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Posts tagged 'Mike Sgroi'

Posts Tagged ‘Mike Sgroi’

Tuesday Morning Practice and Other News

November 10, 2009 - By

It’s game day in Rochester and the Amerks are on the ice for their morning skate getting warmed up.  It’s an exciting day for one big reason, “the record.”  That’s something that matters to just about everyone but the players and coaches.  That’s something you can believe.

Until it’s been mentioned to the team about the record for longest winning streak they had no idea.  It’s one game at a time.  They’re not satisfied until the game is over and they’ve won.  At that point it’s time to correct mistakes that were made and move on to the next game.  It’s an exciting time to be an Amerks fan.

Tyler Plante finished practice today but will likely sit out tonights game.  Chris Beckford-Tseu will likely be the backup on the bench again.

Alexander Salak has been consistent and is ranked 6th in the AHL of all goaltenders.  I’m holding off on saying he’s been on a “hot streak” because even though he is, the more accurate description I think is consistent.  He’s become a hot topic in the world of goaltenders with his unique style.

The only player not on the ice was Shawn Matthias is [...]Read More

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Trevor Gillies Signs with Bridgeport

October 2, 2009 - By

The Amerks were hit with a surprise left this afternoon when they learned that Trevor Gillies had signed with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  As of this morning they said they were negotiating with Gillies and thought things were going well.  I guess Gillies didn’t see it that way.

Trevor Gillies exchanging words with Kevin Harvey of the Syracuse Crunch

The team had hoped to have a real heavyweight heading into opening night and for the second season in a row that hope has come crashing down at the last minute.  Last year Steve MacIntyre was claimed off of waivers by the Edmonton Oilers just before the deadline.

Jimmy Bonneau was signed to a PTO contract on Friday morning so the team will have someone in the lineup that can patrol the ice and fight.  James DeLory is still with the team as well and he’s hoping to get the chance to prove himself.

It’d be interesting if they called Mike Sgroi back in to give him another look.

Is this disappointing?  Yes.  But it’s not as if the Amerks don’t have any muscle on the team.  Jimmy Bonneau may not be a heavyweight fighter but [...]Read More

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Amerks Trim 12 Players from the Roster

September 28, 2009 - By

With the official closing of training camp after practice on Tuesday morning the Amerks trimmed 12 players on Monday from a roster that started with over 40 players.  The team will probably cut more players on Wednesday after the final preseason game in Syracuse against the Crunch.

Mike Sgroi was one player released from the team that I had hoped would stick around but knew inside he didn’t really stand a chance once Trevor Gillies and Jimmy Bonneau were invited to camp.  Given the real lack of ice time at Sunday nights game it was clear he would be cut.

Here’s the rest of the players released from tryouts with the team:

Mike Sgroi, Stephane Goulet, Les Reaney, Tom Harrison, Nathan O’Nabigon, Tyrel Lucas, Scott Bartlett, Josh McQuade; defensemen Dwayne Zinger, Ryan Stokes, Travis Gawryletz; and goaltender Daryl Borden.

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Preseason Game #2: Amerks vs Crunch at ESL Centre

September 27, 2009 - By

Mike Sgroi and Trevor Gillies

It’s hockey night in Rochester Henrietta!  The Amerks play their first home game tonight at the ESL Centre in Henrietta to take on the Syracuse Crunch.  The two teams will play again against each other in Syracuse on Tuesday night.

These games have a little more meaning in terms of players looking to make the roster.  Syracuse is well known for being a team that likes to fight and the Amerks have a three guys that are willing.  Mike Sgroi, Trevor Gillies, and Jimmy Bonneau will be trying to prove in these games they deserve to earn a contract with the team.

Rory Fitzpatrick was skating with the team this morning but will not be playing.  He’s healthy and ready to go but there’s no need for him to play in a meaningless game.

The game might be meaningless but the players are not.  While watching practice I could overhear kids at the arena for tournaments talking about seeing “these guys in NHL 10.”  One kid said, “I had to play against these guys when I was sent down to the Hershey Bears.”

I have no idea where [...]Read More

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Mike Sgroi is Passionate about Hockey and Fighting

September 27, 2009 - By

When the name Mike Sgroi is brought up in the world of hockey fighters you’ll get responses ranging from a great heavyweight fighter that can skate to someone who is a lunatic, a cancer in the locker room, and a whack job with a highly inflated ego.

Some of things may have been true years ago but not so anymore.

Sgroi is out to prove everyone wrong and earn a roster spot on a team that’s in need of a heavyweight fighter.  The Amerks aren’t in need of just a heavyweight, but a heavyweight that can also play hockey.  Playing hockey is the focus of the Amerks training camp and something Sgroi did a decent job of on the opening day of camp.

Amerks head coach Benoit Groulx wants more than just a heavyweight, “We want a guy that can not only be an enforcer on the ice but a guy that can bring toughness and a guy that can skate.”

Mike understands what the team is looking for and said, “That’s the one thing that separates me a little bit.  I’ve always liked to play.  I’ve always been a half decent hockey player as well as a fighter.  [...]Read More

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Amerks Coach Benoit Groulx Answers a Few Questions

September 25, 2009 - By

Benoit Groulx was off the ice at the first day of training camp to observe the players taking part in the first scrimmage.  He was there to observe and see what players had to offer.  He was observing with Jack Birch, Jody Gage, and Ted Nolan.  How’s that for a jury deciding your future?  Players have a very short period of time to show what they can offer to a team with a limited number of available roster spots.

Here’s a few questions I asked Benoit after practice on Thursday morning.

Scrimmage instead of a typical practice?

