The Calgary Roughnecks

By Ted Montour

The center of Canada's oil-patch, Calgary, Alberta is probably best known to people in the United States as the home of the Calgary Stampede, "the biggest outdoor party in the world", and, outside of the World Finals, the largest and richest rodeo in North America.

    


Hockey fans will know that the NHL's Atlanta Flames were transplanted to Calgary, where they won the Stanley Cup in 1989. Canadian football fans are familiar with the Calgary Stampeders, and sports fans everywhere will remember that the city hosted the Winter Olympics in 1988. Last March 28, NLL Commissioner Jim Jennings was at the Saddledome in Calgary to award an expansion franchise to an ownership group headed by Brad Banister and Head Coach and General Manager Kevin Melnyk.



Veteran goaltender Derek "D-Rock" Collins was the first major acquisition for Calgary, in trade with the Buffalo Bandits. Like the Vancouver Ravens, a key part of Calgary's pre-season planning was the acquisition of proven home-grown talent. New York Saints veteran Jason Wulder was the first to return (via trade) to "wild rose country". Another Saint, Sherwood Park, Alberta's Ben Prepchuk (along with B.C. native Ryan Campbell) cost the Roughnecks their first-overall entry draft selection. Victoria, B.C.'s Chris Panos came from the NLL champion Wings for an expansion-draft choice.



D'Arcy Berthiaume (Albany Attack), also from Victoria, would be the most prominent expansion-draft acquisition to make the roster. With the second selection overall in the entry draft, the Roughnecks claimed Sherwood Park's Blaine Manning, a former Radford University middie. 'Tender Matt King and transition man Shawn Cable were both taken in the second round from the BCLA Victoria Shamrocks junior club.


A week and a half after the expansion draft, the Roughnecks made the startling announcement that Kevin Melnyk was leaving. It was officially described as an amicable parting. Amicable or otherwise, fired is still fired, and Banister announced that he would take over as General Manager, and that former Team Canada and Victoria Sr. Shamrocks head coach Chris Hall would be behind the bench.

     
Kaleb Toth

Yet another bomb would drop just days later, when the club announced that prize draft pick Manning was traded to the Toronto Rock for Kaleb Toth. The 2000 Champion's Cup hero, whose family is synonymous with lacrosse in Alberta, had been coveted by the 'necks since the Commissioner's franchise-awarding press conference.


"D-Rock" brings seven seasons of MILL / NLL experience with five different teams (Rochester, Baltimore, Syracuse, Ottawa, Buffalo) to the starting goaltender's position for the Roughnecks. His record includes a 12.70 GAA in 42 games, most recently with the Rebel and the Bandits last year; the Toronto native went to Buffalo in the trade that sent Matt Disher to Ottawa. Back-up Matt King still has a year of Junior lacrosse left with the BCLA Victoria Shamrocks, where he appeared in 13 games this past season, compiling a GAA of 7.42 while sharing the keeper's duties with Rock rookie "J" Preece.


The Saddle Dome


Captain Bruce Alexander, an original Syracuse Smash draft choice who plays for Hall in Victoria, had 14 goals and 22 assists with the Ottawa Rebel last season, and will be depended upon for defence, transition ball control, and power play production as he enters his 4th NLL season. Ex-Saints Scott Frizzel and Assistant Captain Ryan Campbell, along with Saskatchewan native and former Team Canada defender Bryan Kopec, will share responsibility for keeping opposing shooters away from Collins.


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Former Albany forward D'Arcy Berthiaume, taken in the third round of the expansion draft, heads a list of five Transition players, along with Alberta rookies Adam Bysouth, a '99 Rock entry-draft pick, and Darren Hillier.

The Roughnecks' offence has a combined 19 years of MILL / NLL experience, led by Jason Wulder and Chris Panos. Former Rock-er Toth will no doubt get a boisterous welcome home from Saddledome fans, as will Assistant Captain Ben Prepchuk. Jamie Bryde (younger brother of the Saints' Kris) is a WLA veteran with scoring touch, who was also a '99 Rock draft selection.


     

With one less time zone to cross than Northern Division rivals, the Ravens, and five of their first eight games in the East (including two week-end doubleheaders), the Roughnecks may well find themselves jetlagged and road-ravaged by the half-way point of the season. They then have three straight home dates, and close out the schedule with a home-and-home series against Vancouver.

All told, they face six games against play-off contenders, including the Saints, Knighthawks, Rock (twice), Bandits and Power. Although they have eleven players with MILL / NLL experience, and a head coach who has experience in assembling a team in a short time-frame, the best that the Roughnecks can probably expect is to keep pace with, or possibly lead, their expansion brethren in their first NLL season.






The 2002 Calgary Roughnecks Web Site!



11/26/01

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