Guest Spot on the Power Play Post Show; Article About the Marlies

I’ve mentioned the Power Play Post show before but not as often as I should since as far as I know it’s the only in depth radio show/podcast in the world with in depth discussion of the American Hockey League.  The show is based out of Binghamton but is focused on the entire league, not discussion about Binghamton first and then everyone else.  The show typically starts with the hosts Bob Howard and Jason Wilcox discussing what has happened over the previous week followed by Bob interviewing a few guests.  For the 11th episode of their 8th season I was a guest on the air to talk about the Amerks along with forward Ryan Keller of the Oklahoma City Barons and Mike Kelley who is the play by play broadcaster for the Springfield Falcons.

If you’d like to take a listen head on over to http://pppshow.net to download or stream the recent episode!  I’m more of a writer than talker (at least I think I am – I never listen to myself) so if you listen let me know how I did even if I was horrible.  I can’t be too bad if Bob keeps having me back as a guest.

You can follow Bob Howard on Twitter @PPPShow.

As for the Toronto Marlies, they haven’t been that great in recent years but seem to have turned the corner thanks to the rebuilding process by Brian Burke.  The Hamilton Spectator wrote an article that discusses the turn around of the team:

Once he finished venting his frustration with his team’s 6-3 loss Monday, Marlies coach Dallas Eakins praised Burke for his commitment to the AHL team, agreeing it is starting to pay dividends at the box office (they outdraw the Bulldogs by a couple of hundred per game), but more in the public consciousness.

“I think the city finally sees the future,” says Eakins, who’s been in the organization for seven years. “We’ve got some older prospects and some younger ones. And I think, with just a couple of tweaks, we could go very deep in the playoffs.

“Before, the organization was always after players who could help right away and traded draft choices and young prospects. When that happens over a number of years, the system is drained. Brian has really replenished it.”

In hockey circles, the smart guys are generally more impressed with the Leafs’ systemic depth than with the quality of the big club, which is vastly improved but still very much a work in progress.

That depth allows for a productive conduit between the Marlies and Leafs and back again, that was always anticipated but never actuated. Finally, the Leafs don’t really miss a beat when they have to use a Marlie and the Marlies aren’t too damaged when one of their players is called up for a while. And the experience the minor leaguers get in the NHL helps the Marlies when they return.

hmmm… all sounds similar to the Sabres/Amerks situation.  Read the rest of it here: “Marlies Starting to Pay Dividends for Leafs