!

The Waiver Wire

What a great concept. The team announces to the world "CAN SOMEONE TAKE THIS SH$TBUM OFF OUR ROSTER PLEASE!!!" .... I'm sorry... I have to ask: "How do you feel about yourself now!!" The team you just battled to make, just told you "Thanks for your time, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!"

THIS is an awkward feeling........walking around the dressing room and everyone knows (its not a secret).....some of the regulars have been through it before...I like those guys....they'll come up to you and recall their time on waivers...As a journeyman, you hang on to these stories...this is your motivation......If this guy can look into the abyss and come back, I can too! As you go through your journey (he he) history repeats itself....As it turns out I've looked into the abyss and come out the other side

In Columbus, yes I played there too, I was put on waivers at least 3 times (it may have been four)... I remember in training camp, Doug Maclean pulled me aside and told me he did not protect me in the waiver draft BUT he wasn't sure what he was going to do....he just wanted the ability to send me to my DEATH in the minors........"AWESOME Mr Maclean, I'm glad you have your options open!"..........As a journeyman, you can appreciate the honesty, it sucks at the time, and if its your first time on waivers........it REALLY SUCKS....but if you are a veteran journeyman you look him in the eye and thank him. The only thing worse than having him tell you you're on waivers is not telling you.......That's fun....Having your teammates come up to you and say sorry man! "For what?" you ask........Oh how they love to scoop you.....YOU'RE ON WAIVERS.....THEY DON'T WANT YOU HERE!....Good Stuff! I can still remember darting around the dressing room after I cleared waivers......maybe if they don't see me they can't send me down....If they need to......they'll find you......they always do...Back to my Columbus story (was it Columbus? or was it Boston...or Pittsburgh?......I don't just make up the Journeyman.....I've lived it!!!) and this might be a good one for all you future journeymen out there (Word to the wise...Get an education before you embark on your Journey) ..3 times I was on waivers...... I didn't get sent down once!......Sometimes you can dodge bullets!!.......I just realized... I'm awesome!!

Excuse me while I turn down Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days".....let's discuss the present....

And now......The Inaugural Journeyman Star of the Week ...........Can you please raise your PBR's in the air and give a toast to Nathan McIver..... He was put on waivers by Vancouver, picked up by Anaheim, and played his 1st preseason game against the team that DIDN'T WANT HIM ANYMORE....What happened you ask? Great question....not much....came out of the penalty box to score the OT winner against his former team.......AHHHH SWEET JUSTICE.....This story would be alot better if it was a playoff game or regular season but we'll take 'em any way we can get 'em!! Nice work Nathan!!

Journeyman

The Beginning of the Journeyman

Saturday, 04 April 2009 05:37

Here I sit in my office/library/bedroom, drinking a PBR, 5 years removed from my last NHL training camp thinking about how much I don't miss this time of the year. Of all the hockey season this is the one I disliked the most. I'll get into it later.

Lets get a few things clear before I begin......I'm not a journalist (I'll leave that to Broph - my 6 yr old will be my editor), I'm not a reporter (I'll leave that to Murph - although cheerleader might be a better handle...Go Nucks Go....right Dan!!!), I'm not an analyst (although I like to think I could be), and I'm not a commentator (slurred speech...tough break). I'm an ex ECHLer, IHLer, AHLer, DELer (Germany) and NHLer.

The exact number of teams is blurry but I think its around 16 in 11 years. I'm was the K-nish of pro hockey..."just grinding out the rent money" You can call me "a suitcase", " a depth player", "a role player", "a bubble guy", "a healthy scratch" (When I played for the Rangers, Esa Tikanen and I were scratched from a game in Colorado and we were making our way up to the nosebleed section when a group of about 25 fans starting chanting "HEALTHY SCRATCH!!, HEALTHY SCRATCH!!"....I've always hated Avs fans). My personal favorite and the only one I'll answer to is "Journeyman"

Chris asked me to post something on his website and told me to write about whatever I wanted. I had complete creative control. Yeah right!! He then told me to email him the blog and he'd post it. "No changes" he promised......we'll see.

As I read through his blog before training camp I couldn't help but laugh about how different his training camp experiences are compared with mine (and many others). This might be a great place to start for my first blog. What is training camp like for those players that still have the dream to play regularly in the NHL but are on the lower end of the depth chart every training camp?