– We already have a good idea of what our lines are going to be.  This weekend it’s important for many of them to show us what they can bring to this team.  Training camp is about knowing them (the players) better, many guys here we didn’t know before this morning.  The first two games, especially Saturday, it’s going to be an important game for guys to prove themselves.  It’ll be the team we don’t know too much of.

What’s different about this year?  What was learned from last year?

– It’s not about what we have learned from last year, it’s about [...]Read More

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Amerks Open Training Camp With A Scrimmage

September 24, 2009 - By

The Rochester Americans opened the 2009 training camp getting right to the point, playing hockey!  There was not any skating, passing, or shooting drills.  The players got on the ice, skated a few laps and went right into playing a scrimmage.  It feels like a it was only a few weeks ago that the Rochester Americans cleaned out their lockers and went home for the summer.

Who were half those players out on the ice?  I have no idea and neither did a lot of other people.  They don’t have numbers or names on the practice jerseys and it’s the first time a lot of them have met.

After a brutal preseason travel schedule with the Florida Panthers the more recognizable players that we’ll be expecting the most from were given the morning off.  Those players were Graham Mink, Mike York, Kenndal McArdle, David Brine, Jamie Johnson, Jordan Henry, and Clay Wilson.  Rory Fitzpatrick was on the ice this morning prior to everyone else putting in some skating.  Assuming nothing crazy happens those players are all guaranteed roster spots for opening night.

Looking back at the start of 2008 training camp we were all hopeful [...]Read More

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Amerks Training Camp Roster and Other Notes

September 23, 2009 - By

The 2009/2010 season for the Rochester Americans is finally upon us.  It seems as if everyone from youth hockey all the way up to the NHL has started except for the Amerks.  The Amerks will open training camp on Thursday morning from 10am – Noon at the ESL Centre.

The camp roster is supposed to be released at some point during the day on Wednesday September 23rd.  I’ll have it posted here later in the evening.  If you don’t want to wait you can obviously keep an eye on Amerks.com all day for the roster.  If you’re on Twitter you can follow @letsgoamerks and you’ll be notified when it’s available.

Some players that are expected to be at camp outside of the already signed players include: Ross Carlson, Mike Sgroi, Trevor Gillies, Cleve Kinley, and Lee Jubinville (more info below).

In case you missed the exciting summer of news you can get a recap here, “Amerks Summer News Stories, Getting Caught Up.”

The Florida Panthers are expected to make their roster cuts on Wednesday or Thursday as they return to Florida after a lengthy travel schedule for the preseason.  The Panthers are heading [...]Read More

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Another Tough Guy, Trevor Gillies Invited to Camp

September 15, 2009 - By

Last summer at this time we were excited that Steve MacIntyre had been signed over the summer and was going to provide some toughness on the ice.  MacIntyre didn’t even make it through half the practice before we learned that the Edmonton Oilers had claimed him off waivers.  Once he left the two other tough guys on the roster were Ryan James Hand and James DeLory, both were cut.

Everything is different this season.  The latest tough guy to be invited to camp is Trevor Gillies.

If you’re a fan of the rough side of hockey you will not want to miss the Amerks only home preseason game on Sunday September 27th against the Syracuse Crunch at ESL Centre.  The Amerks and Crunch will play again two days later in Syracuse.

Players that can fight who’re expected to be at camp: Trevor Gillies, Mike Sgroi, Thomas Harrison, James DeLory, Mike Duco could possibly be back from the Panthers as well.. oh and Adam Keefe could be sent down as well.

This team has the potential to score a ton of goals, have a strong defense, and a fourth line that could beat up the opposing team.  Oh and Alexander Salak [...]Read More

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Amerks Unveil Jerseys and Radio Info

September 11, 2009 - By

The Amerks showed off the changes to their jerseys today for the upcoming season and also announced radio details.

The change in the jerseys is the return of the horizontal stripes across the bottom of the jerseys along with bringing back the blue jerseys for road games.  The striping had originally disappeared because Rbk said they were not possible which it turns out wasn’t true.  The jerseys look a lot better with them back on.

The team also announced that the Amerks signed a 3yr deal with Clear Channel to air games on WHTK-AM 1280 which is now also being simulcasted on WROO-FM 107.3 in Rochester.  The team will also being airing the in arena pre and post game shows on the radio where they’ll be recapping games, conducting interviews, and also have the ability to take phone calls.

Also announced was that Ted Nolan will have a weekly show with John DiTullio at 4:05pm to talk hockey.  Nolan said the show will, “give fans a chance to vent but hopefully it’ll be talking about excitement with the team.”  The show will debut on September 30th.

Talking about Mike Sgroi, Ted Nolan said that Jody Gage [...]Read More

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Tough Guy Mike Sgroi Invited to Amerks Camp

September 11, 2009 - By

The calls for an enforcer for the upcoming season could be answered, tough guy Mike Sgroi has been invited to the Amerks training camp on a tryout contract.  Thanks to Lyndsay Kramer (covers the Syracuse Crunch) for reporting the info.

Apparently Ted Nolan has shown interest in Sgroi and called to invite him to camp.  In Kramers blog he quoted Sgroi talking about Nolan saying, “He’s done his homework,” Sgroi said. “He’s called everyone I’ve known or played with.”

Sgroi has made the rounds over the past decade playing for 20 different teams, the Amerks will be team number 21.  In the American Hockey League Sgroi has played for the Syracuse Crunch, Binghamton Senators, Chicago Wolves, Rockford IceHogs, Albany River Rats, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and the Norfolk Admirals.

Doing some research on Sgroi the few reasons I can find for him bouncing around so much is due to injuries and some of his “side show” antics with his fights.  I’m not really sure what that means, but if he can stay healthy and play smart he sounds like a great player fans would love to see every night.

One thing that separates him from other enforcers is that he’s also [...]Read More

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