Yes, please ask! Looks like Santos won't make the Toledo playoff roster so GR called him up. And Heeter up... Wonder if it's because Pasq has struggled recently?
In the 21 seasons that the Griffins booster club have had these player award dinners, I never got to sit with a goalie, until tonight and it was no other than Cal Heeter. Also had Matthew Ford and sitting next to me was the wrecking ball kid himself D-man Joe Hicketts. Great time. Heeter was just as shocked to be called up to GR. He was suppose to have some dental work today but when he went to the place, the dentist did not show up today. Coach Nelson brought Heeter up to have 3 goaltenders for this week. No injury to Coreau or Pasquale.
Coach Nelson also said that Shine had to finish up some schooling this week, so that was the reason he was dropped off the ATO, but Nellie also told me that Shine will be back on the team for the last regular season game in Milwaukee. If there is nothing to play for in the last game, he plans on playing the kids in that game.
Matt Lorito (who was on his way back from Detroit and was not in attendance in our dinner) won our offensive player of the year and MVP award. Svechnikov was voted the Unsung Hero award. He was funny when he gave his speech. I was warning Hicketts to be prepared to follow up on Svech speech as Hicketts won the last 2 awards as our best defenseman & Mr. Hustle awards.
Took me 45 minutes to get home as torrential rains hit GR and the road near where the dinner took place, was flooded out, so most of us had to turn around and go the long way back home. Tornado warnings were out for a short time and Coach Nelson said, "Just like it was in Oklahoma City."
Hicketts showed me the play from last night game in Cleveland when a Monsters player cross-checked him to where it broke his stick and Hicketts came back with a BC two hander slash in the back of his leg. The two got together and wrestled a bit before the linesman got them separated. Real down to earth person and he is short. Axel Holmstrom looks almost like Riley Sheahan in person.
Bertuzzi will be back for the Griffins on Friday, Tangradi should be back for Wednesday game. Frk was being checked out by doctors as he was not at our dinner tonight and he will be out for the 3 remaining regular season games, but should be back in time for the start of the playoffs.