Maine Mariners

CHRDANHUTCH

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Mar 4, 2002
35,232
4,218
Auburn, Maine
Welcome to the ECHL. Any thoughts from Maine as to how their inaugural ECHL game went, and did the quality of play meet an old AHL market's approval?
ever checked the facebook page, the team has..... there was absolutely no buzz about the franchise after Beacon was introduced, no media even knows they exist yet or bothered to cover them even in passing mention, might have a lot to do with Bruins/ALCS/NFL
 
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CHRDANHUTCH

Registered User
Mar 4, 2002
35,232
4,218
Auburn, Maine
terrestrial radio, BF, same with the two previous teams, and no 8 DID NOT mention them either Saturday or Sunday since Travis Lee was at the ALCS, AS was both Sports Directors of the other 2 stations..... MIXLR is online, not Atlantic Coast Communications, the previous rights holder
 

CHRDANHUTCH

Registered User
Mar 4, 2002
35,232
4,218
Auburn, Maine
besides that, the diehard fans who supported Portland the last 4 decades are not entirely behind the new franchise yet, the 'wait and see' APPROACH, after being burned by both franchises having the rug pulled out from underneath them....not once, but twice.....

we may need a statement game a la Moscow Dynamo that cemented the original franchise for everyone to jump back aboard
 

BTV

Registered User
Oct 12, 2005
191
7
Lewiston, Maine
It is difficult to answer the original question without referencing the ALCS or Moscow Dynamo, but I will attempt it:

As a backdrop, I was a Pirates fan for all 23 seasons, with season tickets for the past 18 seasons - so I am certainly accustomed to AHL hockey. I bought our 3 season tickets this season just as I would have for the Pirates, so I have fully embraced the ECHL before having ever actually seen a game. I do know of others who have both done the same thing, and who have held off to get a feel for the product before making a commitment.

After one game, I will admit the play seemed a little more choppy and hectic than I am used to. Some of that may be attributed to being the first game of the season for both teams. Some of that may simply be the step down which the ECHL is. As for the feeling of the crowd in general, it was nice to see the building full again. It is disappointing to come out with a 6-3 loss in front of so many eyes, however I'm hoping people enjoyed the game and entertainment value nonetheless. I don't think the casual fan will notice any difference between the leagues, but the team has been very up front with what the ECHL is and is selling it as such.
 

incidental otter

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May 27, 2015
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M's won their first game at home yesterday against the Newfies. Strong game in net from Lacouvee, and a couple goals from Alex Kile.
 

wildcat48

Registered User
Jul 16, 2005
4,273
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Portland, Maine
I pretty much concur with that BTV has said.... I'm a season ticket holder as well, and I've really enjoyed the games. I do not believe the average fan will notice a difference in play. The biggest thing that I've noticed is not so much talent level, but players do not communicate with each other on the ice as much as they did in the AHL or NHL. Also, there is more of an individualistic flair for the game versus playing a system. The games have been action packed and very entertaining. They are still working through the bug of the off-ice stuff like graphics, pregame and intermission but its a completely new staff. No holdovers from the Pirates I expected they have a few growing pains. As for the radio feed, I'm perfectly happy with the games being online. I can listen from my car via the online app or if I'm home I can listen on the computer. It's not a deal breaker for me. Glad to see they got their first win. Looking forward to their next home game.
 
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CHRDANHUTCH

Registered User
Mar 4, 2002
35,232
4,218
Auburn, Maine
for those wondering the Pirates division/cup banners are in the Hall of Fame room, from what has been posted on the team's page, also THE ONLY BANNERS in the main arena are the original ones the Pirates rehung in 1993.... no retired banners from the original team nor the 50 WHICH WAS IN MEMORY of Ebright, not sure if the general public has access to that section of the arena, but that's where the previous banners went to...

and yes, the 1993 Pirates cup banner is hung in the main arena, all others were subleted to the Hall of Fame room
 
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wildcat48

Registered User
Jul 16, 2005
4,273
300
Portland, Maine
There is a banner of the Pirates Calder Cup, but its not the original banner. Godfrey Wood has the banner in his home. All four Calder Cup banners hanging in the arena are replicas. The small banners hanging in the HoF club are also replicas. The only actually banner that remains from the Pirates is the one currently hanging in the HoF club.
 
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incidental otter

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May 27, 2015
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Mariners lost in Portland last night in a shoot-out, after tying the game up late in the 3rd. Of the new guys, St. Amant was very involved, and Verbeek showed good speed and hands. It will be interesting to see whether Halverson or Nell can raise their level of play, otherwise this team will have trouble stringing together wins,.
 
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wildcat48

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Jul 16, 2005
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Portland, Maine
Mariners lost in Portland last night in a shoot-out, after tying the game up late in the 3rd. Of the new guys, St. Amant was very involved, and Verbeek showed good speed and hands. It will be interesting to see whether Halverson or Nell can raise their level of play, otherwise this team will have trouble stringing together wins,.

I agree on the goaltending situation.... I wasn't a fan of either Halverson or Nell, and they haven't proved me wrong. LaCouvee was always the better goalie, imo. I felt the team needed 10-to-15 games to gel before they could really be judged. That's still true. I like the talent level. I like the work ethic, but goaltending is a major weakness.
 

wildcat48

Registered User
Jul 16, 2005
4,273
300
Portland, Maine
Mariners made several transactions on Monday, starting with defenseman Alex Adams being place on waivers to be released. Garett Cecere was placed on reserve, Riley Bourbonnais was put on IR and the Wolf Pack assigned defenseman Sean Day to Maine.
Day appeared in six games with the Wolf Pack, going scoreless. Day won the 2017 Memorial Cup as a member of the Windsor Spitfires.
 
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ForsbergForever

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May 19, 2004
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Mariners made several transactions on Monday, starting with defenseman Alex Adams being place on waivers to be released. Garett Cecere was placed on reserve, Riley Bourbonnais was put on IR and the Wolf Pack assigned defenseman Sean Day to Maine.
Day appeared in six games with the Wolf Pack, going scoreless. Day won the 2017 Memorial Cup as a member of the Windsor Spitfires.

Damn that really sucks for Sean Day, from being granted Exceptional Player status in the OHL to ECHLer...
 

CrazyEddie20

Hey RuZZia - Cut Your Losses and Go Home.
Jun 26, 2007
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Back of a cop car
Damn that really sucks for Sean Day, from being granted Exceptional Player status in the OHL to ECHLer...

If anything, it's surprising this doesn't happen more often. It's pretty hard to project how a 15 year old is going to play against 19 year olds, much less how he's going to play as a 20 year old playing against grown men...
 

incidental otter

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May 27, 2015
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With Danny Briere in town for a visit, the M's looked strong against the Royals last night, and climbed a point in the standings as a result of the win.

Goaltending seems to have stabilized with the return of LaCouvee, and Halverson beginning to play up to expectations. Though the M's kept most shots last night to the outside, his composure and angles were good, and Halverson made one spectacular save in the 1st.

Offense is helped by the return of Kile, and McNicholas has been a pleasant surprise. The core defense has been together all year, and are playing much better as a unit.

Small crowd last night, so good to see the die-hards out supporting the team.
 
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UnofficialTGnome

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Apr 11, 2018
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Probably wrong place for this, but here goes, is there a Mariners fan on here that was at the Nov. 25th game who would be willing to part with their Moose giveaway hat? Willing to trade for a Royals hat or reasonable $
 

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