In order to appreciate what these guys go through you need to put yourself in their shoes. Picture it: You are 27 years old. You were drafted but not high. You had solid minor league numbers but not spectacular. You've been a professional hockey player for 6-7 yrs and you've played 10-30 games in the NHL. A decent pro career. But, you still have the dream of being a regular and not a spare part. Your goal this year is to be around when training camp ends and play in the 1st game of the regular season. Thats your long term goal. Your short term goal is to go into the locker room the each day and still have your equipment hanging up. You may have been fortunate to sign a contract in the early part of the summer so you knew where to book your flight for training camp. More than likely you signed later in the summer and spent most of your time off stressing out where (or if) you were attending camp. You've worked your tail off and you are in the best shape of your life. You talked to your agent and he told you there is 1-2 spots on the team up for grabs. "So you're saying there's a chance!!" You are just getting ready to head to camp and you check the hockey transactions and find out the team just signed another NHLer (1 spot left). And here is the kicker.....competing for that 1 spot (most of the time its 0 spots - but you have to think there is one available) are all the guys you played with in the minors last year. The guys you went to war with, the guys you rode 12 hour bus rides with, the guys you shared beer with on those rides , the guys you kept in touch with all summer to see if they heard anything new about the team "did anyone get traded? hurt? suspended? retire?, rehab?" You get to do battle with them for the last spot on the team. What's even better is when you get right to the end of training camp and all the vets are in their homes with their families and there is still one spot open and you are one of the last 2 guys left.......guess who your roommate is in the hotel?

I will say this....if you can hang around long enough sometimes you can be in the right place at the right time. Ex. I was at Columbus' camp and managed to dodge a few bullets. I think there was only 2 of us left....me and a young draft pick who needed to sign a contract in the next day or he had to go back to junior. Guess what...he didn't sign....he asked for too much.....went back to junior and yours truly was in the opening night lineup. An example of how things can go the other way: I was in Pittsburgh and camp was pretty much over and the team was taking shape. It looked as if I had solidified a spot in the lineup. I walk in one morning to find out we had picked up 2 forwards off of waivers....Houston Aeros here I come!! What can you do!!

To get back on point, when I was reading Chris' blog and he was talking about "going to camp to get your timing back" I had to chuckle.......the journeyman would be getting his timing back in Iowa - depth guys have to hit the ground running or it will be a short camp for us. I was a healthy scratch in an intersquad game at a Boston Bruin training camp.......how's that for your confidence?

I'm going to stop right there......I just ran out of PBR and the creative juices just aren't flowing anymoe.

This is officially the most I've typed since I had someone type an essay for me in summer school at University (Mr. Schoop.. You're in this class too?).

Ideally I'd like to post a blog weekly on various topics that are timely, however, it may be more like monthly. If someone has any questions or a topic for discussion send it in with Attention: Journeyman and I'll do my best to discuss before the season is finished. Just so you know I will not name names (unless compensated)

Thanks for your patience

The Journeyman

Trade Deadline For Beginners

Saturday, 04 April 2009 05:33

Hi Ho Hockey fans. As I’m sure you can imagine this is MY time of year. This is where all of us journeyman have a bag packed by the back door much like a family expecting the arrival of their 1st child. From here on out every time the phone rings your heart skips a beat. Thank goodness for caller ID. I didn’t know which story to share so I thought I’d start at the beginning………My 1st Deadline Deal….

Allow me to set this one up:

It’s my first full season in the National Hockey League. I’ve had a few ups and downs to say the least: I was a holdout in Training Camp - against my will (more on that another time), had my best preseason ever (with only 1 day of practice I might add), started the season on the 2nd line (talk about fooling them), was a healthy scratch for the 1st time in the NHL (a role I would become VERY familiar with – but I think we covered that), had a minor 33 game goal scoring draught (but who’s counting?), worked my way on to one the top 2 lines (I was actually on a line with Teemu Selanne – I’m sure he remembers those days with fondness! I think that was the year he scored 76 goals…….or maybe not), and was playing the best hockey of my life as we approached the trade deadline. I finally felt like I belonged….

Fast Forward: It’s March of ‘98, we (Ducks) are way out of the playoffs. We have a few veterans and unrestricted free agents who will probably be traded for prospects or draft picks. I’m 25 and just coming into my own. Getting traded is the furthest thing from my mind (in the years to come you could find me in the fetal position sucking my thumb every March). In fact, my roommate, Scott Young, is going to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. He figures he’s getting dealt for sure…so do I.

We are in Chicago and its deadline day. Deadline day is always exciting because its fun to see all the deals go down. Players love to see who went where, which teams got better, which ones got worse, which guys went to a contender, and which went to the Islanders, which GM has lost his mind (and there’s usually a few), and what new guys you have coming to your team. I believe the deadline was 3pm EST. Scotty and I were in our room waiting for the phone to ring to see where he got traded. At 3:30 we high five each other!! The deadline has passed and he didn’t get dealt. I was happy for him. I decided to go hit the gym down the street and get in a quick executive workout before dinner. As I’m about to walk in to my Jazzercize class there was an announcement over the PA “Would Sean Pronger please report to the front desk”. What the @#$%! Who could possibly want me? No one knows I’m here. Maybe I left my headband and mouth guard at the front. “Hi, I’m Sean Pronger….did I forget something?” No sir, you have a message to call your roommate. Oh boy….Younger got traded! I called Scotty to see where he went. “Scotty, where did you go?” “Nowhere! Pierre called; he wants you to call him” “Pierre? Our coach? Why does he want to talk to me” (so naïve the first time). Then it hit me….I’VE BEEN TRADED!!!....holy #@$%!!! I called Pierre and he asks “Have you spoken with Jack (Ferreira)?” “No I haven’t” OBVIOUSLY!!!! “You had better call him” “Why?” I said. I wanted to hear it from him…..”Please call him” he said….Can you believe that? Not even the courtesy to tell me……Just so you know, and I don’t want to name names, but the coach’s initials were Pierre Page. I called Jack. “Alright, where am I going?” “Pittsburgh” he said. For Patrick Lalime……A GOALIE!! Son of a…….!

Just like that, my career with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks was over. I remember sharing a cab to the airport with Warren Rychel (one of the all time characters in the NHL who just got traded back to Colorado) and him saying “I can’t believe you got traded”…Neither can I. I remember thinking to myself as I was boarding my flight “things happen for a reason…..maybe Pittsburgh is where I belong”……. HA

Journeyman OUT!

The Journey Part II

I think we left off last time with some plumbing issues in the ol'farm house in Tennesse. Lets join the train wreck back in December.... I'm laying in my bed with the heater cranked reading the Wall Street Journal (or was it an Archie comic) and I gaze out the door to see, in the darkness of our living room, the Christmas tree we had just decorated. The way the lights shimmer off the silver, red, and blue Bud Light cans covering it.........MAGNIFICANT!! As I'm staring at our tree with a stupid smirk on my face, the phone rings. Its my agent (In order to protect his identity we will call him Jerry) I'm sure he's calling to collect his 3% of $500.....Nope.

Jerry informs me there is an NHL team that wants to sign me when the lockout ends. As I pull myself off the floor I say to him "Sorry, I thought you said an NHL team?" He says "yeah". "Which team?" I ask. "I can't tell you until after the lockout is over" Ohhh, okay, I get it. You want to mess with me. Alright, I can take it. "WHICH #$%ING TEAM IS IT!!!!!!"... "Honestly, I can't tell you. Its in your best interest if you don't know. But know this, when the lockout ends you'll be signing your first NHL contract!!" .......Any guesses as to my next question?? Considering I had no heat or indoor plumbing in my luxurious farmhouse in Deliverence Tennessee, I think it went a little something like this...and very calmly I might add...."WHEN IS THE LOCKOUT GOING TO BE OVER!!!!!"... "Sean, I don't know"....Thanks Jerry....thanks for nothing....So I guess that puts me right back in Tennesse with no cable, no heat, but finally some indoor plumbing. I know just who to call!! Parents? No. Girlfriend? No. "Hey Chris, how's it going? What have you been up to? How's the weather in Hartford? Blah, Blah, Blah....WHEN ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO TAKE THE DEAL SO I CAN GET THE $%&! OUT OF HERE!!"

I think now is a good time to pause and recap what has happened over the last couple of months:

Released by the Vancouver Canucks

Head faked by the Detroit Red Wings

NHL Lockout

Ate a nice "thanks for coming" burger from the Las Vegas Thunder

Almost moved to England

Settled in a State-of the Art Farmhouse in Tennesse

Was informed I'll be released from prison but they can't find the paperwork

Have I mentioned its only December?? Did anyone see a sign post??

Alright, I know what you're thinking....poor baby....you want some cheese with that box of wine?? Whatever!! Back to our regularly scheduled program:

After I guilted my 20 yr old brother into taking on the players union on my behalf I called my parents and the future mrs. journeyman to give them the update. Obviously they were thrilled. They all did time at "The Farmhouse" so they were somewhat relieved to hear there may be some light at the end of this tunnel....although, looking back I should have known it was a train!

So here's the situation: I'm playing for the Knoxville Cherokees, and playing pretty well I might add. I have been chosen to play in the All star game...which is good .I've been told I will sign with an NHL team if or when the lockout ends....which is also good. We have some positive things happening.....good stuff. I want you to put yourself in my shoes. You've just been told you'll be moving 1 step closer to your dream. How would you approach the games? Do you go 100% still? Knowing that if you get hurt you may miss your window...AGAIN!! Or do you let up....maybe you're not the 1st one in the corner......maybe you decide not to lay down and block that shot...Do you pace yourself? What if the team that wants to sign you is still watching? I hate to admit it but these thoughts ran through my head before games.

The funny thing was that once the game started I didn't think about anything else. I just played. That was probably the only time my mind didn't play tricks on me......when I was on the ice. Off the ice, I was what you might call ......a little on edge.

Next Blog: Act I Scene III